re: Merchants of Babylon
This interpretation of corrupt religious leaders as merchants That's a very interesting interpretation. And to me, it does not in the slightest degrade the profession of merchant. Similarly, in the Book of Revelation the new Law is foreshadowed as a woman (12:1); and corrupt religion as a corrupt woman (Rev. Ch. 17). I wonder how the image of the corrupt merchants fits in with this verse concerning buying and selling, about which I have long wondered. Your comment may well be a key: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev. 13:16-17) Then in chapter 18 the corrupt woman, the whore of Babylon, falls, and the merchants who were made rich through her weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more, the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones ... and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. Brent __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Merchants of Babylon
Patti Goebel wrote: Speaking of Babylon, the symbolic city of corrupted religion, John writes: . . . thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. 18:23-24 Dear Patti, I'm inclined to agree with you that there is more to this verse than is evident at first glance. Their occupation was not so important as the status awarded them. Consequently these merchants were viewed as great men. No doubt admired and envied, perhaps, because they would be perceived as knowledgable; well traveled and well informed. I suspect they would have been sought out and patronized as much for their news as their merchandise. They would be positioned to have tremendous influence. Pretty heady stuff! .and we know where that can lead. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Lovingly, Sandra __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Merchants of Babylon
Well, don't forget Muhammad and the Bab were chants too. ;-} I wasn't forgetting (it came out in the Ocean search when I was tracking down the exact quotes I was thinking about). In this caseI'm referringonly to the allegorical "merchants" of corrupted religion--Babylon, not earthly ones or inhabitants ofthe allegorical Holy City--Jerusalem. It's pretty clear from the stories that the Bab was an honest merchant, (e.g. - paying someone the price he should have gotten when he was slow in selling something for them that had been at a higher price--if only more of our earthly merchants held to those standards ;-) ). __ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
