Revelation Chapter 17
You have probably heard the old idiom that says, everything’s coming to a head. That means that events have gone on for so long that they are coming to the point where they must be addressed. That is where we are as we head into Rev. 17-18. Sin has had its day and now justice is getting ready to be rained down upon the earth!
As horrible as some of the events that we’ve read about might seem to be, we cannot deny that seeing those who are evil get their due recompense makes us feel good. Recently, a monster of a man, the Ayatollah Khomeini was eliminated after 47 years of his reign of tyranny in Iran. He will make the Antichrist/Beast look like Mother Teresa when all is said and done. Whenever I watch a movie where there is a really bad character, I always think to myself, “I can’t wait to see him get his!”. And with movies like the Equalizer or James Bond, it is very satisfying to see bad guys get outwitted and their butts beat!
If you are like me, then you’re getting ready to be very satisfied because some really fiendish individuals are going to get the judgment they deserve and the reprobate Antichrist and False Prophet are going to come face to face with the judgment of a holy God.
Two weeks ago, you were introduced to one of two geographical locations that are mentioned in these latter chapters in Revelation. We looked at the origins of Babylon. We know that Nimrod was its founding father. We know that it was in the desert of Iraq and that the origin of the first major rebellion against God after the flood of Noah’s day took place in this area. Babylon is also the location of the very first antichrist-like figure in the Bible, Nimrod.
This week, we’re going to look at how the unholy city of Babylon factors into last day events.
What is Babylon?
Is it a city - aka, a geographical location?
Is it a financial system?
Is it a political system?
Is it a spiritual system?
Actually, it’s all of these things. Depending on the context of the text we are reading, we may be speaking of one of these characteristics or all of them. I know this sounds confusing, but hang with me. I think as we flesh this out a bit through our study of Rev. 17, it will become more clear. Babylon is the Beast system and encompasses all the things listed above.
1. We are introduced to another woman in Rev. 17:1-2. Who is it and how is she described?
This “woman”, the “whore/harlot” is Babylon in the context of the false church. Remember, believers will be raptured. But left behind, there will be those who have some biblical knowledge. Some of those people likely attended church and considered themselves to be true believers, but they will discover that they’re not. Many of these people who will be left behind will make up the false church. No doubt that some will come to their senses and realize what is going on and get things right between themselves and God.
The Beast/Antichrist and the False Prophet are going to be connected to a false religious system. I believe that system is cranking up right now. A few weeks ago in class, we discussed that the Antichrist is not going to have to start this system from scratch. He is going to walk right into a system that has been created for the last days upon planet earth.
There is a strong ecumenical movement right now to bring all faiths together as one and the push is “God is the God of us all”. He is only your God if you worship Him as the God of the Bible. The god of the Quran doesn’t count. The god of the Veda doesn’t count. The god of Watch Tower doesn’t count. Only the God of the Bible counts.
The Pope is one of the loudest voices for this worldwide ecumenical movement which involves bringing people of all faiths under the same umbrella and saying that we all serve the same God. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This endtime ecumenical movement will have to say that whatever you believe is true is true. The 1-world religion of the last days will be melted together with the 1-world political and financial system in a way that church and state will become 1.
All unity is not good. Let’s look at the spirit that is behind the endtime entity known as Babylon.
2. Read Gen. 11:1-4. What is the benefit of coordinating all spiritual, political, and economic under the leadership of 1 person?
3. Babylonian unity is not in support of God, but in defiance of Him. How are Gen. 11:4 and Isaiah 14:14 similar?
Since the fall of mankind, the desire to come together as one has always been for self-glory. It is so interesting that Karl Marx famously said, “religion is the opium of the people”. Here in Rev. 17, we see that those words will play out in real time as the world is intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.
There are already some “religions” (I use this term very loosely) where anything goes. The Unitarian Universalist church is okay with whatever you believe. Todd and I drove by the one just off I26 last week in our area. I told him that I’m not sure what a “pastor” (again, I use this term loosely) at a Unitarian church would even preach about. If they’re okay with me being a Baptist or a Muslim or a Hindu or a Buddhist or an atheist, I’m not sure what they could preach about from the pulpit.
The 1-world religion will have some unifying doctrine, but I have a feeling that doctrines will be short and sweet and anything a person wants to believe in will be fair game.
