Revelation Chapter 19

Rev. 19:1-4.

1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!

2 "For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her."

3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!"

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!"

After these things refers to the things that happened in the preceding chapter. John hears the voice of a great multitude in heaven giving praises unto God. The whole of heaven thunders out praises to God when they behold the complete destruction of the system of great Babylon, which is opposition to God and His true worship.

"Her smoke rises up for ever and ever", this phrase is stated fourteen times in the book of Revelation. This relates to other pronouncements of the eternal destruction on literal Babylon (Isa. 13:19:22; Jer. 50:13,23,39,40; 51:26,37,62). This may also have reference to the eternal lake of fire with its ascending smoke. It appears that it may be visible to those on earth during the Millennium, see (Isa.66:24). The carcasses here are the indestructible bodies of men in eternal hell. These bodies will be immortal, for it speaks of going forth to see them and to look upon them. If this is so, this will be on of the greatest deterrents to people rising up against God in rebellion during the Millennium.

We also see that this great event (the destruction of Babylon) is a cause for the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures to worship God.

Rev. 19:5-10.

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

There is a voice from heaven that tells God's servants to praise God. The reason for this command to praise is that the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. Now remember that this is taking place after the seventh bowl but before the battle of Armageddon. So in between the seventh bowl and the battle of Armageddon we have the marriage of the Lamb to the Bride. Eph. 5:23-25, clearly states that the Church is a part of the Bride of Christ. But if you go to Hosea 2:19,20; 54:5,8, you also see that Israel's relationship with God is also portrayed as that of a wife with a husband.

Who is the Bride? It is the elect of God from all ages. There is not going to be two different groups with the Jews on one side and the Church on the other side. The heavenly city that God has prepared for Abraham and his descendants can be none other than the same heavenly city He has prepared for the true Church--that is the New Jerusalem--because like all other believers, the true Church is among the spiritual descendants of Abraham. When the holy city, the New Jerusalem, [comes] down out of heaven from God, then, as before, all believers of all ages past, will comprise that glorified "bride adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2).

Verses 8,9, How has the bride made herself ready? What did she do that she was granted (given to her by Christ) to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright (the brilliant glory of a spotless purity from sin)? The righteous acts that the saints did were the reason for her fine apparel. The scriptures command us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Works do not save us but righteous acts are a normal output of true born again believer.

What will this celebration be like? Although we can hardly begin to imagine, we are given a small glimpse of it in Isa. 25:6-8. "The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain, a banquet of aged wine.... He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken."

This will indeed be a magnificent scene; rivaled only by the actual marriage of the Lamb that will take place previously in the heavenlies.

Who will come to the marriage supper? The angel said to John, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." The bride of Christ will, of course, be there, "adorned for her husband" (Rev. 21:2) --that is the raptured and resurrected saints from all ages. But there will also be invited guests in addition to the bride. They will include those who survive the great tribulation by Antichrist, the day of the Lord's wrath, and the Sheep and Goats Judgment. These too will be invited to the marriage supper; but more then this, they will be invited to spend eternity with the One who has become their Savior and King, Jesus Christ. Indeed, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And so in celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb, we have come full circle. Satan who corrupted the earth to begin with, has been defeated, and all who gave their allegiance to him have been destroyed; God has reclaimed His eternal rule over the earth, and Christ in return has received the kingdom from the Father establishing the kingdom of God upon the earth; the survivors of the nation of Israel have been saved and have become the inhabitants of God's kingdom; and the heavens and the earth will be rid of the rulers of darkness because the devil will be bound for one thousand years unable to tempt man.

Verse 10, John's temptation to worship the angel, warns that idolatry may arise within the Church when the messenger, or even the message, is idolized.

"The spirit of prophecy",What the angel is saying is, "you and I and all our brothers and sisters in Christ are all witnesses of Jesus, we bare testimony respecting Jesus, and this is the spirit of prophecy working in us. True prophecy relates to Jesus and exalts Him.

Rev. 19:11-16.

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Verse 11, This verse sets forth the beginning of the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. He comes from heaven as a Warrior- Messiah to establish truth and justice, to judge the nations, and to make war against evil. This is the event for which the faithful of all generations have waited.

At the end of the thirty-day reclamation period, after the marriage of the Lamb, Christ will come back to earth with His armies to defeat the remainder of the ungodly forces on earth, thereby reclaiming physical possession of the earth. This momentous event will occur after the seventh bowl judgment and will conclude the day of the Lord.

The rider on the white horse, (symbolizing victory) is Faithful and True, (Jesus) whose final victory in the war to come serves only to make clear to those "who dwell on the earth" what has been seen by the eyes of faith in His cross and resurrection.

