Revelation 13.11-18, 17.1-18-The Formulation of the False Religious System Under the False Prophet
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday December 2, 2007
The Day of the Lord: Revelation 13:11-18; 17:1-18-The Formulation of the False Religious System Under the False Prophet
Lesson # 8
Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 13:1.
This morning we will continue with our study of the prophetic subject called “the Day of the Lord,” which we conduct the first Sunday of every month when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
“The Day of the Lord” is “not” a literal twenty-four period but rather is an extended period of time beginning with God’s dealing with Israel after the rapture at the beginning of the tribulation period and extending through the 2nd Advent and the millennial age unto the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.
The “Rapture” of the church triggers the beginning of this period called the “Day of the Lord” and then is immediately followed by the Tribulation period, which is also known by students of prophecy as, “Daniel’s Seventieth Week.”
Daniel’s 70th week refers to a 7-year period that extends from the rapture of the church to the 2nd Advent of Christ and is concerned with the nation of Israel exclusively and will be the worst period in all of Israel’s and the world’s history (See Daniel 9:24-27).
This 7-year period is divided into two three and a half year periods with the first three and a half years characterized as a cold war (Mt. 24:6) whereas the last three and a half years are characterized as a hot war (Mt. 24:21-22).
The church age takes place between the 69th and 70th week and was a “mystery” (Eph. 3:9) meaning it was not known to Old Testament prophets such as Daniel.
God has temporarily set aside Israel because of her rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah (Rom. 9-11) in order to fulfill the Times of the Gentiles and to form the church.
Therefore, the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecy have yet to be fulfilled but will be fulfilled after the rapture of the church.
The Bible also teaches that the church is delivered from the wrath to come during the Great Tribulation period (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).
In our last two hours of study of the Day of the Lord, we have learned from Daniel 2 and 7 that two major events will transpire during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week: (1) The rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the Revived Roman Empire at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 2; 7). (2) Antichrist rises to power as the Ruler of the Revived Form of the Roman Empire (Dan. 7:20, 24; 9:27; Rev. 13:1-10).
This morning we will study Revelation 13 and 17, which teach that the rise of the revived form of the Roman Empire under Antichrist during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week will be accompanied by the formulation of a false religious system under the false prophet.
Revelation 13:1-12, “And the dragon (refers to Satan) stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast (refers to Antichrist and corresponds to the “little horn” in Daniel 7:7-8) coming up out of the sea (refers to the Gentile nations), having ten horns (ten nation European confederacy, i.e. the Revived Form of the Roman Empire; Daniel 7:7-8) and seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation), and on his horns were ten diadems (signifies ten independent nations, each with a ruler of its own), and on his heads were blasphemous names (anti-Christ character). And the beast which I saw was like a leopard (Greece; Daniel 7-Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up the brilliancy and speed of Greece), and his feet were like those of a bear (Medo-Persia, Daniel 7-Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up massive power of Medo-Persia), and his mouth like the mouth of a lion (Babylon; Daniel 7-Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist will sum up absolute autocratic dominion of Babylon). And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast. They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’ There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.”
This second beast is called in Revelation 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 “the false prophet” and a comparison of these passages with Revelation 13:11-18 indicates that he will promote the worship of the first beast, i.e. the Antichrist.
The false prophet will be a religious leader as indicated in that he is depicted as a lamb with two horns.
The horns speak of power and the lamb is a religious symbol, a symbol of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and as a lamb is also symbolical of a mild, lamb like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild lamb like appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Maybe the Pope)
Revelation 13:13-18, “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
Revelation 17 is in part an amplification of Revelation 13 in that it shows us one of the ways the Antichrist and his political system rise to power where he uses the relig¬ious influence and power of the woman, the religious system of mystery Babylon.
This system will have its tentacles in every part of the world where there is any kind of religion at all, apostate Christendom (the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, Protestant unbelieving churches), the Jewish religion, and the cults.
These will all come together in one great ecumenical movement, a super world religion, and the beast will use this to extend his authority and power throughout Europe, parts of Africa and perhaps the Americas.
Revelation 17:1, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters (refers to the nations of the world).”
Babylon’s description as “the great harlot” refers to the spiritual prostitution and fornication that categorizes the apostate church of the Tribulation which is unfaithful and rejects the Lord Jesus Christ as her husband (2 Pet. 2:1 2).
The prostitute exists today in many forms (Roman Catholicism, liberal Protestantism, the cults, etc.), but after the church is gone, or perhaps even before it is gone, they will unite and become one great ecumenical religious system.
Revelation 17:2, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
The wine refers to the demonic doctrines, ideologies and concepts pro¬duced by this religious/political alliance and one of these demonic doctrines of the Babylonian religion was not allowing their priests to marry (See 1 Timothy 4:1-3).
