Revelation 17

Chapter 17 THE LORD OF THE EARTH THE WOMAN THAT RIDES THE BEAST. 17:1-6 THE BEAST THAT CARIES THE WOMAN. 17:7-18

1. The Envision of the harlot. 17:1-6
2. The Explaining of the harlot. 17:7-18

I. In chapter 17 appears the spiritual Babylon - The wicked religious system.

In chapter 18 appears the real Babylon - The wicked commercial city.

II. Throughout the ages ancient Babylon has been a religious and political system, just like “ Hollywood” represents a town and an industry.

III. Babylon is one manifestation of the godless system and culture that tries to rule without God, while the New Jerusalem is a Divine system under God’ s rule.

IV. This woman receives more attention than any other symbol in this book.

V. In chapter 13 we were shown the Revived Roman Empire, in chapter 17 we see the one world religious system and in chapter 18 we will see the commercial city of the great tribulation.

VI. Jeremiah Ch.51 and Revelation Ch.17-18 compared.

Revelation Jeremiah

The great whore 17:1, 15 51:13

The cup 17:4 51:7

Drunken Babylon 17:2 51:7

Her raiment 17:4 51:13

Killing the saints 17:6 51:49

Fall of Babylon 18:2, 21 51:8

Millstone of judgment 18:21 51:63

Evil birds 18:2-3 51:37

Rejoicing over her downfall 18:20 51:48

Revelation 17:1-6

1. The Adulterous woman that rides the beast. 17:1-6 V.1 a) Sitting harlot -

I. One of the 7 bowl angels begins to show John the harlot, the wicked religious movement, the united religious network.

II. She is a harlot, meaning that she is Committing and Causing spiritual uncleanness, she is the personification of spiritual adultery. Isaiah 23:15-17 III. She sits on many waters, the waters represents many peoples. v.15 Jer.51:13 IV. She is the counterpart of the bride of the Lamb; chapter 21:9 is very similar to this invitation.

V.2 b) Sharing sin -

I. She is causing the inhabitants of the earth to worship her gods and be intoxicated with her evil pleasures. Jer.51:7 II. Her occult and religious practises are revealed in Isaiah Ch. 47. V.3 c) Scarlet beast -

I. John is being carried away in a vision to a spiritual wilderness, a very dry place where there is no life.

II. The harlot sits on the beast that arose from the earth (The Antichrist and the revived Roman Empire), the harlot impacts the beast for a season.

III. The scarlet (Red) beast has 7 heads, which speaks of 7 empires and kings: 12:3; 17:7-11

1st empire - Egypt. 3000-1100 B.C.

2nd empire - Assyria. 750-612 B.C.

3rd empire - Babylon. 612-539 B.C. Dan.7:4; 8:4 4th empire - Medo-Persia. 539-331 B.C. Dan.7:5; 8:3 5th empire - Greece. 331-146 B.C. Dan.7:6 6th empire - Rome. 146 B.C. - 476 A.D. Dan.7:7 7th empire - Revived Roman Empire. Dan.9:26-27 IV. The beast has 10 horns, it speak of the 10 ruling kings of the Revived Roman Empire that Antichrist rules over. 17:12-17; Dan.7:7-8, 24 V.4 d) Sinful appearance -

I. The harlot is adorned with royalty (Purple) and blood (Scarlet).

II. The harlot is adorned with riches and wealth.

III. The harlot has a cup full of her religious evil idolatries and deceptions. Deut.18:9; 29:17; 32:16; Jer.51:7; 1.Cor.10:19-21

V.5 e) Secret name -

The harlot who appears to be good and the answer for the world, is revealed to be the opposite:

I. She is a mystery, for unbelievers she will be difficult to understand.

II. She is the ancient spiritual Babylon.

III. She has produced many religious harlots on the earth, a whole network under her rule.

IV. She has caused abominations on the earth.

V. Roman harlots wore a label with their names on their foreheads.

V.6 f) Saints blood -

I. The harlot is intoxicated with blood; she enjoys killing the saints.

II. John is amazed, perhaps this vision is an eye opener for him concerning the religious wicked system.

Revelation 17:7-18

2. The Ascending beast that carries the woman. 17:7-18 V.7 a) Mystery revealed -

I. The angel begins to reveal him the mystery of the Harlot (The wicked religious system) and of the beast (The wicked political system). II. The beast (The wicked political system) carries the Harlot (The wicked religious system) and the beast upholds the harlot. V.8 b) Marvel of man -

I. Perhaps the Antichrist is going to be assassinated, but will experience demonic healing. 13:14; Zech.11:16-17 II. Another possible view of the wounded head could be that the 6th head (Roman empire) was wounded in the past; it comes to life as the 7th head (Revived Roman empire).