Verse 12, His eyes symbolize eternity, wisdom and omniscience, nothing escapes Him. Many crowns represent unlimited diadems of sovereign authority, far surpassing the limited number usurped by the dragon (Rev. 12:3) and the beast (Rev. 13:1). The fullness of the Person of Jesus is beyond human comprehension, therefore, no one knew the name, (completely understood all that name implies) but Himself.

Verse 13, Christ's robe is dipped in His atoning blood, not that of His enemies, since the battle has not yet taken place. His name is the Word of God because Jesus reveals the character and purpose of God.

Verse 14, Who are these armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean? The identity of these armies is not made explicit in the text, but when this is examined in light of other scriptures, it seems there can be no question as to their identity.

First, we have already seen in the parable of the wheat and tares, Christ Himself states that "the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels (Matt. 13:39). Christ explains, " Just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks [the tares], and those who commit lawlessness [the unrighteous world], and will cast them into a furnace of fire... then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt, 13:40-43a). In addition, Christ specifically taught His disciples that, "the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then [with His angels] recompense every man according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27).

The sequence of what will happen seems very clear: the Son of Man will come with His angels; He will send forth His angels to harvest the wicked; the "stumbling blocks" (the tares) will include the counterfeit Christians who have infiltrated the church in general, and will have been noticeably absent in the general multitude around the throne after the rapture of the true Church; and all those who commit "lawlessness" (i.e. the unrighteous world, in particular "the man of lawlessness" [2 Thess. 2:3]; both groups will be utterly destroyed and cast into eternal fire, whereupon the Millennium will begin and the "righteous [citizens of the kingdom of God] will shine forth...in the kingdom of their Father.

This of course, is in perfect harmony with Rev. 15:6, where the seven angels are identified as the ones who will mete out the final wrath of God. It is consistent as well with Paul's description of Christ during the Day of the Lord, when He "shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God" (2 Thess. 1:7,8)

When all this is taken together, the most logical conclusion is that "the armies in heaven" who accompany Christ at the battle of Armageddon are in fact the angels of Matt. 13:37-43 and of Rev. 15:6 and that these angels, as Christ explains in His own words, will be the reapers at the end of the age.

The bride of Christ is spoken of as being clothed "in fine linen bright and clean" (Rev. 19:8), this is clearly a reference to believers. It is interesting that when the final wrath of God is poured out (in the bowl judgments) on the nation by the angelic reapers of God, they too will be dressed in "bright" linen (Rev. 15:6). The Greek word LAMPROS, can be legitimately translated either "bright" or "white," as illustrated by the fact that it is rendered as "bright" in the New American Standard texts of 15:6 and 19:8 and as "white" in the King James texts of those same verses.

An additional passage in the book of Joshua also gives general support to the idea of the armies of heaven being the angels--when Joshua sees the "captain of the host of the Lord." Most commentators take this to be the preincarnate appearance of Christ and that the "host of the Lord" are His heavenly angels, prepared for battle (see Josh. 5:13-15).

Verse 15, The sword coming out of His mouth is the Word of God in its judging and avenging power. The Word of God is sharper than any two edged sword. He will rule with a rod of iron (firmness but not tyranny). He treadeth the winepress indicates the awfulness of His judgment. The fierceness and wrath of almighty God is a stern reminder that God hates sin.

Verse 16, This awesome title earned by Christ's complete work and victory on the cross, is the basis for His consummating the victory over the dragon and his allies.

Rev. 19:17-21.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

18 "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Notice that the victory is announced before the battle is fought. The supper of the great God refers to the battle of Armageddon. The destruction of God's enemies will be so great that it will require a multitude of birds to clean up the battlefield. It is called the supper of the great God because God will provide it for the birds of prey. The scene is one of judgment against the terrible cruelty and evil of this world.

The brief account of this final battle sees the beast and the false prophet cast alive into the lake of fire, these two are probably the first two candidates for the lake of fire. This is different from hell for death and hell are going to be cast into the lake of fire. Those in hell will come out but once cast into the lake of fire, there is no coming out, it is forever. Their allies are slain by the Word of the Lord, which has power to overcome all evil.

With this we see the close of the thirty days because the final wrath of God is poured out and the battle of Armageddon has ended.

Before we get in the next chapter let's briefly look at a few things. The time line for the book of Revelation is taken from the book of Daniel and we have found out that it is a seven-year period known as the seventieth week of Daniel. Daniel teaches that there will be a 30-day period immediately following the seventieth week (Dan. 12:11), which speaks of a 1,290-day period from the time the "abomination of desolation is set up until a complete destruction...is poured out on the one who makes desolate" (Dan. 9:27), when Antichrist is destroyed at Armageddon. These 1,290 days break down as follows: the first 1,260 days correspond to the last half of the seventieth week, to these 1,260 days a 30-day period must be added, bringing the total to 1,290 days between the time that Antichrist desecrates the Temple and his defeat at Armageddon.

