The Book of Revelation
Chapter Seventeen
Preface
Chapters 17 and 18 comprise another parenthetical section in the chronological account of God’s judgments during the Tribulation Period. Chronologically, chapter 19 naturally follows chapter 16, but starting with this chapter the reader is treated to a “time out” in which God reveals the fate of the two Babylons, the “mystery Babylon” (ecumenical religion-universal religion) in this chapter and the “political/commercial Babylon” (the city) in the next chapter. A surface reading might indicate that they are one and the same. In one sense this is correct, since the generic term, “Babylon,” which in fact has been from its inception and will be to its end an unholy city, refers or typifies both. Yet they are individually distinct, and this may be born out by the fact that in chapter 17 the ten kings destroy the “mystery Babylon”, only to morn the destruction of the city Babylon (capital of the world political/commercial empire-headquarters of the Antichrist) in chapter 18. From the context, it appears that the destruction of the “mystery Babylon” occurs during the early stages of the second half of the Tribulation Period (the Great Tribulation), whereas, the destruction of the city Babylon is at the hand of Jesus Christ when He comes in power and glory at the end of the Tribulation Period.
The “mystery Babylon” as mentioned in this chapter refers to the universal religion that in this present day is evolving throughout the world and, once the Church (body of believers) is taken from this world by the Rapture, will enter the Tribulation Period. This ecumenical or universal religion will be composed of the various cults, “isms,” and other satanic movements that enjoy such popularity in this age. Furthermore, it will contain many “apostate” members of Bible-believing churches. The word “apostate” refers to someone who has been exposed to the truth of Jesus Christ and who has purposely turned his back on Him. It speaks of a person who, having been exposed to the Gospel, has rejected it, has denied its truth and has permanently forsaken Christ.
Christianity is NOT religion. It is a relationship or union with Jesus Christ. This being the case and since the focus of “religion” is on works-not grace and faith-- all religion is apostate. Mystery Babylon is evolving today through the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical world movements. In this chapter it will be known as the “great prostitute.” The word “prostitute” refers to a person or system that is “spiritually unfaithful” to the one true God. By “spiritually unfaithful” it means to reject God’s Holy Word, the Trinity and the Deity, Sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; and, in their place practice idolatry. John C. Hagee in his Prophecy Study Bible puts it this way, “A harlot is an individual who has been unfaithful in her wedding vows. Here John portrays an apostate church that professes to be loyal to Christ but in fact cleaves to idols and a false religious system. This is spiritual adultery.” Mystery Babylon is also known as the “mother of prostitutes.” In other words it will be composed of a vast number of Christ-rejecting religions and movements. These proliferate today, such as the New Age movement, Satan worship, Mother Earth worship, Globalism, Hinduism, Islamism, the Baha’I Faith, Buddhism, Christian Science, Lucis Trust, Mormonism, New Thought, Scientology, Unitarian Universalism, The Way International, Transcendental Meditation, Zen, Sai Baba Society, Sufism, Self Realization Fellowship, UFO cults, Masonic Lodge, Jainism, Shinto-ism, Confucianism, Taoism, Astrology Occultism, “Crossing Over”-and hundreds, if not thousands more. The day is coming when these will unite together to form the “great prostitute,” these, along with a vast multitude of apostates out of Roman Catholicism, Churches of Christ, Methodist churches, Baptist churches, Presbyterian churches, Pentecostal churches, Assembly of God churches-and hundreds of other so-called “Christian” churches.
This will be “mystery Babylon,” as seen in chapter 17. It will be the culmination of a process that started back in time as recorded in the book of Genesis. A history and evolutionary account of Babylon is now warranted. Following is a factual and descriptive account of Babylon, which comes from Every Prophecy of the Bible by John F. Walvoord.
When Babylon was introduced in Genesis 11, her true character was revealed as rebelling against God and attempting to build a tower in recognition of her worship of heathen deities. Because this was contrary to the will of God, He confounded the language the people were using at that time so that they could not understand each other; hence, the term “Babel,” meaning confusion, applies to the subsequent history of Babylon (cf. Gen. 11:9).
