I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns having in her hand a golden cup full

Transcription

1 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations (Rev. 17:3,4). Woodcut by Albrecht Durer 1498.

2 17 Revelation 17:1 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. 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."

3 17:1-5 THE GREAT HARLOT An angel came to John to show him the details of the overthrow of Babylon that was announced at the end of chapter 16. Babylon has been a system of false religion that has warred against God s people for millennia and John is shown her final manifestation. A study of the history of Babylon reveals her characteristics. 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, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 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. 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. And on her forehead a name was written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Rev. 17:1-5). This chapter is directly related to the previous verses in chapter 16 which introduced the judgment of Babylon. Now one of the angels who had poured out the seven last plagues (no doubt the seventh angel who poured out his bowl on Babylon) comes to John and offers to show him the details of the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters. This phrase is a reference to Jeremiah 51, which has to do with the destruction of ancient Babylon, the great oppressor of God s people and the destroyer of Jerusalem. The prophet refers to her as you who dwell by many waters, abundant in treasures (Jer. 51:13). The end-time symbolic meaning of the waters, explains the angel of Rev. 17, are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues (v. 15). This means that the Babylon of Rev. 17 is of a much larger, international scope than ancient Babylon of Jeremiah 51, but they have much in common. The harlot holds a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Ancient Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord s hand that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations are deranged (Jer. 51:7). The harlot sitting on the scarlet beast is the end-time, world-wide version of the great enemy system which has been rebelling against God and warring against his people through the ages. This final Babylon has not yet fully developed, and therefore there are some details that will only become obvious when the future arrives. But a review of the history of Babylon through the ages helps to give an idea of what to expect. BABYLON IN SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY Babylon was established by Nimrod on the foundation of distrust of God, disobedience to His commands and the desire for self-exaltation. Throughout the generations Babylon was an enemy and a source of temptation. The Neo-Babylonian Empire brutally destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and took the Israelites into captivity. The Babylonian Empire was defeated by the Persians and the city was destroyed by Alexander the Great, but spiritual Babylon continued to live on. Babylon was founded in the third generation after the flood by Nimrod, the grandson of Ham who was Noah s disrespectful third son (Gen. 9:20-25, 10:6-8). (Nimrod) was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, like Nimrod, the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (vs. 9,10). After the flood, God had told Noah and his family, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth (Gen. 9:1). But in rebellion, Nimrod and his followers said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth (Gen. 11:4). Thus the very foundation of Babylon was distrust of God, disobedience to

4 His will and a desire for self to be exalted. As such it was a fitting representation of Satan s earlier rebellion in heaven ( I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will be like the Most High Isa. 14:13,14). Ultimately Babel s rebellion was such that it could not be ignored; God had to intervene in judgment, confusing their language and scattering the people. 1 Alexander Hislop in his classic book The Two Babylons 2 has gathered together writings and traditions concerning Nimrod and his wife Semiramis. According to legend and the works of ancient historians, after Nimrod died Semiramis became pregnant and claimed that her son Tammuz who was born had been miraculously conceived and was the reincarnation of Nimrod, who was now the sun god. From this began the worship of the mother, the Queen of Heaven, and her child, which spread to many of the pagan religions of the world. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel strongly condemned the worship of the Queen of Heaven and Tammuz. 3 Abraham, the man chosen by God to be the father of God s faithful people, was the first person to be called out of Babylon. You are the Lord God, who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham 4 (Neh. 9:7). Later the king of Shinar (Shinar is the name of the plain where the tower of Babel was built, Gen. 11:2) led a force of kings who attacked Sodom, where Abram s nephew Lot was living, and took him captive. Abram armed the three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house and went in pursuit, and after defeating them saved Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people, thus becoming the first man of God to save people out of the hands of the Babylonians (Gen. 14). When Satan was given permission to attack Job he used the Babylonians (Chaldeans) to steal Job s possessions and kill his servants (Job 1:17). When the children of Israel were entering the Promised Land a beautiful Babylonian garment was a part of their first defeat. 5 The Old Babylonian Empire reached its height between BC (from the time of the patriarchs through the exodus from Egypt). Although they made many advances in writing, art, and legal and social order, they also perfected astrology and magic. Even the famous code of Hammurabi, a masterpiece of legal legislation, was considered to be a gift from the sun god. And a number of epic stories such as the Creation Story and the Epic of Gilgamesh, which were a blending of truth and error about God s creation and the flood, became some of the first written literature. The Babylonians were conquered by the Assyrian Empire around the end of the tenth century BC (the time of Isaiah) but even then they were used by Satan against God s people. When the Assyrians conquered the unfaithful northern tribes of Israel and took them into captivity, they brought in Babylonians (among others) to take their place. 6 They became known as the Samaritans, and incorporated the worship of the Lord into their own heathen religion, creating a poisonous mixture of truth and error that was a constant snare to God s people They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away They did not obey (the Lord), but they followed their former 1 Gen. 11: Hislop, Alexander, The Two Babylons, New York: Loizeaux Brothers 1959 (First published in 1853). 3 Jer. 7:18, 44:15-27, Eze. 8:13,14. 4 Ur was a part of what later became the Babylonian kingdom, and the Chaldeans were the religious leaders of Babylon (Dan. 2:4). 5 Babylonian temptation was a snare to the children of Israel when they were entering the Promised Land. The Lord instructed them concerning the overthrowing of Jericho, commanding them not to touch any of the spoils. But when Achan saw a beautiful Babylonian garment the temptation was too much and he took it and hid it. Because of his sin the Israelites were defeated in battle, and even Joshua became so discouraged that he was ready to turn back, saying Alas, Lord God, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! (Josh. 7:21, 7). 6 2Kings 17:24.