The next verse (v.12) reads: "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,355 days!" In other words there is an additional 45 day period immediately after the 30 day period and immediately before the Millennium begins (1,260 + 30 + 45 = 1,335). thus we see that the 1,335 days is achieved by adding together the 1,260 days (the last half of the seventieth week) plus the 30-day reclamation period plus an additional 45-day restoration period extending right up to the first day of the Millennium.

For some reason the book of Revelation does not discuss this 45-day period. But Daniel tells us that there is a 45-day period after Antichrist is defeated. This 45-day period is very Jewish because the Church has been removed and taken up into heaven and has become the bride if Christ. So if you want to know what happens during these 45 days you have to go back to the OT

Four things will happen during this 45-day period:

(1) The restoration of Mt. Zion which was "split into three parts" (Rev. 16:9) at the final bowl judgment.

(2) The restoration of Israel back to her own land, the land promised Abraham more than 4000 years ago. With the restoration of Mt. Zion now complete, Israel will be restored back to her holy land, to God's holy mountain, Zion, now elevated above all the surrounding land. During this time Israel will return to her land--not in unbelief, not in self-reliance, not in defiance, not shaking her fist at God--but this time in belief. This is the time that Israel has waited for and that God has longed for--when Israel will come to her land and her holy city in the name of her Messiah, redeemed by Him, saved by His grace, in believing faith! See (Jer. 31:10-12a).

(3) the third event will come at the end of the 45-day restoration period, when Christ will receive the reign over earth from God the Father Almighty.

(4) The return of the surviving Gentiles to Jerusalem in preparation for the Sheep and Goats Judgment, and at that time Christ rebuilds the temple on the summit of the new Mt. Zion.

The sequence of events that we see in the book of Revelation fit right over the time line that is given in the book of Daniel. The reason we know that this is correct is not only the similarity of the 42 months, 1,260 days and time and times and half a time and other terminology that is identical, but the key thing is that Christ when giving His Olivet Discourse, not only refers to the events that you see in the book of Revelation, but He also says, "when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place." So by virtue of Christ speaking he took the OT and joined it to the NT and said, listen, here is a key, you need the book of Daniel and Revelation in order to understand end time events. When you study it that way you realize that it was Christ that brought the two together.

Understand that Revelation is basically sequentially, primarily as it pertains to the Church. If you want to see primarily what happens to Israel you have to go to the OT, because it was written primarily for the nation of Israel. The NT was written basically for the Church which may be Jew and Gentile alike. But its talking about the same thing, so we use structure given to Israel (OT), we use structure given to the Church (NT), we put the two together in order to understand the whole picture. That is why you cannot understand prophecy unless you are well versed in the OT. People who try to just deal with the NT in proving prophecy get a lot of things messed up. You will see in Chapter 20, that there are events spoken of in the NT and if we took the events and studied it only by the NT we would come to one conclusion, but when you compare scripture with scripture and go back to the OT speaking of the same event, harmonizing the passages you are apt to come to a more correct conclusion because of the style of writing. So you cannot come to the right conclusion on any issue until you have looked at all scriptures pertaining to that issue and then try to harmonize all the passages. If you pick and choose verses because they agree with your philosophy and disregard others because it goes against what you believe or your church believes you will end up in confusion.

What we have worked through and it is literal, is that there is going to be a seven year period in which all the events of the last days will culminate. Tacked on to that seven-year period is going to be a 30-day period and then there is another 45-day period and then there is the 1000 year Millennium over which Christ will rule.

Revelation Chapter 18

Now, it will be the political entity that is destroyed by God in one day as the economy of the world comes tumbling down. This political entity is the one that destroys the religious entity in chapter 17.

Rev. 18:1-3.

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.

The first statement in this chapter is, "After these things." This means after the things that have just happened in Chapter 17. The angel that comes down with great authority is so brilliant that he lights up the whole earth with his glory.

The reason for its fall is because she will "become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hateful bird." It portrays Babylon as the very center of demonic powers, a place that will foster every imaginable wickedness. Other nations will share in her indulgences. Luxury abounds and illicit relationships with kings and nations are prevalent.

Rev. 18:4-8.

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

6 "Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.

7 "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'

8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

Remember that we are talking about the midpoint of the seventieth week. This is really when this Babylonian political system begins to dominate. It will be destroyed in one day as God cuts the tribulation short and comes to rapture His saints.

