EXEGESIS VERSES 1 – 2:
GNT Revelation 17:1 Kai. h=lqen ei-j evk tw/n e`pta. avgge,lwn tw/n
evco,ntwn ta.j e`pta. fia,laj kai. evla,lhsen metV evmou/ le,gwn( Deu/ro(
dei,xw soi to. kri,ma th/j po,rnhj th/j mega,lhj th/j kaqhme,nhj evpi. u`da,twn
pollw/n(
NAS Revelation 17:1 And one of the seven angels who had the
seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying,
Kai, (cc) ei-j (card.adj./nm-s; "one") evk (pAbl) tw/n o` (d.a./Ablmp + ) e`pta, (card. adj./Ablm-p; "the seven") avgge,lwn a;ggeloj (n-Ablm-p) tw/n o` evco,ntwn e;cw (d.a. +
adj.ptc./p/a/Abl-p; "having") ta.j h` (d.a./afp +) e`pta, (card.adj./af-p)
fia,laj fia,lh (n-af-p;
"bowls") h=lqen e;rcomai (viaa--3s; forward for
emphasis) kai, (cc)
evla,lhsen lale,w (viaa--3s;
"spoke/communicated") metV meta, (pg)
evmou/ evgw, (npg-1s;
ref. John) le,gwn( le,gw (circ.ptc./p/a/nm-s) "Come here, I shall show you the
judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, Deu/ro(
deu/ro (adv. of place; when used as an imperative "Come here") dei,xw dei,knumi (vifa--1s; "I will show/point
out/explain"; same as 1:1; 4:1) soi su, (npd-2s; ref. John) to, kri,ma (d.a. + n-an-s; "the judgment"; used
27x; in a legal sense "verdict/process and reasoning for sentencing")
th/j h` mega,lhj me,gaj (d.a. +
a--gf-s) th/j h` po,rnhj po,rnh (d.a. +
n-gf-s; "harlot/whore/prostitute"; used 12x) th/j h` kaqhme,nhj ka,qhmai (d.a. + adj.ptc./p/d/gf-s;
"sitting") evpi, (pg; genitive emphasizes
contact) pollw/n( polu,j (a--gn-p; "many") u`da,twn u[dwr (n-gn-p; "waters")
GNT Revelation 17:2 meqV h-j evpo,rneusan oi` basilei/j th/j gh/j
kai. evmequ,sqhsan oi` katoikou/ntej th.n gh/n evk tou/ oi;nou th/j pornei,aj
auvth/j
NAS Revelation 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed
acts of immorality, meqV meta, (pg; "with") h-j o[j (rel.pro./gf-s; ref. the great whore") oi` o` basilei/j basileu,j (d.a. + n-nm-p; "the kings/rulers") th/j h` gh/j gh/ (d.a. + n-gf-s; "of the earth") evpo,rneusan porneu,w (viaa--3p; lit. to prostitute oneself;
"committed immorality"; same as 2:14,20; metaphorically to engage in
idol worship cp. LXX Jer.3:6,8, ) and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her
immorality." kai, (cc)
oi` o` katoikou/ntej
katoike,w (d.a. + subs.ptc./p/a/nm-p; "those who
dwell/inhabit") th.n h` gh/n gh/ (d.a. + n-af-s) evmequ,sqhsan mequ,skw (viap--3p; "were made
intoxicated/drunk") evk (pAbl; lit. "from the source of") tou/ o` oi;nou oi=noj (d.a. + n-gm-s; "the wine") auvth/j auvto,j (npgf3s; ref. the great whore) th/j h` pornei,aj
pornei,a (d.a. + n-gf-s;
"fornication/immorality"; same as 2:21; 9:21)
ANALYSIS VERSES 1 – 2:
1. Chapter 17 begins the final parenthetical insert
for Revelation ending at Rev.19:10.
2. The parenthesis is designed to highlight why
3. That being that
4. Both chapters 17 & 18 are further designed to
explain the two-fold
5. This is designed to point out two literal entities
of religious and political influence that are the dominant players behind this
Babylonian system.
6. Upon the finale of the 7th bowl
judgment in Rev.16:21, John is now approached by one of the marquee angels, “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with
me, saying..”.
7. We are not told which angel it is and any attempt
to identify him is speculative.
8. This is the first of two times John is solicited
by one of these angels, the other recorded in Rev.21:9.
9. Whether they are one and the same is not stated.
10. Yet it is clear the angel(s) in view represent the
last of God’s septet judgments.
11. Further, it is from this group of angels that we see a final angelic
messenger(s) having direct interaction with John from chapter 17 to the
conclusion of the Book of Revelation.
12. It appears that the angel’(s’) participation in
this vein is designed to set apart the chapters of 17-21 as one final unit of significance as it
pertains to this book.
13. In addition, both occasions of angelic
participation combined provide a contrast between the prostitute of our passage
and the bride described in the form of the New Jerusalem. Rev.9:21ff
14. This contrasts the realities found behind the
human viewpoint evil that brings judgment upon the world to the realities of
God’s plan in judgment that brings eternal blessing.
15. The final 5 chapters of Revelation as a unit are to
be viewed as highlighting the contrast found in judgment bringing condemnation
on the one hand, but eternal blessing on the other.
16. This is seen in that judging or judgment is a reoccurring theme
mentioned some 10x in these final chapters.
Rev.17:1; 18:8,10,20; 19:2 (2x),11; 20:4,12,13
17. This issue is immediately addressed in our verse
as seen in the angel’s words now spoken to John, “Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits
on many waters”.
18. As elsewhere in Revelation, John is given an
imperative to which he must obey in order to reap the benefits of understanding
the message of truth this angel offers.
