[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been
[00:00:03] Speaker B: redeemed I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock
[00:00:08] Speaker A: I faith in Christ my redeemer King
[00:00:12] Speaker B: I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock Then Ro Ro pillows row the Lord is
[00:00:24] Speaker C: in his holy temple the Lord is in his holy temple Let all the earth keep silence Let all the earth keep silence before.
[00:00:59] Speaker B: Me
[00:01:03] Speaker C: Keep silence Keep silence
[00:01:13] Speaker D: Behold.
[00:01:25] Speaker C: Keep silence
[00:01:31] Speaker D: k.
[00:02:01] Speaker E: Hello and welcome to the Voice of Hope, a Bible teaching program that's produced by Heralds of Hope. I'm your host, Anthony High. In this episode, we continue our study through the Book of Revelation.
Do you look forward to a time when Jesus will reign and all things will be made right?
I know that I do. But for a time, there will be trouble and evil will have its brief moment before today's teaching. We at Heralds of Hope take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of this ministry.
If you'd like to know more about us or to meet in person, I'd encourage you to check out the Events page on our
[email protected] events and now join us as J. Mark Horst shares the second part of his teaching from Revelation. Chapter 17.
Let's open God's Word together.
[00:03:05] Speaker D: In our previous episode, we began a study of Revelation 17, and I titled it Mystery Babylon.
In that episode, I stated that this text records scenes from John's vision of the final world religion, and that world religion is pictured as a prostitute, and we see God's judgment upon her.
We looked at the first scene, Mystery Babylon identified, and then began exploring the second one, Mystery Babylon explained.
We didn't finish that discussion, so that's where we'll pick up this time.
Verse 9 begins with the here is the intelligence which has wisdom.
This is similar to the expression we encountered before, back in chapter 13 and verse 18, where discernment was needed to identify the Antichrist by his name and by the number of his name.
That tells me that what follows is a difficult and complex aspect of this vision, and it may be that only those who are alive at that time will fully understand it.
The angel goes on. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
Now, I know that many commentators assume the angel is speaking of Rome, a city that was built on seven hills, and that the woman is the Roman Catholic Church.
But that seems to narrow the scope of the Revelation because the Antichrist's empire, according to the Scripture, is worldwide.
Nor can the woman be the Roman Catholic Church, since, as noted earlier, verse 18 identifies her as the city of Babylon.
And then also when the woman sits on the many waters, that has to be taken as metaphorical, since it is interpreted for us in verse 15.
When the woman sits upon the scarlet colored beast, again, this is symbolic.
And so when she sits upon the seven mountains, that too must be figurative.
And then finally, the angel's call for spiritual discernment would have been pointless if the seven mountains were an obvious geographical reference to Rome, because everybody knew that.
You should also know that the symbolic use of mountains in the Old Testament typically refers to world empires. And here are some scriptures you can look at. Zechariah 4:7, Jeremiah 51:25, and Daniel 2:35.
The best rendering of verses 9 and 10 is this.
The seven heads are seven mountains where the woman sits upon them and are seven kings. Or we could say personified kingdoms.
So these mountains are not piles of material rocks and earth at all, but they're royal or imperial powers, and they're declared to be such by the angel himself who is revealing these things to John.
I must say that when the scripture interprets itself for us, then we are not free to add our own interpretation.
This woman, the prostitute, rides upon empires, kings and powers of the world. And she inspires and leads and controls them.
She herself is not one of those empires, but she is above all them, so that they seek her favor. They're bewitched by her, they're lured by her fornication.
And this woman is longer lived than any one empire.
She bears the name of Babylon, and she is not destroyed until the day of judgment.
Those seven imperial mountains that she rides on must then fill up the whole interval of time.
You might remember that 7 itself is the number of fullness, which includes the whole of its kind. And so the reference here is to kings, to mountains of temporal dominion, to empires, and it must therefore take in all of them.
The angel says that five of the seven kings have fallen, or more literally, fell.
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word is constantly used to describe the violent fall or overthrow of kings or kingdoms.
