VERSE 1: (Chapter 17)
​JUDGMENT of the GREAT WHORE
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters."
When we were studying Chapter 4:1 of Revelation, we learned how an angel said to John "Come up hither". We studied about the door opening in Heaven and John seeing the "lightnings and thunderings". In our verse here, verse 1, another angel talks to John. This angel is even more frightening. This angel is one of the angels that poured out a vial of God's judgment upon the earth. John witnessed it! "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials"
This angel also talks to John and says almost the same words as the first angel John met. This angel says: "Come hither". The first angel, that talked with John, told him that he was going to show John some really awesome things. That first angel showed John a glimpse into Heaven. John saw the four beasts that say "Holy, Holy, Holy". John saw the 24 elders with crowns on their heads, and he saw the throne of God. The angel in this verse is going to show John something completely the opposite.
The angel in this verse tells John that he "will shew unto thee (John) the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." I don't know about you, but I don't think I want to see God's judgment. The angel continues explaining to John in our next verse, verse 2, why God's judgment is happening.
VERSE 2: (Chapter 17)
​KINGS COMMIT FORNICATION
INHABITANTS DRUNK
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
This angel tells John that the "kings of the earth have committed fornication" with the "great whore that sitteth upon many waters" mentioned in verse 1 of this chapter. As we move through this chapter, the Lord reveals to us who this "great whore" is and what all she has done.
We are told that the "kings of the earth have committed fornication". The meaning of fornication to most of us means illicit sexual actions between people, usually not married. However, there is another standard of fornication in God's eyes. It is called 'spiritual fornication'. This is where people worship idols instead of worshipping God. In Revelation, Chapter 2, we touched on idol worship. We saw where God included the sin of idol worship in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above ... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them ... for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-6). It is also well recorded in history that fornication, sexual acts, is rampant during idol worship. When we studied Revelation, Chapter 2, we also learned that murders often took place during idol worship.
We are told in our verse here that "the kings of the earth" will be committing "fornication". This does NOT mean the leaders of these nations are going to have one big sexual party. This verse is talking about "spiritual fornication" against God. The leaders, "the kings" are going to 'benefit' from the "great whore'. As we will see in this chapter, the "great whore" is a nation. This nation is going to be ran by the Antichrist. The other nations will be committing 'spiritual fornication' with the Antichrist.
The Antichrist will be using "the great whore" "to make the inhabitants of the earth ... drunk with the wine of her fornication". All the nations will be dependent upon "the great whore". The leaders of nations will become wealthy off of the merchandise and policies of "the great whore". All the "inhabitants of the earth" will be greatly affected by this nation.
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VERSE 3: (Chapter 17)
​The ANGEL CARRIES JOHN
The WOMAN and the BEAST
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
We see here that John is carried in the spirit by the angel ... "he carried me". In Revelation 4:2, when the first angel spoke with John, he told John to "Come up hither". He did not carry John. The angel in this verse carries John. The first angel was guiding John to Heaven. The Lord guides people to Heaven. The Lord tugs on every person's heart to come to Him and be saved. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heaven laden, and I will give you rest." Every person is to make this decision on their own. God tugs on each person's heart, but it is up to each person to make their own choice. When the first angel in Revelation 4:2 called to John. John obeyed and followed. John could have chosen not to follow the angel.
The angel in this verse is carrying John because John is going to be a witness to a very bad thing. Remember, if we are God's child, He will carry us through our difficult times. He will not let us go through bad things alone. He will carry us. Remember Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me".
Next we are told in our verse that the angel carried John "into the wilderness". Some dictionaries describe "wilderness" as inhospitable. We know that the "wilderness" here is not an area that is uninhabited because there is a "woman" and a "beast", at the very least, there. However, the description of inhospitable seems to fit very well here. These people are not going to be welcoming, cozy, or sweet. This "woman" will be very beautiful but not nice at all.
All through the Bible, cities are referred to in the female tense. The "woman" referred to in this verse, being in the female tense, refers to a city. Being described as a "woman" illustrates that this city is fully mature. It is a city that has history. It is aged. As we study on, we will uncover more clues to the identity and location of this "woman" ... city.
John says he: "saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast". This city is going to be used as the 'headquarters' of the "beast". The "beast" will be dressed in "scarlet" attire.
This "beast" will be clothed in "scarlet" colors. The color "scarlet" comes from a bright dye obtained from two sources. Back in ancient days it came from the little grains obtained from a holm-oak tree combined with crushed female coccus insects. According to an article by John Waage, titled 'Ancient Textile Dyed with Biblical Scarlet Found in Judean 'Cave of Skulls', sheds light on an expensive scarlet dye. He stated that it was used for priestly fabrics like that used in the Jewish Tabernacle by the Levites.
