Offenbarung 17:8

beast . . . was, and is not--(Compare Rev 17:11). The time when the beast "is not" is the time during which it has "the deadly wound"; the time of the seventh head becoming Christian externally, when its beast-like character was put into suspension temporarily. The healing of its wound answers to its ascending out of the bottomless pit. The beast, or Antichristian world power, returns worse than ever, with satanic powers from hell (Rev 11:7), not merely from the sea of convulsed nations (Rev 13:1). Christian civilization gives the beast only a temporary wound, whence the deadly wound is always mentioned in connection with its being healed up the non-existence of the beast in connection with its reappearance; and Daniel does not even notice any change in the world power effected by Christianity. We are endangered on one side by the spurious Christianity of the harlot, on the other by the open Antichristianity of the beast; the third class is Christ's little flock." go--So B, Vulgate, and ANDREAS read the future tense. But A and IRENÆUS, "goeth." into perdition--The continuance of this revived seventh (that is, the eighth) head is short: it is therefore called "the son of perdition," who is essentially doomed to it almost immediately after his appearance. names were--so Vulgate and ANDREAS. But A, B, Syriac, and Coptic read the singular, "name is." written in--Greek, "upon." which--rather, "when they behold the beast that it was," &c. So Vulgate. was, and is not, and yet is--A, B, and ANDREAS read, "and shall come" (literally, "be present," namely, again: Greek, "kai parestai"). The Hebrew, "tetragrammaton," or sacred four letters in Jehovah, "who is, who was, and who is to come," the believer's object of worship, has its contrasted counterpart in the beast "who was, and…

This chapter contains another representation of those things that had been revealed before concerning the wickedness and ruin of antichrist. This antichrist had been before represented as a beast, and is now described as a great whore. And here, I. The apostle is invited to see this vile woman (Rev 17:1, Rev 17:2). II. He tells us what an appearance she made (Rev 17:3-6). III. The mystery of it is explained to him (Rev 17:7-12). And, IV. Her ruin foretold (Rev 17:13, etc.).

17:8-11 The destruction within this vision contrasts with the destiny of the people of God in the new heaven and earth (see 21:1-4). 17:8 The beast . . . was once alive but isn’t now . . . will soon come up: When Domitian became emperor (AD 81–96), he was as evil as Nero (both were fierce persecutors of the church), and many thought he was the embodiment of Nero’s spirit, if not Nero himself (perhaps similar to the way that John the Baptist was considered to embody Elijah’s spirit; see Mal 4:5; Matt 11:14; Luke 1:17; John 1:21). • you saw: The past tense indicates that the angel’s interpretation took place after John’s vision. • was once alive but isn’t now: This contrasts with God, “who is, who always was, and who is still to come” (Rev 1:4, 8). • the bottomless pit: See study note on 9:1-12. • In contrast to God’s people, the people of this world are not written in the Book of Life (see 20:11-15). They will be amazed by the apparent resurrection of the beast (see study note on 17:10-11; see also 13:13-17).