Rev 17 - Mystery Babylon, Part 2
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6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
During the time of the reign of the Roman Emperors their some 6 million Christians killed, but during the reign of the Roman Inquisition it is reported that some 50 million Christians were killed.
7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
Here John is astonished, literally – wondered or marveled. It would have been no wonder to John that Rome would be doing these things. But it may be that he is amazed that the Harlot is doing all this in the name of Christ.
We see Her (the Harlot) riding or sitting on the Beast, implies she is in control, note the language changes in v7 to the beast carries her… so the idea of her controlling changes; more to come on that.
Note the Beast and the woman are not the same. The woman is the religious ecumenical system and the Beast can be viewed as the AC and as the Political System.
8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
11 “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
Now V8 and following is a difficult section. Note it requires a mind of wisdom but we are given a clue. The seven heads are seven hills. So we know we have a relation to Rome. The city on seven hills historically, of this there is no doubt.
V10 – 11 The seven are also seven kings. 5 have fallen, 1 is, 1 has not yet come. The beast the was, and is not is the eighth. He belongs to the 7.
Two views: 1. The seven kings are the Roman Emperors or Cesars. 2. The kings are the world empires.
Cesar View- 7 were known at the time of John. 6 were know dead but 5 had fallen (killed or murdered). Julius (assassinated), Agustus (natural death), Tiberius (poisoned), Caligula (stabbed), Claudius (smothered), Nero (suicide).
Number 7, Domitian, was ruling and alive at the time.
Number 8 has not yet come but is of the 7. He is the Anti-Christ. Some believe the AC is possessed by the same demon that possessed Nero who after meeting Paul and hearing and rejecting the Gospel executed Paul and went crazy. Note: we are told that this would require wisdom, just like Ch 13 regarding the number of the AC name which is 666. Nero’s name in Greek equals 666.
World empire view: Here instead of the 7 hills or mountains identifying Rome, they are identified with World Kingdoms.7 empires, 5 fallen: Egypitian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian. 1 is: Roman. 1 to come: revived Roman empire,
8th is the AC.
We move on;
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
13 “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
In verses V12 – 14 the 10 Kings, the same ones in the visions of Daniel, are the revived Roman Empire and give their power to the beast.
42 “As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.
7 “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
Note, these Kings, they have one purpose, literally one mind or opinion. Which is to defeat the King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ. BTW- that is the plan of NWO today.
So again we saw this in Psalms;
1 Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
Ultimately the are defeated by Jesus and us, you and me (called, chosen, faithful followers).
15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
16 “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
17 “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
18 “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
V15 – 18 Note the prostitute was sitting or propped up by the system but now it is destroyed by the AC. Why the AC wants all worship going to him.
In V18 he calls the woman “The great city that rules over the kings of the Earth” ?? Another clue that we are talking about Rome.
So as we close remember for those who are in Christ, Born Again and filled with His Spirit these events will not be happening to you. You and me we will be with Him in heaven. So for us we are looking for our blessed hope Jesus Christ. We look with anticipation and longing to see Him. But those who do not know Him are and should be terrified.
Prayer