Cp.Rev.10:9-11; 11:1-2
19. This points to the principle that failure to
adhere to God’s words in obedience, the individual remains blind to the truth (a
judgment). Joh.9:39
20. This universal truth becomes the common
denominator as to the why of the
judgment brought upon
21. The Greek noun “judgment/kri,ma – krima” is the result of
the verb “to judge/kri,nw – krino” denoting the
verdict or sentence handed down by a judge, here emphasizing the condemnation
of the wrong.
22. While God is the ultimate Judge in this case, He
determines that the sentence is to be executed by others. Rev.17:17
23. It will be the 1st 6 verses of chapter
17 that will establish the guilt of the great
whore as a result of her rejecting the truth.
24. The term “harlot/whore/po,rnh – porne” is a female that practices sexual immorality as a means for making her
living as in our modern terms of prostitute or hooker.
25. The description of “great” indicts this particular whore as one that has taken the
practices of prostitution to new heights in terms of immorality and success in her trade.
26. The genitive case of “harlot” is objective indicating she receives the action of the judgment imposed.
27. The woman is actually identified for us in vs.5, “
28. This indicates that she spawns like progeny
practicing the trade of spreading her evil in areas God in particular despises.
29. She is further defined in 17:18 as “the great city, which reigns over the kings
of the earth”.
30. Based on these facts, we know we are not dealing
with a literal person, but a system that has a geographical primary seat of
power as a large, prominent or notable city.
31. Further, while in complicity with the political
powers of the earth, she is regarded as separate from the individual political
systems themselves.
32. The final phrase of vs.1, “who sits on many waters” is interpreted for us in vs.15 as the vast
extent of her influence being global over the masses of –V of peoples and multitudes and nations and
tongues.
33. This indicates that while her authority and
influence highlights world leaders, it is not limited and extends to all
categories of humanity.
34. It is the figure of harlotry that points this
system to be judged as an apostate religious system.
35. As we noted in the introduction to chapters 17
& 18, the picture and language concerning this great whore soliciting immoral sexual activity of others recalls
the one other woman mentioned in Revelation of same character, Jezebel of
Rev.2:20ff.
36. As noted in the analysis of Rev.2, Jezebel’s acts
and solicitation of fornication went beyond physical immorality and portrayed
the leaven of spiritual infidelity that had infiltrated the true Church during
the time of Thyatira ~590-1606 AD.
37. In fact, it has been noted that the figure of
harlotry is used some 50x in the OT to picture the spiritual apostasy or
spiritual fornication practiced by idolatrous Jews. Cp. Jdg.2:17; 8:33 et al
38. It was during the Middle Ages that Roman
Catholicism dominated the Christian landscape in the European theater.
39. This is important as the woman is seen directly
associated with the Revived Roman Empire in vs.3 defined as a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names,
having seven heads and ten horns.
40. We already identified this beast in connection
with Antichrist heading the present EU being the RRE and 4th beast
of Daniel’s vision. Rev.13:1 cp.
Dan.2:40-43 to 7:7-8
41. It is the RCC that is the present day incarnation
of the mother/son cult for which
42. Further, Roman Catholicism is the only religious
system (apostate or otherwise) that literally has their own city,
43. Through the invention and process of Roman
Catholicism developed a system of false religion successful in infiltrating the
political arena in order to advance her cause.
44. It is this illicit union between religion and
political powers that is now first highlighted in her disgusting sexual
escapades in vs.2a, “with whom the kings
of the earth committed acts of immorality”.
45. Another identifying mark for this spiritual whore
is her claim to fame in seducing the world rulers and leaders of the earth.
46. The phrase “the
kings of the earth” is to be viewed in a timeless sense not limited to the
time of writing or other specific date.
47. The aorist tense of the verb “committed acts of immorality” is to be classified as gnomic
presenting a timeless ongoing action emphasizing its characteristic over a
particular era.
48. The verb itself “porvneu,w – porneuo” literally means to prostitute one’s body for money or to engage
in sexual activity with a prostitute.
49. It is then observed that the subject of this verb
is actually the kings of the earth.
50. This points to the fact that as one may rightly
denigrate this whore for her ignominious/reprehensible lifestyle, without her
paramours/lovers (our term “Johns”), she would quickly be out of business.
51. This looks to the union that false religion produces
between –V and its idolatrous human viewpoint man-made ideologies. Cp.1Cor.6:16-17
52. It takes two to tango.
53. While large blocks of Revelation are dedicated to
the evil of the unholy trinity and the great deception they place upon the
world,
54. It points to the –V of mankind over history as the
instruments of evil that sets the stage ideologically for Antichrist to emerge
with a pre-strategic plan already in place and operating on a global basis.
55. This is the two-armed global political-religious
system of whose ideology Antichrist will consolidate under his rule.
56. The –V of mankind bring the judgments of God upon
the world, any blame upon Satan or others aside.
57. History has clearly revealed that the Church
became actively involved in politics from the time of Constantine the Great
circa 306-337 until the present day.
58. As we studied regarding the 7 churches, we noted
the infiltration of religiosity and idolatry infiltrating the Church even in
its infancy state.
59. The influence of Gnosticism under the legalistic
and liberal banners of the Nicolaitans and Balaamites resulted in an organized religious
approach to Christianity.
60. This approach produced a system of monarchian hierarchy,
mysticism (esoteric) and ecumenical absorption of pagan belief.
61. By the time of
62. The extent of leaven is seen as one of the major
controversies at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD included Arianism that denied
the true Deity of Christ. Christianity Through the Centuries; p.134a
63. During this time,
64. This formulated a new beginning to institute a
union of church and state.
65. What this meant was that the bishops now joined
the bureaucrats to form a new governing class in the Roman Empire that resulted
in
66. He sought to enforce political and doctrinal unity
within the Empire by subsidizing the church that resulted in a great amount of
wealth flowing into that organization.