A handful of years ago, a new voice appeared on the landscape of modern evangelicalism. That voice belonged to a woman named Jen Hatmaker. In 2014, this woman and her then spouse, Brandon, hosted a series on HGTV called Your Big Family Renovation. She headlined at women’s ministry conferences across the country (which is one reason that I avoid these kinds of meetings now). She and her husband started Austin New Church in Austin, TX. By 2016, they both came out in favor of same-sex marriage. She is also in favor of gender-affirming care and is pro-choice. By 2020, she and her husband were divorced citing that he had had an extra-marital affair. They have 5 children. One of her daughters turned 18 years old in 2020 and came out as a lesbian and during Pride Month that year, Jen posted that she was so proud that her daughter was gay.
Below is just a taste of some of the abominable teachings of this woman from some of her writings:
So please trust me when I tell you that Jesus is real in suffering. Not in a “let go and let God” way. Ugh. Because what does “let go” even mean pragmatically in a lived experience of loss and grief? I hate that shit. Everybody stop saying stuff like that. God as Mother has brought so much comfort to me. I am less interested in STRENGTH and POWER and COURAGE and more hungry for quiet, patient nurture, which I receive every day.
So you do you. This sort of divine proximity is not in a hurry. It is not uncomfortable with grief. It also lets you fling every curse word toward the heavens because Jesus has a high tolerance for the F word. In May 2021, Jen Hatmaker announced that she had stopped going to church, but stated that she would “never get over Jesus”. I’m not sure she ever actually got into Jesus to get over Him.
Friends, being comfortable with Jesus does not ever mean that we forget that He is holy. It does not mean that we are to treat Him like we treat everyone else. For goodness sake, He is the creator and ruler of the universe! We should be in awe of Him every time we step into His presence, not so casual that we diminish His holiness to that of the cashier at the convenience store down the street. What you read from Jen Hatmaker is a sacrilege and it is heretical! It grieves my heart to the core and yet, these kinds of people are finding a larger and larger audience because they are “real” and speak like the world. We are seeing a definite uptick of authors and speakers like this and they are gaining traction in the evangelical world and unfortunately, they are changing the thought process of many evangelicals. (By the way, Jen Hatmaker and Beth Moore are close friends.)
People like Jen Hatmaker will be part of the religious Babylon. Their words are smooth and feel-good, but their words are death to those who follow them.
Before we go any further, let me highlight a few things about Babylon the
city:
*There will be a geographical location that inhabits the same characteristics as the Babylon of the Bible.
*There will be a false religion associated with Babylon.
*Babylon will have a lot of trading and will be full of money and debauchery.
*Babylon will have a tremendous amount of power in the last 3 1⁄2 years because it will be the hub for the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
Something that we all want to know and keep straight in our mind is the actual chronological order of things in this book. That is tough. I’ve gone through things with a fine-tooth comb to try as much as possible with my understanding to put things in a linear fashion. It is completely possible that part of the events of Rev. 17 and 18 are towards the beginning of the 7 year tribulation period. The Babylonian system will be in place from the beginning.
Babylon as it is mentioned in Rev. 17 is going to be representative of a worldwide spiritual or ecclesiastical entity. But when we get over to Rev. 18, it appears that what we’re dealing with is political. There are a few things about my profession that I don’t like. One of those is testifying in court. It makes me nervous and more times than not, the decisions made do not reflect what I consider to be justice. In Rev. 17, John is invited into the courtroom of God to witness the Judge and Jury of perfect justice.
4. Read Rev. 17:1-2. Who is John invited to see being judged?
5. What do you think is meant by the term “many waters”?
Waters as it is meant here is used to describe the far-reaching hand of Babylon geographically in its circle of power.
6. If Babylon has committed fornication, then what does that even mean in regards to Babylon as a religion?
7. Spiritual adultery is one of the revolving themes of the Old Testament. Read the following verses and note who is the one committing adultery and who is the one who is being cheated on:
Judges 2:11-13
Isaiah 1:2-4
Deut. 31:16-18
Jer. 2:13
Ezek. 22:26
8. In Rev. 17:1-2, who is the spiritual adulterer?
9. How is God portrayed in the following verses?
Isaiah 54:1-8
Jer. 3:14
There are 2 common denominators in all of these verses, God and Israel. By the time we get to Rev. 17, there is a church, but it’s an apostate church and as such, this false religion is a large net that is cast across the waters and lands of the entire earth. The result is that people will be taught false doctrine. The Apostle Paul refers to this in 1 Tim. 4:1-3 as the doctrine of demons. We will find that this church has also wormed its way into the political system and like a poison, it becomes toxic to everything and everyone it touches.
