Revelation Chapter 17
Introduction:
Chapter 17:1-19:4 is about the Great Harlot Babylon, and
the scarlet beast (anti-christ). Her judgment and those of the world who serve
and worship her. This is part of the seventh bowl of GOD’s wrath.
Revelation 14:8 And another angel followed saying, “Babylon
is fallen, is fallen, that great city because she has made all nations drink of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
:1-2 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
came and talked to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great
harlot (Nahum 3:1-7*; Revelation 16:19**) who sits on many waters, with whom
the kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth
were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
:3a So he carried me away in The SPIRIT into the wilderness
(Revelation 12:6, 14, where is this wilderness? It seems to be a celestial
wilderness***).
:3b-5 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (devil Revelation
12:3; anti-christ 13:1-2) full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and
ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold
and precious stones and pearls (Revelation 18:16 ); having in her hand a golden
cup full of abomination and the filthiness of her fornication (Jeremiah 51:7).
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 (Revelation 6:9-10); when I saw her I
marveled with great amazement.
:7-8 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. The beast that you saw was and is not and will
ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition (destruction); 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 (anti-christ)
that was, and is not, and yet is (Revelation 17:11).*****
:9-11 Here is the mind that
has Wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.******
There are also seven kings; five have fallen, one is and the other (the
anti-christ) has not yet come (for us that is six have fallen and one is yet to
come) When he comes he must continue a short time (three and one half years) The
beast that was and is not is himself also the eighth and is of the seven (the
anti-christ will have been part of the ruling coalition of seven nations, but
having been by appearance killed he is now the eighth who rules them all) and
is going to perdition (Revelation 13:2-3).
:12-14 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 anti-christ. These are of one mind and they will give their power and
authority to the anti-christ. These will make war with The Lamb and The Lamb
will overcome them (Revelation 19:17-21), 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 (Revelation
17:18).
:16-17 The ten horns which you saw on the anti-christ,
these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn
her with fire. For GOD has put it into their hearts to fulfill His Purpose, to
be of one mind and to give their kingdom to the anti-christ until the Words of
GOD are Fulfilled (GOD uses whoever He wants to accomplish His Will! (Exodus 9:13-16;
1 Kings 22:19-23).
:18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which
reigns over the kings of the earth (Revelation 11:8, 16:19).******
* Was Nineveh the
first great harlot? The ancient cities of Nineveh and Babylon were related,
particularly due to their intertwined history and geographical
proximity. While Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, Babylon
was the center of the Babylonian Empire in southern Mesopotamia. They were
often in conflict, with Nineveh ultimately being destroyed by a coalition
including Babylonians and Medes. AI overview of Wikipedia
** Babylon has been destroyed (Jeremiah 51:6-14; Daniel 5:26-31)
and is not a modern power, will it rise again? Or is Babylon the great harlot a
governmental system rather than a specific location?
*** Wilderness = ĕrēmŏs: of uncertain affinity; lonesome,
i.e. by implication waste, desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness; usually as a
noun chōra being implied.
Chōra: room,
i.e. a space of territory (more or less extensive, often including its
inhabitants); coast, country, fields, ground, land, region, feminine of a
derivative of the base chasma.
Chasma: a
chasm or vacancy; gulf, from a form of an obsolete primary chaō: to gape or
yawn.
Strongs Exhaustive
Concordance with Greek Dictionary and Lexicon, MacDonald Publishing
**** I
believe that when we are conceived and GOD makes us a living spirit (Genesis 2:7),
He writes out the days of our life before they exist – His plan for our life
(Psalm 139:13-18) and our name (the one He knows us by (Revelation 2:17) is
written in The Lambs Book of Life.
***** “when
they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” This is not an eternal
being in the sense of JESUS “Who is (always existed), and Who was (The Son of
Man) and Who is to come (to reign over the nations)” The anti-christ will be a
human who rises to be part of the world ruling government (he was), then he
will appear to be killed (he is not) but he recovers (and yet he is) to become
the one world ruler.
****** Many
think that Babylon could be Rome because of the seven hills; many believe it is
New York City or Hong Kong or some other great seaport, but in our study of the
Bible we have seen that waters can represent peoples and nations. I believe as
the Scriptures say that in the great tribulation Jerusalem will be the center
of the world and the home of the one world government (Revelation 11:8, 16:19)
remember during the great tribulation, though it will be worldwide it will be
focused in Jerusalem.
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