It follows, that when John saw the angel of the eighteenth chapter, and "the earth was lightened with his glory," it did not symbolize a _literal_ but a _moral_ light,--_the light of truth_. And as the enlightening of the earth by its promulgation, pre-supposes a previous state of corresponding moral _darkness_, it must, as in the tenth chapter, symbolize an _epoch_, prominent in the history of the world, as a time when the _darkness_ of ignorance, error and superstition, began rapidly to disappear before the spread of the _light_ of truth and knowledge.
These considerations point to the epoch of the REFORMATION, when the midnight _darkness_ of the _dark ages_ began to be scattered before the uprising and onward progress of truth and knowledge. Then appeared a body of religious teachers, aided by the newly discovered art of printing, who so brought the Scriptures out from their obscurity, opposed the pretensions of the Papal hierarchy, and, by the clear teachings of the word, so secured the spread of gospel light and liberty, that they might appropriately be symbolized by an angel coming down from heaven, and enlightening the earth with his glory. The descent from heaven would symbolize the heavenly origin of the doctrines promulgated. His mighty power, and the strong voice with which he proclaimed his cry, would symbolize the greatness and earnestness of the movement, and the mighty results to be effected by it. This symbolization, twice given, could only be fulfilled by some great and mighty movement, like the Reformation.
The fall of Babylon is distinct from and anterior to its destruction, and must correspond with the fall of the woman from her position on the beast;--she is no longer to be the director of, and to be sustained by, the civil power. The cry of the angel, announcing her fall, as Mr. Elliot remarks, seems to be anticipative, and not retrospective. The denunciations of the Papacy by the reformers were of a character to fulfil this symbolization.
The year 1300, during the pontificate of Boniface VIII., may be regarded as marking the highest eminence to which the Papal power ever attained. From this period the dominion of the Roman Pontiffs appeared to be gradually undermined. Twenty-four years after this date, John Wickliffe was born, who, together with his followers, made more vigorous attacks upon Babylon itself. Some of these declared Rome to be mystical Babylon, and the Pope and church there to be Antichrist. These heralds announced the fall of mystical Babylon, as the ancient prophets had done that of literal Babylon, long before the event.--Jer. 51:7, 8. Antichrist and Babylon are identified in prophecy. In 1518, Luther first suspected their application to the Papacy; and, writing to his friend Link, on sending him a copy of the acts just published of the conference at Augsburg, he says: "My pen is ready to give birth to things much greater. _I know not myself whence these thoughts come to me._ I will send you what I write, that you may see if I have well conjectured in believing that the _Antichrist_ of whom St. Paul speaks now reigns in the court of Rome."