5 rituals. So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images (2Kings 17:33-41). This has always been the pattern of Babylon a mixture of truth with enough error to make it false and deadly. In 626 BC Nabopolassar founded the neo-babylonian empire. Determined to rule the world, he first conquered the Assyrians, destroying Ninevah in 612 BC (as described by the prophet Nahum) and then turned his attention to Judah. Because of their sinful idolatry Judah had provoked the discipline of the Lord, and He chose to use Babylon as His rod of chastening. 7 The powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar inflicted a series of defeats upon Judah under Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, which included the capture of Daniel. 8 Finally, in crushing Judah s revolt during the reign of Zedekiah in 587 BC, the king of the Chaldeans killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons (2Chron. 36:17-20). The destruction of Jerusalem and captivity of God s people by the Babylonians was considered the epitome of misery and disgrace. The psalmist wrote, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it. For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song How shall we sing the Lord s song in a foreign land? (Ps. 137:1-4). But God had already prophesied the punishment of Babylon for their excesses When seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, says the Lord, and I will make it a perpetual desolation (Jer. 25:12). Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, conquered Babylon by diverting the Euphrates River and marching into the city through the dry river bed on the night of Belshazzar s idolatrous banquet in 539 BC. 9 The Persians made Babylon a capital of one of their provinces, but it was destroyed by Alexander the Great when he defeated the Persians in 330 BC. He intended to rebuild it as his capital, but died prematurely before he could, and Babylon slowly sank into obscurity and was abandoned. BABYLON S NEW HOME After the defeat of Babylon by the Persians the Babylonian mystery religion found a new home in Pergamos and from there its seat shifted to Rome, where the Emperor had the title Pontifex Maximus. This title was retained by Constantine the Great when he made Christianity the official Roman religion. The city of Babylon disintegrated, but the mystery religion of Babylon did not fade away. Peter, sending greetings from the Christian Church in Rome, wrote She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you (1 Pet. 5:13). By Peter s time pagan Rome had become the continuation and center of the Babylonian system of idolatry, which had previously spread to Egypt, Phoenicia and ancient Greece, mingling with their mythological systems. Hislop has traced the movement from Babylon to Pergamos to Rome: That seat, after the death of Belshazzar, and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterwards was one of the seven churches of Asia. There, in consequence, for many centuries was "Satan's seat" (Rev. ii. 13). There, under favour of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favourite abode, there was the worship of AEsculapius, 7 Behold, I will send Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants...and will utterly destroy them And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years (Jer. 25:9-11). 8 2Chron. 36: See Daniel 5.