It should be borne in mind that the term “Babylon” applies to Babylonian religion; it also applies to the city of Babylon; and it applies to the empire of Babylon.
Babylon had a long history and rose to considerable prominence in the time of Hammurabi (1726-1686 B.C.). She reached her height of glory under Nebuchadnezzar who lived in what is known as the Neo-Babylonian period, beginning 600 years before Christ. It was in this period that Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel. Archeologists have uncovered much of the detail of this city, having been able to decipher the thousands of cuneiform tablets which were found in Babylon.
In this section, however, the revelation concentrates on the influence of Babylon religiously. Because the religion of Babylon was in the form of a secret religious rite in which they worshiped certain idols, it requires divine revelation to understand completely what they held. The wife of Nimrod, who was the founder of Babylon, headed up the mystery religion which characterized Babylon. She was given the name Semiramis, and according to the adherents’ belief, she had a son conceived miraculously whose name was Tammuz. He was portrayed as a savior who fulfills the promise of deliverance given to Eve. This was, of course, a satanic description which permeates pagan religions.
The concept of woman and child was incorporated in various religious rites which were conducted by a priestly order which worshiped the woman and the child and is the background for the tendency in Roman Catholicism to glorify Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Throughout Scripture references are found concerning Babylonian worship such as Ezekiel’s protest of weeping for Tammuz (Ezek. 8:14). Jeremiah objects to the heathen practice of offering cakes to Semiramis as the queen of heaven (Jer. 7;18). Offering of incense was also made to her as the queen of heaven (44:17-19, 25). An offshoot of this was the worship of Baal which was one of the pagan religions of Canaan, and Baal is often identified as the same person as Tammuz.
The mystery religions of Babylon permeated the ancient world, and with the decline of Babylon as a city and as empire, Babylonian religion found its way to Pergamum, the city in which one of the seven churches of Asia was located. Those who served as chief priests of this Babylonian cult were often related to Dagon the fish god and the “Keeper of the Bridge,” that is, the bridge between man and Satan; and in recognition of this, the priest wore crowns in the form of head of a fish.
As Christianity came in contact with the Babylonian religion, it created turmoil and confusion for the church. Through the centuries there has been a tendency for the church to be anchored in the world instead of in God, and modern liberalism has gone even farther in departing from the Scriptures. The prophecy concerning Babylon here as well as other allusions to religion in the Book of Revelation demonstrate that apostasy will have its final form in the Great Tribulation in the worship of the world ruler and Satan.
One other passage taken from The Book of Revelation by Clarence Larkin is noteworthy.
Mystery! ” Where have we heard that word before, and in what connection? Paul calls the Church a “Mystery” because it was not known to the Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets. Eph. 3: 1-21. That Christ was to have a “Bride” was first revealed to Paul (Eph. 5:23-32), and the “Mystery” that Antichrist is to have a “bride” was first revealed to John on the Isle of Patmos. The name of Antichrist’s “bride” is “Babylon the Great.” Someone may ask why give to a “bride” the name of a “City”? The answer is that it is not unusual in the Scriptures. When the same angel that showed John in this chapter “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” came to him in chapter 21:9-10 and said-“Come hither, I will shew thee the Bride-‘The Lamb’s Wife’,” he showed John, instead of a woman, that great City, the “Holy Jerusalem” descending out of Heaven from God. Here we see that a “city” is called a ‘bride’ because its inhabitants, and not the city itself, are the bride. “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” the “bride” of Antichrist, then, is not a literal city, but a “System,” a religious and apostate “System.” As the Church, the Bride of Christ, is composed of regenerated followers of Christ, so “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” the bride of antichrist, will be composed of the followers of all False Religions.
On to the commentary.