Scarlet was one of the colors of the high-priest's ephod. The priest's girdle and breastplate also had the color of scarlet on them. King Saul, in 2 Samuel 1:24, clothed his daughters in scarlet. This "beast", in our verse, will be clothed in scarlet. The color of scarlet represents royalty. The "beast" will be priestly and will dress in royal robes, scarlet in color. The "beast" will be in charge of the One World Religion. He will be the 'head' of all religions and will merge them into one.
The next part of our verse says that the "beast" will be "full of names of blasphemy." The "beast" will have the many characteristics of every evil name possible. He will be "full of names of blasphemy". Any word that is opposite of God will be the characteristic of the "beast". He will be the Deceiver, the Prosecutor, the father of Lies, the Evil one, and the list goes on. Yet, he will be the 'leader' of the One World Religion.
Most of Chapter 13 of Revelation is about the "beast". It tells us that he is a "man" (13:18). Revelation 13:1 reads almost the same as the words we are studying in 17:3. Revelation 13:1 says: "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." You can easily review Chapter 13 to refresh your memory about the "beast". It also told us the number of the "beast", 666, and that he will be a fierce ruler. This "man", the "beast", will rise up "out of the sea" of people. He will obtain "ten heads" which represent the ten leaders of "seven" nations of the world.
In this chapter, God reveals more information about this city and the "seven heads and ten horns". But first He reveals information to us about the "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, and why she is called the "Mother of Harlots".
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VERSE 4: (Chapter 17)
​The WOMAN'S ATTIRE
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:"
We read that the "Beast" was clothed in "scarlet". The "woman" will be "arrayed in purple and scarlet". The "Beast" has authority over the "woman"; however, there is much power in this "woman". Notice in verse 3 that she sits "upon a scarlet coloured beast". This "woman" has to go wherever the "Beast" takes her. The "Beast" has the ultimate authority, however, the "woman" chooses to "sit upon" the "Beast".
This "woman" is clothed in scarlet and purple. The scarlet shows that she is in agreement with the "Beast". Purple is also a royal color. Purple dye was obtained from shellfish, like snails. Just like the scarlet dye comes from the female coccus insects being crushed; likewise, the purple dye comes from shellfish that are also crushed. Both types of these have to die physically in order to obtain these colors.
Jesus's shed His blood for us. Those who have accepted Christ into their hearts are covered with the Lord's blood. The Lord says in Isaiah 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." The "Beast" and the "woman" will be covered by the blood of insects and shellfish and not by the Lord's blood.
Next in this verse we read that the "woman" was also "decked with gold and precious stones and pearls". This simply means that there is great wealth here and the wealth is from many sources. We also read that she has a "golden cup in her hand". In Revelation 18:6 we see that she "hath filled". Our verse tells us what she fills it with: "abominations and filthiness of her fornication".
Proverbs 6:16-19 names some things that are abominations to God: "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." These things, plus much more, are what are in the "golden cup".
PRIDE
ANGER
LIES
STEALING
EVIL THOUGHTS
LUST
COVETEOUSNESS
DISCORD
GREED
FALSE
WITNESS
MISCHIEF
MURDER
HATE
IDOL WORSHIP
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VERSE 5: (Chapter 17)
​WORDS UPON HER FOREHEAD
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
We are told here that this "woman" will have a name written on "her forehead". This is for all to see. She will not be able to hide it. She may try to cover it up, but God is going to reveal her to us.
God has given this "woman" a name that she earned. She is named the "BABYLON THE GREAT". A 'mystery' in scripture is just something that was hidden in early times. Things that were not quite fully understood. For example, the birth of Christ was not fully understood by all the people. Many thought Christ would be born as a king in a palace within one of their kingdoms. Another 'mystery', that people of different generations did not understand, is the Rapture ... the time, just before the Great Tribulation, when Christians will be taken up in the clouds to be forever in Heaven. So when the Lord uses "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT", He is revealing to us the 'hidden truth' that previous generations may not have fully understood. This "woman" is named "BABYLON THE GREAT".
God also calls this "woman" "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS". This is because she is the head of all the "HARLOTS". She 'gave birth' to populate the world with her "fornications" and "abominations".
The next verse sheds more light on who the "woman" that sits "upon a scarlet coloured beast" is.
VERSE 6: (Chapter 17)
​The WOMAN DRUNKEN with BLOOD
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."
