THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 17 – The Doom of Babylon, The Victory of The Lamb

Episode 19

(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, ” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME”)

This may be one of the most difficult chapters of the Book of the Revelation to interpret and to understand. But, it is understandable and profitable for wisdom, if you have the patience. Of course, I have said the same about a previous chapter and we made it through that one, and we can get wisdom and understanding here, also.

Know and understanding Biblical eschatology is important for several reasons, but for the Believer and follower of Jesus, there is nothing more helpful that knowing about the End Times and being able to relate to others, the urgency of the things that are coming upon our world.

The Doom of Babylon

Revelation 17:1, Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment and doom of the great [footnote ‘a’] prostitute who is seated [footnote ‘b’] on many waters [influencing nations], verse 2, she with whom the kings of the earth have [footnote ‘c’] committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

(Commentary Break: It is obvious from the first verse what is taking place. We are to see the judgment and doom of the great prostitute, (the Greek word for prostitute is descriptive. It means a woman selling herself for sexual favors, but it also means ‘to export for sale, as an idolatrous community’. It can be difficult to understand the width and breadth of her promiscuous idolatry, except to say that ‘the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality. This ‘immorality’, from the Greek word, ‘porneúō’, translates as both, committing fornication (sexual immorality); and, figuratively to be unfaithful to Christ, while posing as His true follower.

(Increasingly, people who attend church regularly, and call themselves Christian, are living together, unmarried and are engaging in non-marital or ‘casual’ sex, and the church turns a blind eye – tacitly approving. These verses not only condemn such behavior, but spell out the consequences.)

‘The prostitute who is seated on many waters’ is a reference to the unification of all false, idolatrous religion, with representatives from apostate Catholicism, Protestantism, as well as all the other religions of the world.

The woman personifies the false religion that will dominate the world in the tribulation period. Many people will likely identify this great harlot as the Roman Catholic Church, but this false religion, this apostasy, is not limited to any one church.

We don’t have to wait to see this false religion emerge, since, as previously discussed, the 5^th Tribulation Seal (of apostasy and martyrdom) was broken and the scroll was opened as early as the time of the birth of Jesus, and the evidence of world-wide apostacy has become obvious, and is intensifying in our day. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 3. And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was [footnote ‘d’] entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. Verse 4. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her [sexual] immorality.

Verse 5. And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES, (of false religions, heresies), AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Verse 6. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, (God’s people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus [who were martyred]. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement.

(Commentary Break: The harlot rides the same beast (seven heads and ten horns) that was previously seen in Revelation 13:1 – the Antichrist and his dictatorship.

Her position, that of riding the beast, indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast, and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast.” (Walvoord).

Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and have the “faith” everybody wants.

Purple and scarlet were colors of splendor and magnificence; the dyes to make fabric these colors were rare and costly. In the course of church history, we find that one of the deadliest marks of ecclesiastical corruption is the lust for temporal power.” (Barnhouse) Purple and scarlet were the colors of rulers, whether economic or political.

This title is not for literal Babylon; but its spiritual representation, (i.e., the mystery), which is the source, (i.e., the mother) of all idolatry, (abominations) and spiritual adultery (hence the name, harlots).

This harlot must be larger than any one branch of a religious institution. She is the embodiment of Satan’s own ecumenical movement, the religion of the world system. (For example, see “The Abrahamic House – The One World Church Emerges”).

Our world is rife with the philosophy that ‘it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe’, is prepared for the harlot’s seduction. We see the casual disregard for the truth crippling the church today. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 7. But the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

Verse 8. “The beast that you saw, [once] was, but [now] is not, and he is about to come up out of the abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and go to destruction, (or perdition). And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come [to earth].

(Commentary Break: Verses 7 and 8 focus on the beast. It appears that the Harlot road, (that is, ruled by way of) the Antichrist’s system. But he, the first Beast, (which comes from the sea, and is the 10 nations confederation), is the dynamic factor. He is using her as a tool to accomplish his purposes.

The references, in verse 8, to the beast that you ‘saw, was, but is not, and he is about to come’ is simply saying that this type of beast has come and gone several time by way of various persons over time, and will finally come again. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 9. Here is the mind which has wisdom [and this is what it knows about the vision]. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits; verse 10, and they are seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one exists and is reigning; the other [the seventh] has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain a little while. Verse 11. And the beast that [once] was but is not, is himself also an eighth king and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction (perdition). Verse 12. The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but [together] they receive authority as kings for a single hour [for a common purpose] along with the beast. Verse 13. These [kings] have one purpose [one mind, one common goal], and they give their power and authority to the beast.

(Commentary Break VERSE 9. “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” The seven heads are seven mountains: Many quickly associate the seven mountains with Rome and the Papacy, because Rome is well known as the city on seven hills. Yet literally, the Greek word means mountains, not hills.

Many commentators – especially those who see all of Revelation fulfilled in history – regard the seven mountains as an irrefutable connection with Rome. Clarke is a good example of this when he writes, “This verse has been almost universally considered to allude to the seven hills upon which Rome originally stood.”

But in the Bible, mountains are many times a figure of governments (such as in Daniel 2 verse 35) and the city of Rome is built on hills, not mountains.

The seven heads are seven mountains: It is probably better to see the seven mountains as representing the seven kings and kingdoms described in Revelation 17 verse 10. Many people find the connection between religious Babylon and Roman Catholicism irresistible, yet it is flawed in the sense that there is no doubt that religious Babylon will incorporate a strong Roman Catholic element, but it will be much bigger than Roman Catholicism.

