Book of Revelation Part 42 Revelation 17:1-18

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1 Book of Revelation Part 42 Revelation 17:1-18 Recap: Revelation 15:1, I saw in heaven another great and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues last, because with them God s wrath is completed. - Chapter 16: The last 7 Bowls of Wrath are poured out The 7 Years of Tribulation is over! - The 7 Seals; 7 Trumpets; 7 Bowls of Wrath - God Ordained s, Plagues, Natural Disasters - Each with the Purpose of Judging: Weeding out the Believers from the Unbelievers - There has always been Free Will, but here the Will to Choose will place you immediately under Judgment: - Believers will be Temporarily Tormented & Killed and Eternally Saved - Unbelievers will be Temporarily Saved and Eternally Lost & Tormented - The 7 th Seal, 7 th Trumpet and 7 th Bowl of Wrath are all the same: - Out of the Temple - Lightning, Rumblings, Thunder, Earthquake - 7 th Bowl of Wrath Revelation 15:6, Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. Revelation 15:8, And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. Revelation 16:18, Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. - 7 th Trumpet: Revelation 11:19, Then God s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. - 7 th Seal: Revelation 8:1-5, When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God s people, went up before God from the angel s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. * Out of the Temple * Smoke (which is the Glory of God AND the Prayers of the Believers) * Same Sights and Sounds

2 7 SEALS (White) (Antichrist) (Red) Scarcity (Black), Famine, Plague (Pale) Martyred Believers Sun Black Moon Stars Fall 7 TRUMPETS 1/3 Earth Burned 1/3 Sea to 1/3 Fresh Water Bitter 1/3 Sun, Moon, Stars Darken People Tortured 5 Months 1/3 People Killed 7 BOWLS OF WRATH Sores All Sea to All Fresh Water to Sun Scorch Beasts Kingdom in Darkness Kings Gather for Timeline Notes: The 1 st 4 Seals are a set-up for the rise of the Antichrist; someone to save the planet The Antichrist defiles the Temple between Seals 4 and 5 (Believers are now persecuted) Immediately following the 7 th Seal, Revelation 8:1, Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them which places the Trumpets AT the 7 th Seal Trumpets are a ning (1/3) The Bowls of Wrath are All Inclusive so must follow the Trumpets - Spoken preceding the 6 th Seal: Revelation 6:16-17, They called to the mountains and the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it? - Spoken at the 7 th Trumpet: Revelation 11:18, The nations were angry, and your wrath has come.

3 7 SEALS (White) (Antichrist) (Red) Scarcity (Black), Famine, Plague (Pale) Martyred Believers Sun Black Moon Stars Fall 1/3 Earth Burned Sores 1 st 4 Seals At first, it will look like EVIL/MAN is in control - However, s, Famine, and Plagues will create the need for a Saviour Seal 5 The Antichrist will be established as the Saviour through the counterfeit miracle of a Fake Resurrection EVIL/MAN will establish the Dividing Line - The Mark of the Beast for the Purpose of: - Buying and Selling (World Currency) - Worshipping the Beast Seals 6 & 7: EVIL/MAN will gather for war against God but gains no ground as God finally responds 7 Trumpets: Part of Jesus GOD is in Control sending out ning Shots 7 Bowls of Wrath: The Final Parts of Jesus GOD wipes EVIL/MAN off the Planet 7 TRUMPETS 1/3 Sea to 1/3 Fresh Water Bitter 1/3 Sun, Moon, Stars Darken People Tortured 5 Months 7 BOWLS OF WRATH All Sea to All Fresh Water to Sun Scorch Beasts Kingdom in Darkness The Millennial Reign Begins God establishes His Throne on Earth (Mount Zion) Israel 1/3 People Killed Kings Gather for Meanwhile there is a Story about Israel s Redemption: - Israel continually rejects God throughout the Old Testament - Israel rejects Jesus as the Messiah years of spiritual confusion without a Temple or a Messiah and Scriptures that only show Ritual Sacrifice for Atonement (Animal Sacrifice and Cleansing) - Revelation 12: - Israel s rejection of the Messiah ushers in Salvation for the Gentiles - When the Believers (predominantly Gentiles) are Raptured, there is an awakening in Israel (to some degree) towards recognizing Jesus as the Messiah - Satan, who didn t see Unbelieving Israel as a threat before, now pursues her into the Wilderness - God helps her escape safely - God sends the 2 Witnesses and the 144,000 Witnesses to convince Israel that Jesus is the Messiah - Last week, we see the Euphrates dry up so Israel could come back to Jerusalem from the 4 corners of the Earth (Revelation 16:12 & Isaiah 11:12-16)