John is continuing to give his testimony of what he is witnessing. John sees "the woman" and sees that she is "drunken". However, this "woman" is not drunken like we would think of it today. She did not consume alcoholic beverages to make her stagger all over. No. This is worse. She is "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus". In other words, she is responsible for causing a lot of deaths, even to the point that she has them executed. She will cause some deaths to occur through her 'merchandise' and 'policies'. People, who will not comply, will likely be martyred. And this "woman" will be held responsible to God Almighty.
Now, when John "saw her," he "wondered with great admiration". What John sees is extremely beautiful to his eyes. John saw all the shining "gold, precious stones, and pearls". He saw her clothed in "purple and scarlet". John saw all the riches and beauty and he "wondered with GREAT admiration". John was blown away by what he saw. But God's Word says: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." So the angel has to rebuke John, and the angel does it in the very next verse.
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VERSE 7: (Chapter 17)
​The ANGEL REBUKES
The ANGEL REVEALS
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns."
Remember, this angel is carrying John. This angel sees John's "great admiration" and reaction to this "woman". Also remember, that it is this angel that "poured out his vial" of God's judgment upon the earth. John is not in a very pleasant situation here. The angel looks at John and says: "Wherefore didst thou marvel?" Easier put, the angel asks John, 'Why would you be impressed with all this evil?' John probably felt very badly, especially after the angel patiently explains the "woman" to him ... and to all of us.
The angel says to John "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." Now the 'mystery' will be revealed! Just like Jesus use to tell parables to the people when He was on earth, and then He would explain the meaning of the parables; so is this chapter like that. The Lord tells us a mystery 'parable' in verses 1-6 and then explains it to us in verses 8 - 18.
The angel informs John that he is not only just going to reveal "the woman" but he is also going to reveal "the beast", the "seven heads", and the "ten horns". God wants us to know Satan's end "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Corinthians 2:11). God uses Revelation to inform all of us of Satan's plans, of Satan's attempts and of Satan's partial 'victories'. God also uses Revelation to turn people from Satan to Himself. He uses Revelation to warn people about what Satan is going to do. So lets go on and learn about "the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns"...
VERSE 8: (Chapter 17)
​The BEAST REVEALED
"The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
The angel first reveals "the beast". This verse almost sounds like a riddle, but it's really not. The entire verse here is referring to "the beast". First, the angel says to John "The beast that thou sawest was". In other words, "the beast" that John just saw has been around for a long time ... it "was". The book of Ezekiel tells us of Satan's beginning. Satan is "the beast".
Ezekiel 28 tells us about Satan:
Then the angel states that Satan "is not" =
Satan "is not" allowed to approach God's throne anymore and accuse us.
Satan "was" =
Satan "was" an "anointed cherub" (angel). Ezekiel 28:14: "Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth".
​Satan "was" in heaven. Ezekiel 28:14 says that Satan "wast upon the holy mountain of God."
Satan "was" "in the Garden of "Eden". Ezekiel 28:13 says "Thou (Satan) hast been in Eden the garden of God".
Before Christ died on the cross, Satan was permitted to approach God. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them" (Job 1:6). Because Christ died on the cross, Satan "is not" allowed to "accuse" saved people anymore. Zechariah 3:1-4 tells of how Satan tried to "resist" and accuse Joshua and how the Lord interceded for him and changed Joshua's filthy garments into the righteous garment of Christ.
​Satan "is not" allowed to accuse us. But Satan can still try to make us fall into sin.
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The angel precedes to inform us where Satan is going to come from. The angel says that Satan, "the beast", "shall ascend out of the bottomless pit".
The "bottomless pit" is place described in 2 Peter 2:4 as "hell" that holds demons in "chains of darkness". Jude 6 also tells us about demons being held in "everlasting chains under darkness".
​"Bottomless" means there is no bottom. This "pit" is "bottomless". Some may ask, 'How can it be bottomless?' Well, a ball is bottomless. No matter which way you hold a ball, there is no exact top nor bottom. The earth is always rotating. The earth rotates on its axis as it rotates around the sun. Hell is like a ball in the center of the earth. It moves as the earth moves. It is the center part of the earth. The center of the earth has just about a zero gravity pull. If you take all the gravity out of an earth-sized ball, you could float around and around in it, never knowing the top nor the bottom. That is the simulation of hell. It is "bottomless". There is no top nor bottom. It will give the sensation of continually falling. Demons and unsaved people are in Hell. We will study this in Revelation 20.