67. By
the time of Pope Leo I in 440 AD, the Roman bishop began to claim his supremacy
over all other bishops, and by 476AD
68. Since spiritual authority and power would have to be accounted for, Gelasius I wrote that religious power of the pope was more important than royal power; hence, rulers should submit to the authority of the pope.
69. By
800 AD the authority of the papacy was firmly established in
70. However, the popes found themselves subject to pressures that threatened their increasingly strong claims to power.
71. The
emperors in Constantinople, who believed that the church should be subordinated
to the ruler of the state, were steadily encroaching on the prerogatives that
the bishops of
72. These
difficulties forced the pope to look for a powerful ally who would support his
claims of spiritual power and to temporal possession in
73. The most promising allies looked to be the Frankish (Saxon) rulers, with whom an alliance was made to influence ecclesiastical and political affairs during the Middle Ages.
74. During
the time of Charlemagne (c. 800 AD) the
75. Although the pope and the emperor were to give each other mutual support, the popes finally succeeded in bringing the emperors under their control.
76. By the time of Pope Innocent III in 1198 AD, papal influence had made a steady advance over European political affairs.
77. His
position is recorded in a letter to Acerbius and the nobles of
78. Although
Catholic power and influence would decline from time to time, by the time of
the Inquisitions in the Middle Ages there was virtually no distinction between
the church and the state in
79. During
the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church has continued its course
of political involvement, enacting its will in
80. The Catholic Church has continued to be so influential and exert such great power in the diplomatic-political field because it has at its disposal the tremendous machinery of a spiritual organization with constituents in every country of the planet.
81. An organization with such great numbers and power is something politicians want to make certain is functioning on their behalf, a fact that makes them quite willing to sleep with the prostitute.
82. With the coupe of seducing those of the highest
political influence, vs.2b focuses on a more passive residue as an extension
from the whore’s political triumphs, “and
those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality”.
83. Once again, mention of the “earth dwellers” that is repeatedly used in the book for unbelievers
is brought forth.
84. These –V unbelievers are said to be made drunk with the wine of her immorality
employing a passive verb that sees the end result.
85. However, as we know, those that are made drunk get into that state by the
exercise of their volition consuming alcohol in excessive quantities.
86. That literal drunkenness and wine are not in view is seen in that the wine is defined by the genitive of apposition referred to as her immorality.
87. Her
immorality is then further
defined for us in vs4 as abominations and
the unclean things of her immorality.
88. The wine
is metaphorical for the various false doctrines that arose during the course of
history becoming embedded into the RCC.
89. This as a result of the whore’s cavorting with the
political leaders of the world and distorting the truth to suit her course of
action.
90. While physical drunkenness comes with excess of
alcohol intake, spiritual drunkenness is the state of those that have accepted
and assimilated false doctrines into their lives.
91. Just as too much alcohol disorients the consumer
causing a loss of touch with objective reality, even so those that imbibe false
doctrines come under the influence of evil and spiritually disoriented.
92. While not stated explicitly, implicitly the great whore under God’s judgment strongly suggests that union
of church and state/politics is to be avoided.
1The.4:11; 1Tim.2:2
93. The Church is designed to be a spiritual
organization and attempts to infiltrate the political arena would demand some
compromise of doctrinal purity violating our mandate to remain separate. Jam.4:4 cp.1Cor.5:12-13
94. A dangerous bit of human viewpoint floating around
Christian circles today is the fallacious idea that we can reform the Devil’s
world through political action.
95. The fact is we can only offer the gospel of the
truth of BD as the solution to man’s problems.
EXEGESIS VERSE 3:
GNT Revelation 17:3 kai. avph,negke,n me eivj e;rhmon evn pneu,matiÅ
kai. ei=don gunai/ka kaqhme,nhn evpi. qhri,on ko,kkinon( ge,monta ovno,mata
blasfhmi,aj( e;cwn kefala.j e`pta. kai. ke,rata de,kaÅ
NAS Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a
wilderness; kai, (cc)
avph,negke,n avpofe,rw
(viaa--3s; "he carried off/took away"; used 6x) me evgw, (npa-1s; ref. John) evn (pL) pneu,matiÅ pneu/ma (n-Ln-s; "spirit") eivj (pa) e;rhmon e;rhmoj (ap-af-s;
"wilderness/desert/desolate uninhabited area"; same as 12:6,14 ) and
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having
seven heads and ten horns. kai, (cc)
ei=don o`ra,w (viaa--1s) gunai/ka gunh, (n-af-s; "a woman") kaqhme,nhn ka,qhmai (adj.ptc./p/d/af-s; "sitting") evpi, (pa) ko,kkinon( ko,kkinoj (a--an-s; "a scarlet/crimson/red"; used
6x) qhri,on (n-an-s; "beast"; ref. to the 1st beast
Rev.13:1) ge,monta ge,mw (adj.ptc./p/a/an-p; "full
of"; plural implicates both woman and beast) blasfhmi,aj( blasfhmi,a (n-gf-s; "blasphemous") ovno,mata o;noma (n-an-p; "names") e;cwn e;cw (adj.ptc./p/a/nm-s;
"having"; masculine gender personifies the beast) e`pta, (card.adj./af-p; "seven") kefala.j kefalh, (n-af-p; "heads") kai, (cc) de,kaÅ (card.adj./an-p;
"ten") ke,rata ke,raj (n-an-p; "horns")
ANALYSIS VERSE 3:
1. Vs.3a makes it clear John responds to the angel’s
command to approach him as the angel now becomes a transport vehicle for John,
“And he carried me away in the Spirit
into a wilderness”.
2. Four times in the book of Revelation we see the
phrase “in spirit” used with John
indicating a transition into a spiritual trance-like state. Rev.1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10
3. This spiritual state could be likened to our
understanding of virtual reality with the events John experiences as real and
tangible to his consciousness and senses as if physically present.
