Note: I used many sources to study this book, one of my favorites is Revelation: God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept by Daymond Duck and some out of different study bibles.
Title: The Rise and Fall of Babylon
Text: Revelation 17
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Why do you think this is called a great whore? What is it? someone who enjoys manipulating and controlling someone else by a particular means. Why does it work? deception and promises, temporal pleasures are seen but eternal consequences are ignored
Waters are represented as people and the fact that she is sitting upon them seem to mean that they will support her.
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
“Kings of the earth” the rulers will join in on the ploy to make a one world religion that will deceive the majority of the earth’s population
Do you remember somewhere else in revelation where it is spoken of a relationship that people have as adulteress?
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. (Revelation 2:20-22 AV)
Jezebel the wife of Ahab who has had her name used for years as an adulteress fornicator representing sin at its evilest degree. Even we know Elijah ran from here she was so evil.
Here we see that she indulged others in sin.
Church of Thyatira represents three different ideals:
1) the church of the day
2) a particular age in church history (Dark Ages 590 to 1000 AD)
3) personal individual lives.
It represents the Catholic system. The universal church. Pope John Paul II is a great proponent of this one world religion.
Israel spoken of as being with a harlot
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. (Jeremiah 3:9)
But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. Ez 16:14-18
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4 )
Concerning the false religion:
1) the harlot will reject the gospel of Christ and the apostles, the power of godliness, and the basic doctrines of Christianity (Mt 24:24; 2 Tim 3:5; 4:3)
2) She will enter into partnership with the powers and philosophy of "Babylon" vs. 5 the world system. Main objective is to take spiritual control vs. 18
3) Her leaders will persecute the true followers of Christ vs. 6. She will be as a coming together of all religions. "habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit" (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 (vs. 16)
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
He is carried away in the spirit into the wilderness. This could be literal as to the location of this religious system or maybe spiritual as it is a mess.
beast here is the political system of Babylon. We will talk more of the "seven heads" and "ten horns" in future verses.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
See the appealing of this woman. The beauty of the colors. gold, precious stones, pearls. Royalty. They attract. But we see this cup. The cup that people drink out of and as we see they are drunk but there is more to it. There is abominations as filthiness. What is on the outside is deceiving as we see Jesus said in,
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:27-28
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Babylon-the name originates from the tower of Babel. What happened there? went against God to be like God. The major sin of rebellion
(Gen. 10:8-10; 11:4; Is 47:13)
Babylon referred to by Is 13 times, Ez. 17 times, Jeremiah 168 times,
Here we are talking about as said earlier a political system. One that's full desire is to run the world. Who it will be we do not know.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7 AV)
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
There will still be believers during this time. But they will be persecuted for not following this system. For not tolerating it. They will be killed. Now this could also be not only for those in the great tribulation period but also in history. This harlot has always been Satan's ploy. Ask Balaam. He told Balak how to defeat the Israelites by mixing them with the Moabite women.
Don't forget is was Babylon that put three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace when they would not worship an image.
We see John does not truly understand and now we will see some explanation.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
This beast will be instituted from the pits of hell. He will be a product of Satan. He will attract all who are not written in the book of life.
Explanation of the Above
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
seven kings
1) five original kingdoms (Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek) the Roman empire (the one in force at present writing of scripture) the one in the future
And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.(Daniel 2:41-43 AV)
2) Roman government
kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, and military tribunes the imperial form
of John's day and then the future system. 3) leaders of Rome Augustus (assassinated), Tiberius(poisoned or smothered), Caligula (assassinated), Claudius(poisoned), and Nero(suicide), Titus /Domitian and then the ruler of this day
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The system of the beast is part of the seven but it is so great and different that it is also called the eighth.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Why is the rule of the kings so short? Maybe there was a conspiracy to turn power over to this ruler.
ten horns-ten kings with great political power that support the future one world ruler but will oppose Christ
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:23-25 AV)
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
They will go against Christ and Christ will overcome them. (Rev 19:14-21) Why?
1) he is lord of Lords 2) King of kings 3) the ones that follow him are called of him not forced and not deceived 4) they are chosen, special and set apart
5) they are faithful
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
similar to the fate of Jezebel in
And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.(2 Kings 9:30-37
Why would they hate the whore? Even though the whore is apostate she still represents a religion of worship other than the antichrist. Although she will be handy to help gain the rulership when she is no longer needed she will be destroyed and the true intention will come.
Satan's desire is not be please but to destroy. It may involve some pleasure for enticement but the true Satan will come and destroy.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
God is in control no matter if they know it or not
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Here is a reference to the great city. Not only is the woman a religious system but it has a head quarters and probably is named after this. Such as the Roman Catholic Church.