6 under the form of the serpent, celebrated with frantic orgies and excesses, that elsewhere were kept under some measure of restraint. At first, the (pagan) Roman Pontiff had no immediate connection with Pergamos and the hierarchy there; yet, in course of time, the Pontificate of Rome and the Pontificate of Pergamos came to be identified. Pergamos itself became part and parcel of the Roman empire, when Attalus III, the last of its kings, at his death, left by will all his dominions to the Roman people, B.C For some time after the kingdom of Pergamos was merged in the Roman dominions, there was no one who could set himself openly and advisedly to lay claim to all the dignity inherent in the old title of the kings of Pergamos. The original powers even of the Roman Pontiffs seem to have been by that time abridged, but when Julius Caesar, who had previously been elected Pontifex Maximus, became also, as Emperor, the supreme civil ruler of the Romans, then, as head of the Roman state, and head of the Roman religion, all the powers and functions of the true legitimate Babylonian Pontiff were supremely vested in him, and he found himself in a position to assert these powers. Then he seems to have laid claim to the divine dignity of Attalus, as well as the kingdom that Attalus had been regarded. 10 As Pontifex Maximus the Roman emperor was responsible for the oversight of all religions in the empire. Even when the Roman Empire became Christian with the conversion of Constantine, the emperor retained this pagan title. Constantine showed equal favour to both religions. As Pontifex Maximus he watched over the heathen worship and protected its rights... Shortly before his death Constantine confirmed the privileges of the priests of the ancient gods. Many other actions of his have also the appearance of half-measures, as if he himself had wavered and had always held in reality to some form of syncretistic religion. 11 BABYLON INVADES THE CHURCH The pagan title of Pontifex Maximus was transferred from the Emperor to the pope. As paganism as a religious system disappeared from Rome during the fourth and fifth century it reappeared in the Roman Church. There is a clear relationship between the Harlot/beast and the sea beast of Rev. 13, which was clearly shown to be the medieval papacy. Gratian, one of the last emperors in the west, refused to accept the pagan title. Gratian's reign marks a distinct epoch in the transition of the empire from paganism to Christianity. At the time of his accession he refused the insignia of pontifex maximus, which even Constantine and the other Christian emperors had always accepted. 12 However, instead of abolishing the pagan office, he transferred it to Pope Damasus I! Within a few years after the Pagan title of Pontifex had been abolished, it was revived, and that by the very Emperor that had abolished it, and was bestowed, with all the Pagan associations clustering around it, upon the Bishop of Rome When this Pagan title was bestowed on the Roman bishop, it was not as a mere empty title of honour it was bestowed, but as a title to which formidable power was annexed. 13 Though Paganism was legally abolished in the Western Empire of Rome, yet in the city of the Seven Hills it was still rampant, insomuch that Jerome, who knew it well, writing of Rome at this very period, calls it the sink of all superstitions. The consequence was, that, while everywhere else throughout the empire the Imperial edict for the abolition of Paganism was respected, in Rome itself it was, to a large extent, a dead letter. Symmachus, the prefect of the city, and the highest patrician families, as well as the masses of the people, were fanatically devoted to the old religion; and, therefore, the Emperor found it necessary, in spite of the law, to connive at the idolatry of the Romans. How strong was the hold that Paganism had in the Imperial city, even after the fire of Vesta was extinguished, and State support was withdrawn from the 10 Hislop 11 Catholic Encyclopedia, article Constantine the Great 12 Catholic Encyclopedia, article Gratian. 13 Hislop

