REVELATION 17

THE PAST AND FUTURE OF THE GREAT WHORE

Click here to see the "Whore Riding the Beast" picture

Rev 17:1-2

"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying, [NU omits "to me"] "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

17:1

We come now to the fourth interlude in Revelation, which takes up all of chapter 17. This chapter, like chapter 12, will give us a history lesson taking us back in time and then bringing us forward with its subject to the final days of the Great Tribulation. This vision began when one of the angels of the seven Bowls came to John and said, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot". This was probably the angel of the seventh Bowl who wished to show John the reason for (chapter 17), and the results of (chapter 18), his Bowl which he had just poured out on Antichrist's kingdom. He continues:

• 1. "who sits on many waters". This symbol that will be explained in verse 15.

17:2

• 2. "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication".

• 3. "and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication".

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Rev 17:3-6

"So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement."

17:3-6

Now here is a drunk indeed, and she is driving! John saw a woman sitting on a scarlet colored beast and he says the beast upon which she sat, was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Does her trusty steed sound familiar? It should, because we have already seen it back in chapters 12 and 13. There, we learned that it represented both Antichrist's whole political system as well as Antichrist himself. By way of review, its ten horns stood for Antichrist’s ten-king confederation and its seven heads stood for seven Caesars of the ancient Roman Empire who were types of Antichrist. So, the beast upon which the woman sat, represents Antichrist as well as his whole dark Empire. Its scarlet colored body speaks of its murderous satanic origin.

The vision begins with its focus on the woman. The first to appear, she is striking. John says that she caused him to marvel with great amazement. Let's examine her characteristics and see if we can identify her.

First, she there's a name emblazoned on her forehead:

"When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD." Hosea 1:2

"They say, 'If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man's, may he return to her again?' Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to me," says the LORD." Jeremiah 3:1

"The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot." "So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees." Jeremiah 3:6, 9

Ezekiel also used the prostitute analogy when he prophesied against Israel, the Northern Kingdom, who were carried away into captivity by the Assyrians in 722 BC.

"You also played the harlot with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; indeed you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied." Ezekiel 16:28

"The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: ‘Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. They committed harlotry in Egypt, they committed harlotry in their youth; their breasts were there embraced, their virgin bosom was there pressed. Their names: Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; they were mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah. Oholah played the harlot even though she was mine; and she lusted for her lovers, the neighboring Assyrians, who were clothed in purple, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. Thus she committed her harlotry with them, all of them choice men of Assyria; and with all for whom she lusted, with all their idols, she defiled herself. She has never given up her harlotry brought from Egypt, for in her youth they had lain with her, pressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their immorality upon her. Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They uncovered her nakedness, took away her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword; she became a byword among women, for they had executed judgment on her." Ezekiel 23:1 -10

So, harlotry is used in the Bible to picture any person or people who leave the one true and living God to go after false gods and false religions. As such, all man-made religious systems are in reality spiritual harlotry. They are all alien to the worship of the true and living God as he has revealed himself in creation, history and in the Scripture. Men have a long history of such spiritual prostitution. As you have it in Romans 1:21-25...

" ... because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

The name, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, indicates she represents the epitome of man's false religions.

• 4. "AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" As such, she is also the epitome of all the abominable things that have occurred throughout history in relation to false religion. She will perpetrate and even exceed the greatest and worst abominations of all time.

Second, she was wealthy. She is arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. Purple and scarlet are colors often used in ecclesiastical trappings. She is gilded and beautiful to look upon. She is decked out with all the trappings that man uses to adorn his false religious systems. It is amazing how quickly people will fall for counterfeit religions when they present themselves so appealingly to the eye!

Third, she held in her hand a "golden cup full of the abominations and filthiness of her fornication". Her cup indicates that the things she will do are utterly filthy and disgusting.

Let's step aside here for a moment. False religion is often just a gateway to immorality and other abominations. In the Old Testament, when Israel went whoring after the idols of the heathen around them, they immediately became involved in gross immorality (Exodus 32:1-6). They even began to practice the abomination of sacrificing their own children to dumb idols (Second Chronicles 28:1-3). The further they got into idol worship, the more ungodly they became. Such is the downward path that is trod by those who pursue man's trumped up religions.