Did you know that Jesus warned people a lot about Hell while He was on the earth? He still warns people today through His Word. Below are just a few verses from God's Word warning about Hell:
A Lake of Fire Revelation 20:15
A Devouring Fire Isaiah 33:14
A Place of Blackness & Darkness Jude 13
Where People Wail Matthew 13:42
Where People Weep Matthew 8:12
A Place of Torments Luke 16:23
Where People Curse God Revelation 16:11
Where People Beg for Mercy Luke 16:24
Don't Want Loved Ones There Luke 16:28
The angel, in our verse, also tells John that Satan will "go into perdition". Perdition means 'eternal punishment'. Eternal means never ending, forever and ever. This will be fulfilled in Revelation 20:10: "And the devil (Satan) that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This angel proceeds to tell us that "they that dwell on the earth shall wonder" ... "when they behold the beast." During this time of the Tribulation Period, the world will be shocked when the Antichrist is revealed. When they see him, reality will set in. We studied Revelation 13:3 and read that "the world wondered after the beast". In other words, he will impress them. They will be amazed at his charm and power. Now, in this verse, when they look upon the Antichrist, they will see him powerless. They will see him fall. The earth will be in shock when they see him cast down. The Antichrist will be like that described in Deuteronomy 28:37: "And thou (Satan) shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations". Ezekiel 28:19 says this of Satan: "All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."
There is another part of this verse that we need to touch upon. It is what the angel says in between "they that dwell on the earth shall wonder" and "when they behold the beast." The angel tells us who exactly will wonder "after the beast". He informs us that those "whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world" will wonder after the beast. Don't let this confuse you. Let's look at this phrase closely.
First of all, according to the Word of God, we know that every single person has their name written in the Book of Life. In Revelation Chapter 3, we studied that a person's name is written down in the Book of Life at conception. We also saw in John 1:9 that God puts His light in every man's heart: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." In Revelation 3:5, Jesus said: "...I will not blot out his name out of the book of life". In order for the Lord to "blot out" a name, it must first have been written down. You can't erase something that isn't there. This clearly shows that everyone's name is written in the "Book of Life".
So the first point, in regard to this part of the verse, is that these 'beings' "names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world". This would mean that these "beings" cannot be human because "every man", every human, is written down in the "Book of Life" upon conception (Psalm 139:13-16) according to God's Word.
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This then brings us to the question of 'who then is the angel talking about that wonder after the beast'? This angel says here: "whose names were not written down in the book of life from the foundation of the world".
Genesis 1:9-10 documents the creation of world and its "foundation". It reads: "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth". Then we must ask the question, "Who was here before the foundation of the world"? Notice, the angel says, "of the world". So technically, the "foundation of the world" is back in Genesis 1:1-2: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The foundation of the world was created before Adam and Eve were created. So "whose names were not written down in the book of life from the foundation of the world" ? Who existed before the foundation of the world? Adam and Eve were created after the foundation of the world was created.
We know God existed before the foundation of the world. Isaiah 45:12: God says, "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded."
We know that Jesus was present during the creation of the world. John 1:1-3 and 14: "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made. And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
We also know that the Holy Spirit was present during the creation of the foundation of the world. Genesis 1:2: "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." We know that our verse is not referring to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. Keep reading ...
The Lord had also created millions of angels before the foundation of the world. We learned in Revelation 5:11b that John saw lots of angels: "and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands".
There is only one group that was present "from the foundation of the world" that would "wonder" after the "beast". The Bible tells us that this 'group' cannot have their names written in the "Book of Life". We studied about this 'group' in Revelation 12:7-9: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not;; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent (was in the Garden of Eden during the foundation of the world!), called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."
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We learned in Revelation 12:4 that when Satan was cast out of Heaven, he took one third of all the millions of angels to go with him. That was an enormous number of angels. We just saw in Revelation 12:9 that Satan "was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." These angels are now known as demons.
Demons roam the entire earth, even today. Remember, they were "cast out into the earth". If demons were not real, the Lord would not have wasted so much time warning us about them. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).
Satan and his demons started the war in Heaven. Satan and his demons have continually fought against God. The Tribulation Period is the final 'show down". It is Satan's last attempt to conquer God and take over the earth. Satan is going to give everything he has to try to win. Satan has a massive demon army. He is getting his "Antichrist", "Beast", and "False Prophet" groomed and ready to attack. One of Satan's main strategies is to lure as many people as possible away from God and send them into Hell. Satan wants as many humans as he can get. He doesn't want God to have them. Demons do everything they can to interfere with people getting saved.
There was a real war in Heaven and to there will be a real war on this earth. It is called "Armageddon". Satan is going to use every nation that he can to battle against God. However, the Bible tells us that Satan is going to lose. This verse, 8, even tells us that Satan's demons are going to "wonder" at their leader, Satan, ... "they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." Satan's demons "dwell on the earth", too. Satan's demons will "wonder" how Satan lost.