4. Yet, physically John never leaves the
5. Further, the phrases’ use in our context points to
a major transition in the spiritual realities that have heretofore been
emphasized.
6. This is seen in that John is now transported from
the vantage of the 3rd heaven into
a wilderness.
7. The transition is clearest understood as now
dealing with the Babylonian system and its ideologies as the vehicle of man
that God has also been targeting in judgment.
8. This in contrast to emphasis on Antichrist, the
ultimate product as a result of
9. The term “wilderness/e;rhmoj – eremos” denotes a solitary, desolate region or
uninhabited desert.
10. For the desert to be only literal falls short of
the reality behind this vision.
11. The imagery here portrays the spiritual wasteland
characteristic of the woman and the beast upon which she sits.
12. The world that comes under their spell will be a
spiritual desert, void of the knowledge of God and lacking the spiritual food
and water of sound BD.
13. The wilderness
is characteristic of the negative world that embraces false doctrine and human
viewpoint.
14. The term here has the same spiritual nuance
likening
15. The woman John
now observes is correctly identified as the great whore initially introduced in
vss.1-2, “and I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns”.
16. The beast
is the same beast introduced in Rev.13
identifying Antichrist and the kingdom over which he rules.
17. The beast
is further described for us in Rev.17:7-13.
18. The beast
is here presented in its final accumulative form in the last days of having seven heads and ten horns.
19. As we have noted, the 7 heads are 7 world empires, 6 that have existed,
20. That which each of these empires have in common
are:
A. All 7 are directly in conflict with the Jews.
1)
2) Assyrian conquest of the
3) Babylonian conquest of the Southern Kingdom 586
BC.
4) Medo-Persian domination under Darius and Cyrus.
5) Continued Macedonian/Grecian domination under the Ptolemaics
and Seleucias out of Alexander’s 4 generals’ fame (Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus
and Cassander). Dan.8:8
6) Continued Roman domination.
7) Final domination via Antichrist.
B. All 7 are influenced by the mother/son cult:
1)
2)
3)
4) Medo-Persia: Anaita/Mithra
5)
6)
7) RRE: Modern day Roman Catholicism
C. All 7
politically seek world domination in its own time.
21. It is the RRE that is one and same future
terrifying beast of Dan.7:7 also having 10 horns.
22. The 10 horns
therefore, are only on one of the 7 heads
(the last in chronological appearance) and are 10 nations confederated in the
last days. Rev.17:12
23. That the beast of Dan.7:7 is associated with historical
24. Further, it indicates the geographical boundaries
of this future empire existing within
25. The 10 nations can be further identified today as
the backbone of the EU, the 10 founding nations a.k.a. the Western EU (
26. Together with Antichrist, the WEU makes up the
political base and geographical boundaries for the RRE.
27. That the woman
John now sees is postured “sitting upon” this political empire indicates all
7 heads as major power vehicles used
by Satan to support and promote the ongoing mother/son idolatrous cult throughout
history.
28. And that which is of most significance is the
final incarnation of the cult as it appears in the last days via the RRE and
the rise of Antichrist.
29. This again looks at modern day Roman Catholicism
that continues to dominate the religious landscape of
30. The RCC is the religious bridge of the mother/son
cult tying historical
31. Further, her sitting
on the beast indicates that
initially she is in a dominant position.
32. Later, she will be destroyed by the beast.
Rev.17:16
33. The one descriptive item attributed to the beast in our verse omitted in chapter
13 is that it is said to be “scarlet/ko,kkonoj – kokkonos” in color.
34. Interpreters analogize this color in many ways
such as typifying the luxury of the empire (cp.vs.4), contrasting with the
white clothing of Christ and the saints (Rev.19:8,11,14) or a direct connection
to the red dragon (Rev.12:3 though different term “red/purro,j – purros”).
35. Another reference is to sin being likened to the
color scarlet/crimson in the LXX of
Isa.1:18 and thus emphasizing the absolute sinfulness of Antichrist and his
empire.
36. While legitimate arguments can probably be made
for all cases, the symbolism behind this color as the term is used in the NT is
royalty.
37. This is documented in its use in Mat.27:28, “And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him”.
38. The scarlet
robe was for mocking Jesus at His trial as King of the Jews. Cp.Mat.27:29
39. That the beast
is here presented in its finalized form as the RRE, the scarlet would then look to a Monarchial appearance attributed to
the beast.
40. It looks to the governmental system of
Monarchs/kings behind each of the 7 world empires.
41. Governments of Monarchs are also seen in the
establishment of the 10 European nations.
42. This is seen in that
43. One of the things
44. Of the 10 European nations mentioned, all were
ruled by kings well into the 19th and 20th centuries.
45. The European confederation is colored by its proud
tradition of kings, a political tradition destined to become a reality again under
Antichrist as supreme ruler over the RRE.
46. The same sense of Monarchial royalty will be
attributed to the woman herself in
vs.4 looking to the Pontifical system of government in the RCC.
47. It is the principle of king or monarch that is the
tie between the Babylonian religious and political arms.
48. It is this type of governmental system of only one
sovereign that has the right to rule that becomes the contrasting backdrop of
conflict between Satan’s policy and God’s.
49. The fact that it is a religious system being
emphasized is seen in the participial phrase indicting both the woman and beast being full of
blasphemous names.
50. While Rev.13:1 indicated the beast had blasphemous names
on his heads, here we are told that
it is entirely covered, as with the woman.
51. Blasphemous
names indicate blasphemous reputations that both the woman and beast characterize when seen together in their religious political
format.
52. Together, this formulates the basis for the
Babylonian system.
53. It is an arrogant manmade system on both accounts
and together manufactures a single system that is in total defiance and
rejection to the plan of God.
54. It openly attacks true Christianity with
religiosity and attacks God’s government of nationalism with internationalism.
