THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS A STUDY OF REVELATION PART 28 In our last lesson, the Apostle John was overcome that a religious system could persecute the saints (Revelation 17:6). This system was called Mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abomination of the earth (Revelation 17:5). Out of necessity, today we will review some of last week s lesson. I. BABYLON IS THE ORIGINATOR OF IDOLATRY A. This is a religious system seen early on in the Bible. B. Nimrod built the city of Babel. (Genesis 10:8-10) 1. It was build out of imitation materials, symbolic of their false religion. (Genesis 11:3) 2. They desired to work their way to Heaven. (Genesis 11:4) 3. Through him, a false religious system was born on the plains of Shinar in Babylon. 4. The structure was called Babel, meaning The gate of the gods. 5. The tower was used for studying the stars and established the basis for astrology. 6. God put a stop to this nonsense by confounding their language. C. Nimrod had a wife named Semiramis 1. She became the first high priestess of a system of secret religious rites known as the Babylonian Mysteries. 2. She had a son named Tammuz. 3. Tammuz was supposedly supernaturally conceived by a sunbeam. 4. He was presented to the people as the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15. 5. Tradition says that Tammuz was killed by a wild boar. 6. Supposedly, after the people fasted for 40 days, he was resurrected. 7. His resurrection date was called the Feast of Ishtar. 8. It was celebrated every year by the exchanging of eggs. (The term Easter is derived from Ishtar.) 9. The celebration of Ishtar was symbolizing new life. 10. This religious system began to spread to the four corners of the world. 11. The story of Semiramis and Tammuz was the worship of the mother-child. 12. The religious practices out of this cult consisted of: a. A priesthood that promoted salvation by means of sprinkling holy water. b. Ceremonial cleansing. c. Purgatorial cleansing after death d. Semiramis established an order of virgins dedicated exclusively to religious prostitution. 13. This cult is exposed and condemned in Jeremiah 44:15-19.
14. The cult is again exposed in Ezekiel 8:13, 14. 15. Eventually the cult spread to Rome. It was symbolized by: a. The priests wearing mitres shaped like the head of a fish. b. They assumed the title Pontifex Maximus, which means The great high priest. c. This position became known as the pope of Rome. 16. It is well known that the Church of Rome took on many of the practices of this cult. a. The worship and elevation of the Virgin Mary. (Mother-Child cult) b. Salvation by sacrament. D. This system thrives in our world today. 1. Readers in John s days would have no problem identifying the harlot with the Roman Empire. 2. Readers in the Middle Ages would identify her as Roman Catholicism. 3. The apostate world-church is thriving even today. 4. Truth is minimized. 5. The authority of the Word of God is rejected. 6. Attempts are made to unite professing believers on some other basis than faith in Jesus Christ. 7. It is Satan s masterpiece erupting into a one-world church. II. A NEW TRUTH PERTAINING TO THE ANTICHRIST IS REVEALED (REVELATION 17:8) A. Three things are stated about the Antichrist: (Revelation 17:8) 1. Was v.8 This beast has been on earth before. 2. Is not v.8 In John s day he was not on the earthly scene. 3. Shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. (17:8) B. Judas and the Antichrist have some things in common. 1. Son of Perdition a. Jesus said: While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12) b. Paul said: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,. Except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin the revealed, the son of perdition. (II Thessalonians 2:3 c. Please note: not a son of perdition but the son of perdition. 2. His own place.
a. Dr. Luke stated in Acts: That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. (Acts 1:25) b. John stated in our text: The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. (Revelation 17:8) C. The so-called resurrection of the beast will astound the world into believing in him. 1. The earth when seeing him Will wonder. (Revelation 17:8) 2. They will wonder because he who had been on earth before reappears. (Revelation 17:8b) 3. The unsaved will follow him willingly. (Revelation 17:8) III. WISDOM IS NEEDED FOR INTERPRETATION (REVELATION 17:9) A. The seven heads are seen. (Revelation 17:9) 1. The interpretation is seven hills. (Revelation 17:9) 2. The harlot was seen having seven heads. (Revelation 17:3) B. The seven kings are also seen. (Revelation 17:10) 1. Five are fallen (Revelation 17:10) a. Egypt b. Assyria c. Babylon d. Medo-Persia e. Greece 2. One is (17:10), which would be Rome in John s day. 3. And the other is not yet come. (17:10), the Antichrist s kingdom. 4. His kingdom will be short lived. He must continue a short space. (17:10b ) C. The eighth king is seen. (17:11) 1. We have seen him before. (17:8) 2. He will come because of the seceding kingdom, especially the seventh. (17:11) 3. After his short-lived kingdom, he will go into the bottomless pit. (17:11) D. The interpretation of the ten horns is given. (Revelation 17:12) 1. The ten horns have been seen before. (17:3) 2. The ten horns represent ten kings. (17:12) 3. They allow the beast to rise to ultimate power. 4. They will receive delegated authority under the Antichrist. 5. They will rule for a short period of time. (17:12b one hour ) E. What the ten kings will determine: (Revelation 17:13) 1. They will serve the Antichrist in unison. (17:13 One mind )
2. They will together yield their power to the Antichrist. (17:13) IV. THE BATTLE GOES TO THE STRONG (REVELATION 17:14) A. The association of the victors is seen. 1. The Lamb of God. (Revelation 17:14) a. He is Lord of lords b. He is King of kings 2. The followers of the Lamb. (Revelation 17:14) a. The Called b. The Chosen c. The Faithful B. Armageddon is the theme of this verse for sure. (Revelation 19) V. THE DECEPTION OF THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM IS SEEN (REVELATION 17:15) A. The whore sat upon the waters. (17:1) B. The waters are described: 1. They represent People (17:15) 2. They represent Multitudes (17:15) 3. They represent Nations (17:15) 4. They represent Tongues (17:15) 5. In totality, this is the binding together of the religious world. 6. She will ensnare and deceive people on a worldwide basis. VI. VII. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE ANTICHRIST IS SEEN (REVELATION 17:16) A. The Antichrist demands total worship. B. His ten puppets will turn on the Harlot religious system (17:16). 1. They hate her. (17:16) 2. They will make her desolate. (17:16) 3. They will strip her of her authority. (17:16) 4. They will ultimate destroy her. (17:16) 5. The Antichrist will not allow competition to foster his desire for dictatorship. 6. The harlot will be made desolate by the very system that carried her. 7. She will become yesterday s false church 8. She will be the has-been religious movement of the End Times. 9. The Antichrist will go into the Temple and demand the world worship him. (II Thessalonians 2) THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF JESUS CHRIST IS SEEN (REVELATION 17:17) A. He is using the power of Hell to bring about his will. B. In reality: 1. The Antichrist is nothing but a puppet in His hands.
2. The Ten Kings are nothing more than puppets in His hands. (17:17) 3. God will give them power to enable the destruction of the false religious system. VIII. THE WOMAN IS IDENTIFIED (REVELATION 17:18) A. She is identified with Babylon. (17:5) B. This system will have the allegiance of the world. (17:18) C. Her system will: 1. Dazzle the world. (17:15) 2. However, King Jesus will dazzle the system. (17:14) D. Contrary to public opinion then and now: 1. Jesus wins. (17:14) 2. Those who identify with Jesus are also winners. (17:14)