Revelation 17:1, 2
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 on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
In this chapter the reader is introduced to the “great prostitute,” which as mentioned in the preface, represents initially, as “Mystery Babylon,” the apostate universal religion (One-World Religion) that will be present during the first half of the Tribulation Period. This is a composite (amalgam) religion made up all (apostate) religions and systems that remain after the Rapture. This “great prostitute” is made known to John by the angel later on in the chapter. Here it is said that John will be shown the “punishment” that will befall the “great prostitute.” She sits on “many waters,” which will be seen later as referring to the great masses of people and nations. This prostitute is great in that the kings of the earth (governmental systems) have committed (spiritual) adultery (unholy union-alliance) with her, and earth’s inhabitants have become intoxicated (under the unholy influence) with the wine of her adulteries
Revelation 17:3-5
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 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. This title was written on her forehead
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Notice that for John to see this “great prostitute,” he was carried by the angel “in the Spirit” into a desert-representing the desolation of spiritual adultery (idolatry). John sees a woman, the “great prostitute,” sitting on a beast covered with blasphemous names and which had seven heads and ten horns. This is the beast of Revelation 13-a dual representation of the Antichrist and the “revived Roman Empire” that He oversees. The fact that the prostitute is sitting on the beast indicates that for three and a half years of the Tribulation Period the Antichrist and his one-world political kingdom is united with and supports this one-world apostate religion.
It also reveals that during the first half of the Tribulation Period the one-world religion will have significant power over the one-world government (revived Roman Empire) under the Antichrist. The reason is because both have mutual goals-the conquest of the world for Satan. Note what Tim LaHaye from his book, Revelation Unveiled, says concerning this: “The leaders of the Babylonian religions of the world have always vied with the political leaders for dominance over their country or the world, in distinction from the true Christian Church, which has never sought political power” The Bible teaches that we are to submit to governments, not attempt to control or change them, that is, through our spiritual influence. This is not and will continue not to be the case with religion.
The woman is described as dressed in purple and scarlet and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. This description is often used by fundamental expositors to refer to the Roman Catholic Papacy. For instance in The Book of Revelation by Clarence Larkin, the following is stated: “Now who does not know that scarlet and purple are the colors of the Papacy? Of the different articles of attire specified for the Pope to wear when he is installed into office five are scarlet. A vest covered with pearls, and a mitre, adorned with gold and precious stones was also to be worn. How completely this answers the description of the Woman’s dress as she sits upon the Scarlet Colored Beast.”
As noted previously, this “great prostitute” is the culmination of the evolution of many apostate religions, cults and “isms.” It may very well adopt many of the dress requirements of the Roman Papacy. In any case, this dress represents the fact that this one-world religion will be one of financial abundance and elaborate show. She has the outward appearance of royalty and unlimited wealth, but the cup she holds reveals her true character and spiritual state.
The prostitute holds in her hand a golden cup containing her abominations (acts that God totally disgusts and hates), along with the “filth” (unclean discharge-from her spiritually unholy sexual unions) of her adulteries. Although it is not mentioned, one may conjecture that she drinks quite regularly from this cup and stays in a continuous state of abominable drunkenness from its contents.
Her title, which is branded on her forehead, says she is “MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT-THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. This indicates how God sees this one-world religion. You’ve heard the phrase, “the mother of all wars,” well; this “great prostitute” is the “Mother of [all] Prostitutes.” This is indicative of the fact that within her ranks are all the prostitute (apostate) religions, cults and “isms” of the world that are finally in unity under the umbrella of a one-world religious system. This system is an abomination to God, just as all individual apostate religions, cults and “isms” are to Him in this age.
She is drunk (Gk: methuousan, a present active linear participle, meaning “continuously drunk”) with the blood of saints-those who bore testimony to Jesus. In fact, it is suggested that this blood is the primary contents of the golden cup, which she carries and from which she drinks on a regular basis. Those who are truly saved-by faith alone in Christ alone-are always a threat to religion. Because of this, religion will rise up (as it has done for centuries) and martyr believers in Jesus Christ. This astonished John.
Revelation 17:7-12
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. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his 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 he once was, now is not, and yet will come. "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 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 a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. "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.
The angel now explains to John the “mystery of the woman (“great prostitute”) and the beast. The understanding of this interpretation “calls for a mind of wisdom,” that is, a mind with wisdom from God-to be gained only by a study and understanding of God’s Word-a reminder to every believer that a study of the Bible should be paramount in his life.