55. In affect, the systems call God a liar rejecting
the truth of His word.
56. The epitome of their blasphemy will be realized in
their consolidation through Antichrist claiming divinity as god and right to
rule the world. Dan.8:11,23ff
57. That the woman
is here affiliated with head number 7 (RRE) is to single out that it is in
those days that she will be judged.
58. This is the main purpose of the chapter; to reveal
her judgment. Rev.17:1
59. It becomes clear that the RCC will have a close
relationship with Antichrist during the first portion of the tribulation.
60. At first, the church will be in the dominant
position.
61. However, the Antichrist will use the whore to help
come to power.
62. This is not unusual, since the prostitute has
traditionally committed spiritual adultery with the rulers of the earth.
63. However, the Antichrist will desire personal
worship.
64. When he acquires sufficient power, he will destroy
the apostate church on his road to proclaim himself to be god. 1The.2:3-4
65. It is God that puts it into the hearts of the
Antichrist and the 10 kings to destroy the RCC.
Rev.17:17
66. This parallels His judgment on
67. The great prostitute, the RCC, is finally
destroyed by one of her lovers.
68. God views spiritual adultery as the worst sort of abomination.
EXEGESIS VERSES 4 – 5:
GNT Revelation 17:4 kai. h` gunh. h=n
peribeblhme,nh porfurou/n kai. ko,kkinon kai. kecruswme,nh crusi,w| kai. li,qw|
timi,w| kai. margari,taij( e;cousa poth,rion crusou/n evn th/| ceiri. auvth/j
ge,mon bdelugma,twn kai. ta. avka,qarta th/j pornei,aj auvth/j
NAS Revelation 17:4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, kai,
(cc) h` gunh, (d.a. + n-nf-s; "the woman") h=n eivmi, (viIPFa--3s +)
peribeblhme,nh periba,llw
(+ complement. periphrastic
ptc./PF/m/nf-s; "was clothed/had clothed herself") porfurou/n porfurou/j (ap-an-s; "purple"; used 4x; figurative
for royalty cp. Joh.19:2,5) kai, (cc)
ko,kkinon ko,kkinoj (ap-an-s;
"scarlet") kai, (cc)
kecruswme,nh cruso,w (+ compl.
periph. ptc./PF/p/nf-s; "had been adorned/gilded or overlaid with
gold"; used 2x; emphasis on the overt appearance) crusi,w| crusi,on (n-dn-s; "gold") kai, (cc) timi,w| ti,mioj (a--dm-s; "a thing of great
value/cost/precious"; used 12x) li,qw| li,qoj (n-dm-s; "stone/gem") kai, (cc) margari,taij( margari,thj (n-dm-p;
"pearls"; used 8x) having in her hand a gold cup full of
abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, e;cousa e;cw (+ periph. ptc./p/a/nf-s;
"having/holding") evn (pL) auvth/j auvto,j (npgf3s) th/| h` ceiri. cei,r (d.a. + n-Lf-s; "hand") crusou/n crusou/j (a--an-s; "a gold/golden") poth,rion (n-an-s; "cup") ge,mon ge,mw (adj.ptc./p/a/an-s; "full of") bdelugma,twn bde,lugma (n-gn-p; "abominations/detestable or foul
things"; used 6x; of Antichrist in Mat.24:15; Mar.13:14) kai, (cc)
ta. to, avka,qarta
avka,qartoj (ap-an-p; "unclean/defiled/filthy
things"; same as 16:13) auvth/j auvto,j (npgf3s) th/j h` pornei,aj pornei,a (d.a. + n-gf-s; "immorality/fornication")
GNT Revelation 17:5 kai. evpi. to. me,twpon auvth/j o;noma
gegramme,non( musth,rion( Babulw.n h` mega,lh( h` mh,thr tw/n pornw/n kai. tw/n
bdelugma,twn th/j gh/jÅ
NAS Revelation 17:5 and upon her forehead a name was written, a
mystery, "
ANALYSIS VERSES 4 – 5:
1. In vss.4-5, John is now focused solely on the
appearance of the great whore.
2. He first begins by describing the colors of her
dress code, “And the woman was clothed
in purple and scarlet”
3. Along with scarlet,
purple is added in compliment of her
attire.
4. As with the term “scarlet”, “purple/porfurou/j – porfurous” is also used to indicate royalty. Cp.Joh.19:2,5
5. In the 2 occasions Christ was mocked as King of the Jews, the colors of purple and scarlet were the symbolic
colors of choice for that representation.
6. That the
woman so dresses herself in this fashion is designed to point to the
Pontifical hierarchy of government established in the RCC.
7. Just as a literal prostitute dresses to allure her
clientele, so the RCC is designed to appeal to her favorite johns, the kings of the earth. Rev.17:2
8. She dresses as a “high price” call girl so as to
fit within the circles of the rich and famous.
9. This looks to the early compromise of the Church
with
10. Through this compromise evolved the position of
Pontiff Maximus a.k.a. the Supreme Pope.
11. The College of Cardinals with the Pope as its head
is the highest echelon of power within the RCC.
12. All other members of the RCC are subordinate to
these men as they are held as the ruling class over the church.
13. With scarlet
as one of the dominant colors for dress, is it any wonder this class of royals
in the RCC is called cardinals?
14. It has been noted that of the different articles
of clothing specified for the Pope to wear when he is installed into office,
five are scarlet.
15. It is this highest order of the RCC that
personifies the elite royalty represented in the woman’s dress code with the
Pope equal to the Sovereign God in power over the church.
16. This aspect of the RCC is being judged as fallacious
as the Bible makes clear that all believers in Christ are royalty and no man is
to be exalted to the level of God.
1Pet.2:9; Mat.23:9
17. The next thing that catches John’s eye is the
extreme luxury this whore flaunts, “and
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls”.