Another voice speaks in this passage and it could be the voice of God because some of the people are referred to as "my people." There is a command for God's people to get out of that place, just as in Jer. 50:4-9 and 51:5-8,45. This is God's prophetic call to the end time generation of believers to come out of Babylon the great, because those of God's people who remain in the ungodly system will inevitably become "partakers of her sins" and therefore "receive...her plagues." If we in this day bow to the denominational creeds and traditions of men rather than allow the Bible to be our supreme authority, we will be more easily deceived into partaking of Babylon's sins at that time. True salvation down through the ages has been a call to be separate from the world and false religious institutions.

In verses 6,7, we see that God is going to punish Babylon doubly because she has set herself against God. She has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, proclaiming that she is queen.

The rich, powerful, and unscrupulous enterprisers who rejected God and piled up wealth to the injury of others will be destroyed in one day (v.8).

Rev. 18:9-19.

9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,

10 "standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

11 "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:

12 "merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

13 "and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.

14 "The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

15 "The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16 "and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

17 'For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance

18 "and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'

19 "They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'"

There will be great lament over the destruction of Babylon by the kings of the earth. Having been a party with her in sin and evil, they will be aware of the destruction, and see the smoke of her burning, and will express great sorrow. This judgment will be supernatural in character and there will be no doubt in anyone's mind that it is from God.

Because political Babylon provides for rich commerce, the merchants of the earth will be weeping and mourning over her (vv.11-16). Their lamenting and concern is similar to that of the kings, but it is for a different reason. A list of the merchandise sold and bought is contained in this passage. About thirty items are named, most of which are luxuries.

A third group, the maritime world, is pictured as crying over the destruction of Babylon. These ship owners and sailors, who traded by sea, realize that sudden judgment has come from heaven. As they see her burning, they will weep and wail, for her.

Rev. 18:20, "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!

While there is much lamenting over the destruction of Babylon, the saints, the apostles, the prophets and all of heaven itself are told to rejoice over her because God has dealt judgment upon her. This political system that has dealt so much heartache on the Christians and the Jews has been destroyed and all of heaven and earth are to rejoice over this.

Rev. 18:21-24.

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

22 "The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.

23 "The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

The utter destruction of Babylon is seen as being extremely violent. The view is one of an angel taking a great stone and casting it into the sea and saying that Babylon would be thrown down and found "no more at all." Six times this phrase is repeated, it refers to an absolute and total destruction of the political city. Babylon will apparently be a concentration of martyrdoms and a terrible reign of terror will exist. As a result the final destruction will bring to a climax the wrath of God on Babylon, under the seventh bowl. The harlot was judged at the midpoint of the seventieth week, the city was judged at the seventh bowl.

Revelation Chapter 17

Rev. 17:1-6.

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

2 "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.

5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

Verse 1, One of the seven angels talks to John saying "come and see the judgment of the great harlot." The judgment does not take place in this verse or even in this chapter. Here the harlot is shown in her anti christian form, but not until chapter 18 does the judgment occur.

The great harlot represents religious Babylon encompassing all false religions, including apostate Christianity. In the bible prostitution, adultery and fornication, when used figuratively, normally denote religious apostasy and unfaithfulness to God (Is. 1:21; Jer. 3:9; Ez. 16:14-18,32; Jas. 4:4), and signify a people who profess to serve God while actually worshiping and serving other gods.

Concerning this false religion:

(1) the harlot will reject the gospel of Christ and the apostles, the power of godliness and the basic doctrines of Christianity (Matt. 24:24; 2 Tim. 3:5; 4:3).

(2) She will enter into partnership with the philosophy of "Babylon," i.e., the worlds' system of solving problems, disregarding the desire of God which is to depend upon His Spirit for help and direction.

(3) Her leaders will persecute the true followers of Christ (v.6). She will be a melting pot for perverted doctrines and creeds and the beliefs of the denomination(s) will be more important to uphold than the biblical doctrines of scripture. Her chief concern will be fellowship and oneness with her religious system, values and goals. She will become the habitation of devils (18:2; Is. 47:12-13).

(4) All true believers are commanded to come out of her or they will be condemned with her (18:4).

(5) God will cause the Antichrist to destroy her (v.16). Many churches, to one degree or another participate in the things listed above already, it will be easy for them to swallow it even more during the seventieth week of Daniel!

"Who sits upon many waters" (v.15) tells us that this is the peoples, multitudes and nations and tongues, over which the harlot rules.

Verse 2, People will commit spiritual fornication, people will turn away from worshipping the true God to a combining of religion and politics, which in actual fact is worshipping the Antichrist. This false religious system will allow her members to profess to be of God, yet at the same time to commit spiritual fornication. Compromise with political powers and toleration of unrighteousness is her trademark. As a harlot, the apostate church sells her favors to the world at every opportunity.