To sum it up ... Satan "was" in heaven. He "is not" in heaven anymore. "Yet is" going to fight his final battle against God here on the earth and then "go into perdition" forever and ever.
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VERSE 9: (Chapter 17)
​SEVEN MOUNTAINS
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mounts, on which the woman sitteth."
Here the angel is telling us to have wisdom. God is revealed what the "seven heads" are back in verse 3 of this chapter (17): "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." In our verse here, verse 9, it says: "And here is the mind which hath wisdom." James 1:5 says: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." In other words, if you do not understand all this, ask God. God promises to give wisdom to any person that asks Him.
The angel is telling us a few things in this verse. One is if we don't understand, then we are to ask God. Ask God for wisdom. Another thing the angels informs us is that "The seven heads are seven mountains." God reveals to us that these "seven heads" are not seven literal heads with eyes, a nose, and a mouth. God does not want us confused. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says: "For God is not the author of confusion". God says these "seven heads ARE seven mountains".
Istanbul has been associated with seven hills; however, it is Rome that was founded on the "seven mountains" spoken of here in Revelation. These "seven mountains", also called 'hills', are considered the heart of the ancient city of Rome. These "seven mountains" are the foundation of Rome's history. The apostle Paul was a Roman citizen.
The SEVEN MOUNTAINS (Hills) of ROME
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​1. Aventine = A lot of history here. Ancient temples were dedicated to the gods of Diana and Ceres. It has beautiful gardens.
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2. Caelian = It was a residential area during the Roman Republic. Quite a few Christian churches were started here during Paul's time.
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3. Capitoline = Just like its name looks, this was the political and religious center of ancient Rome. This area became the site of Rome's city hall during the Renaissance period. The Temple of Jupiter was located in Capitoline.
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4. Esquiline = was originally used as a burial ground. However, because of its beauty, it became the desired place of Rome's elite population.
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5. Palatine = Studies show that this place is regarded as the birthplace of Rome. Romulus was founded here in 753 B.C. and became the home to emperors. There are still ruins of imperial palaces there today.
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6. Quirinal = was settled by the Sabines. The Sabines spoke mostly Latin. They were said to believe in divination by dreams and worshiped the gods Minerva and Mars. Today it is the official residence of the Italian president.
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7. Viminal = is the smallest of the seven. Viminal was a quiet residential area in ancient times.
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The last part of our verse, verse 9, says: "on which the woman sitteth". The "woman sitteth" upon the "seven mountains". The "woman" controls the one-world religious system. She is also called "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (v. 5). This "woman" has control over the one-world religion organization. This is also called "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters" in Revelation 17:1. "Many waters" refers to many people. To put it more simply, a one-world religious system will immerge. This one-world religious organization, known as "the woman" will "sit upon the beast" (v. 3). The "beast" supports her. She is a one-world, idol worshiping, system that the "beast" will carry. The "beast" will support and push for this one-world religious system. The "beast" will make it so that all the world will worship according to the one-world dictator. And we know that the one-world dictator will be the Antichrist and he will be demanding that the world worship him.
In Revelation 19:10, we see that John fell at the angel's feet to worship him. This angel rebuked John for this action and said: "See thou do it not ... worship God". Exodus 34:14 commands: "For thou shalt worship no other god". God makes this very clear in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:3-5: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God". During the Great Tribulation Period, the Antichrist is going to command that he himself be the center of worship.
During this Great Tribulation Period, people will get very religious. They will be believing that worshipping the Antichrist and following him is the real way to go. Religious people will come down on people who will refuse to worship the Antichrist or receive his "mark". There will be very 'religious' people actively promoting the Antichrist.
If you study the four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you will clearly see that Jesus got very angry at the religious people. Jesus was tender to the poor, to the crippled, to the blind, and even to the tax collectors. However, Jesus was very angry at the religious people. Religious people are people who say they 'believe in God'. They go to the synagogues (churches), and they think they are 'good' people and do 'good works'. This stereotype of people are the ones that God is angry with. Matthew 23 records what Jesus said to "The scribes and the Pharisees". The scribes and Pharisees were the religious people. This is what Jesus then taught about the religious people of His day: They "love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues" (v. 6). They love the "greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi" (v. 7). Jesus said: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven" (v. 9). Then Jesus goes on to rebuke these religious people: "But woe (cursed) unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocirtes!" (v. 13, v. 14, and v. 15).