18. While this is seen in a vest the Pope wears
covered with pearls and the miter adorned with gold and precious stones,
it would include the rich attire of all the clergy of rank (rings, miters,
crowns, etc.) and that which decorates and furnishes their cathedrals.
19. The luxury is judged as it was attained by
misrepresenting God’s plan i.e., spiritual prostitution.
20. The accumulated wealth of the RCC over the past
1700 centuries is immense and publicly unknown.
21. One writer and researcher in his book “Vatican
Billions” (Avro Manhattan) projects at the minimum billions of dollars in their
wealth accumulation.
22. One example to base estimation upon is in a
statement published in connection with a bond prospectus by the
23. This is only one of 28 archdioceses and 122
dioceses in the
24. One can imagine their accumulated global wealth
with real estate and property in every nation and then
25. The author
‘The
Catholic Church, once all her assets have been put together, is the most
formidable stockbroker in the world. The
‘The
‘The
Catholic Church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property
owner in existence. She is a greater
possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank,
giant trust, government or state of the whole globe. The pose, as the visible ruler of this
immense amassment of wealth is consequently the richest individual of the
twentieth century. No one can
realistically assess how much he is worth in terms of billions of dollars.’
26. It is further noted that the Vatican has large
investments with the Rothschild’s of Britain, France and America, with the
Hambros Bank, Credit Suisse in London and Zurich and in the U.S. with Morgan
Bank, the Chase-Manhattan Bank, the First National Bank of New York, the
Bankers Trust Company and others.
27. The
28. There are no few historians and researchers that
have openly said the
29. What better way to appeal to the monetary and
power grids of elite rulers and kings of nations and displaying evidence of
cavorting with the richest on the planet.
30. The 3rd thing John now notices is an
item she is holding, “having in her hand
a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality”.
31. The beauty and value of this drinking vessel is
intended to produce a sharp contrast with its contents.
32. The cup
itself looks to the false religious system of Roman Catholicism with emphasis
on its sacramental system.
33. The term “cup/poth,rion – poterion” is used symbolically for doctrine
both true and false (1Cor.10:21) as well as for the concept of Christ’s
sacrifice on the cross. 1Cor.11:25
34. Roman Catholicism is permeated with false
doctrine, the least not being the partaking of the sacraments.
35. RCC doctrine proclaims under the doctrine of
transubstantiation that when one drinks from the cup and eats the round cakes at communion, these elements are
literally turned into Christ’s blood and flesh.
36. Further, the doctrine proclaims that if one does
not partake of Catholic communion recognized under the authority of Roman
Catholicism, the individual dies and goes to hell (salvation by works).
37. This points to this cup being gold that
symbolizes divinity and that the Catholic Church has the power of God to
positionally forgive sins saving one from eternal condemnation.
38. This is seen in the priesthood, the necessity of
confessions to a priest and the acts of contrition demanded for one to be able
to go to heaven.
39. The RCC has replaced the one true mediator Jesus
Christ with their own organization. 1Tim.2:5
40. A list of false doctrines of Catholicism includes:
A. Baptismal regeneration.
B. Justification by works.
C. Sacrifice of the mass.
D. Extreme unction (the preparation of the dying for
their final journey was a pagan rite in the ancient cult).
E. Purgatory.
F. Prayers for the dead.
G. Idol processions.
H. Relic worship.
I. The Rosary.
J. The clothing and crowning of images.
K. “Holy” pictures.
L. Worship of the sacred heart.
M. Candle lighting.
N. The sign of the cross.
O. Priests, monks, nuns (an order of virgin worship).
P. A sovereign pontiff said to be infallible in all
matters of doctrine.
Q. “Holy” water.
R. Infant baptism.
S. Prayers to various “saints”.
T. Novenas (prayer by rote).
U. The worship of the Virgin Mary.
V. The doctrine that Mary remained a virgin all her
life (Mat.1:25 cp. 12:46,47; Mar.6:3; Gal.1:19).
41. The whole religious system in tote is here called abominations and filthy things of her spiritual fornications.
42. The abominations
and unclean things are epexegetical with the first emphasizing the idolatry
and second emphasizing the defiled spiritual state in union with her the system
produces.
43. It is a system of idolatry, debauched worship and
false doctrine emulating the oldest of pagan rituals.
44. It is this “wine” that she gives to the
undiscerning of humanity to appeal to the STA’s of those with religious and
many times mystical trends but no true +V.
45. In vs.5, the
woman is clearly identified as John observes, “and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘
46. Her three-fold name appears upon a most conspicuous area of her body, the forehead.
47. This indicates that she would be readily
recognizable with anyone with any spiritual discernment.
48. While the text does not indicate who wrote the name, it is unlikely that she marked
herself with such an unflattering and derogatory title.
49. It harks to a practice of the ancient world where
the whores would write their names on their foreheads so they could be readily
recognized by those that desired their services.
50. It is most clear here that the name now ascribed to this woman is from God for the purpose of
others identifying her in order to avoid the spiritual disease she spreads to
those that lay with her.
51. It communicates the shameless nature of the whore
equating to the blatant and impudent idolatrous worship of the mother/son cult. Cp.Jer.3:3
52. There is some debate as to whether the term “mystery/musth,rion – musterion” is actually part of the name or is simply in apposition with the term name on her forehead.
53. Some translations (NIV, KJV) translate the term as a part of the name “Mystery Babylon the Great”, while others (NET, NAS) recognize that the terms name and mystery are both neuter and understand the phrase as a mysterious or cryptic name was written…
54. The term mystery is a religious technical term in the cults of the Greco-Roman world that denoted a religious secret that was revealed only to the initiates of the cult.
55. It does not refer to that which cannot be known or understood, but to that which can only be properly understood by those that have the appropriate frame of reference.