Verse 3, "So he carried me away in the Spirit," here we have the same idea as in Chapter 1, where John was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. It denotes spiritual ecstasy and here it refers to a change in the spirit of the Seer, and not bodily removable. In spite of her immense popularity and the numbers of people adhering to this false religion, it is nothing but a spiritual wilderness.

The woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast should be put in contrast with the woman of Chap. 12. Here we have the counterfeit, adulteress woman who comes from Satan. The scarlet colored beast is representative of world political and religious powers united for satanic purposes, specifically to commit blasphemy against the true Christ. The seven heads and ten horns represent a world confederacy of nations that will oppose Christ and truth. The seven heads represent the leaders of the first seven empires, and the ten horns represent the nations (or peoples) that will comprise the eighth empire over which Antichrist will rule.

Verse 4, The idea here is that the woman is adorned with intoxicating, seducing components like a prostitute, to draw the people of the world to her, as the prostitute draws men to herself. The golden cup, beautiful on the outside but inside it serves her to drink the blood of the saints and martyrs. This cup reveals the apostate church that will offer people both God and carnal satisfaction, a perverted Christianity that says, God is the way and He will accept us, but yet, hold to the traditions of men, and man made rules, committing spiritual adultery with the leadership's blessing, rather than obeying the word of God.

Verse 5, Here the woman identifies herself by wearing her name upon her forehead. Notice she is not only a harlot but also the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. Why the title mystery Babylon the great?

The flood was a major setback for Satan because all on the earth after the flood were righteous and the seed of the woman which was to crush Satan's head and redeem men (Gen 3:15), remained intact in the loins of Noah and his family.

But Satan would not remain passive in the wake of this major setback. So he set out as soon as possible thereafter to entice men to unrighteousness. He empowered a man by the name of Nimrod. Nimrod was ruler of ancient Babylon. "He was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:9). This hunting capability does not refer to being skillful in the field as was Esau, "who was a skillful hunter, a man of the field" (Gen. 25:27). Nimrod was a hunter of the souls of men. God commanded that men be spread abroad across the earth (Gen. 9:19). Nimrod in defiance of God, was the prime mover in building the tower of Babel, a presumptuous attempt to "reach unto heaven" (Gen. 11:4). The zodiac and astrology trace their origin to Nimrod and the tower of Babel. It was with Nimrod that the pervasive "mother and son' worship had its origin. History records the fact that Nimrod's wife, Semiramis, came to be called the "Supreme One," the priestess. Early in their religion the legend developed that she was impregnated by a sunbeam and gave birth to a son named Tammuz--clearly an attempt at a counterfeit virgin birth. One day, while out hunting, Tammuz was killed by a wild boar. Semiramis was so bereft that she wept and cried and would not eat for forty days. Tammuz rose from the dead--clearly an attempt at a false resurrection. It was from this forty-day period that Semiramis mourned for her son, that the observance of Lent, with its mourning and self-denial, had its origin--not from the bible. This was the beginning of the systematic "mystery" religion of Babylon. In time the worship of Semiramis, who came to be called "the Queen of Heaven" (see Jer. 7:18; 44:15-30), spread across the civilized world. In Assyria, her name was Ishtar, and her son was Bacchus; in Egypt, she was known as Isis, and her son was Osiris; in India, she was Isi, and her son was Iswara; in Asia, Cybele and her son Deoius; in Greece, Aphrodite and her son Eros; in Rome, Venus and her son Cupid.

The belief in Mary as the perpetual virgin and her co-mediatorship with Christ, her Son, as enunciated by the Roman Catholic Church, is the ultimate perpetuation of the false religious system begun by Nimrod, the great hunter of the souls of men. It is for the express reason that John identified Rome as the "Mother of Harlots" in this verse. She seduces men to commit spiritual adultery with her rather than to experience true spiritual union with the Son of God. At the end time, out of a revived Roman Empire or Western European confederation of nations, will come her most diabolical progeny, the Antichrist. Antichrist will be the ultimate hunter of the souls of men.

Verse 6, Is it any wonder that John saw this woman drunk with the blood of the saints of Jesus? Since its beginning in Babylon, this false religious system has thrived on the blood of saints. This harlot down through the ages has controlled the kings of the nations. In like manner, especially during the seventieth week she will also have the same relationship with the final beast empire of Satan, using her international influence developed in the past to help Antichrist assemble his ten-nation coalition and eventually rule the world. This false religious system will drain the spiritual lifeblood from any and all people who adhere to it. No matter what denomination you belong to, if you refuse to believe and obey the word of God, and instead believe and be obedient to man made rules, regulations and constitutions, then you are supporting this false religious system that had its start in Babylon. The leadership of such churches are turning people away from true Christianity and are drunk with the spiritual-life blood of the saints.

