<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Mystery Of Babylon And The Beast Revealed (17:1-18) INTRODUCTION 1. In chapter sixteen, the full outpouring of God's wrath was depicted... a. Upon those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image - Re 16:2 b. Upon the throne of the beast and his kingdom - Re 16:10 c. Upon the great city Babylon - Re 16:19 2. Chapter seventeen is a key chapter in the book of Revelation... a. For the mystery of the great harlot and the beast is explained b. And one's understanding of this chapter will affect their overall interpretation of the rest of the book [So let us carefully consider what the apostle John is told in this chapter, beginning with...] I. THE SCARLET WOMAN AND THE SCARLET BEAST (1-6) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. John is approached by an angel - Re 17:1-2 a. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls b. Who offers to show him the judgment of the great harlot 1) Which sits on many waters 2) With whom kings of the earth have committed fornication 3) With whom inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication 2. John is shown the scarlet woman on a scarlet beast - Re 17:3-6 a. He is carried away by the angel in the Spirit into the wilderness b. There he sees a woman sitting on a scarlet beast 1) The scarlet beast described a) Full of names of blasphemy b) Having seven heads and ten horns 2) The woman described a) Arrayed in purple and scarlet b) Adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls c) In her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication d) On her forehead the name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH e) Drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus 3) John marveled with great amazement when he saw her -- Who wouldn't marvel, wondering what the scarlet woman and the scarlet beast represented? B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. We might marvel with amazement together with John 2. Regarding the scarlet woman on a scarlet beast -- But we need not marvel long as to what they represent! [For as we continue to read chapter seventeen, an angel offers to tell John "the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns" (Re 17:7) ...] II. THE MYSTERY OF THE BEAST AND WOMAN EXPLAINED (8-18) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. The beast explained - Re 17:8-14 a. The beast that John saw: 1) Was, is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition 2) Will be marveled by those by those whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world when they see it b. Here is the mind which has wisdom: 1) The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits 2) There are also seven kings a) Five have fallen, one is, the other has yet to come b) When the seventh comes, he must continue a short time 3) The beast that was, and is not, is himself the eighth a) He is of the seven b) He is going to perdition (destruction) 4) The ten horns are ten kings a) Who have received no kingdom as yet b) But receive authority for one hour with the beast c) Who are of one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast 5) These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them a) For He is Lord of lords and King of kings b) Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful 2. The woman explained - Re 17:15-18 a. The waters upon which she sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues b. The ten horns (ten kings) on the beast 1) Will hate the harlot a) Make her desolate b) Eat her flesh and burn her with fire 2) For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose a) For them to be of one mind b) To give their kingdom to the beast c) Until the words of God are fulfilled c. The woman John saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth -- Quite a bit of information is provided to help us identify the scarlet beast and scarlet woman B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. As indicated in the introductory material, my understanding of this book focuses on the fact that John is given this revelation at a time when the beast "is not" - Re 17:8,11 a. Whatever explanation one gives for the beast, it did not exist at the time the Revelation was given! b. It had existed, and was to come, but at the time John was shown the vision, it "is not"! 2. One plausible explanation is that the seven (actually eight) kings represent Roman emperors, starting with Augustus a. This would make Nero the fifth king, whose death in 68 A.D. left the empire in an uproar and may be the "deadly wound" referred to earlier - Re 13:3,12,14 b. Discounting Galba, Otho, and Vitellius whose insignificant reigns were short-lived during the turmoil, the sixth king ("one is") would be Vespasian who restored order to the empire c. This would make Titus the seventh emperor and Domitian the eighth 3. The beast that "was, and is not, and will ascend" (NKJV) therefore depicts the persecuting Roman emperor, seen first in the person of Nero (the beast who "was") and later in the person of Domitian (the beast who "will ascend") 4. The ten kings who gave their power and authority to the beast appear to be vassal kings that supported the emperor in times of persecution 5. The identity of the harlot is still an open question in my own mind a. I used to lean toward the view that the harlot represents Jerusalem, often supported in her persecution of the church by the Roman empire but then destroyed herself by Rome in A.D. 70 1) It is interesting to compare such verses as Re 17:6; 18:20,24; 19:2 with Jesus' statements in Mt 23:31-39 2) As foretold by Jesus in both Matthew and Revelation, God was about to avenge His apostles and prophets on this city "who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her" (Re 18:20; Mt 23:37) 3) I still believe that Jerusalem is the focus of chapters 6-11 b. Many understand the harlot to represent the commercial and pagan spirit of Rome (not the literal city itself, for she was never destroyed as described in later chapters) which was instrumental in opposing the people of God 1) There is much to be said for this view. Re 17:2,18; 18:3,9,11 certainly seem to fit Rome 2) I now lean toward this view in keeping with the idea of Rome as the focus of chapters 13-19 -- If Rome and its emperors are indeed the focus of chapters 13-19, then the "beast" represents the persecuting emperors (e.g., Nero, Domitian), and "Babylon the harlot" represents the commercial and pagan spirit of Rome where many Christians died for their faith in Christ CONCLUSION 1. While the identity of the beast, the kings, and the harlot might be unclear in the minds of some, the outcome of the conflict described in this chapter is certain 2. In what may be described as the theme of this book, we are told that: "These will make war with Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful." (Re 17:14) Comforting words indeed to early Christians who were persecuted by both the Roman emperor and unbelieving Jerusalem!<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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