From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture speaks repeatedly of 2 locations, Babylon and Israel. In Rev. 12, we learned about the woman, Israel. Before we go any further into the understanding of Babylon, let’s do a little bit of comparison and contrast between Babylon and Israel.
10. Look at Rev. 12 and Rev. 17 and answer the following questions:
Acts of immorality or fornication here are meant to be spiritual in nature. This false church went whoring after other gods. They were not committed to the one true God. This scarlet-clad woman is not just a spiritual harlot, she is the mother of harlots! All false religions have their origins in Babel/Babylon.
11. What is this woman drunk on in Rev. 17:6?
If you go back through history, you will find that this false religion is responsible for killing Christians. And in these last 7 years on earth, it will be responsible for killing Jews and Christians by the multitudes. Although for decades, many prophecy teachers have taught that this woman/false religion will be the Catholic Church, I’m not really sold on that. That might be the case, but it is certainly not a given. I do think it's interesting though that the color representing the papal church is scarlet and purple is the color that represented ancient Rome. The Greek Orthodox Church also shares the same colors.
The false religion known as the harlot, Babylon the Great, is already here at work within our culture, our seminaries, our colleges, and yes, even in some of our churches. Now more than any other time on the face of the earth, true believers need to stand for truth! We are supposed to be different from the world. So be different!
Read Rev. 17:3-4. We’ve already accounted for who the scarlet-clad woman is, namely, the false religion of Babylon the great. Now, we’re going to see if we can figure out who the beast is that she is riding on.
12. How is the Beast described in these verses and where have you seen this description before?
Back in Rev. 13, we were introduced to a beast who had 7 heads and 10 horns. In previous lessons, we have discussed the fact that kingdoms have kings and in some instances in Revelation, we cannot separate the kingdom from the king. This may be one of those instances. According to our readings in
Daniel, 4th kingdom described is the Roman Empire. For eons, Bible teachers have said that the kingdom of the Antichrist will be a revival of the old Roman Empire and out of that revival, the Antichrist will emerge. But I’m not convinced that it will be out of the old Roman Empire. We’ll address that later on in our lesson.
The beast upon which Babylon will be riding, is the same old Beast, except, in the context of the empire from which it emerged. In a contemporary explanation, what we see is the church riding the state. In other words, this is the Antichrist and his kingdom. Think about it like this, whoever rides an animal (horse, camel, elephant, etc.) is the one who is steering. That means that the rider is the one who is directing the beast and not the other way around.
In Rev. 13, the Beast had already been given all of his power and was forcing the world to worship him not just as a god, but as the God. Rev. 17 chronologically, would come before Rev. 13 and would be in the first half of the tribulation. I understand that this is difficult to put in a proper context and time. I’m revising a detailed handout of the chronological order of things in the book and will hopefully get that to you before too much longer. The fact that this Beast has 7 heads and 10 horns suggests that all of these kingdoms will exist simultaneously.
13. In Rev. 17:5, what word is used to describe Babylon the Great? What is mysterious about Babylon?
The Greek word mysterion means that a truth that has previously been hidden, is now revealed, and in this case, it is revealed to believers. The mystery is that the true nature of Babylon will not be understood by those who do not know God.
14. Revelation 17:8 is probably one of the most difficult passages to understand in the Bible. We briefly looked at it a couple of lessons ago. List the chronology of the Beast in this verse.
The Beast which was means that this entity has existed at some point in the past. The Beast which is not means that at the moment John was living and witnessing these events, this particular Beast was dead. The Beast which will come out of the abyss means that this Beast has been in a holding place in the abyss and will now come out of the abyss. The fact that the Beast will go into destruction means that he will re-enter the earth to cause havoc again and to destroy.
15. What will those whose names are not written in the book of life wonder?
16. Go back to Rev. 13:4. What will the earth-dwellers say about the Beast?
The incredible power that the Beast will have will be displayed in the fact that the masses of the world will believe everything he says. They will marvel at him. There are lots of different thoughts on Rev. 17:8. I have mine and I encourage you to study this out for yourself and look at reputable commentaries before coming to a conclusion.