I wonder if John wonders in amazement at the amount of Christian blood shed by men called Christians. Is he amazed that the spiritual lifeblood of the saints is being drained by this false religion? We need to be all aware of a lucrative or fashionable religion. We must avoid the mysteries of iniquity, we must be diligently in the word and in prayer, so that we can know if what comes over the pulpit is truly of God or not. For the more we become like Jesus the less chance of us being deceived by preachers who preach man made doctrines instead of the truth. The more we obey man and denominations who refuse to stand for truth today, the easier it will for us to be deceived during the seventieth week of Daniel. Study to show yourself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth!

Rev. 17:7-18.

7 But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? 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.

8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.

11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

13 "These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

14 "These will make war with the 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."

15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

16 "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

17 "For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

18 "And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth."

Here the angel begins to explain the mystery of the woman, (representing the religious), and the beast who had the seven heads and ten horns, (political representation). The eighth beast empire will be a religious, political system that will be ruled by Antichrist.

In this chapter John describes the "beast" (Satan's chosen nations) as "having seven heads and ten horns" (v.3), which is almost exactly the way he described the beast earlier ("a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads" [13:1]). In this context the beast is the final beast empire of Satan which represents all the previous seven beast empires of Satan. Thus the seven heads represent the seven leaders of the first seven empires, and the ten horns represent the ten nations (or peoples) that will comprise the final beast empire over which the Antichrist (the beast) will rule.

From (vv.10 & 11) we learn that the seven heads "are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain a little while. And the beast (Antichrist) which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction."

It is important to look carefully at these two verses. When Revelation was written at the end of the first century AD we see that five beast empires of Satan had come and gone ("five had fallen"), "one is" (the Roman empire, which is the sixth), one is still to come in the future and would "remain for a little while" which would be the seventh.

Allow me to present for your consideration of who the seventh beast empire might be. Now don't get hung up on this, you can take it or leave it, but let's consider it anyway.

Let's see if we can identify the seventh beast empire. The intervening gap between the 69th and 70th week came about as the result of Israel rejecting Christ as her Messiah and King, thereby delaying the last seven-year period. Because Israel rejected her Messiah, she also suffered God's ultimate curse as foretold by Moses in his warnings to the nation of Israel concerning the blessings and curses--the curse of being scattered to the ends of the earth without access to her holy land, to her holy City, or to her holy Temple.

It now becomes clear why the mysterious seventh beast empire is not depicted in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue in (Dan.2), nor in Daniel's vision of the beast empires in (Dan.7), but only in the book of Revelation, written about AD 95, twenty years after the Diaspora began. If Israel had not rejected her Messiah, the great Diaspora would never have occurred, and the seventieth "week" would have begun without the seventh beast empire ever coming into existence, and the final beast empire would have come directly out of the Roman empire. That is not to say that Christ would still not have died, for this was the very purpose of His first coming. But the seventieth week would have begun sometime shortly after Christ's death and resurrection, since the need to "graft in" the Gentiles to make "Israel jealous" would have been eliminated (see Rom. 11:11-26). Therefore, it would most likely have appeared sometime during the first century AD--" After Messiah" [is] cut off [AD 33]" and the destruction of "the city and the sanctuary {AD 70]" (Dan. 9:26).

The seventh beast empire therefore is radically different from the first six beast empires. Unlike the others, it would brutalize the people of Israel during the intervening gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week-- when Israel is out of her land, dispersed among the nations to the ends of the earth. Even the early church did not fully understand the interval, until after the Diaspora actually began with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. Moreover, the first scriptural reference to the seventh beast empire is in the book of Revelation, which was written some twenty years after the Diaspora actually had begun, after the church began to realize that Christ was not going to return soon after His resurrection.

Let's identify the seventh beast empire by looking at its essential characteristics:

(1) It must come after the sixth beast empire (Rome).

(2) It must persecute the Jewish people while they are out of their land, dispersed "from one end of the earth to the other."

(3) It "must remain a little while"

(4) It would be hideously cruel in its persecution and slaughter of the Jewish people as prophesied in the curses recorded in Deuteronomy (see 28:64-67).

(5) It must exist and come to an end before Israel would return to her land.

(6) Since Israel returned to her land in 1948, there is only one thing we can conclude-- the seventh beast empire had to have existed sometime between AD 70 and 1948.

The shocking reality is that only one nation in history fits these criteria--Nazi Germany, the Third Reich. The two overriding ambitions of Hitler were, first, to establish a thousand-year reign over the entire world-- the counterfeit millennium of a demonic messiah; and, second, to totally exterminate all Jews.

