CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Notice that there is a change in activity in verse 1. The 21 judgments of chapters six through sixteen are now over, but God still has one chore left. He is going to deal with Babylon, because He remembers her wickedness. First He is going to expose her, so that her mystery is made plain to man. The narrator of the event is one of the seven angels who had the seven vials, as in chapter 16. He invites John to come so that he may show him (and through him the Churches) the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters.

The judgment of the whore is not fulfilled by destruction in the previous chapters. The woman is not a physical being, she is a mystical being. Her judgment will be different, but still severe. She is an idolatress; a personification of idolatry. The many waters in verse two is a symbol for masses, nations of people. When John first saw her, she was sitting upon them. (Do you suppose sinners know they have a woman sitting on them?) The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. When it is used in this context, the word fornication means idolatry.

The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication, her idolatry. Idolatry inflames, and makes people drunk with ungodliness. All idolatry has filthiness associated with it. The physical part of idolatry often has sexual vice involved with it, and sometimes witchcraft. This woman has made the inhabitants of the earth drunk with false religion so that they can't find the truth by themselves.

People in EVERY false religion deny that Jesus Christ is the only Savior of mankind. They insist that there MUST be other ways to gain immortality besides the Gospel of Christ. But in truth, Jesus is the ONLY Savior of mankind: all other religions are false. John 14:6; Acts 4:12. According to the Word of God, to pray to, to worship, to reverence ANY other god than God the Creator, the Father of Jesus Christ, is idolatry.

According to the claims of Mohammed, he is God's prophet, and Jesus is a good man, but not Divine. Be warned: to pray to Allah is idolatry! To offer sacrifices to Buddha is idolatry! All idolaters are drunk on the deception of their false religion; they do not know the true God. This includes native Americans who worship the so called 'great spirit'. There is no access to God except through Jesus Christ. John 14:6.

From of old, Mystery Babylon has caused the deaths of God's prophets and saints. She will exert an ungodly, religious, influence upon the Seventh and Eighth World Kingdoms for a time. God's prophets and saints will continue to be martyred under their combined wickedness.

God has prepared something special for her. She is going to be destroyed by the ten kings who also appear on the beast. They do not tolerate her. They hate her, though for some reason, the best seems not to oppose her. Perhaps her joining with the beast occurs about the time that the false prophet arises, as noted in chapter 13:11.

This Revelation of Jesus Christ includes the revelation of the woman named Mystery Babylon. She has been veiled in the mystery of iniquity. Some people wish to identify her as the Roman Catholic Church. But she cannot be known until God finally reveals her, concurrently with the beast, the Seventh and Eighth World Kingdoms. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 therefore, also applies to her because she associates with the beast and with the Man of Sin, who rules the Eighth Kingdom. Therefore, she cannot become known until he is revealed.

At first, after she sits on the beast, she will have dominant influence over the Seventh and Eighth World Kingdoms. She is clothed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. She has the wealth of the world. For instance, it is known that false religion controls more wealth than any other world system. She represents all the false religions of the world. She is the MOTHER of HARLOTS, viz., her illegitimate daughters. They are just as wicked as she is.

She has a golden cup in her hand. It is full of the abominations and filthiness of her idolatry. Her attire represents her allurement to mankind, who lust after the things and pleasures that are found in idolatry. The great masses of the world are ingrossed in her idolatry. The Scripture teaches that idolatry makes desolate. Look at the poverty of nations that are predominantly idolatrous. She gains her wealth from their sacrifices. Doubtless, that includes the world's gambling casinos. Through covetousness, gamblers commit idolatry, Colossians 3:5. Idolatry appears in other forms of sensual pleasures, including so called "Recreational Drugs."

The cup in her hand may represent the fermented cache of her iniquity. The cup is the common access to indulgences in the lusts of idolatry. All who crave those things drink out of the same cup. They drink willingly of it, because it appeals to their sensual nature.

To draw a parallel, Jesus told the disciples that the cup He gave them at the Lord's Supper, is the New Testament in His Blood. That cup symbolizes the entire New Testament. Well, Mystery Babylon has a golden cup which likewise symbolizes the entirety of her abominations. In the Scripture, gold is a symbol of Deity. So her idolatry is marked by religious trappings, and that is evident in all false religions. They all claim that they are the 'right religion'. Their terminology sounds right to the deceived, but it doesn't mean things that God approves. Idolaters drink from her cup, whether they know it or not.

Mystery Babylon is beautifully clothed as if fit for royalty. Her jewelry glitters. She is a seductress, who has been to a centuries long party. She will give anybody a drink. She will commit fornication with anyone who wishes to have per pleasures.

On her forehead is a name written: "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. She has illegitimate children. Her daughters, like her, are harlots also. She and her daughters symbolize all the various false religions. She, the mother of harlots, represents them all in this vision.

Note: mankind's first sip from the cup of idolatry occurred when Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. satan said to her, 'you shall be like God.' Alas! Eve 'bought it'! Idolatry will conclude with the anti-christ, speaking for the devil and saying, "I am god."

Mystery Babylon's delicacies are hidden to those who don't indulge, thank God. But her mystery is another form of seduction. Does Mystery Babylon drink of her own cup? She at least delights in the shedding of the blood of saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. John said she was drunk with their blood. She has indulged her lust for their blood so much, that John uses the simile of drunkeness to indicate the abundance of her crimes.

She is likely the one responsible for the martyrs of the early Tribulation times, since the beast does not appear until chapter 13. But chapter seven notes that a great un numbered multitude comes out of the Great Tribula- tion. She continues her depredations against the saints of God up until she is burned and devoured by the ten kings of the Eighth World Kingdom, per verses 16-17. She is NOT a nice lady!

