Davy
Well-Known Member
Here goes then: and I will not respond to thread after this. PM me if you have questions.
Rev.17:1-2 -- the "great whore" sits upon "many waters", and those waters are defined in the 15th verse as "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues". That means the whole world basically is what she sits upon.
v.3 -- this "woman" is that same "great whore" that sits upon the waters. Further, she sits upon a scarlet colored beast that has "seven heads and ten horns". That is the 1st beast of Rev.13:1. It is pointing to it being a kingdom type beast, ten horns which are ten kings we are told later, and seven mountains, and ten crowns. That is the system the "woman" sits upon. She is not that beast, but she represents power over it.
v.4-6 -- the "woman" is a harlot, and in connection with the concept of ancient Babylon involving an old mystery. Important to note that ancient Sumer-Babylon was the very first place on earth that began pagan idol worship. That is where Baal worship began with Sargon I, one whom the Sumerians called 'son of Bel' (or son of the Dragon), this per the Assyrian tablets. So forget pictures of pagan Rome, what Lord Jesus is pointing us back in history to goes way back further in earth's history. It involved persecution of Israel's saints in Old Testament times, and also Christ's saints during New Covenant times, and also all the way up to the end of this world. That is how far reaching the timeline of this mystery reaches.
v. 7 -- begin explanation of that the 'mystery' about the "woman", and the 1st beast that carries her that has the seven heads and ten horns.
v.8 -- this beast comes up out of the bottomless pit, so it is in association with the 2nd beast of Rev.13:11, the "another beast" that comes up out of the earth, is to appear on earth with two horns LIKE a lamb (Jesus), but will speak as a dragon (another title for Satan per Rev.12:9). This false one is a person that will work great signs and miracles. It is the coming Antichrist, the pseudo-Christ which Lord Jesus warned about for the tribulation per His Olivet discourse. It is the "man of sin" Paul warned of sitting in a new temple in Jerusalem proclaiming to be God, and over all that is called God, or that is worshipped. This beast is... the "dragon", Satan himself, booted down to this earth per Rev.12:7 forward.
Per Rev.9:11, we are told 2 more titles of this 2nd beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit. His name is also the Destroyer per the Greek and Hebrew given there. He is that angel king over the bottomless pit. Per Rev.11, he will ascend out of that bottomless pit to kill God's two witnesses in Jerusalem at the end of this world.
This 2nd beast originally "was", when he first was exalted in God's Garden of Eden (see Ezekiel 28 and Ezekiel 31). He was made more beautiful and higher than all the symbolic trees in God's Garden. He was originally perfect in his ways, before iniquity was found in him. He was the 'anointed cherub that covereth', meaning it was originally his job to guard God's Throne. He rebelled in coveting God's Throne, so God ended that old world, and brought this present world. This is why the Rev.12:3-4 verses are timed together about the one third of angels ("stars") he drew in rebellion with him in that old world when he first rebelled against The Father and The Son. We are to note that Rev.12:3-4 event before getting to the Rev.13 beasts which are for the end of this world.
He "and is not" is put for when God ended that old world when Satan first rebelled. God ended Satan's beast kingdom he had setup back then that had only "seven crowns" per Rev.12:3-4.
He "yet is" is for the beast system of Rev.13 for the end of this world. Those whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of this world will wonder at who he is when he arrives on the world scene for the coming tribulation. Lord Jesus in John 14:30 warned us that he is coming. This is the MYSTERY about the Babylon Harlot, it is about worship of Satan himself in place of God.
v.9 -- this is about the beast kingdom of Rev.13:1, the 1st beast, the "seven heads" are "seven mountains". Stuck in the 'seven hills' idea is too limiting for the real idea it applies to with Satan's original beast system that had "seven heads" but only "seven crowns" of Rev.12:3-4 in the old world. They point to seven regions of the earth, basically as a label for the whole earth. The Rev.13:1 beast kingdom for the end will cover the whole earth too.
v.10 -- the seven kings are for this present world. Five were fallen already in John's day, which would point to past beast kings and kingdoms like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia. The 6th beast king was in John's day, which would be pagan Rome under Domitian. The 7th king was not yet come in John's day, which is for the very end of this world as the coming Antichrist, or 2nd beast of Rev.13:11 forward. The 7th king is pointing to the time of "great tribulation" at the end of this world, which is the time of "short space" Antichrist will work.
