Revelation 17:9-18 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Bible Study & Commentary

Verses 9-18

Revelation 17:9 . seven mountains: Rome was described as “ the city of the seven hills.”

Revelation 17:10 . seven kings: this is a second interpretation of the “ heads.” The most probable explanation is: “ The five are fallen,” i.e. Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero are dead; “ the one is,” i.e. Vespasian is still reigning, “ the other is not yet come,” i.e. Titus is still to ascend the throne as seventh emperor (but cf. p. 928 ).

Revelation 17:11 . an eighth and is of the seven: i.e. Nero, who was the fifth emperor in the foregoing list, and on his return would be the eighth.

Revelation 17:12 . ten horns: probably ten Parthian satraps who were about to assist Nero to recover his kingdom and would be rewarded for their loyalty by receiving kingdoms.— for one hour: the rule of Nero redivivus would be of the shortest possible duration.

Revelation 17:14 . The victory of Christ over the empire of Antichrist.

Revelation 17:16 . the ten horns: Revelation 17:12 *.— shall hate the harlot: the belief was that Nero would return in fury to wreak vengeance on Rome.

Revelation 17:17 . God uses the plans and devices of His enemies to fulfil His own purposes.

Revelation 17:18 . the great city: this verse proves that “ Babylon” in this chapter must mean Rome, for the phrase “ which reigneth over the kings of the earth” could only apply to Rome.

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Arthur Samuel Peake (1865-1929) was an English biblical scholar, born at Leek, Staffordshire, and educated at St John's College, Oxford. He was the first holder of the Rylands Chair of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis in the University of Manchester, from its establishment as an independent institution in 1904. He was thus the first non-Anglican to become a professor of divinity in an English university.In 1890-92 he was a lecturer at Mansfield College, Oxford, and from 1890 to 1897 held a fellowship at Merton College.In 1892, however, he was invited to become tutor at the Primitive Methodist Theological Institute in Manchester, which was renamed Hartley College in 1906. He was largely responsible for broadening the curriculum which intending Primitive Methodist ministers were required to follow, and for raising the standards of the training.In 1895-1912 he served as lecturer in the Lancashire Independent College, from 1904 to 1912 also in the United Methodist College at Manchester. In 1904 he was appointed Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis in the (Victoria) University of Manchester. (This chair was in the Faculty of Theology established in that year; it was renamed "Rylands Professor, etc." in 1909.)Peake was also active as a layman in wider Methodist circles, and did a great deal to further the reunion of Methodism which took effect in 1932, three years after his death. In the wider ecumenical sphere Peake worked for the National Council of Evangelical Free Churches, serving as president in 1928, and was a member of the World Conference on Faith and Order held in Lausanne in 1927. He published and lectured extensively, but is best remembered for his one-volume commentary on the Bible (1919), which, in its revised form, is still in use.The University of Aberdeen made him an honorary D. D. in 1907. He was a governor of the John Rylands Library.... Show more

First published in 1919, Peake's commentary of the bible was a one-volume commentary that gave special attention to Biblical archaeology and the then-recent discoveries of biblical manuscripts. Biblical quotations in this edition were from the Revised Version of the Bible.... Show more

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