7 Vestals, the reader may perceive from the following words of Gibbon: 14 The image and altar of Victory were indeed removed from the Senate-house; but the Emperor yet spared the statues of the gods which were exposed to public view; four hundred and twenty-four temples or chapels still remained to satisfy the devotion of the people, and in every quarter of Rome the delicacy of the Christians was offended by the fumes of idolatrous sacrifice. Thus strong was Paganism in Rome, even after State support was withdrawn about 376. But look forward only about fifty years, and see what has become of it. The name of paganism has almost entirely disappeared; insomuch that the younger Theodosius, in an edict issued A.D. 423, uses these words: "The pagans that remain, although now we may believe there are none ". The words of Gibbon in reference to this are very striking He expresses his surprise at the rapidity of the revolution that took place among the Romans from paganism to Christianity. The ruin of paganism, he says and his dates are from A.D. 378, the year when the Bishop of Rome was made Pontifex, to 395 The ruin of paganism, in the age of Theodosius, is perhaps the only example of the total extirpation of any ancient and popular superstition; and may therefore deserve to be considered as a singular event in the history of the human mind Now, how can this great and rapid revolution be accounted for? Is it because the Word of the Lord has had free course and been glorified? Then, what means the new aspect that the Roman Church has now begun to assume? In exact proportion as paganism has disappeared from without the Church, in the very same proportion it appears within it. Pagan dresses for the priests, pagan festivals for the people, pagan doctrines and ideas of all sorts, are everywhere in vogue 16 To even suggest that the Roman Catholic Church was the continuation of Babylonian paganism seems incredible in today s tolerant religious climate, but this is what the book of Revelation teaches. This can be seen by comparing the woman on the beast of Revelation 17 with the beast from the sea of chapter 13, which was conclusively shown to be the papacy of the Middle Ages. BEAST OF REV. 13 (THE MEDIEVAL PAPACY) HARLOT AND BEAST OF REV. 17 A beast having seven heads and ten horns and A scarlet beast which was full of names of on his heads a blasphemous name (v. 1). blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (v. 3). It was granted to him to make war with the saints Drunk with the blood of the saints and with the and to overcome them (v. 7). Authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation (v. 7). blood of the martyrs of Jesus (v. 6). The waters where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (v. 15). THE BEAST AND THE GREAT HARLOT The list of titles on the head of the harlot give further evidence that the harlot/ beast is closely related to the Roman Catholic Church. Although she no longer behaves as she did during the Middle Ages, all of the doctrines developed then remain and will be manifest by Babylon, the worldwide false religious system of the end of time. 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 ten heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones 14 Hislop here refers to the monumental work by Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire which was published in the late eighteenth century. 15 Hislop 16 Hislop

8 and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Rev. 17:3-5). In 12:1,2 The Woman it was shown that a woman represents the people of God (the Church), either pure and faithful, or apostate and corrupt. In this case the woman is called the great harlot, indicating that this is a corrupt church. Here is depicted a great political entity (the beast) which is being ridden, or controlled, by a corrupt church (the harlot). Verse five gives the names of this church MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Each of these names describes an aspect of the papal Roman Catholic Church. Mystery is an appropriate title for the Roman Church because it considers its sacraments to be mysteries, especially the Eucharist, which is the central act of Catholic worship. As stated in the Catholic Encyclopedia, The church honors the Eucharist as one of her most exalted mysteries, since for sublimity and incomprehensibility it yields in nothing to the allied mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation. These three mysteries constitute a wonderful triad, which causes the essential characteristic of Christianity, as a religion of mysteries far transcending the capabilities of reason, to shine forth in all its brilliance and splendor, and elevates Catholicism, the most faithful guardian and keeper of our Christian heritage, far above all pagan and non-christian religions. 17 The title Babylon is also appropriate for the Roman Church. The apostle Peter, writing from Rome, closed his letter with the statement She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you, and so does Mark my son (1Pet. 5:13). Chapter 18 will deal in greater detail with the identification and judgment of Babylon. She is also called the Mother of Harlots. The Roman Catholic Church calls herself the Mother Church. The creed of Pope Pius IX, drawn up after the watershed Council of Trent states, I acknowledge the Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church for the mother and mistress of all churches. 18 In his Encyclical on Religious Unity of 1928 Pope Pius XI appealed to the various reformers, Let them therefore return to their common Father, who, forgetting the insults previously heaped on the Apostolic See, will receive them in the most loving fashion. For if, as they continually state, they long to be united with Us and ours, why do they not hasten to enter the church, the Mother and mistress of all Christ s faithful? 19 This woman committed fornication (had illicit relationships) with the kings of the earth (v. 2), which indicates a union of Church and state. This, of course, has been the policy of the Catholic Church ever since the time of Constantine. 20 In time the Church became so powerful that her law was the law of the land. This allowed her to persecute and exterminate the heretics who refused to accept her dogmas. The false doctrines that led to the abuses of the Middle Ages will be examined in 18: 1-3 Babylon is Fallen. Although the Roman Catholic Church has expressed regret for some of her actions during that horrendous period and no longer practices them, none of the doctrines that led 17 Catholic Encyclopedia article Eucharist 18 Ibid The Trentine Creed 19 It is interesting to note that the terms mother and mistress are used. One of the definitions of mistress is a woman who has a continuing extramarital sexual relationship with a man, especially a man who provides her with financial support (Websters College Dictionary Random House 1997), in other words, a harlot. 20 The recognition of Christianity had some unfortunate effects on the Church. For the first time, the Church attracted many people who lacked the dedication of the early Christians. Emperors intruded into the internal affairs of the church But on the whole, the empire s recognition of Christianity benefited the Church. The Church was able to influence civil laws. World Book Encylopedia 1986 article Roman Catholic Church.