Let me share something with you about Adolf Hitler. He came from Romanism, he was studying to be a priest and he was deeply involved in the occult. When he started his Gestapo, a lot of the generals were sent to a castle that he had and were trained in the occult. The dagger they carried was a satanic insignia, the swastika, the lightening bolt that they wore on their uniform was also a satanic insignia. Do you know what he defined the Third Reich as? A thousand year kingdom. This man who could stand up and speak to a nation for hours and influence them into doing what he wanted was demonically controlled. There is still a mystique and wonder about his death no one knows what really happened or where his body really is. His whole life was given over to Satanism and the demonic. Now can you understand why he had such a fanatical hatred for the Jews. When his armies were being defeated, the generals pleaded with him to use the trains and the trucks to get supplies up to the front where the soldiers were fighting for their very lives, he was using the trains and trucks at the last moment to get as many Jews as possible to the death camps. Unexplainable, why had he such a hatred for the Jews, unless,....he was the leader of the seventh beast empire. And look at him, he came on the scene out of nowhere, in 1933; all of a sudden he appears out of nowhere and practically dominates the world for a couple of years. A fleeting empire just as the text says in (v.9), "and when he comes, he must continue for a short time".

Verse 8, This verse is referring to a man who will be the leader of the eight-beast empire (Antichrist). That this is a man is clearly seen in John's careful choice of words stating that "the beast [Antichrist]...is himself also an eighth [head or king], and is one of the seven [heads of kings]" (v.11). "Himself" is obviously a reference to Antichrist as a man. The other startling truth about this passage is the fact that this eighth king (Antichrist) will be one of the previous seven kings "who was and is not" -- in other words, he has already died. Which one of the previous seven it will be is not revealed to us in this critical passage--only that he will be one of the previous seven leaders who has ruled over one of the first seven beast empires and has since died. Therefore in order for this dead ruler to reign over the final beast empire, he will have to be a dead man brought back to life.

It will be the fact that Antichrist has come back to life that will bring the world to submission. In Rev. 13:3, John says that he saw one of the heads of the beast "as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast." Notice in particular that the whole world follows after the beast because they are "amazed" --and the cause of their amazement clearly is the fact that Antichrist is a dead man whose "fatal wound [is] healed." The same cause and effect is stated here in (v.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 will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come."

When the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint of the seventieth week, people will be amazed--both at who he actually is and that he is a dead man come back to life. This shocking reality will cause most of the world to give their allegiance to him.

So the facts are that Antichrist is:

(1) A man who will claim to be God incarnate (Dan. 11:36; 2 Thess. 2:3&4).

(2) A man who will be an extremely powerful and ungodly military leader (Ez. 38:4,8,9; Dan. 11:38.

(3) A man who will be empowered by Satan himself (Rev. 13:12; 2 Thess. 2:9).

(4) A man who is the dead leader of one of the seven previous beast empires of Satan (Rev. 17:11).

(5) A man who was killed by a fatal wound to the head (Rev. 13:3) with a military weapon or "sword" (Rev. 13:14).

(6) A dead man who will come back to life to rule the final beast empire of Satan (Rev. 13:3,12; 17:8,11).

(7) A man who will receive allegiance and worship of the world when they realize that he is a dead man brought back to life (Rev. 13:12; 17:8; 2 Thess. 2:3,4).

(8) A man who is from the ancestral line of Magog (Ez. 38:2).

(9) A man whose soul comes up out of Hades (Rev. 11:7).

These facts cause those whose names are not written in the Book of Life to marvel.

Verses 9,10, The reference to wisdom means enlightenment from above; spiritual discernment is needed in order to understand prophecy. We will never understand prophecy if we try to interpret it in light of what we believe. We must allow scripture to formulate what we believe about prophecy.

May I also say that there is no one human that has all the wisdom needed to understand all of prophecy. God reveals His word by progressive revelation. This means that, if God reveals something to me in His word I must be obedient to what is revealed in order to receive further revelation on the subject. If I refuse to become obedient to what I know (that which is already revealed) then God is under no further obligation to reveal anything else to me. If I chose to abide by the traditions of men or the theology of denominations that is not biblically sound, then I have a closed mind and no man, and yes, not even the Holy Spirit can teach me anything. To understand prophecy we must have an open mind and be willing to cast down preconceived ideas when the scriptures are in clear opposition to these ideas.

The angel states, "The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings." The seven heads here symbolize seven mountains, which are kingdoms or kings. The word kings and kingdoms are sometimes used interchangeably (Dan. 2:37-38 with 2:39 and 7:3, 23, and 24 with 7:17). The seven kings must be an interpretation of the seven heads or else they would be completely out of place.