Continuing with Matthew 23, here are some of the adjectives that Jesus uses against the religious people: "child of hell" (v. 15), "blind guides" (v. 16), "fools" (v. 17), "hypocrites" (v. 23), "blind guides" (v. 24), "whited sepulchres" (v. 27), "full of dead men's bones" (v. 27), "full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (v. 28), "children of them which killed the prophets" (v 31). Then Jesus says to the religious people in verse 33: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" These verses, and many, many more, show how angry the Lord is with religious people. Please make sure you are not a religious person. Make sure you have salvation, not religion. Make sure you realize your sin and ask Christ to be your Saviour. There is a big difference! It is a matter of salvation verses religion. It is a matter of Heaven or Hell.
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VERSE 10: (Chapter 17)
​SEVEN KINGS
"And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space."
These "seven kings" represent seven literal Gentile kingdoms. Kings and kingdoms can be used interchangeably. Kings oversee the kingdoms. The "five are fallen" are five past kings/kingdoms that "are fallen". In other words, they have ended. They are in the past. These five kingdoms were: the Egyptian kingdom, the Assyrian kingdom, the Babylon kingdom, the Medo-Persian kingdom, and the Greece kingdom.
Then the angel tells John that "one is". This meant that one kingdom was present during the time that John was writing Revelation. The kingdom that was present during John's time was the Roman kingdom. The word 'empire' means the same as kingdom. So, John was alive during the Roman kingdom, also called the Roman Empire. The ruler of the Roman Empire is number six of the "seven kings".
That leaves just one king yet to come. Our verse says: "the other is not yet come". The angel was telling John that the seventh king was not yet on the face of the earth. The angel told John that this seventh 'king' will come, "and when he cometh, he must continue a short space". This seventh king will be the Antichrist. Revelation 13:5 states that he will "continue forty and two months".
"Forty and two months" equals three and a half years. The Great Tribulation Period is seven years long. The first three and a half years will be used by Satan to prepare the world for the Antichrist. The False Prophet will speak peace and produce policies that he will say is for the 'good of the world'. The one-world false religion, "the woman", will be adopted and put into place. Then, in the middle of the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will appear on the scene. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 says this about the Antichrist when he appears: "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
The Antichrist will cause people to worship him and demand that everyone receive his 'mark'. The world needs to be thankful that the Antichrist will only "continue a short space" ... three and a half years. The Antichrist will be the seventh 'king' ruling the world as his kingdom.
VERSE 11: (Chapter 17)
​NUMBER 8
"And the beast that was, and is not even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
The angel is referring to verse 8 of our chapter (17): "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition". You can refer back to verse 8. Now the angel is informing John that this "beast" "is the eighth" king. The "beast" is going to be close to the last two kings ... "and is of the seven". Five of the "seven kings" had fallen. That means two are left. The "eighth king" will be joined with these two last kings. These "kings" will be ruling the world under the leadership of the "eighth" king, the "beast". They will all be in agreement together.
Our verse here, verse 11, verifies what verse 8 does ... that the "beast" will "go into perdition".
The "beast" will "go into perdition". As we studied in verse 8, perdition means 'eternal punishment'. Eternal means never ending, forever and ever. This will be fulfilled in Revelation 20:10: "And the devil (Satan) that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where THE BEAST and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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VERSE 12: (Chapter 17)
​The TEN HORNS
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast."
This verse is revealing to us the meaning of the "ten horns". These 'horns' are 'kings'. However, these 'kings' are not the main ruler of any country. We know this because it says: "which have received no kingdom". These ten kings are different from the "seven kings". The "seven kings" will be or had been the rulers of the "seven mountains". The "ten horns" (leaders) will be in a high command leadership position.
These ten leaders that are going to be given extreme power from the "Beast". Notice that these ten supreme leaders are referred to as "horns".
For the Jews, a ram's horn was a holy relic. However, the Antichrist is exactly as his name states ... an anti Christ. Anything that God does, Satan copies and tries to use it to his advantage. Just like God has His throne, the Antichrist is going to set up his throne during the Tribulation Period. Just like the horn was used as a symbol of reverence, Satan has turned horns into his own satanic symbol.
Rams use their horns to fight its enemies. They 'push' to have dominance over their territory. The "ten horns" will be ten men who will 'fight' and 'push' to cause the world to follow the "Beast" and his Antichrist. These ten leaders will do whatever it takes to fulfill their evil orders given to them by the "beast". These "ten horns" will be ten prominent leaders pushing and fighting, using their "beast" given powers, to cause the world to succumb to the Antichrist.