17. Read Rev. 17:9-13. How would you describe the 7 heads and the beast from this passage?
18. Read Dan. 2:36-43. What is the order of empires in these verses? Daniel begins with the time period that he was living in at the time of his writing. He was taken into exile during the Babylonian Empire. He lived through part of the Medo-Persian Empire which followed the Babylonian Empire.
19. There were actually 2 world empires that we discussed in an earlier lesson that preceded the Babylonian Empire. What were those?
20.Dan. 2:42-43 sheds some interesting light on the 7th empire. How is this empire described?
This information means that this final world empire will be strong in places and weak in others. Iron and clay do not mix. This also means that the final kingdom will be a divided one. The Old Roman Empire was known for its military might (iron) but all of the internal chaos and division (clay) ultimately led to its downfall. It looked strong on the outside, but it was not internally strong. Sometimes, looks can be deceiving and that will certainly be the case with the Beast empire.
Throughout Europe, the countries within it have had their own cultural identity for hundreds of years. That is, until the last 20 or so years. What has happened during that time is that masses of Muslims have entered these countries and Muslims do not assimilate to the cultural identity of the country they are in.
We are unfortunately discovering this very thing in our own country. Now, as a result of so many Muslims in European countries, they have each begun to lose the cultural identity that they’ve held for centuries upon centuries. The world will be much like this during these last 7 years. It may appear on the outside that having a blend of cultures is a source of strength, but nothing could be further from the truth. This lack of cohesion will eventually be the downfall of this final empire.
Imagine that you are a strong Christian and that you are married to a Muslim jihadist. Can you picture what holidays around the table would be like? Wouldn’t be pretty! All earthly kingdoms are fragile to some extent. This should be a reminder to us that there is a very temporary nature to every earthly kingdom. This should also be a reminder to us that God’s kingdom is eternal and will never break.
Trying to unite multiple people groups under one spiritual banner will prove to be disastrous in the end. In Scripture, a mountain is often an idiom for a kingdom. The 7 heads and 10 horns point to the 7th empire. For right now, we will call it the Revived Roman Empire, but later in this lesson, I will show you that this may not be the correct way to label this final world empire.
Major World Empires:
1. Egyptian Empire
2. Assyrian Empire
3. Babylonian Empire
4. Medo-Persian Empire
5. Greek Empire
6. Roman Empire
7. Revived Roman Empire
At the time that John was writing the book of Revelation, 5 of these world empires had already fallen (#s 1-5) He was living in #6. Rev. 17:8 and 17:11 fit together. Look at your list above and answer these questions:
21. What does it mean that he was one of the 7?
22. If he was 1 of the 7, then how can he also be an 8th?
23. What is the nationality of the Beast according to Micah 5:5?
When we read that there will be 7 heads and 10 horns, we must remember that there will actually be 11 horns. The little horn which is representative of the Beast will emerge from amongst the 10 and almost immediately take down 3 of the 10.
24. How long will the 10 kings give over their authority to the Beast and for what purpose? (Rev. 17:12-13)
I believe that their power will be given over for longer than an hour. The reason an hour is mentioned here is that the reader needs to understand that this will be a relatively short period of time.
We have looked repeatedly at Nimrod, because his name continually comes up in our reading in some form or fashion whether it be as the founder of the Tower of Babel and hence, his connection to Babylon, or the mention of the Assyrian. I want us to look at some peculiarities of Nimrod that make what we are studying this week all the more fascinating.
1. Nimrod was the 1st antichrist-like figure in Scripture.
2. Nimrod was the founder of Babel/Babylon, which is mentioned repeatedly in the book of Revelation.
3. Nimrod was an Assyrian.
4. Nimrod was a Nephillim which means that he was demonic and that his spirit could have been sent to the abyss.
5. Nimrod would be one of the rulers from the above list (one of the 7 and if his spirit returns and yet, an 8th).
6. Of all the leaders who were associated with each of the empires in the list above, only 1 of the world leaders associated with each empire actually died from a mortal head wound, Nimrod. According to Rev. 13:3, we know that the Antichrist will have a seemingly mortal head wound that is miraculously healed.
7. Prophecy to the Jewish mind is pattern. This is pattern. Could it be that the spirit of Nimrod comes up out of the abyss and inhabits the Antichrist? That is an absolute possibility!
We are going to learn that the Babylon of the future will be built on a major seaport.