Then it goes on to say that five of the seven kings have fallen. The five that have fallen which are all a part of the beast empire (the false religious and political system that has gone on down throughout the centuries): Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. The sixth kingdom, the one that is at the time that John wrote the book is the Rome of John's day. The other, from John's era, which was the first century, the seventh was not known and when it comes it is to continue for only a short time. I have suggested that it may have been the Third Reich that persecuted the Jews severely, and only lasted a short time. The eighth will be the one ruled by Antichrist during the seventieth week.

These five nations had one thing in common. They were all severe persecutors of Israel. Egypt, remember that the children of Israel, during a time of famine, went down to Egypt under Joseph. For a time they prospered in this foreign nation because of Joseph's relationship with the kings and pharaohs. After the passing of time, there was a king who arose who knew not or even remembered Joseph. He began to persecute the Jews so severely, he even wanted to annihilate the nation by killing the male children. God had to send Moses down and direct plagues on Egypt.

Assyria, they came against Israel in 722 BC and they took the ten northern tribes of Israel into captivity and they never come back into the land as ten tribes.

Babylon, remember Nebuchadnezzar, who came up and destroyed the temple, took the objects of worship out of the temple and desecrated them and took the Jews into Babylonian captivity putting them under much oppression.

Medo-Persia, the Persian Empire took over from the Babylonian Empire and if you read the book of Esther you will see that it is the account of the Persian Empire under wicked Hamen who tries to destroy the Jewish nation.

Greece, the great leader of Greece was Alexander the Great, even though he was not a persecutor of the Jewish people, out of his Grecian empire there arose an individual whose name was Antiochus Epiphanes, who became a great persecutor of the Jewish nation recorded in the book of Daniel.

Rome, we all know was a persecutor of Israel. John when writing this book is a prisoner of Rome because of his belief in Jesus Christ.

If the seventh one was the Third Reich then all of us are aware of how that empire under Adolf Hitler persecuted the Jews.

The Roman, General Titus came against Jerusalem in 70 AD and during a four month siege thoroughly destroyed the city and the temple, killing one million Jews and taking 100,000 captive. Thousands had also been killed prior to this.

They all had one thing in common, persecution of the Jews. Remember the Jew, the woman, was the one to give birth to the male child who would bring redemption to mankind and wound the serpent's head with a deadly wound.

These nations are all referred to as beast nations, all a part of the satanic empire throughout the course of history. So John says that there are five of them that are past, one is, one is to come and remain a little while; then the eighth and final beast empire ruled by Antichrist himself.

Satan used false religions and political power all through history to bring persecution on the Jews.

Verse 11, Here we are told that the Antichrist was; is not; he will come out of the seven and he will be the eighth and he will go into perdition. What is this saying? He was one of the seven leaders of the other seven beast empires, He was killed, he will come back to rule the final eighth beast empire, (a raising up from the dead), but he will not fall as the others did, he will be destroyed by God Himself.

Verses 12,13, The ten horns represent kings of nations that will rule with the eighth beast empire. But as of yet, (the time that John is writing this), they have no kingdom. But for one hour (a brief period of time) they will rule with the beast. These are of one mind, they have one purpose and that is to give their sovereignty and allegiance to the beast. They will have great political power and authority and will give it to the Antichrist. They will make up a world confederacy of ten nations with one man, (Antichrist) with absolute authority over these nations.

Verse 14, "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them...", this is referring to the Battle of Armageddon where the Antichrist and his forces are overthrown, defeated and done away with. "Those that are with Him are called chosen and faithful." The Greek word for chosen is EKLEKTOS, it comes from ek, out of, and lego, to pick, gather. The word designates one picked out from among the larger group for special service or privileges. It describes Christ as the chosen Messiah of God (Luke 23:35), angels as messengers from heaven (1 Tim. 5:21), and believers as recipients of God's favor (Matt. 24:22; Rom. 8;33; Col. 3:12).

Verse 15, This verse is telling us that the waters on which the harlot sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. This indicates that there will be one ecumenical, universal, apostate religious system during the first half of the seventieth week, which of course will be destroyed by Antichrist when he sets himself up as God in the middle of the week and demands the worship of the world.

Verses 16,17, In a dramatic turn of events, the harlot's allies turn on her and destroy her. This is how evil operates, it discards its own adherents when they cease to serve its purposes. Once Antichrist sets himself up as God, even this false religious system, and those representative of her false system, must and will be destroyed since Antichrist will allow nothing to compete with him for the world's worship and absolute allegiance. He and his ungodly coalition of ten nations will, "hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire." Thinking they are acting freely out of their own self will, they will be in fact be fulfilling the will of God. "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purposes."

Verse 18, This verse tells us that a one world-government is coming that will rule over virtually all people.

So we have seen this chapter has dealt with the destruction of Babylon with regard to its religious entity. The false religious system that has enticed people away from the true God by a works system in contrast to a grace system has been destroyed.