He begins with the beast, the one with the seven heads and ten horns, and mentions twice that he “once was, now is not, and will come (up out of the Abyss). Upon an examination of prior references to the beast (chapter 13) in comparison with the description of the beast here and as previously stated in this study, leads to the conclusion that the beast of chapters 13 and 17 are one and the same. The following points are revealing:
1. The seven heads, upon which the prostitute sits, represent seven hills and also seven kings. The seven hills are reminiscent of Rome, i.e., the Roman Empire and eventually the revived Roman Empire. The five kings that are “fallen” are the five kings of the Roman Empire that existed prior to and in John’s lifetime, the sixth king that “is” would be Domitian and the seventh king who “has not yet come” will be the Antichrist who will lead the revived Roman Empire.
2. The eighth king is said to “belong to the seven.” It also speaks of the seventh king as one who “must remain for a little while.” Additionally it says of the “beast,” which is the seventh (coming) king, that he “once was and now is not.” These passages taken along side 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 11; Revelation 11:7; 13:3, 14 leads this writer to conclude that the seventh and the eighth kings are one and the same, but existing on two sides of a supernatural event. As noted, the beast represents not only the revived Roman Empire, but also the Antichrist who leads this revived empire. As the Antichrist he will suffer a fatal blow near the middle of the Tribulation Period, but he will come back to life. This supernatural event, permitted by God, will be a grand delusion that will blind and turn the world toward him and his image. Because of diabolical delusion, which is permitted by God, they will worship the Antichrist (now the embodiment of Satan) and his image-and will follow him into hell.
The inhabitants of the earth will be “astonished” by the beast that dies from his fatal blow and then comes back to life. These are inhabitants “whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the creation of the world.” This is a reference to the “Lamb’s Book of Life” and the “foreknowledge” of God. From the “creation of the world” God knows who will and who will not accept by faith alone Christ alone for his personal salvation. Those in this category who will be living during the Tribulation Period will follow the beast or Antichrist during the first half of the Tribulation and then, after his “resurrection” from death, especially (as now Satan fully embodies him) during the second half-the Great Tribulation.
Regarding the “ten horns,” Tim LaHaye from Revelation Unveiled, says it well, “The ten horns coincide with the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. These are the ten kings who will make up the Antichrist’s world confederacy of nations. Since they get their power from Antichrist, perhaps he will appoint them kings of certain countries after he has taken over world governments.”
Revelation 17:13, 14
They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.”
These “ten kings,” during the last half of the Tribulation Period (Great Tribulation) will swear complete allegiance to the Antichrist. They in fact will turn over the control of their respective governments to him, since they and he have the same one purpose in mind-the will of Satan, which is the complete destruction of Jesus Christ and all who are associated with the Son of God. But, as will be seen in chapter 19, Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of lords and King of kings, will come in His power and glory and with ease overcome them. Most heartening to the Church (Body of Christ) is that they will be with Jesus when He comes to transact this simple deed. They will not participate, since it will only take a word from Christ’s mouth to finish the task. What a testimony to the power and glory of God!
Revelation 17:15-18
Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 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. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
The angel informs John that the “the waters” on which the prostitute sits are “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” In other words, the whole world; and the prostitute will be an all-world or one-world religion. This one-world religion will exact tremendous power and influence. It will have its own agenda, apart from the one-world political and commercial system under the Antichrist. During the first half of the Tribulation Period, the first three and a half years, Satan will allow both to work together toward his ends. But once the Antichrist dies and is subsequently embodied by Satan and then resurrected, to the amazement of all non-Christians throughout the world, Satan will then demand to be worshipped. As the Antichrist, Satan will have his image created and will require that all mankind bow to it and worship both it and him. He will have his “False Prophet” who will foster this trend to the world.
At this point there will be a major conflict between Satan and the one-world religion. Through the power of his world political system (ten kings), Satan will overthrow and demolish the one-world religion in order to make himself, his image and his plan the only focus of the Great Tribulation. The center of Satan’s now religious and political system will be the City of Babylon.
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