Tendencies for Roman Catholicism’s ultimate partnership with a one-world religion were evident in Pope John Paul the 2^nd,s bizarre involvement with and approval of other anti-Christian religions.

In addressing a “prayer gathering” of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others, Pope John Paul the 2^nd told participants that their efforts were “unleashing profound spiritual energies in the world and bringing about a new climate of peace.” The Pope pledged that “the Catholic Church intends to ‘share in and promote’ such ecumenical and inter-religious cooperation.”

The Catholic Review commented on this and said, “The unity of religion promoted by the Holy Father Pope John Paul the 2^nd and approved by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is not a goal to be achieved immediately, but a day may come when the love and compassion which both Buddha and Christ preached so eloquently will unite the world in a common effort to save humanity from senseless destruction, and lead toward the light in which we all believe.”

VERSE 10. “There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.”

Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come: This is one of the more difficult passages in the Book of Revelation. Some explain these seven kings, five past, one present, and one to come in the succession of Roman Emperors in John’s era, but there are many historical difficulties with this approach. More likely, it is a reference to:

Five have fallen refers to the five world empires before John’s day: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece

One refers to the world empire of John’s day: Rome

The other has not yet come refers to the one world empire to come: a revival of the Roman Empire

When he comes, he must continue a short time: This seventh will quickly be taken over by an eighth – and will become the state of the Antichrist (Revelation 17:11).

NOTE: There are problems with this viewpoint as well (so some have taken the seven as symbolic). This plainly is a difficult passage!

VERSE 11. The beast (the Antichrist) is clearly identified as the eighth king. “And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.”

Is he, himself, also the eighth: He is of the seven in the sense that he shares characteristics with all previous world empires, but his fate is clear. Perdition means “destruction,” and the beast will be destroyed.

Verses 12 through 15. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

Ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet: This probably alludes to a ten-nation confederation (as in the toes of the image Daniel 2 verse 24 through 45), but some take ten as a symbolic number.

There are many wildly gyrating suppositions about the identity of these 10 kings or this 10 nation confederation, ranging from a revived Roman Empire as the center to the current European Union.

Finally, a view by David Rosenthal, of Zion’s Hope, offers an excellent Biblically aligned explanation of the 10 Nation Confederation, (also known as THE HEADS of the BEAST from Ezekiel 38, of Daniel chapters 7 & 9 and Revelation 17):

Nation 1. Gog: A Reubenite, son of Shemaiah, the prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and Magog, from the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media, a region of modern day Russia.

Nation 2. Magog: The 2nd son of Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of several tribes northward from Israel; the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media and habitation of the descendants of Magog, son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. Another region of modern day Russia.

Nation 3. Rosh: “the Prince of Rosh” is Asiatic Russia. Ezekiel’s “episode of Gog’s invasion” points irrefutably and undeniably to the Russians.

Nation 4. Meschack: Was a Chaldean. The Chaldeans inhabited the coastal area near the Persian Gulf. Modern day Turkey.

Nation 5. Tubal: a region in east Asia Minor, a region in modern day Turkey.

Nation 6. Persia: Iran

Nation 7. Cush, is known as modern day Ethiopia: located on either side or both sides of the Red Sea. As such, “Cush” is alternately identified in scripture with the Kingdom of Kush or ancient Ethiopia.

Nation 8. Put, modern day Libya: Ancient Libya. In this sense, Libya was the whole known African continent to the west of the Nile Valley and extended south of Egypt. Herodotus described the inhabitants of Libya as two peoples: The Libyans in northern Africa and the Ethiopians in the south.

Nation 9. Gomer: The Hebrew name Gomer refers to the Cimmerians, who dwelt in what is now southern Russia.

Nation 10. Beth-Togarmah: Refers to Georgia, Chechnya, Turkey/Armenia.

These are the 10 Nation Confederation, (THE HEADS), of the BEAST found in Ezekiel 38, Daniel 7 & 9 and Revelation 17. All are Islamic, the Center of which is MECCA (see the article The Mystery of Babylon and the 7 Hills for greater detail, and watch the video below here).

(End Commentary Break).

Victory for the Lamb

Verse 14. They will wage war against the Lamb (Who is the Christ), and the Lamb will triumph and conquer them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him and on His side are the called and chosen (elect) and faithful.”

Verse 15. Then the angel said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

Verse 16. And the ten horns which you saw, and the [footnote ‘e‘] beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, [stripped of her power and influence], and will eat her flesh and completely consume her with fire. Verse 17. For God has put it in their hearts to carry out His purpose by [footnote ‘f’] agreeing together to surrender their kingdom to the beast, until the [prophetic] words of God will be fulfilled.

Verse 18. The woman whom you saw is the [footnote ‘g’] great city, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth.”

(Commentary Break: Verses 15 through 18 give us a recap of key elements of this Chapter 17, and the first sentence of verse 15 tells us all we really need to know: “They will wage war against the Lamb (which is Christ), and the Lamb will triumph and conquer them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him and on His side are the called and chosen and faithful, (His elect).”

The remaining mystery is that ‘the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth.” The question is which city? It is usually thought to perhaps be Rome, of a revived Roman Empire – which was a personification of Babylon. Perhaps the city is actually a metaphor for wickedness. There are many ideas, or guesses, as to the identity this city.

I prefer is Mecca, the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and the holiest city according to Islam, as being the city. Besides the obvious fact that the 10 Nations are Islamic and the greatest and longest conflict and struggle to eradicate the Jew has been between the Israel and Islam, Isaac and Ishmael, Jesus and Satan. This video will tell you why.(End Commentary Break):