VERSE 13: (Chapter 17)​
The TEN HORNS
RELINQUISH THEIR POWER
"These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast."
Verse 13 continues to inform us about these "ten kings". These "ten kings" will all be in agreement. They will have the same goal. They will unanimously "give their power and strength unto the beast". They will sign any needed documents. They will draw up their policies together. They will turn all their military strength over to the "beast". These leaders, "the ten horns", will form a huge military collation for the "beast" to control. This military power will be unstoppable ... until God steps in. But until then, they will have dominion for the last three and a half years of the Tribulation Period.
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VERSE 14: (Chapter 17)
​The WAR
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is LORD of lords, and KING of kings: and they that are with Him are called and chosen, and faithful."
Keep in mind that the angel here is explaining to John why he is not to "marvel" (v. 7) over what he had just witnessed. The angel is revealing things that are going to take place during the Tribulation Period. The angel is telling John that these "ten kings" along with the "Beast" will "make war with the Lamb". We will be studying about this "war with the Lamb" in Chapter 19 of Revelation in detail. Until we come to Chapter 19, we are given an introduction of what will be going on then. This war is called the "Battle of Armageddon".
This angel also reveals the outcome. God does not want us to guess, wonder, or doubt. God allows this angel to reveal to us who is going to get the victory over this "war". The "Lamb shall overcome them". This is encouragement for all Christians to stand strong in the Lord.
We are also told why the "Lamb shall overcome them". Because "He is Lord of lords, and King of kings". Satan may have wanted to be "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), but the world belongs to God. He created it and He is going to clean it up!
Then we have the word "and". "And" what? "And" is when the Lord comes to fight Satan and all his evil forces, The Lord is going to bring with Him "they that ... are called, and chosen, and faithful". This is the Lord's own personal army. He chose them back in Revelation 14:1-5. We studied about them. They are the 144,000. They are Jews. They are men, and they "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth" (Revelation 14:5).
I have heard some people say that 'all the saints are going to come with Christ at this event' and that they will be riding white horses, too'. This cannot be true when you take all the scriptures together. When a country goes to war, all the citizens do not gear up and fly the planes or operate the Army tanks. Only the soldiers who have gone through bootcamp are sent into battle. Every division is not sent either. Only the branch of the military or the division chosen are the ones ordered to go into battle. Even Michael the archangel ... God's strongest angel ... is not mentioned to be chosen in this heavenly army. Those that will be with Christ in the "Battle of Armageddon" are those that "are called and chosen, and faithful" ... the 144,000. The rest of us will be watching from Heaven, cheering them on.
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VERSE 15: (Chapter 17)​
The WATERS = PEOPLE
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
The angel of the Lord is continuing to explain to John the things which John witnessed and did not quite understand. God wants us to understand His Word. God wants us to know what the future holds. This is why God gave us the Book of Revelation.
The angel of the Lord said in verse 1: "... the great whore that sitteth upon many waters" (v.1). In verse 5 we were told her name = "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH". This "great whore" will control the one-world religious system. "Many waters" refers to many people.
The "many waters" are what the one-world religious leader "sitteth upon". This "woman" will have control over the "many waters" that she "sitteth upon". "Many waters" refers to many, many people. Our verse tells us that the waters "are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues". The "many waters" are the people all over the world ... multitudes and multitudes of people ... that will be deceived by "the woman". There will be so many people that they will make up many "nations". "Tongues" are the languages that people speak. In other words, there will be Jews, Arabs, Russians, Islams, Polish, and the list goes on. There will be many nations from all over the world speaking everyone in their own language. "Tongues" are never a gibberish language. There is a good article on 'Tongues' on Uneed2no.com under Articles, titled 'Speaking in Tongues'.
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Let's go on to see what happens to this one-world religion.
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VERSE 16: (Chapter 17)​
The TEN KINGS HATE the 'WHORE'
"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire."
In verse 12 of this Chapter, we learned that the "ten horns" are "ten kings". These "ten kings", also known as 'world leaders,' will be given great power during the second half of the Tribulation Period. These "ten kings" are going to turn against "the woman" ... the one-world religious organization. They shall "hate" her. They will "hate" with extreme hate. Not just a 'I hate you' attitude, but with a very demonic hate. These "ten kings" will be filled with Satan's demons. They do not want 'religion' anymore. They want only the Antichrist to be the center of any religious activity.
These "ten kings" will also hate "the woman" because of her extreme wealth. She will receive much profits from all the nations she controls. She will tell lies and take whatever she wants (v.4). She will heap to herself a lot of earthly treasures. She has and will kill people (v.6).