25. Look at the map below. Does it look as if there is any kind of waterway to make this possible?
26. Look back at Rev. 17:1 again. Where does this woman sit?
27. What happens in Rev. 18:11-13?
We have to conclude that the physical location of the Babylon in the book of Revelation must be on a major waterway that conducts global trade. Because ancient Babylon was not on a waterway, Bible researchers for centuries have concluded that the Babylon of the book of Revelation must be located somewhere else and that the word Babylon is only symbolic. (Hence, the mystery) I’ve heard that New York is a possible location, but that would not make sense because the site of everything else in the book of Revelation is in the Middle East. I’ve heard Dubai. I’ve heard Saudi Arabia. I actually thought that the city called, Neom in Saudi Arabia would be a perfect site for the Babylon of Revelation.
I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point, but I want to share a development that is fairly recent and may shed some light on this whole thing.
Ancient Babylon is located in present-day Iraq. The ancient ruins of Babylon are currently undergoing a restoration aimed at bringing in tourists. The Persian Gulf is further to the south of Babylon near Basra. In Dec. 2020, a design to build a new deep-water port near Basra on the Persian Gulf was proposed. It will be called the Al-Faw Grand Port and will be the largest port in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia is investing a substantial amount of money into this project. It is to their benefit to do so since they will stand to profit financially from this port.
The construction of the new port, container terminal, and access channel is supposed to cost an estimated $5-$12 billion and major phases of this port are supposed to be operational by 2028, with final completion being around 2050. Being able to bring goods up through this port will shave off 11 extra days from going around the cape of Africa and is supposed to end up being a major player in world shipping, perhaps even the largest player in world shipping by the time it is all said and done.
This port is expected to have 99 berths. The port in the UAE currently has 67 berths, so it will far exceed that busy port. As a result of this new port, Iraq is predicted to become a global trade giant. The port will be connected to a railway that will link the Persian Gulf region through Iraq to northern Europe via Turkey, thus completely bypassing the Suez Canal. To make all of this happen, an island will have to be built by burying 1 billion cubic meters of stone or 25 million tons. That will cost upwards of $12-20 billion. The cost keeps increasing. Your antenna should go up with the mention of that last country, Turkey.
Turkey, namely its president, Recep Erdogan has been trying to position himself for years to be a global leader. One way of doing that is to make yourself a player in global trade.
So, although ancient Babylon is just north of the location of this port, I think we can clearly see that while there has not ever been a possibility for southern Iraq to have a seaport, now it looks as if that port is going to become reality and the Babylon of the book of Revelation may very well be in the location of the Babylon of the ancient world. This is incredible! The port is roughly 250 miles south of the location of ancient Babylon, but the trade route to Europe will go directly through Babylon, making it a major player in worldwide economic trade.
When I initially started teaching through the book of Revelation in 2014, I had no idea about this port. It was still in the proposal stages at that time. I was trying to figure out where in the world the Babylon of Revelation would be located. Turns out, it will likely be located where ancient Babylon was.
This has taught me one thing. Never try to force fit something that you think would make sense. If the Bible says it, it will come to pass, regardless of how outlandish it may seem at the time. The picture below is the Al-Faw Grand Port as it is being constructed. Biblical prophecy is coming alive before our very eyes!
28. The angel in Rev. 17 is going to shed some light on what is going on for John. We’ve already looked at Rev. 17:8. Now read Rev. 17:9-11. Who is going to understand this according to v. 9?
29. These words from this angel signify that the revelation he is sharing is complex and difficult to understand and for the unsaved, it will be impossible to understand. How are the 7 heads of the beast described?
Interesting to note here is that traditionally, Rome has been described as the city on 7 hills. This has led many Bible teachers to conclude that this is an allusion to Rome and thus, to the papal leadership there. The beast as it is described here in these verses represents the ecclesiastical, or religious branch of Babylon. So, it may be speaking of Rome, I don’t know, but as time moves on, I am more and more thinking that these verses are not speaking of Rome.
For one thing, hills are not mountains and the word mountains is used. None of us will likely know for sure what is meant here because by the time this unravels, we will be in heaven with Christ. But one thing is for sure, the tribulation saints will know. They will absolutely figure this out because the Holy Spirit will open their minds to the knowledge of the truth.