v.11 -- the beast of verse 8 that ascends out of the bottomless pit, and will go into perdition. His already being assigned to perdition in the future lake of fire reveals also that this is Satan being pointed to, because as of today no flesh born man has been judged and sentenced to perish in the lake of fire, not yet for that day of Judgement by Christ has not come yet. But Satan and his angels already have been judged and sentenced to perish (Matthew 25:41; Isaiah 30:33). He also is 'of' the previous seven kings, meaning he's behind all of them, which is actually another pointer directly to Satan as this beast king.
v.12-13 -- the ten horns are ten kings, and reign concurrently "one hour" with the beast king. This is the pattern of the ten horns in the Book of Daniel, and with another "little horn" that comes up among the ten to rule over all. The "little horn" represents the coming Antichrist, a beast king for the end. What is that "one hour"? The "one hour" represents the "short time" the dragon has once he is booted out of heaven down to our earth. It is the "short space" above in this Rev.17 chapter. It represents the time at the very end of this world, the tribulation of 1260 days, or 42 months the dragon is to have power over the saints.
v.14 -- the ten kings and beast king, will make war with Christ when He comes, so by that we well know the timing for this is at the very end of this world in the final generation, the one that will see Christ's return.
v.15 -- the "waters" the "great whore" sits upon are explained.
v.16 -- the ten horns will hate the whore, and make her desolate. That again reveals the beast kingdom (of ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns) is not the "great whore". Nor is the beast king (Antichrist) the "great whore". She is revealed later, at the end of the chapter.
v.17 -- God has ordained this beast system for the end, and is going to use this event to test this final generation with, including us, Christ's Church, for we will be here through the tribulation. Jesus comes to gather us after it, like He said.
v.18 -- the Babylon Harlot revealed, she is "a great city". It is about JERUSALEM in a fallen worship state for the end of this world. Ezekiel 16 is where God spoke of the old city of Jebus that the pagans had possession of early in this world, and then Israel under king David took it and renamed it Jerusalem. God spoke of how He took her when she was all bloodied, and cleansed her, put precious clothing and jewels on her, and covered her with His skirt (a symbol for marriage), but then she went and played the HARLOT!
If you don't study Ezekiel 16 where God first applied the HARLOT symbol to Jerusalem when His people fell away into pagan idolatry, and in bed with the lovers of Baal worship, etc., then you may not understand why God would use this MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT symbol for the end, and you further probably are deceived as to Satan coming to Jerusalem for the end to play God, and deceive the whole world, except Christ's elect.
Rev.17:1-2 -- the "great whore" sits upon "many waters", and those waters are defined in the 15th verse as "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues". That means the whole world basically is what she sits upon.
v.3 -- this "woman" is that same "great whore" that sits upon the waters. Further, she sits upon a scarlet colored beast that has "seven heads and ten horns". That is the 1st beast of Rev.13:1. It is pointing to it being a kingdom type beast, ten horns which are ten kings we are told later, and seven mountains, and ten crowns. That is the system the "woman" sits upon. She is not that beast, but she represents power over it.
v.4-6 -- the "woman" is a harlot, and in connection with the concept of ancient Babylon involving an old mystery. Important to note that ancient Sumer-Babylon was the very first place on earth that began pagan idol worship. That is where Baal worship began with Sargon I, one whom the Sumerians called 'son of Bel' (or son of the Dragon), this per the Assyrian tablets. So forget pictures of pagan Rome, what Lord Jesus is pointing us back in history to goes way back further in earth's history. It involved persecution of Israel's saints in Old Testament times, and also Christ's saints during New Covenant times, and also all the way up to the end of this world. That is how far reaching the timeline of this mystery reaches.
v. 7 -- begin explanation of that the 'mystery' about the "woman", and the 1st beast that carries her that has the seven heads and ten horns.
v.8 -- this beast comes up out of the bottomless pit, so it is in association with the 2nd beast of Rev.13:11, the "another beast" that comes up out of the earth, is to appear on earth with two horns LIKE a lamb (Jesus), but will speak as a dragon (another title for Satan per Rev.12:9). This false one is a person that will work great signs and miracles. It is the coming Antichrist, the pseudo-Christ which Lord Jesus warned about for the tribulation per His Olivet discourse. It is the "man of sin" Paul warned of sitting in a new temple in Jerusalem proclaiming to be God, and over all that is called God, or that is worshipped. This beast is... the "dragon", Satan himself, booted down to this earth per Rev.12:7 forward.
Per Rev.9:11, we are told 2 more titles of this 2nd beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit. His name is also the Destroyer per the Greek and Hebrew given there. He is that angel king over the bottomless pit. Per Rev.11, he will ascend out of that bottomless pit to kill God's two witnesses in Jerusalem at the end of this world.