Some examples would be Ezekiel 29, verse 5, chapter 30, verse 6, or Isaiah 21:9, Jeremiah 50, verse 15, and Jeremiah 51:8.
One king or kingdom is currently reigning at the time John was writing, and one is yet to come.
So what are we to make of all this?
First, we know that only the Roman Empire existed when John was writing Revelation.
That means five kingdoms or empires had already fallen.
Preceding Rome, the world had only five great names that can be likened to Rome.
They are Greece, Persia, Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt.
These were all imperial powers, like Rome, and all were involved in idolatrous religious practices.
So here then, are the six regal mountains, and the seventh has not yet come.
However, when the seventh does come, he must continue in power for a short time. The text makes that specific, and that seems to imply that the others before him endured for longer periods of time.
Surely other great kingdoms of the world existed, kingdoms like China and India and the Incas in South America.
But they all had only peripheral contact with the word of God and with the chosen people of Israel.
Only six kingdoms met both criteria up to the time of Christ and the Apostles.
And furthermore, all six of these were not only legitimate heirs of political Babel, but also heirs of religious Babel.
Babylonia, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome were all strongholds of the world religion of evolutionary pantheism and idolatrous polytheism.
And so they are appropriately represented as six heads on the great beast that supports the harlot.
But that raises a question.
What about the four kingdoms mentioned in Daniel, chapter seven?
Daniel makes the number less because he started with those in his own time. He only looked forward. Here the account looks backward as well as forward.
Daniel's first is the third one here, and what is the sixth? Here is the fourth one in Daniel.
So you can see only the beginning point differs. The visions of Daniel and the visions of John are from the same divine source, and they perfectly harmonize. It's only that John's visions are fuller.
And that shouldn't surprise us, since John lived approximately 600 years after Daniel, and Daniel was not permitted to see or know things that were later revealed to the apostle John.
As surely as Rome in John's day, and Greece and Persia and Babylon and Assyria and Egypt before Rome existed and ruled on earth as regal mountains. Then so surely were they each and all ridden by this great harlot, this false world religion.
Those kingdoms were the lovers, the supporters and the defenders of organized falsehood in religion. They were the patrons of idolatry. They were the friends of all manner of spiritual harlotry.
Nimrod, who was the hunter of Genesis 10 and the author of tyrannical government, established his idolatrous inventions as the crown and glory of his empire, the empire of Babylon.
He intertwined idol worship with the standards of his power, and that was true of all the succeeding empires.
Further, the angel said, the beast that was and is not, is himself also the eighth, and belongs to the seven, and is going to perdition.
The eighth king and by the way, that's a masculine noun, so it's a person can only be that of the beast himself.
He encompasses all the evil characteristics of the seven who went before him, but especially those of the founder of all seven, the first Babel.
Now, one may ask, how can the beast or the Antichrist be an eighth king and also be one of the seven?
I believe the answer lies in the phrase the beast was and is not.
Antichrist will be one of the seven kings before his supposed fatal wounding and resurrection, and then an eighth king afterward, during the second phase of his rule.
As we noted earlier in verse eight, Antichrist will go to destruction, that is, to eternal damnation in the lake of fire.
Unlike the first six, God will directly destroy his empire.
The final form of world government, symbolized by the 8th beast itself is the world empire of the time of the Great Tribulation.
Remember Daniel's fourth empire.
The revived Roman Empire will devour the whole earth. That's what Daniel says.
None of the previous empires ruled the entire world.
This final empire, which will rule immediately after the rapture of the Church, is apparently indicated by the seventh head.
And then at the same time, the beast described in verse 11 as the eighth is the world empire which Christ will destroy at his second coming.
So verses 8 through 11 describe the final form of gentile world power in alliance with apostate religion, and that is symbolized by this harlot, this prostitute.
The closing verses of the chapter then take us to the final scene in which Mystery Babylon is judged.
John is informed that the 10 horns he saw on the beast were 10 kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings along with the beast.
It is these ten kings who will ultimately decide the fate of this prostitute, Mystery Babylon.