I have serious doubts about Rome being represented in these verses. A mountain is a prominent elevation on the surface of the earth. But is that even what is meant here? Mountains in Scripture are frequently seen as
being representative of kingdoms. The angel said as much in Rev. 17:10 with
the words, “and they are 7 kingdoms”. So the mountains as they are referred to here likely does not mean mountain in the traditional sense as an elevated surface on earth, but rather 7 great ruling powers. The woman (Babylon the Great) is not an empire. She rides upon empires by controlling them and governing them. Also keep in mind that 7 in Scripture represents completeness or fullness. This gives further clarity to the notion that the empires of the earth are represented here.
Daniel the prophet foresees the empires of the world from his time until the end. We know that 2 existed prior to Daniel’s time. Let’s look at this again. I know this may seem repetitive, but we need to be able to keep all of this straight in our brains.
1. Egyptian Empire - fallen - leader, Pharoah
2. Assyrian Empire - fallen - leader, Sennacherib
3. Babylonian Empire - fallen -leader, Nebuchadnezzar
4. Medo/Persian Empire - fallen - leader, Cyrus
5. Greek Empire - fallen - leader, Alexander the Great
6. Roman Empire - the empire that was alive and well during John’s
writing of the book of Revelation. This is the empire that “is”. -
leader, Roman Emperor Nero
7. Revived Roman Empire - future - leader, the Antichrist
Five have fallen. One is. And one is yet to come. Prior to all of these empires stands a man who was half human and half angelic, Nimrod. He was the 1st great ruler after the flood of Noah’s day. It was Nimrod who established Babylon and his kingdom extended into Assyria.
So while Nimrod might not be associated with the actual Assyrian Empire, he is the true founder of the Assyrian Empire and is the 1st antichrist-like figure in Scripture. In the list above, I would definitely remove Sennacherab’s name and replace it with Nimrod’s name.
30. How long does the 7th kingdom survive according to Rev. 17:10?
The other 6 empires survived a lot longer than this 7th one will last. Now, here is another interesting fact that I haven’t really found in any of the literature I’ve reviewed in my study...the Ottoman Empire was a major Islamic superpower that spanned over 600 years and was not defeated until 1922. It followed the Roman Empire and was an outgrowth of it. It covered vast territories in Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. Below is a map where you can see the territories controlled by the Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. There is a lot of crossover between the 2.
The capital of the Roman Empire was initially in Rome, but it was later moved in 322 AD to Constantinople. Constantinople is where modern Istanbul, Turkey is located today. For the vast majority of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople was also its capital. That means that the capital of both the Roman and Ottoman Empires was in Istanbul, Turkey. The sultan, Osman 1 who was the leader and founder of the Ottoman Empire was the leader both politically and religiously.
This Ottoman Empire ended during WW1 and was replaced by the modern republic of Turkey. So, here’s what I want you to contemplate, is the 7th kingdom a revived Roman Empire or is it possibly a continuation of the Ottoman Empire? President Erdogan in Turkey is trying his best to resurrect the Ottoman Empire. When John was writing the book of Revelation, the Ottoman Empire had not yet begun. And the Roman Empire was never actually defeated, it just fizzled out and then the Ottoman Empire entered the scene.
The Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire covered much of the same territory. The Roman Empire held much of Western Europe while the Ottoman Empire expanded further into Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula. The Ottoman Empire at its peak encompassed the regions of Southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. You can see all of the land allotments laid out in the map above. Much of the land occupied and controlled in both empires is the same, not all of it, but much of it.
So while Bible expositors for centuries have called this 7th kingdom a revival of the Old Roman Empire, we need to consider the possibility that this 7th kingdom may be as much related to the Ottoman Empire as it is to the Roman Empire and recent history in the Middle East would lead me in the direction of the Ottoman Empire. Time will tell.
The woman (Babylon or the Beast system) is sitting upon all 7 of these kingdoms at the same time. That tells us that the entire earth will be part of the debauchery of the last days. And looking at prophecy as pattern, that also tells us with every single Gentile empire throughout history, sinfulness prevailed.
31. How many kings are mentioned in Rev. 17:10?
Remember, kings have kingdoms. The kingdoms of the world at the time of the end will be divided into geographical clusters according to these verses. How those clusters will be designated, I do not know. What we are looking at here is a common theme in prophecy with a near and a far fulfillment. The near fulfillment is that all of these empires that previously existed have fallen. The far fulfillment is that there will be 7 kingdoms on the earth in the end of days, all existing at the same time, but all 7 will be under one ruler, the Antichrist.