The "ten kings" will hate "the woman" so much that they will move into action to destroy her. They will make policies against her to rob her of her wealth. The "ten kings" will do everything in their power to "make her desolate and naked". In other words, she will have nothing left when the "ten kings" are done with her. The part in this verses that says that they "shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire" shows the intensity of her destruction. Nothing of her will remain.
VERSE 17: (Chapter 17)
​GOD'S WILL
The HEARTS of the DEMON POSSESSED
"For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 21:1 that: "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, ... He turneth it whithersoever He will." That is what this verse in Revelation is telling us. No matter how mean, hateful, or even demon possessed a person may be, God still has control over them. People may think that they can do whatever they want, but it is God who controls all the circumstances. God has a plan, and He will fulfil it. God Almighty is using the evil, satanic leaders to "fulfil His will".
These "ten kings" will "agree" to "give their kingdom unto the beast". After these ten leaders annihilate "the woman", they will collectively seize it for their own kingdom. Notice that it says "their kingdom" ... not kingdoms. Verse 12 told us that these "ten kings" had "received no kingdom as yet". Note, it is kingdom, not kingdoms. These ten leaders will collectively claim "the woman" as their kingdom. After these "ten kings" conquer "the woman" they will stake claim to her. They will unite together as one. Then the ten leaders will agree as one, and "give their kingdom unto the beast".
The last phrase of our verse here, says: "until the words of God shall be fulfilled". God says in Isaiah 55:11: "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." God is going to put into these "ten kings" hearts to conquer and present their 'kingdom' to the "beast".
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VERSE 18: (Chapter 17)​
​The "WOMAN" REVEALED
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
God reveals to us who "the woman" is. God says she is a "great city". It will be so great that it will reign "over the kings of the earth" This will be a very powerful "city" in order to have dominion over the entire earth ... "over the kings of the earth". God revealed to us the name of this woman in verse 5 of this chapter. She is named "Babylon". She is called "that great city" in this verse. And in Chapter 18, verse 2, she is called "Babylon the great".
Babylon began its history around 2217 B.C. and was a small religious center which grew into the first Babylonian Empire. In the 1600's B.C. an Amorite king, named Hammurabi, built Babylon into a major city. Amorites were giants. King Hammurabi was a giant.
Yes, there were giants. Genesis 6:4 says: "There were giants in the earth". Genesis 15:19-21 lists some of the giants. Deuteronomy 4:46-47 tells more of the Amorites. There was another king by the name of Og. Deuteronomy 3:11-13 tells us that king Og had a bed that was nine cubits in length, and four cubits wide. That equals 13 and a half feet long and 6 feet wide. We can also read in Numbers 13:33, when the children of Israel went to battle against the giants: "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Deuteronomy 2:20 tells us "That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummins;" So, we could say that ancient Babylon was started by 'religious giants'. (Other Bible verses about giants: Deuteronomy 2:11; 3:13; Joshua 17:15; Jeremiah 42:16; and don't forget about David and Goliath in 1 Sanuel 17).
Ancient Babylon was the capital of the Babylonian kingdom. The capital itself covered almost 3,000 acres in Iraq. This is located about 56 miles south of Baghdad. This is where king Nebuchadnezzar had his kingdom. He had his palace constructed on the north side of the city. King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and banished the Jews out of their own country. Because of their iniquity, God promised to judge Babylon and make it desolate forever. In Jeremiah 50:1 says: "The word that the LORD spake against Babylon". Verse 2 goes on to say: "Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard: publish and conceal not; say, Babylon is taken... her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces." Verse 3 continues ... "For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast."
Back to our verse in Revelation, chapter 17 (v.18), we see that this "great city" is Babylon. Babylon is a literal city. All through the book of Revelation, John refers to all cities as literal. Literal means they are real. They are physical buildings just like the cities we live in today. This "great city", Babylon, will be so "great" that it will reign "over the kings of the earth". This is huge. Not just reigning over some nations or large areas. This "BABYLON THE GREAT" (v.5) will reign "over the kings of the earth". This "great city" will affect every corner "of the earth".
In Chapter 18, we will see that Babylon burns down (v.8): "...she shall be utterly burned with fire:" Verses 9 and 18 talk about people seeing "the smoke of her burning". This also shows that Babylon is a literal city. Remember, Babylon started off as a 'religious' center that king Hammurabi founded in the 1600's B.C., Babylon has been a very pagan country. It worships idols and is "drunken with the blood of saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (v.6). The original Foxe's Book of Martyrs is an excellent resource book.
We will learn of the destruction of "Babylon", "the woman" as we continue on to Chapter 18 ...