Now, these kings do not rule in succession, but they reign simultaneously at the end of time.
Their rule as kings is subject to that of the beast itself. And their area of power is brief.
So they are a phase in the spread of power from the various kingdoms to the beast himself.
This is shown by verse 13, where it is said that these have one mind, and they give their power and strength to the beast, just as the dragon gave both power and authority to the beast. That's in Revelation 13, 2.
So these kings are wholly at the service of the beast. They will hand over their power and and their authority to him.
And then further, the angel said, they 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.
Revelation 16, 13, 14 record this gathering for war.
And I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of demons performing signs. Now listen. Which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
So the Lamb is of course, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the ultimate subjugation of these kings under the Lamb is destined to be filled at his second coming.
And this triumph is anticipated in verse 14, where the Lamb is prophesied to overcome them.
Later, in chapter 19 of Revelation, John describes this battle in those on the side of the Lamb, by the way that's ultimately the winning side, are referred to as called chosen and faithful.
Those terms are rich in their definition of believers as the elect, chosen in the Son before the foundation of the world. According to Ephesians 1:4, the called summoned in time by the Father to repentance and faith that saves and then faithful, demonstrating the true saving faith, the genuine eternal life that endures by the power of the spirit. According to Romans 8, 9, John was told, the waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues.
So the great harlot that will be judged is not an actual prostitute. She is a metaphor for false religion, for idolatry and religious apostasy.
The situation described here is one of a great political power for the beast, but a shared rule with the woman who controls the world's multitudes.
However, this shared rule will not last very long because these ten kings and the beast will turn on the prostitute with a divinely motivated vengeance.
John was told, and the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot.
They will make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
So the destruction of the harlot reduces all her expensive jewelry and gorgeous robes to ashes.
She's stripped of them, her flesh is eaten, she's burned with fire.
Incidentally, if you go back to Leviticus chapter 21 and verse 9, this was the same punishment that was prescribed for a daughter of a priest who profaned her father by becoming a harlot. And these graphic words clearly picture the downfall of the apostate church.
So after using the prostitute to help him gain control of the world, the beast, the antichrist, the will discard her, since he worships the God of military power, According to Daniel 11:38, he will likely covet her vast wealth to finance his military buildup, and as a result, he will turn on the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
That graphic language of extreme violence makes clear that Antichrist and his followers will utterly destroy every trace of the false religious system.
The divine judgment inflicted on apostate Christianity follows a pattern that's evident in other judgments upon wicked nations and godless rulers.
If you are familiar with the Scripture, you know that ancient Babylon was used to bring affliction upon the people of Israel, and so were Assyria and Egypt. But then, in due time, the same nations that inflicted divine judgment became themselves the object of God's wrath. The principle involved is plainly stated in verse 17.
Their action is inspired by a blasphemous attempt to institute a world religion that's contrary to divine revelation, and yet it fulfills God's will that the kingdoms of the world should come under the domain of the beast until the words of God should be fulfilled.
So God's plan for the ages unfolds majestically, and Scripture indicates that God sovereignly permits increasing wickedness until the cup of iniquity is full and overflowing.
By comparing Scriptures, the time of this event may be placed approximately at the midpoint of the seven years of Daniel's 70th week.
During the first half of the seven years, Apostate Christendom flourishes, and it establishes its power all over the world.
Also during this period, there is a measure of religious freedom that's indicated by the fact that the Jews are allowed to worship and renew their sacrifices. You can read that in Daniel chapter 9 and verse 27.
There may also be widespread preaching of the Gospel, because it would hardly seem possible to extend religious freedom to the Jews without giving that same freedom to everyone.
However, the seeming triumph of the ecumenical movement occurs at the same time as this final effort. And so all religions, apart from the true faith in Christ, gather into one great worldwide church.
Only those who are truly saved, those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of life, and who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, seem to escape this movement toward unification.
The climax of this series of events appears in the early part of chapter 17, that we looked at last time, where the woman, in all her pomp and wickedness, rides on the beast.