32. In Rev. 18:11, how will these final kings be granted their kingship?
33. What is their purpose?
Hope is the turning point of any story. Hope is getting ready to be introduced in the last part of Rev. 17. We are finally going to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, we saw the economy wrecked. Many people lost jobs and many others lived with the expectation that they could lose their job at any moment. It was a scary time in American history and in world history. This pandemic (or plandemic) didn’t just affect us here in the U.S., it affected every man, woman, and child on the face of the earth. When we had to mask up to go anywhere and then social distance when we got there, it affected the way we socialized, worshiped, and shopped. But it affected something far deeper in us. It affected our ability to dream. Being able to look into the future with hopeful plans is something that is important for human beings to be able to do.
My husband, Todd, was laid off from his job as a physical therapist for 3 months because his job was not considered “essential”. My job as a mental health therapist in long-term care facilities was considered essential and thank God I got to continue working because that is what financially got us through that period of time.
Countless populations across the earth were thrown into depression. I’ve never seen so much depression and anxiety. In a short period of time, I lost 20 patients in one facility alone to Covid 19. I’m so glad we’re on the other side of that. I believe we will have a repeat of another pandemic somewhere in the future.
In fact, scientists almost promise that it will happen. All we could think about during Covid was surviving another day. Very few of us planned vacations or looked forward to anything. My son, Colton, married his sweetheart during Covid. The wedding that initially had over 300 replies of attendance was shortened to 100 because of Covid.
Now, I want you to imagine living through the tribulation. The only thing you could live for and look forward to is on the other side, the heavenly side. And for most of these tribulation saints, the way they will get there is through their own martyrdom.
34. Finally in Rev. 17:14-18, we have some relief. We have hope. We have the changing point of this story. Who are the “these” mentioned in Rev. 17:14?
35. Read 2 Thess. 2:8. When war is waged against the Lamb/Jesus, how will He overcome them?
Friends, He doesn’t have to lift a finger! That is how powerful and mighty He is!
36. Rev. 17:1 and Rev. 17:15 coordinate with one another. What are these waters symbolic of?
Rev. 17:16 sounds very strange in light of the fact that we just read that the Babylon of the last days had this false religious system that was riding the Beast and the confederation of nations.
37. What do they do to her and why do you think they do it?
When is one narcissist okay with sharing the spotlight with another narcissist? This generally doesn’t happen, because there’s only room for one at a time. To have 2 narcissists sharing the spotlight together would mean that they are also sharing and dividing the glory. The Beast will not like sharing the spotlight with the false religious system and therefore, he turns on her and so do the other kingdoms.
The Beast will have already turned on the Jews. He did this when he walked into the tribulation temple and committed the abomination of desolation. He has already turned on the 2 witnesses when he allowed them to be murdered in the street. He has already turned on the tribulation saints when he had them killed. He is not about to share his glory with anyone.
Now, he turns on this apostate church and kills those who follow this false religion. They are not tribulation saints for they do not follow God. They follow the wrong god and it will cost them their lives, both physically and eternally.
38. Read Rev. 17:17. What do you think Scripture means by the phrasing, “God has put it in their hearts”?
39. Does this bother you? Read 2 Thess. 2:9-12. What do you think “God sends them a strong delusion” means?
40. Now read Exodus 4:21 and Exodus 7:3. What happens in these verses?
When people redefine good and evil without God’s wisdom as the guiding metric, they are often given over to their evil thoughts. It is not that God put these evil thoughts in their minds, it is that their minds were already full of evil thoughts and God used those thoughts to accomplish His purpose.
41. What does 2 Thess. 2:10 tell us about why these strong delusions might come upon people?
As we continue journeying into these last days, how many of you have asked questions like:
1. How in the world can someone justify killing a baby after initially coming out of the womb?
2. How in the world can people loot and destroy cities and call it a peaceful protest?
3. How in the world can people sit back while men who think they’re women go into the bathrooms where women and little girls are?
4. How in the world can people be okay with a transgender, crossdresser person doing storytime reading to little children at a local library?
5. How in the world can people lie when the truth is staring them in the face?
6. How in the world can people......(you fill in the blank)
How in the world? Because they chose not to love the truth. It really is that simple.