56. The use of this term points to that which is not obvious to the untrained or to those that lack understanding; therefore, many interpreters have recognized that what follows is to be understood in a mystical or symbolic fashion. Rev. 1:20
57. The name on her forehead is recorded in a series of three phrases, the first of which is Babylon the Great.
58. This
name is designed to connect the system in view with the first great revolution
against God, the construction of the
59. It was here that the Babylonian cult was invented, a system claiming to possess the highest wisdom and the greatest divine secrets.
60. The second part of her name identifies her as the mother of prostitutes that is designed to indicate that she was the progenitor of many other prostitutes.
61. She is the first in a line that extends through human history reproducing her nature in others.
62. Roman Catholicism and its ritualistic practices are found to some extent in a plethora of denominational churches today.
63. The third portion of her name also is part of her offspring as she is the mother of the abominations of the earth, indicating that all the things God especially hates proceed from her.
64. This emphasizes the plethora of false doctrine other churches have absorbed from her influence.
65. While the genitive of the earth can be understood as descriptive (earthly abominations), possessive (earth’s abominations), or directional (abominations on the earth), it is clear that the abominations belong to the earthly scene.
66. The use of the earth also confirms that the woman’s activities have been a global affair, penetrating every people, multitude, nation, and language with her abominations. Rev.17:15
67. The
woman is envisioned as producing
many other spiritual offspring’s of like nature inflicting pseudo-Christianity and
false theologies upon the negative..
68. She may be pretty on the outside, but she is a
spiritually disease ridden whore unbridled in seducing any dupe that finds her
attractive.
EXEGESIS VERSES 6 – 7:
GNT Revelation 17:6 kai. ei=don th.n gunai/ka mequ,ousan evk tou/
ai[matoj tw/n a`gi,wn kai. evk tou/ ai[matoj tw/n martu,rwn VIhsou/Å Kai.
evqau,masa ivdw.n auvth.n qau/ma me,gaÅ
NAS Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of
the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I
wondered greatly. kai, (cc)
ei=don o`ra,w (viaa--1s) th.n h` gunai/ka gunh, (d.a. + n-af-s; "the woman") mequ,ousan mequ,w (circ.ptc./p/a/af-s;
"drunk/intoxicated") evk (pAbl) tou/ to, ai[matoj ai-ma (d.a. +
n-Abln-s; "the blood") tw/n o` a`gi,wn a[gioj (d.a. +
ap-gm-p; "of the saints") kai, (cc)
evk (pAbl) tou/ to, ai[matoj ai-ma (d.a. + n-Abln-s)
tw/n o` martu,rwn
ma,rtuj (d.a. + n-gm-p; "of the witnesses") VIhsou/Å VIhsou/j (n-gm-s) Kai, (ch)
ivdw.n o`ra,w (circ.ptc../a/a/nm1s;
"after I saw") auvth.n auvto,j (npaf3s) evqau,masa qauma,zw (viaa--1s; "I wondered/was
astonished/marveled") qau/ma (cognate noun-an-s; "at the
marvel/wonder") me,gaÅ me,gaj (a--an-s; "greatly")
GNT Revelation 17:7 kai. ei=pe,n moi o` a;ggeloj( Dia. ti,
evqau,masajÈ evgw. evrw/ soi to. musth,rion th/j gunaiko.j kai. tou/ qhri,ou
tou/ basta,zontoj auvth.n tou/ e;contoj ta.j e`pta. kefala.j kai. ta. de,ka
ke,rataÅ
NAS Revelation 17:7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you
wonder? kai,
(ch) o` a;ggeloj( (d.a. + n-nm-s)
ei=pe,n le,gw (viaa--3s) moi evgw, (npd-1s; ref. John) Dia. dia, (pa +) ti, ti,j (interr.pro./an-s; "Because of
this thing?") evqau,masajÈ qauma,zw (viaa--2s;
"you wonder/marvel") I shall
tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has
the seven heads and the ten horns. evgw. evgw, (npn-1s; ref. the angel +) evrw/ le,gw (vifa--1s; "I myself will
say/tell") soi su, (npd-2s) to, musth,rion (d.a. + n-an-s; "the mystery") th/j h` gunaiko.j gunh, (d.a. + n-gf-s) kai, (cc) tou/ to, qhri,ou qhri,on (d.a. +
n-gn-s; "the beast") tou/ to, basta,zontoj basta,zw (d.a. +
adj.ptc./p/a/gn-s; "carrying/bearing") auvth.n auvto,j (npaf3s; ref. the woman) tou/ to, e;contoj e;cw (d.a. + adj.ptc./p/a/gn-s; "having";
ref. the beast) ta.j h` e`pta, (d.a. + card. adj./af-p; "the
seven") kefala.j kefalh, (n-af-p; "heads") kai, (cc) to, de,ka (d.a. + card. adj./an-p; "the
ten") ke,rataÅ ke,raj (n-an-p; "horns")
ANALYSIS VERSES 6 – 7:
1. In vs.6, John now observes a common condition of
intoxication found amongst prostitutes regaling in their trade.
2. The language makes it clear it is not literal
drunkenness, but metaphorical, “And I
saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
witnesses of Jesus”.
3. The imagery conjures up a monstrous, cruel and
shocking picture of a woman engaging in what is considered to be an abominable
act until she is totally drunk.
4. Not only does she cause others to drink to excess
through her system of false doctrine (Rev.17:2), she herself is intoxicated
with another substance.
5. The figurative language of being “drunk with blood” is used to denote the
reality of killing and death on a large scale.
Deu.32:42; Isa.49:26
6. In our context, it is used as a euphemism (less
offensive expression for something harsh) to indicate the murder of believers.
7. The phrase “blood
of the saints” is better understood as the “blood shed by the saints”
or “the saints murdered”.