However, with the beginning of the second half of the week, the ruler of the revived Roman Empire, who is the political head of the empire and is himself designated also as the Beast proclaims himself as dictator of the whole world, so then he no longer needs the help and the power of the church, so he destroys her. And in place of this religious apostasy, what does he do? He substitutes the final form of wickedness in religion, and that is the worship of himself. He sets himself up in the temple as God.
According to chapter 13, verse 8, all men will worship the beast.
That is all except true believers in Christ.
And we find a parallel revelation In Daniel, chapter 11, verses 36 to 39, where the arrogant king likewise puts aside all other deities in favor of being worshiped himself.
Antichrist's Satanically inspired actions, however, fall within God's sovereign plan.
You see, God will put it in the hearts of Antichrist followers to fulfill his purpose.
He will give them a common goal by giving their kingdom to the beast.
God's power is behind the destruction and consolidation of the evil empire.
And as always, Satan is the instrument of God's purposes.
The one world government that humanists have sought for so long will finally arrive, only to be destroyed in one great final act of divine judgment.
All the words of God, every prophecy of Christ's return and the setting up of his kingdom will be fulfilled completely, while Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth, will reach the fullest glory of her power in that end time. She is very much at work in our world today in the apostate church.
And many are being lulled to sleep by giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
I pray that you and I will not be among those who are deceived.
[00:22:14] Speaker A: Create in me a clean heart, O God, let me be like you in all my ways.
Give me your strength, teach me your song.
Shelter me in the shadow of your wings, for we are your righteousness.
If we've died to ourselves and live through your death, then we shall be born again to be blessed in your love.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, let me be like you in all my ways.
Give me your strength, Teach me your song Shelter me in the shadow of your wings for we are your righteousness.
If we die to ourselves and live through your death, then we shall be born again to be blessed in your love.
[00:23:38] Speaker C: Then we shall be born again to
[00:23:42] Speaker A: be blessed in your love.
[00:23:52] Speaker E: That concludes our teaching on Revelation 17.
Wow, there's a lot to think about in there. I encourage you to ponder J. Mark's last statement about being lulled to sleep and ask honestly, are you awake or just comfortable enough? Not to notice that you're drifting before we close, consider this sobering reality. One in three people around the world lack access to Bible resources. Pastors, ministry leaders and seekers are often left without the tools that they need to grow or to disciple others.
Here is what one of our listeners to our international radio program in Kenya I never knew there was so much in the Bible until I began listening to Hope for Today.
The teacher has made me realize that the Bible is a book that must be read with care, and above all, I understand the Bible now more than ever before, and this has made me keen on joining a church.
If today's teaching has encouraged you, we'd love to hear from you. Your stories and responses mean so much to us.
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Join us the next time as we continue our journey through Scripture. Until then, may God's Word strengthen your faith and remind you that his work in the world is far from finished.
Thank you for listening to the Voice of Hope.
[00:25:55] Speaker B: I am weak but Thou art strong Jesus keep me from all wrong.
I'll be satisfied as long Long as I walk, dear Lord Close to Thee Just a closer walk with Thee Granted, Jesus, is my plea My plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord let it be.
Through this world of toil and snare if I falter, Lord, who cares who cares who with me my burden shares none but Thee dear Lord none but
[00:27:31] Speaker C: Thee
[00:27:35] Speaker B: Just a closer walk with Thee Granted Jesus is my plea My plea
[00:27:51] Speaker C: Daily
[00:27:53] Speaker B: walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord let it be
[00:28:08] Speaker F: Just a closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer walk when my feeble life is Just a closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer time
[00:28:20] Speaker B: for me will be no Just a
[00:28:23] Speaker F: closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer walk Just a closer
[00:28:36] Speaker B: walk Just a closer walk Just a
[00:28:39] Speaker F: closer walk Just a closer Just a
[00:28:43] Speaker B: closer walk with Just a closer walk
[00:28:46] Speaker F: Just a closer walk Just a closer
[00:28:49] Speaker B: walk Jesus this my plea wall Just walking close to Just.