This 2nd beast originally "was", when he first was exalted in God's Garden of Eden (see Ezekiel 28 and Ezekiel 31). He was made more beautiful and higher than all the symbolic trees in God's Garden. He was originally perfect in his ways, before iniquity was found in him. He was the 'anointed cherub that covereth', meaning it was originally his job to guard God's Throne. He rebelled in coveting God's Throne, so God ended that old world, and brought this present world. This is why the Rev.12:3-4 verses are timed together about the one third of angels ("stars") he drew in rebellion with him in that old world when he first rebelled against The Father and The Son. We are to note that Rev.12:3-4 event before getting to the Rev.13 beasts which are for the end of this world.
He "and is not" is put for when God ended that old world when Satan first rebelled. God ended Satan's beast kingdom he had setup back then that had only "seven crowns" per Rev.12:3-4.
He "yet is" is for the beast system of Rev.13 for the end of this world. Those whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of this world will wonder at who he is when he arrives on the world scene for the coming tribulation. Lord Jesus in John 14:30 warned us that he is coming. This is the MYSTERY about the Babylon Harlot, it is about worship of Satan himself in place of God.
v.9 -- this is about the beast kingdom of Rev.13:1, the 1st beast, the "seven heads" are "seven mountains". Stuck in the 'seven hills' idea is too limiting for the real idea it applies to with Satan's original beast system that had "seven heads" but only "seven crowns" of Rev.12:3-4 in the old world. They point to seven regions of the earth, basically as a label for the whole earth. The Rev.13:1 beast kingdom for the end will cover the whole earth too.
v.10 -- the seven kings are for this present world. Five were fallen already in John's day, which would point to past beast kings and kingdoms like Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia. The 6th beast king was in John's day, which would be pagan Rome under Domitian. The 7th king was not yet come in John's day, which is for the very end of this world as the coming Antichrist, or 2nd beast of Rev.13:11 forward. The 7th king is pointing to the time of "great tribulation" at the end of this world, which is the time of "short space" Antichrist will work.
v.11 -- the beast of verse 8 that ascends out of the bottomless pit, and will go into perdition. His already being assigned to perdition in the future lake of fire reveals also that this is Satan being pointed to, because as of today no flesh born man has been judged and sentenced to perish in the lake of fire, not yet for that day of Judgement by Christ has not come yet. But Satan and his angels already have been judged and sentenced to perish (Matthew 25:41; Isaiah 30:33). He also is 'of' the previous seven kings, meaning he's behind all of them, which is actually another pointer directly to Satan as this beast king.
v.12-13 -- the ten horns are ten kings, and reign concurrently "one hour" with the beast king. This is the pattern of the ten horns in the Book of Daniel, and with another "little horn" that comes up among the ten to rule over all. The "little horn" represents the coming Antichrist, a beast king for the end. What is that "one hour"? The "one hour" represents the "short time" the dragon has once he is booted out of heaven down to our earth. It is the "short space" above in this Rev.17 chapter. It represents the time at the very end of this world, the tribulation of 1260 days, or 42 months the dragon is to have power over the saints.
v.14 -- the ten kings and beast king, will make war with Christ when He comes, so by that we well know the timing for this is at the very end of this world in the final generation, the one that will see Christ's return.
v.15 -- the "waters" the "great whore" sits upon are explained.
v.16 -- the ten horns will hate the whore, and make her desolate. That again reveals the beast kingdom (of ten horns, seven heads, and ten crowns) is not the "great whore". Nor is the beast king (Antichrist) the "great whore". She is revealed later, at the end of the chapter.
v.17 -- God has ordained this beast system for the end, and is going to use this event to test this final generation with, including us, Christ's Church, for we will be here through the tribulation. Jesus comes to gather us after it, like He said.
v.18 -- the Babylon Harlot revealed, she is "a great city". It is about JERUSALEM in a fallen worship state for the end of this world. Ezekiel 16 is where God spoke of the old city of Jebus that the pagans had possession of early in this world, and then Israel under king David took it and renamed it Jerusalem. God spoke of how He took her when she was all bloodied, and cleansed her, put precious clothing and jewels on her, and covered her with His skirt (a symbol for marriage), but then she went and played the HARLOT!
If you don't study Ezekiel 16 where God first applied the HARLOT symbol to Jerusalem when His people fell away into pagan idolatry, and in bed with the lovers of Baal worship, etc., then you may not understand why God would use this MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT symbol for the end, and you further probably are deceived as to Satan coming to Jerusalem for the end to play God, and deceive the whole world, except Christ's elect.