9 to those abuses have changed. This is not to say that Catholics are pagans or wicked people. According to Rev. 18:1-4, many of God s people are found in Babylon, serving Him sincerely according to their understanding of His will as it has been taught to them. However, the papal system was used by Satan to persecute God s people during the Middle Ages, and although it is apparently benign now, it will be integrally involved in the future Babylon system that will take the lead in persecuting God s people during the Time of Trouble. 17:6-8: THE BEAST THAT WAS, IS NOT AND YET IS John was amazed to see a woman (which in prophecy represents the church) riding or controlling a beast that looks just like the sea beast of chapter 13, which was the medieval papacy. However, the context in chapter 17 is the end of time, after the healing of the deadly wound but before the appearance of the antichrist. 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 (Rev. 17:6). John had already seen a similar beast with seven heads and ten horns, which also made war with the saints and overcame them (Rev. 13:1-10). He had seen the beast from the earth set up the image to the beast, the mark and number of the beast and the death decree. But nothing he had seen up to this time caused him to marvel with great amazement as the great harlot did. He had previously seen great beasts (which represent political entities) warring against the church. But here John was seeing a woman, which in scripture represents those who are, or should be, God s chosen people. However, this woman was taking such pleasure in killing the saints that she was portrayed as being drunk with the blood of the saints! It is crucial that God s people be able to discern the identity of this final great enemy during the time of the end. Jesus said that the final issues will be so deceptively confusing that if possible, even the elect would be deceived. 21 For this reason the angel gives a detailed description so as to leave no doubts. 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. 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 (Rev. 17:7,8). The angel gives the key to the identity of the woman in the identity of the beast she rides. This beast was. In chapter 13 we saw this beast arising out of the sea, speaking blasphemy and warring against the saints for forty-two months (1260 years). This was the Holy Roman Empire, with the medieval papacy in control of the nations of Europe. But the beast is not. The papal beast was mortally wounded as it first lost control over the hearts of the European people during the reformation, then lost political control, especially during the French Revolution, and finally was stripped of its sovereignty when it lost the papal states and the pope became a prisoner in the Vatican. But that was not the end of the beast in chapter 13 it was seen that his deadly wound was healed (Rev. 13:3,12). In 1929 the Italian government signed the Lateran Pacts granting the papacy Vatican City as a sovereign state. 22 Since that time the papacy has been steadily growing in political power and influence. Major milestones include the Vatican II Council, in which the Church committed itself to engaging the modern world and uniting Christendom, as well as the 21 Matt. 24: The temporal power of the pope remained suspended until 1929, when papal sovereignty of the Holy See was recognized by treaty with the Italian Government and a financial settlement compensated the Holy See for loss of temporal power. Book of Knowledge article Papacy Waverly Book Company LTD London.