Fourth, John saw her, "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus". False religions, because of their satanic origin, can be quite murder prone. I refer the reader to the morning newspaper and Foxes Book of Martyrs if you would like to read up on the subject. Two groups of her victims are mentioned here. The saints, refers to God’s people prior to the Church Age and the martyrs of Jesus refers to believers during the Church Age as well as during the Tribulation. This tells us, she represents something even greater than first met our eye. This old whore has been around for a long time. She has a long history of bloodshed. Her rap sheet is extensive. She is being held responsible for all that false religion has done to God's people all the way back when. She is responsible for the murdered of the prophets. She crucified the Lord of Glory and killed his apostles. She recently murdered hundreds, if not thousands, of believers in the World Trade Center by means of her religious zealots. She is pure and simply a picture of FALSE RELIGION. During the days of the Tribulation, I believe she will manifest herself two more times, in one form during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation and in her final and ultimate form as Antichrist worship during the second half of the Tribulation. In chapter 18, we will see her physical demise when her center of Antichrist worship at Jerusalem lies in smoldering ruins from the seventh Bowl. These are some of the things we deduce from her description here. Now we will take up the angel's interpretation of these symbols.

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Rev 17:7-14

"But the angel said to me, ‘Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 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. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. 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.’"

17:7-8

The angel begins his explanation with the beast upon which the woman rode. At first glance, his words are a bit of an interpreter’s nightmare, are they not? But, be patient. It will become manageable if we take them apart statement by statement. This is a complex symbol. Some of it represents two different things at the same time.

First, the angel emphasizes that the beast upon which the woman was riding alludes to a person. He says, "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition". These words allude to the death and miraculous recovery of Antichrist that we saw back in chapter 13.

"And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the World marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:3-4

Antichrist will be a counterfeit Christ and apparently will seek to imitate him in his resurrection. As we learned from Revelation 13, his miraculous recovery from a mortal head wound will be all that is needed to persuade the world to follow him. The words, "and will ascend out of the bottomless pit" point to this come back from the other side of the grave. The angel adds, however, that he will go to perdition. The word perdition means punishment or judgment. Judas was a type of Antichrist, being filled with Satan, the spirit of Antichrist. As you have it in Luke 22:3-4...

"Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him to them."

In John 6:70b, Jesus said of Judas...

"Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

Jesus called Judas the "son of perdition" meaning the heir of judgment.

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." John 17:12.

The only other place in the Bible this term, perdition, is used is in Second Thessalonians 2:3-4, where Paul uses it as a name for Antichrist.

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Antichrist will be the epitome of all that Judas Iscariot was, a man possessed by Satan and diametrically opposed to the Son of God. The angel says that he is doomed.

He continues, "And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world". This is a repetition of 13:3, where it was said that the world wandered after the beast and worshipped him.

To sum up, the scarlet beast upon which the woman was riding is a person. Just as the beast was back in chapter 13, it is Antichrist.

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Rev. 17:9 -11

"Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 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. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition."

17:9

Here the angel expands on his explanation of the scarlet beast saying, "Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits". In other words, the mind that has wisdom will be able to catch on to the intricacies of the beast's seven heads and ten horns. As we study this, we will discover that its seven heads actually represent two separate things at the same time. In verse 9, the angel says they are seven mountains. Then, in verse 10 he says they are also seven kings. Pretty heavy treading, aye? Hang in there. We are making headway. Let's look closer at these two separate meanings of the beast's seven heads.

First, he says they, "are seven mountains on which the woman sits". In ancient times, the city of Rome was referred to as, "the city on seven hills". Roman coins pictured its seven hills. Victorinus, one of the first commentators on Revelation, says of this verse, "That is the city of Rome". I believe Victorinus was correct. This leads me to believe that, early in the Tribulation, a unified world religion (the woman) as well as Antichrist (the beast) will have their headquarters in Rome.

