Continued from Babylon
the Harlot, Part 1
The Vision of the Beast
- Five details describing the beast are given:
Blasphemous names (v.3)
Had seven heads (v.3) And ten horns (v.3) The prostitute rides it (v.7) The
beast was, and is not, and will come up out of the bottomless pit (Abyss) and
go to his destruction (v.11).
The careful Bible
student will immediately recognize this beast even before examining the angel's
interpretation. In the first place, it is similar to the beast of Rev. 13 and
doubtless represents what all beasts used symbolically represent: either a king
or a kingdom that opposes God's will.
When John sees the
great prostitute, he is "greatly astonished?" Actually, some parts of
this vision should have been familiar to John, for it is obviously the same
beast as that described in chapter 13.
The angel introduces
his explanation with the words, "This calls for a mind with wisdom"
(v.9), which indicate that only someone with the wisdom of God (found in the
Word of God) can understand this vision.
17:8 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.
Go to chapter 13 and
re-read the first 2 verses and the descriptive comments of those two verses for
an accurate description of what the beginning of verse eight's meaning is. Revelation
Chapter 13 Verse 1 - 2
This word
"perdition" means ruin, loss, or damnable.
"The beast that
thou sawest" - Beast
"Whose names were
not written in the book of life". The false religious system of the end
times will be very convincing and popular among the unsaved, but those who have
committed themselves to Christ will understand that anything idolatrous is not
of God.
17:9 And here [is] the
mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman
sitteth.
We will see in this
scripture that the city of seven hills is where this evil system has its
headquarters. This is a marvel to the world who are not fully aware of the
implications of the Bible it shows. Of course the bride of Christ, the
Christians who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life since the
world began, are aware of all of this and why it happened.
The seven heads of the
Beast represent, seven mountains, on which the woman "sitteth". Seven
Heads - Seven Mountains The city of Rome was known throughout the ancient world
as a city built on seven hills or mountains. John notes that the wise mind will
make the proper identification. The woman apparently represents idolatrous,
anti-God civilization, centered at Rome but with worldwide influence (v.15).
The identification of
the seven heads as Rome shows that the Beast will initially have his major base
of operations at Rome. It is thought by many studying the end times that after
the Harlot has been killed, the beast will move his headquarters to the actual city
of Babylon during the last three and one half years.
17:10 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.
The seven heads of this
beast mentioned, according to Tim LaHaye, are kings of the Roman Empire. The
best definition is that they represent five kings up to the time of John; the
sixth, Domitian, was the Roman king at the time of John, who then skips forward
to the end time for the seventh head, which will bring the king of the revived
Roman Empire. This Roman Empire was in great power; it fell, and will be
revived again. Then see verse 11 as this is describing the antichrist who will
be the eighth and final king who will rule the entire world (kingdom).
A rather interesting
scripture regarding the Holy Spirit's description of the beasts that represent
kingdoms appears in the book of Daniel. When one thinks of world governments,
they take on a beautiful shape, as did king Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel. In
his dream, the beast contained 4 different types of metals. Each section of
that image represented one of the four coming world kingdoms which at that time
were coming (Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon was already there and was the first of
the four).
Two governments had
already come and gone at that time which were Assyria and Egypt.
Those 4 beasts found in
Daniel 2 verse 35 are explained as Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream for
him. The four beasts in his dream is Babylon represented by head of gold. The
two arms of silver represented the kingdoms of Media and Persia. The belly and
thighs of brass (or bronze) represented Greece. And the fourth kingdom
described the Roman Empire as the legs or iron. When God describes the coming
world kingdoms, He uses beasts to symbolize them. Human beings look favorably
on government as a great help to them, whereas God looks on government as a
great hindrance to them, as does anyone who has studied history and observed
government's bestial treatment of humanity.
Whether this scripture
is describing kings or kings doesn't matter as they still mean the same which
makes up the beast described here. The seven kingdoms or empires throughout
history that have ruled over Israel and much of the known world are:
Egypt Assyria Babylonia
Medo-Persia Greece Rome - The Roman Empire existing at the time of John which
ceased to exist And then the seventh, the revived Rome which has not yet come
Then the eighth and final will be the Antichrist (see verse This revived Roman
Empire is represented in the book of Daniel by the 10 toes in the image of
Daniel 2:41 - 44 and by the 10 horns on the fourth beast of Daniel 7:7, 20, 24,
and in Revelation by the 10 horns on the first Beast (13:1; 17:3, 12, 13). It
will exist as a major power only a short while, since it will then give its
authority to the Beast (11-13).
17:11 And the beast
that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth
into perdition.
The beast, the final
world kingdom ruled by the Antichrist, is the eighth king or kingdom. He is of
the seven in that he is the culmination of all the previous, pagan, idolatrous
empires and the reason many think the Antichrist will arise up out of the
revised Roman Empire. But then he will go into perdition, the lake of fire.
Put another way, the
beast that John saw is the Antichrist, the satanic ruler of the last and most
powerful empire in human history, who will serve as Satan's instrument to
attack Israel, persecute believers, conquer the world for Satan and oppose Christ.
The Beast - Eight King
Scripture portraits him
as an intellectual genius Dan. 7 v.8; an outstanding orator Dan. 7 v.20; a
military leader without parallel in human history Dan. 7 v.23; a shrewd
calculating and manipulating politician Dan 8 v.25; 11 v.21; and the ultimate
religious charlatan 2 Thess. 2 v.4; The angel briefly reviews the detailed
description of him given in Rev. 13 verses 1 -10.
17:12-13 "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." "These have
one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast."
Reading in Daniel 2
v.45 the ten toes of the fourth beast (Roman Empire) were made of iron and miry
clay making a brittle substance. This is speaking of the 10 kingdoms or kings
which will emanate from the Roman Empire and be in existence at the time of
Christ's return. Ten Horns - Ten Kings Their worldwide power will come in
association with the beast. One hour indicates a relatively short time (18:10,
17, 19).
Next week - Part 4
Written by Jennifer Auld