10 establishing of diplomatic relationships with the United States in 1984, and the Holy Alliance with the US which brought down communism (See 13: The Deadly Wound Healed). In the description of the beast in chapter 17 there is no mention of the deadly wound, which was a major focus in chapter 13. This would suggest that the context of the vision is the time of the end, when the deadly wound is nearly or fully healed. More specifically, the beast was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. This verse uses past, present and future tenses, making it possible to establish the time frame of this vision (which is very important for establishing the identity of the eight kings of verse 10). The time frame is not the Middle Ages when the beast was, nor is it after the appearance of the antichrist who will ascend out of the bottomless pit. This thought will be further developed later in this section, but for the sake of establishing the context of the angel s explanation, the beast will in the very end be personified as the antichrist, ascending out of the bottomless pit to direct the final battle against God s people. However, in this vision the antichrist is still future, and the context is that time when the beast is not, when full political power has not been fully re-established, but the wounded condition is not longer obvious. 23 The addition of a new element, the harlot who is riding the beast, shows that there is a basic difference between the Beast system of the Middle Ages and that of the last days. In the Middle Ages the Church had its own territory (the Papal States) with their own armies, and was actively involved in the governments of the European countries it controlled. In the last days there is an apparent separation of the religious (the Church, represented by the harlot), and the political/military (represented by the scarlet beast). This is in line with the modern reality in which the Church is in the background while the countries of Europe and America (the ten horns and the beast from the earth ) do the political and military dirty work. However, it should be kept in mind that it is the harlot who is riding the beast. Although she is in the background, the Church is directing the political powers. Beasts in prophecy have represented kingdoms and empires, and although the scarlet beast of chapter 17 is a global political power, a more personal element, the antichrist, also seems to be shown by the series of kings that are somehow related to the heads of the beast, the eighth of which is also called the beast The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits There are also seven kings The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. Keep in mind that the seven-headed beast is just a reflection of the great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, which is Satan himself (Rev. 12:3,9). The fact that at the end of time the beast will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition shows that this is the same entity that is one of the main players during the time of trouble. He is first introduced during the first woe of the trumpet plagues as the angel of the bottomless pit who is king over the tormenting locust army. His name is Abaddon, the destroyer, and his purpose in life is to destroy God s children. He is seen again in chapter 11:7, The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them (the two witnesses), overcome them, and kill them. With his abbreviated title the beast he is a part of the unholy trinity of the sixth plague, spewing out unclean spirits like frogs which are the spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God almighty (Rev. 16:13,14). He is again present 23 Confirmation of this context is found in Rev. 17:12-14 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet (v. 12). The use of the present tense shows that at the time of the vision the ten kings exist but have not yet received their kingdom. This is the final united political alliance led by the beast. They will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them (vs. 13, 14). These verses use the future tense, showing that the context is before the full authority of the antichrist. Therefore the context is after the appearance of the ten kings, but before their alliance with the antichrist.

11 when the battle of Armageddon takes place The beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together (to)make war against Him who sat on the horse (Jesus) (Rev. 19:19). Apparently this beast is both a political persecuting power and a personal manifestation of Satan himself (See 11: Satan s Impersonation of Christ), which was predicted by Paul in 2 Thess. 2:3-10. It may be that Satan does not trust the crucial, final movements to any of his underlings, although his major ally the false prophet will have done a masterful job of preparing the stage by setting up the image and mark of the beast.(see 16:13 The Unholy Trinity). By fully possessing a human being he will be able to physically and personally direct the last events, which are so crucial for the survival of his kingdom and his life. As the following verses show, he will utilize the Babylon organization he has been perfecting since the time of Nimrod. 17:9-11 SEVEN HEADS The seven heads of the scarlet beast are identified as seven hills the woman sits on, clearly pointing to Rome. They are also closely related to a series of seven kings, who will be followed by the antichrist. The identity of these kings is controversial, and is briefly discussed here and more fully in Appendix 7. Here is the mind which 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 has not yet come. And when he comes he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition (Rev. 17:9-11). The fact that this is not a simple identification is indicated by the phrase, Here is the mind which has wisdom. Numerous interpretations have been suggested, each with its own problems. The first phrase, The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits seems to point to Rome, which from antiquity has been called the city built on seven hills. This is consistent with the identification given above of the harlot as being the Roman Catholic Church. It is also one of the few options that would fit with verse 18, And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. There is no city in history that has reigned over kings as Rome has. The second phrase, There are also seven kings 24. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come is more difficult. One interpretation is that the kings represent the progression of empires that were identified by Daniel. According to this view, the five kings which have fallen would be Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome, with the fall of Papal Rome being the deadly wound which was received in 1798 (See 13:3 The Deadly Wound). This would make the sixth, the one which is the United States, the beast coming up out of the earth, 25 which will set up the image and mark of the beast. Thus the perspective of the vision would be the time of the end, before the time of trouble. The main problem with this view is that it does not have a convincing identity for the seventh empire that has not yet come. And when he comes he must continue a short time. The book of Revelation does not seem to indicate another kingdom before that of the beast which is identified in verse 11 as being the eighth king. Another interpretation is that the context of one is refers to the time of John when he wrote Revelation. In this view the heads would represent all those empires that had a major impact on God s people. Thus the first would be Egypt which held the Children of Israel in slavery, the second Assyria which conquered and led captive the northern ten tribes, the third Babylon, the fourth Medo-Persia, the fifth Greece and the sixth, the one (who) is would be pagan Rome during the time of John. The major difficulty with this theory is the identity of the 24 The NIV and NAS versions read They are seven kings, showing that the hills and the kings are integrally related. 25 Rev. 13:11