III. The beast is also a spiritual being, it ascends out from the bottomless pit: A place of imprisonment of some of the fallen angels.

IV. The earth dwellers will marvel as they see the Antichrist or Revived Roman Empire coming alive again.

V. The Book of Life is a book wherein those that will inherit eternal life are written. Dan.12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil.4:3; Heb.12:23; Rev. 13:5,8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27 VI. Those who marvel at the beast are not written in the Book of Life, perhaps that was a warning to John’ s marvelling in verse 6.

V.9 c) Mind of wisdom -

I. The mountains are not 7 physical mountains nor are the 7 heads real physical heads, but represent 7 empires. Luke 4:5; Rev.21:10 II. In the Scripture mountains can symbolise prominent governments. Jer.51:25; Dan.2:35, 44; Zech.4:7 1st empire - Egypt. 3000-1100 B.C.

2nd empire - Assyria. 750-612 B.C.

3rd empire - Babylon. 612-539 B.C. Dan.7:4; 8:4 4th empire - Medo-Persia. 539-331 B.C. Dan.7:5; 8:3 5th empire - Greece. 331-146 B.C. Dan.7:6 6th empire - Rome. 146 B.C. - 476 A.D. Dan.7:7 7th empire - Revived Roman Empire. Dan.9:26-27 III. The harlot have sat on these Empires from the beginning, she is an ancient harlot. Gen.10:9-10; 11:1-9

V.10 d) Man of the past kingdoms -

The beast also has 7 kings:

I. Five have died (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece)

II. The 6th is alive (The Roman Empire).

III. The 7th is coming soon and he is the Antichrist and the leader of the Revived Roman Empire.

IV. His political arena will only be 7 years, 3½ years making peace, Dan.9:26-27; Rev.6:2 and 3½ years making war. Dan.Ch.11; Rev.13:4-10; 16:19:19-20 V.11 e) Man of the future kingdom -

I. The beast is the 7th head but also the 8th, which probably refers to the resurrected Antichrist; the 7th is that kingdom before Antichrist is slain, the 8th is that kingdom after he is revived. 13:3, 11

II. He will be one of the seven kings, but distinct enough to be considered the eighth king.

III. The beast is going to perdition, which is death and the lake of fire. 2.Thes.2:8; Rev.19:20; 20:10 V.12 f) Minister’ s of the beast -

I. The 10 horns are 10 kings of the Revived Roman Empire, who will rule with the Antichrist. Dan.7:20-24; Rev.12:3; 13:1; 17:3 II. They rule only one hour with Antichrist.

V.13 g) Merge of power -

I. These kings are determined to be under Antichrist and work with him. II. Antichrist will remove 3 of these kings. Dan.7:24 V.14 h) Making of war -

I. These kings will be a part of the war of Armageddon; they will be in that battle against Christ.

II. Jesus will overcome and destroy them as the Lord of lords and King of kings. Rev.19:16,21 III. At His 2nd Coming He will take with Him the saints who will help Him to rule on the earth. 1.Thes.3:13 ; Rev.20:4-6 IV. This company that comes with Him is described in 3 different ways:

They are called and chosen by God and remained faithful.

V.15 i) Multitude of man -

I. This verse interprets whom the waters are that the harlot sits on: The world of Man. Isaiah 8:7; Jer.47:2 II. Number 4 is the number of the world and here the world is described in 4 ways: Peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues.

V.16 j) Malice of the kings - Means of her destruction.

I. The 10 kings will hate the wicked religious system and destroy it.

II. They will make her:

A. Desolate - Cause man to leave her religious control.

B. Be naked - Cause her to be exposed as what she really stands for or remove all her wealth from her.

C. Eat her flesh - Take all that belongs to her.

D. Burn her with fire - Totally remove her from the earth.

III. The religious Babylon is destroyed by the 10 kings. The commercial Babylon is destroyed by God. V.17 k) Motive of God - Motive of her destruction.

I. The kings will not support the harlot but the Antichrist.

II. God is in control to be sure that man will carry out their desires.

III. The prophecies of Scripture is God’ s advance knowledge of what man will do before they even had thought it, the devil might try to change man’ s heart so that the prophecies of Scripture would fall to the ground, God will not allow this to happen and watches over His word to make sure it will be accomplished. Isaiah 55:10-11 V.18 l) Meaning of the woman revealed - Meaning of the woman.

I. This verse interprets who the harlot is: She is a city.

II. The harlot is like the Church both a City and a Company.

III. The city of Babylon will be the next economical city in the world, it will rule over the kings of the earth.

IV. This verse prepares the heart for chapter 18 that deals with the city of Babylon.