Revelation 17:3-5, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (refers to Antichrist), full of blasphemous names (anti-Christ character), having seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation) and ten horns (ten nation European confederacy called the Revived Roman Empire). The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet (stands for apostate church’s political power), and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (apostate church’s immense wealth), having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.’”
“And on her forehead was written”: The practice of harlots in ancient times was to write their names on their foreheads for easy recog¬nition, which showed the shamelessness of their character and it revealed a seared conscience from continual rejection of God’s truth.
“Mystery” here is not a part of the name but a description of the name, a secret and “Babylon the Great” is the secret name and is telling us that Baby¬lon the Great refers not only to the city of Revelation 18, but to a religious system, the Babylonianism of ancient time, which will reach its peak in the Tribulation.
History shows us this system has never ceased to exist in one form or another and will exist in a revived form in the Tribulation as never before (Rev. 17 and 18).
Ever since, the Lord intervened at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10-11), Babylon has been a source and center of confusion in the world in the sense that the complex religious system established there by Nimrod and his wife was carried into all the nations by those who were dispersed from the city.
The term “Babel” suggests confusion (Genesis 11:9) and later the name was applied to the city of Babylon, which itself has a long history dating back to as early as 3,000 years before Christ.
After a period of decline Babylon again became great on the world scene under Nebuchadnezzar about 600 years before Christ and its subsequent history is the background of the book of Daniel.
Babylon was not only important politically but also religiously.
The founder of Babylon, Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12) had a wife known as Semiramis who founded the secret religious rites of the Babylonian mysteries, according to accounts outside the Bible.
Semiramis had a son with an alleged miraculous conception who was given the name Tammuz and in effect was a false fulfillment of the promise of the seed of the woman given to Eve (Genesis 3:15).
Various religious practices were observed in connection wit this false Babylonian religion, including recognition of the mother and child as God and of creating an order of virgins who became religious prostitutes.
Tammuz according to the tradition, was killed by a wild animal and then restored to life, a satanic anticipation and counterfeit of Christ’s resurrection.
Scripture condemns this false worship repeatedly (Jer. 7:18; 44:17-19, 25; Ezek. 8:14).
After the Persians took over Babylon in 539 B.C., they discouraged the continuation of the mystery religions of Babylon.
Consequently, the Babylonian cultists moved to Pergamum (or Pergamos) where one of the seven churches of Asia Minor was located (Rev. 2:12-17).
Satan’s throne was located in Pergamum when John wrote Revelation according to Revelation 2:13.
Crowns in the shape of a fish head were worn by the chief priests of the Babylonian cult to honor the fish god and bore the words “Keeper of the Bridge,” symbolic of the “bridge” between man and Satan.
This handle was adopted by the Roman emperors, who used the Latin title Pontifex Maximus, which means, “Major Keeper of the Bridge.”
The same title was later used by the bishop of Rome.
The pope today is often called the pontiff, which comes from pontifex.
When the teachers of the Babylonian mystery religions later moved from Pergamum to Rome, they were influential in paganizing Christianity and were the source of many so-called religious rites, which have crept into ritualistic churches.
Babylon then is the symbol of apostasy and blasphemous substitution of idol-worship for the worship of God in Christ and in Revelation 17-18 we see Babylon judged by God.
This idolatrous religion culminates at last in the Bible in the book of Revelation and is described as the “great harlot” whose name is “Mystery Babylon the Great,” the originator of all the harlotries and false religions of earth.
The religious system, which began in Babel (or Babylon), became the mother, the source of all pagan religions of the world and this is the reason she is called “Mother of Harlots” (Rev. 17:5).
Revelation 17:5-18, “and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.’ 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. 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.’ The beast (does not refer to Antichrist but to the Revived Roman Empire as the description to follow indicates) 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. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, Revived Roman Empire all supported Babylonian religious system) are seven mountains on which the woman sits and they are seven kings; five have fallen (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece), one is (Rome existed during the days of John), the other has not yet come (Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation); and when he comes, he must remain a little while (3 ½ years of Tribulation). The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth (refers to the fact that the revived Roman empire will take on the form of an imperial dictatorship and by this change actually become an eighth kingdom, a whole new and vicious form of government, the blasphemous form seen in Revelation 13) and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns (ten nation European confederacy during Tribulation) 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. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast (this time referring to Antichrist, Satan controlled man and not the Revived Roman Empire because we are speaking in the context of kings or leaders). 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. And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.’ And the ten horns (ten nation European confederacy) which you saw, and the beast (Antichrist), these will hate the harlot (apostate religious system originated from ancient Babylon) and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. 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. The woman whom you saw is the great city (Rome where the apostate church will reside, which promotes Babylonianism), which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
This leads us to the communion service.
The Lord’s Supper is a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ to every church age believer to bring into remembrance His Unique Person and Finished Work on the Cross, both of which serve as the basis for fellowship with God and each other as members of the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it} in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.”