12 seventh king, which must continue a short time. 26 Moreover, it was shown in the previous section that verses 8 and 12 indicate that the context is not the time of John, but the last days, after the deadly wound is healed but before the appearance of the antichrist. Actually, the interpretations that consider the heads to be empires are problematic because the passage talks about kings, not kingdoms. 27 Moreover, the beast who is of the seven and is going to perdition seems to be more like a person than an empire in the New Testament only people go to perdition, not political entities. And finally, one would have to wonder why this passage would focus on ancient empires when the obvious purpose is to identify end-time Babylon. 28 A third possibility takes into consideration the fact that there is no mention or trace of the deadly wound, which is so prominent in chapter 13. It also considers the context, the time just before the appearance of the antichrist and the fall of Babylon. This would suggest that the whole history of this scarlet beast takes place after the deadly wound is healed. Some would see this as beginning in 1929, when the papacy again became a sovereign state. According to this view, the kings are the popes of the Catholic church and the perspective is during the reign of the sixth pope from 1929 (John Paul II) when the deadly wound is fully healed, just before the time of trouble when the beast is poised to strike at God s people. At the time of this writing there have been five popes which have fallen 29 and John Paul II, the sixth, has recently died. Certainly his reign would be an appropriate one for presenting the beast as fully healed of its deadly wound. He was able to forge a relationship with the United States which included an exchange of ambassadors and cooperation for the destruction of the communist system (See 13: The Deadly Wound Healed) 30, and it is this alliance between Catholicism and American Protestantism which is the dominant feature of the final persecution that is outlined in chapter 13. The seventh, who must continue a short time would be his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, and having ascended to the papacy at 78 years of age, it is likely that his reign will be short. Since the average reign of the popes since 1929 has been about 13 years, it would be significantly less than that before The beast that was, and is not who is himself also the eighth, the antichrist, would appear to claim the throne. Obviously the truth or error of this view will become clear if another pope comes and goes and nothing happens. Some commentators have suggested alternative starting dates for the counting of the seven kings. 31 (For further discussion of this issue see Appendix 7). Since John devoted a whole chapter to identifying this end-time entity, it is obviously very important that God s people seek to understand. A mind which has wisdom is required, 26 If this is Papal Rome, 1260 years is not a very short time, and there is no accounting for the United States, which is a major player in chapter 13. If Papal and Pagan Rome are lumped together as the sixth king, this is somewhat out of harmony with Daniel which seems to consider them related but separate. Be that as it may, in this scenario the United States or papal Rome would be the seventh king which continues a short time and the eighth, the beast, would be the future resurgent Roman power with its ten horns. 27 Although the book of Daniel seems to use the words interchangeably, it makes it clear that it is doing so, which is not the case in Revelation (compare, for example, Dan. 7 verses 17 and 23). 28 See Appendix 7 for further discussion of this view. 29 Pius XI , Pius XII , John XXIII , Paul VI , John Paul I 1978, John Paul II Mikhail Gorbachev, who was the head of the Soviet Union when it fell, said, Everything that happened in Eastern Europe in these last few years would have been impossible without the presence of the Pope and without the important role including the political role that he played on the world stage Time Magazine April 11, Other suggestions for the beginning of the seven kings include the Vatican II Council ( ) when the Catholic Church engaged the modern world, or the reign of John Paul II when diplomatic relations were restored with the US and the Holy Alliance was formed to defeat communism. Either of these could be considered to demonstrate that the deadly wound was fully healed. The future context of these scenarios when five have fallen, one is would be the time when persecution begins, since this modern manifestation of Babylon is drunk with the blood of the saints.