17:10

Then he says, "There are also seven kings". The second thing that the seven heads of the scarlet beast represent is "seven kings". The best reading in the Greek is simply, and seven kings. We know that Antichrist’s empire will arise out of the ancient Roman Empire as prophesied in Daniel 7. Therefore, the seven kings alluded to here are probably seven specific Roman emperors that typify Antichrist. We may not be able to pinpoint them exactly, but it is fairly clear that the seven heads represent seven specific Caesars of ancient times. In order to be types of Antichrist, these seven ancient Caesars would have to have at least three things in common with him:

I am no expert on Roman history and perhaps a complete list of each one of the Caesars the Holy Spirit has in mind may not be knowable. However, I believe he is definitely thinking of seven historical Roman Caesars who were types of the Antichrist to come. In my study, I found seven Roman Caesars that seem to meet the criteria sufficiently to be historic types of Antichrist. They are Julius Caesar, Cauis, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Domitian and Diocletian. All seven of these men died by assassination, had absolute dictatorships (although Galba’s was an extremely short lived one), and blasphemously declared that they were a god. These seven Caesars fit the angel’s framework as follows:

17:11

• 4. "the beast" ... "is himself also the eighth and is of the seven". This is clearly referring to Antichrist who will arise much further down in history during the last days of the Great Tribulation. He will be the eighth king (Caesar) and the arch-type of the seven who were before him, epitomizing their satanic natures and attributes. To sum up, Antichrist's person and reign will be rooted in the tradition and mold of seven blasphemous Roman Caesars who were before him. Each of them presented to the world of their day a type of Antichrist, foreshadowing that last great Roman Emperor yet to come who is the eighth and may well be alive on Earth right now.

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Rev. 17:12 -14

"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" (this is talking about you and me, dear saint).

17:12

Here the angel continues his explanation of the complex symbol of the scarlet beast and he will now supply us with additional information on the governmental/political side of Antichrist's future reign.

ANTICHRIST’S TEN KINGS

He says, "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast". During Antichrist's reign there will be ten kings who will reign under and with him. The angel says they do not exist as yet, but will become kings for one hour (meaning a short time) with Antichrist. Some have speculated that the European Common Market may be the beginnings of this prophetic ten-king alliance. Whether it is or not, time will tell. However, we know from this prophecy that Antichrist will participate with and lead and dominate such a confederation when he has his day on Earth. This ten kings aspect of Antichrist’s reign is not new. It was prophesied way back in the days of the prophet Daniel. Here is that key passage.

"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words." Daniel 7:7-8

The interpretation is given further down in the passage at verses 24 and 25.

"The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time" (A Hebrew idiomatic expression that means three and a half years; See Daniel 4:32).

17:13-14

The angel continued, "These have one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast". The ten kings will back Antichrist and will delegate all their power and authority to him. According to Daniel 7:24 above, during Antichrist's rise to world domination, he will subdue three of these kings who, I believe, he will replace.

THE TEN KINGS AND THE LAMB

The angel continues, "these will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings". Antichrist’s ten kings will be arch-enemies of Christ. The war the angel refers to here is the battle of Armageddon, which will be fought when Christ returns to Earth (Revelation 19). However, it is important to remember that it begins with the pouring out of the sixth Bowl (16:12-16), which, you will remember, began the gathering of the nations to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Antichrist and his ten kings will pick themselves up from the ravages of the seventh Bowl and hurry their armies on to Palestine to make war with the Lamb. Upon arriving at Megiddo, ultimately they will be confronted by the descending Lord of lords and King of kings and will raise their weapons against him as he descends to take dominion over the Earth. And, the angel says, "the Lamb will overcome them...". As we will soon see, that is an understatement ... it will be a lopsided battle indeed.

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Rev 17:15-18

"Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw [Nu omits "on"] and the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill his purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth."

17:15

Here, we come to the angel's final explanations of these complex symbols. At the beginning of the vision, John saw the woman seated upon many waters. The angel explains this means she will be a totally dominating entity over peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (languages). This will be the powerful position of false religion throughout the Tribulation. I believe that her first manifestation will come, immediately after the Rapture of the Church, in the form of a confederation of the world’s religions. This vision of the great whore gives weight to the view that the world's religions will unite into one in that day. The World Council of Churches would probably applaud this, even today. The resulting great harlot of the first three and a half years of the Tribulation will no doubt be the fulfilled dream of many. The fact that she is riding upon the scarlet beast, the symbol of Antichrist and his empire, suggests that she will be supported by him and will dominate him during the first half of the Tribulation. But that role will be short lived.