She is so alluring that when John saw her, he wondered with great admiration. Revelation 17:6. We might say, she is a 'good looking chick.' Her clothes! She's got the 'rags', she looks good. Even John, in the Spirit wondered with great admiration! He admired her. No wonder she can seduce other people. He was in the Holy Ghost, and yet he still admired that wicked woman! No! I am sure he did not sensually lust after her; but she was alluring. After all, idolatry has certain attractions, else, why would idolaters commit idolatry?

It was necessary for the angel first to tell John the Mystery of the beast that carries the woman. That surely means that she rides him. The angel said that the beast was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. He had formerly been active on the earth. In John's time, he was off the earth, and was not carrying the woman. That may have come about when Jesus aid the Prince of this world is cast out, John 12:30-32. satan did not cease to exist or become tame, but some things changed in the spirit realm. The beast lost his absolute sway over the people of the earth, and the Church of Christ began it's spiritual ascension, Romans 16:20. Wicked men resisted the growth of the Church, but couldn't defeat it. It began to fill all the earth.

The beast has been only 'out of sight' (in the pit) until the appointed time. God, through the Church, restrained the beast and his Man of Sin, but the devil has continued to work in wicked humanity without the agency of the beast. Remember that it is the devil who shall empower the beast, per Revelation 13:2.

The beast in the future from John's day, shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, i.e., the abyss, chapter 17:8. That occurs in chapter 12:2, and that is why it is called a wonder. His ascension startles the world, and causes them to wonder (Revelation 17:8). He has been out of sight to humanity for centuries, but suddenly he shall re-appear in the heavenlies. His ascension occurs through the world's hedonism and sensuality. When the restraint is removed, 2 Thessalonian 2:7, wickedness is going to markedly increase, making it easy for the beast to ascend, as we noted in Revelation 13:1. Observe also 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

In Revelation 17:9, the angel describes the symbolism of the beast. God certainly has wisdom and reveals His wisdom to informed minds. The angels says that the seven heads on the beast are seven mountains. The heads are each central, world class kings with authority to enforce their will on their world. See Daniel 2:37-38 as an example. The mountains represent their kingdoms. Thus, he explains that the beast is composed of seven world kingdoms, spanning human history. Mystery Babylon sits on them in the vision. Thus, idolatry and sensuality dominates them. They bear her, and enforce her idolatry.

The angel said there are seven kings; obviously a king for each of the seven. He explained that five world kings had already fallen (passed off the scene in John's day), one existed in John's day, (the Roman Empire) and the seventh had not yet come. When he comes at the end of the age, he must continue for a short space. He hasn't yet arrived in 2,001 a.d.

When Rome fell, the world descended into the dark ages. There has been turmoil in Europe and the Middle East, because there was no central power to control them. The One World Government that rises out of the European Common Market will have! They WANT that!

Many kings and popes tried to unite Europe, but couldn't because the beast, the vehicle they needed for that function, has been in the abyss. God rules and reigns in the kingdoms of men, and He has not permitted any king or ruler to do what only the beast system could do. God will permit the coming king to succeed. That will follow the ascendancy of the beast as in Revelation 12:3. God will permit that after He takes the Church of the earth, via the Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The seventh beast and his king, must continue only a short space, i.e., less than three and one half years. In his time span, the king gets wounded to death, recovers, and becomes the king of the Eighth World Kingdom, which comes OUT of the Seventh, and becomes the Eighth Beast. Shortly afterwards, another beast, the false prophet arises. It is during the time of the king/beast/false prophet trio that the mark of the beast is imposed, Revelation 13:16. The Eighth Beast shall go into perdition, at Revelation 19:11-21. perhaps the mark 666 is a man's number for each of the wicked trinity.

Then the angel explained to John that the ten horns seen on the beast are ten kings. They receive power with the beast for one hour. When they appear, they are already upon the beast. The beast will have such influence and power that they will agree to give their power to him. He will retain them when he becomes the Eighth Beast. After the TEN kings appear with the Seventh Beast, ANOTHER king arises, Daniel 7:20. Doubtless, it is the king of the Eighth World Kingdom that is going to kill the Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:7.

The ten kings are contemporary with the last two beasts which do not appear until Revelation chapter 13. That seems to be mid Tribulation, or about 3.5 years AFTER the Rapture in chapter 4:1. The angel explained (in Revelation 17:15) that the waters where the whore sits (before the last two beasts appear) are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. May we think of them as representing individuals, gatherings, and whole ethnic groups, and cultures. The waters are not only political but social and ethnic as well. Thus, Mystery Babylon dominates all classes of people, except those who worship God.

The angel told John that the ten horns on the beast shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate. They shall make her desolate. They are going to make her naked (expose her for what she is) and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. What a pay back for her iniquity! God moves them to do that to her and so to fulfill His Words. Thus, He is able even to put into the hearts of His enemies to fulfill His will. They can't avoid it. Remember that this is the Book Of The Revelation Of Jesus Christ. He is the Almighty, per chapter 1:8. In 17:17, Jesus exerts His power upon the kings, and they do His will, even if they don't know it, and even though they are enemies to Him.

Actually, the devil doesn't care if she is destroyed, because as long as she is desired, the anti-christ can't claim to be god above all gods. 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The woman has been 'stealing his thunder' through idolatry for a long time. Burn her!

Then the angle told John that the woman is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. Some people suppose that the city is Rome, because it was the ruling city in John's day. But since she is revealed along with the Seventh and Eight Beasts, she reigns over the kings of the earth in the time that she is revealed. Also, she didn't sit on the beast until Revelation 17:3 at the close of the age. Therefore, the city is more likely the headquarters of the Seventh and Eighth Beasts.