13 and fortunately God has given a specific promise which we can claim If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). This is an issue that deserves a great deal of study, prayer and discussion. 17:12-18 TEN HORNS AND THE HARLOT The ten horns represent an alliance of nations, similar to the European alliance of the Holy Roman Empire that was symbolized by the ten horns of Daniel 7. As the masses of people are disillusioned and turn against their religious leaders (the harlot), the antichrist will turn with them and will persuade the political powers (the ten kings) to attack the harlot, while still organizing to fight against Jesus and His people. 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. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast (Rev. 17:12,13). In chapter 16 the beast (along with the dragon and the false prophet) sent the spirits of demons to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:14). The ten kings of chapter 17 represent the kings which responded. Their response is depicted in Rev. 19:19, The kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse (Jesus) and against His army. In chapter 17 the same scene appears, but instead of using the terms Him who sat on the horse and His army it calls them the Lamb and those who are with Him These (the beast and the ten kings) 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 (Rev. 17:14). The number ten may be symbolic, as this is a highly symbolic chapter, and ten represents a full and complete number. 32 There is an obvious connection with the fourth beast of Daniel 7 which also had 10 horns. These horns represented the barbarian tribes that took over the Roman Empire and later became the countries of Europe that were used by the papacy to assert her power. Although the ten kings of chapter 17 are obviously not the same entities as the 10 horns of Daniel 7, 33 the European alliance of diverse nations held together by a common glue of religion appears to be the model for the final alliance. The ten kings most likely represent a one-world government headed by the beast and consisting of all the major powers in the world, united to fight the Battle of Armageddon. Apparently the Harlot and the scarlet beast are the religious and the political aspects of the same great Babylon entity that was symbolized by the sea beast. In chapter 13 there was no distinction between the religious and the political; they were blended together as the beast coming out of the sea, representing the integral union of Church and state in the medieval papal system. But the distinction is emphasized in the end-time version of Babylon because of the falling out which now takes place the political beast and ten horns will turn against the religious harlot. Through most of the time of trouble, the Harlot (the religious system) will be fully supported by the masses of people The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues (Rev. 17:15). Chapter 16 made it clear that these waters, symbolized by the great river Euphrates, will be dried up (See 16:12 The Kings from the East). The deceived masses, disillusioned by empty promises and the grief they have suffered during the time of trouble while following their religious leaders, will finally turn against them. 32 The clearest example is the Ten Commandments. See also Gen. 18:32, 24:55, 31:41, Ruth 4:2, 1Sam. 1:8, Dan. 1:12, 20, Zech. 8:23, Matt. 25:1,28, Luke 15:8,19:13, Rev. 2: The main difference is that three of the ten horns of Daniel 7 were rooted out to make way for the little horn, whereas the ten kings of chapter 17 remain an integral unit. There is also the difference of the time frame. The horns of Daniel 7 appear in the sixth century, but the horns of Rev. 17 have a last-days context when the beast ascends out of the bottomless pit.

14 Satan, master manipulator that he is, will go with the flow, and in the person of the beast-leader of the Babylon political system will turn the political leaders against the religious leaders 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. 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 (Rev. 17:16,17). At the beginning of the chapter the Harlot was sitting on the seven-headed beast, obviously in control, but by the end of the chapter she is being destroyed by the antichrist beast and his allies, the ten kings. This does not mean that they have had a conversion experience; their major focus is still to make war with the Lamb, but that story is not told until chapter 19. Chapter 18 gives the details of the miserable and total fall of the Harlot, the religious seat of power of Babylon the Great.