17:16

The angel says the ten kings will hate the harlot for God has put it into their hearts to fulfill his purpose. This is important new information concerning the relationship between the political realm, Antichrist and his confederation of kings, and the ecclesiastical realm, the one world religion that will be so dominate during the first half of the Tribulation. This age-old clash between church and state will come to a head when Antichrist and his ten kings rise up and destroy the harlot. I take it that the angel means they will seize her headquarters, make her desolate and naked, confiscate her assets, eat her flesh, and burn her houses of worship, burn her with fire. Antichrist and his kings will apparently use the world's great unified religion for their own political gain during the first half of the Tribulation, but will subsequently get rid of her as God will have put it into their hearts to do. This event ends the first phase of the harlot. Probably it will be coordinated with Antichrist's seizing the Jew's temple at Jerusalem. At that time the second phase of the harlot, the worship of Antichrist himself, will begin. It will be the final and ultimate manifestation of man's false religions on Earth.

17:17

In the midst of all of this, verse 17 brings out a wonderful truth concerning our God, does it not? The angel testifies that the destruction of the harlot and the desire of the ten kings to give their kingdom to the beast will come to pass because God has put it into their hearts to fulfill his purpose. Although all these political and ecclesiastical intrigues will be going on during those last dark days, ultimately it is God who will be directing it according to his own will and purpose. History unfolds according to his sovereign plan, you see, no one else’s. The one true and living God is sovereign over all. He directs kings, kingdoms and everything else according to his own inscrutable will ... even Babylon! As you have it in Proverbs 21:1...

"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; he turns it wherever he wishes."

And, again in Ephesians 1:11...

"In him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will."

17:18

In conclusion, the angel says, "And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth". Returning once again to the woman, he says there is yet another meaning to her symbol. Although she represents the worldwide religion of the first half of the Tribulation and Antichrist worship itself during the second half, she is also symbolic of an ecclesiastical city that, according to the angel, reigns over the kings of the earth. This indicates that the ecclesiastical center of power will change after the first half of the Tribulation. Whereas it was at Rome during the first half, its new location during the second half will be at Jerusalem. At that time, the ancient harlot will be a city during the closing hours of Gentile history. She has often sat there in the past, by the way, in one form or another, even as she does today. Jerusalem has a history of rebellion against God and an affinity for false religions. As you have it in Jesus' own words...

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!'" Matthew 23:37-39

In the early Church, it was from Jerusalem (primarily through the Jews), that persecution of God's people came. Ultimately, she will become the seat of Satan and Antichrist worship, as we learned from chapter 13. In that context, Jerusalem, prior to our Lord’s intervention, will continue to be the stronghold of the enemies of God. We saw that expressed back in 11:8 when Christ’s two witnesses were killed there. There we read...

"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."

So, the grotesque symbol of the harlot has yet another meaning. She also represents Jerusalem as it will exist as the center of Satan and Antichrist worship during the last three and a half years of the Great Tribulation.

Here in chapter 17, we have been given a great deal of information about that old harlot, false religion, her past and her future. We have been told about her two manifestations which will prevail on the Earth during the Tribulation. We have also been given a good deal of information about the political intrigues that will surround her during those days. We have concluded that the initial manifestation of the harlot will probably be in the form of a one-world religion during the first half of the Tribulation which will dominate Antichrist and his ten kings. It will apparently thrive with their support and blessing. However, they will hate her and the ten kings will violently eliminate her at the middle of the Tribulation as Antichrist moves to set up his own worship at Jerusalem. Then, the great harlot's second and final manifestation will emerge and "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS" will flourish at Jerusalem in the form of undisguised Satan and Antichrist worship. That is the why she is said to also represent a city. She is also Jerusalem during the closing days of the Great Tribulation.

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