4 v The next 3 Chapters are reflections on the Fall of Satan s Earthly Kingdom (The Great Babylon) v This all sets the stage for Revelation 17! Revelation 17, One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. 12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. 15 Then the angel said to me, The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. The Great Prostitute = Israel - Ezekiel has many parallels to Revelation: Consider this one Ezekiel 16, The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her detestable practices 3 and say, This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. (This may describe the opening generations of Israel from Abraham to Joseph. Constantly fighting for land, possessions and safety with no allied countries) 6 Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, Live! 7 I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked. 8 Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. (This may describe Israel, who grew into a nation in slavery under the Egyptians. God rescues them and comes into Covenant with them as a Nation) 9 I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. 14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord. (This would describe Israel in the Promised Land - Canaan) 15 But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favours on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. 16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.. 17 You also took the fine jewellery I gave you, the jewellery made of my

5 gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them. 18 And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense before them. 19 Also the food I provided for you the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord. (This describes the Book of Judges and on 1 Generation after Joshua s generation who entered the Promised Land) 20 And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? 21 You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. 22 In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood. 23 Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, 24 you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. 25 At every street corner you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. 26 You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your neighbours with large genitals, and aroused my anger with your increasing promiscuity. 27 So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. 28 You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. 29 Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied. (Note the numerous Countries that Israel Partnered with just like the Scarlett Beast) 30 I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! 31 When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. 32 You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! 33 All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favours. 34 So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favours. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you. 35 Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! 36 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children s blood, 37 therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked. 38 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. 39 Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewellery and leave you stark naked. 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. 42 Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry. (This is the Unconditional Love of God. He is true to His Covenant!) (The text goes on to describe Israel s behaviour being worse than Sodom and Samaria) 59 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant. 60 Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you 62 So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord. (The Atonement will be none other than the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross - Their recognition of Jesus as Messiah will unlock their Blessing) The Great Prostitute: * Biblical History links Israel only to being a harlot, Unfaithful or a Prostitute - The other countries are never considered lovers or a bride of God - The Prostitute has been given much (17:4), The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand - She sits by many waters which are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages - She commits adultery with all the inhabitants of the earth * When the Bible speaks of Israel being Unfaithful, it is most often due to them taking on the beliefs of other pagan countries * The Jews are mixed into every Nation and due to their confused beliefs, take on the essence of the beliefs of the Nations they are in - The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the Great; Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth * Ezekiel 16:29, Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.

6 - Babylon s influence in the world was Huge! It influenced Israel and later Persia (who conquered Babylon/Israel) and later the Greeks (who conquered Persia/Israel) and later the Romans (who conquered the Greeks/Israel) * Prostitution wasn t Israel s original state, but because she was lured by the countries around her, the label was placed on her forehead: Prostitute - Though the Prostitute is Hated, they are want something from her (Intoxicated) * The Jews have incredible influence in the Nations they are in and are often mocked - (17:18) The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth = Jerusalem * The contrast of the description of the New Jerusalem: The Beautiful Bride adorned for her husband - (17:3) Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. * If the Woman in Revelation 12 is, in fact, Israel, she fled to the wilderness * The Wilderness is always been used by God as a place of Holding and Reflection until Repentance comes, then there is a Release to the Promise - Israel - 40 years wandering in the Wilderness enters the Promised Land - Jesus - 40 days in the Wilderness, defeats the devils temptation, enters Ministry * Israel - Fled to the Wilderness, recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, unlocks Redemption, enters the Millennial Reign From the Christian Research Institute: in Revelation she is in bed with imperial Rome. In the end, the great prostitute aligns herself with Caesar in piercing Christ and persecuting Christians. The golden cup in her hand is filled with the blood of prophets and of the saints and of all who have been killed on the earth (Revelation 18:24). Shrouded in mystery, she was glorious like the most beautiful of jewels (Ezekiel 16:7). Unveiled as apostate Israel, she is grotesque. Finally, when we consider the fact that the essence of Revelation involves a contrast between the purified bride and a prostituted bride, the identity of apostate Israel as the great prostitute becomes unmistakable. While the prostituted bride bears the mark, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes, and of the abominations of the earth (17:5), the purified bride bears the moniker of the Lord and the Lamb on her forehead. Unlike the synagogue of Satan (2:9) those who claim to be Jews though they are not she need not fear the judgment about to befall Jerusalem, for she has been sealed by the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (13:8). v The Great Tribulation shows God s Faithfulness to see Restoration at the moment of Repentance v The Prostitute on the Beast shows the next level of God s unfailing Love and Devotion as a Husband who LOVES His Beloved! All through the 21 Judgments are consistent reminders that God is LOVE, but God is JUST! Hebrews 10:36-39, You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 And, But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. 39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.