8. The present active participle of the verb “drunk” conveys that the woman was already drunk when John initially saw her.
9. The two phrases, “the blood of the saints, and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus”
has been interpreted by some as one in the same with the conjunction “and” being epexegetical translated “namely”.
10. The grammar of the passage is quite explicit with
the singular verb “drunk” followed
by two prepositional phrases clearly independent of each other.
11. The woman
gets drunk from two distinct
sources, the blood that comes from saints and the blood that comes from the
witnesses of Jesus.
12. While the term “saints” has been used previously to emphasize believers living
during Daniel’s 70th week (Rev.6:10; 8:3,4; 11:18; 13:7,10; 14:12;
16:6), we must remember that its use here envisions the woman already drunk
by the time she appears on the scene with the RRE.
13. Therefore, the term “saints” is best taken here as a general designation for believers.
14. The phrase “the
witnesses of Jesus” says just what it means, those that were eyewitnesses
of the incarnation. Cp.Act.2:32; 4:33
15. This points to believers living during the Church
Age.
16. The dual reference encapsulates all believers that
have been martyred by this whore beginning with the Apostolic period of the
Church.
17. While history of antiquity may be shrouded in
silence with regard to overt persecution of believers by the mother/son cult,
it is clear cultic activity of this type spawned animosity and murder towards
believers. 1Kgs.16:31; 18:4,13; 19:2
18. From our vantage point at the end of history, we
can simply review the activities of the final incarnation of the mother/son
cult of the RCC to have a clear picture of the murderous activities she has got
drunk on over the centuries.
19. It begins early in the Church as Christians are
persecuted by
21. Following the death of the apostles there was no authoritative voice for the Church to follow, save adherence to the inspired writings that they and their associates had left behind.
22. The Christians of the second and third centuries had to fight a war on two fronts:
A. To preserve their existence in the face of attempts by the Roman state to abolish the Church.
B. To fight internally to preserve doctrinal purity.
23. Since converts generally came from one of two sources (a Jewish background with a works mentality, or a Greek intellectual background with a philosophical bent), they tended to carry their old ideas into this new environment.
24. Since the threat of legalism or philosophical perversions was very real, overly zealous leaders would develop particular interpretations to correct real or perceived evils in the Church.
25. While
the legalism that characterized the Jewish heritage continued to be a problem
in the Church for some time, after the final destruction of
26. However, the far greater threat to the doctrinal purity of the Christian faith came from the source of Greek philosophy since there were far more Gentile converts that entered the Church during this period.
27. Out of these varied sects came philosophers that wanted to dilute Christianity with philosophy or incorporate pagan religion and philosophy with the Christian faith.
28. Gnosticism sought to deal with the moral and spiritual questions of the faith by synthesizing Christianity and Hellenistic philosophy, seeking to employ human wisdom to understand the ways of God and avoid the stigma of the cross.
1) Either the man Jesus was a phantom with the seeming appearance of a material body, or the Christ came upon the human body of Jesus only for a short time—between the baptism of Jesus and his suffering on the cross.
2) Then, the Christ left the man Jesus to die on the cross.
3) It was the task of the Christ to teach a special gnosis (knowledge) that would help man to save himself by an intellectual process.
1) Their view that there were two gods, the evil one of the Old Testament and the good one of the New Testament.
2) Consequently, they pandered to anti-Semitism.
3) They rejected the true humanity of Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death, and physical resurrection.
4) They fostered and catered to a form of spiritual pride with their suggestion that only the elite would enjoy the pleasure of dwelling with deity in Heaven.
5) Their ascetic practices became one of the contributing factors to the medieval ascetic movement that we know as monasticism.
29. Manichaenism, founded by Mani or Manichaeus of Mesopotamia, combined Christian thought with Zoroastrianism and other oriental religious ideas into a dualistic philosophy.
30. While
these two were some of the sects that arose during the 2nd and 3rd
centuries AD, they were by no means the only ones and were followed by such
groups as the Montanists, the Monarchianists, the Donatists, and others. Christianity
Through the Centuries,
31. In lieu of an exhaustive treatment of church history here, it is important to note that around 170 AD the church began calling itself the catholic or universal church.
32. It is evident from the NT that there is one pastor-teacher, who is viewed as the overseer and leader of the local church. 1Tim.3:1ff
33. However,
during the middle of the 2nd century AD this led to the conception
that the bishop of the church in
34. Therefore, by about 300 AD, three things concerning the “catholic church” had become recognized realities.
35. Between
100-300 AD creeds became part of the norm for expressing faith, the canon of
the NT was developed, and the power of the bishop of
36. By
the early part of the 4th century, it was believed that the bishop
of
37. Over the centuries, the doctrine that the bishop in Rome was in some way superior to all other bishops continued to flourish and by 440 AD Leo I actively claimed complete supremacy over other bishops.
38. Papal power would experience periods of augmentation and periods of decline, but the greatest period of its temporal power was seen between 1050-1300 AD.
39. The rise of universities and scholasticism strengthened the intellectual foundations of papal power, while Monastic reform provided the pope many able and zealous monks, who were his obedient servants.
40. During
this time, Hildebrand (1020-1085) was able to humble the emperor of the
41. Both men were unwilling to accept the idea that God had given the pope and the political ruler coordinate sovereignty over the souls and bodies of men.
42. Although the temporal ruler was not inclined to admit to the idea that he exercised sovereignty over men by a gracious grant of the power of the pope, neither was the pope willing to accept the idea that his control over men came from the temporal ruler.
43. Hildenbrand, who was elected as Pope Gregory VII in 1073 AD, wanted no civil power to dominate the Roman church; instead, his claim was that the church was to control the civil power.
44. As we can readily understand, these developments would not only begin the immoral relationship between the great prostitute and the kings of the earth over which she would rule, they would solidify it. Rev.17:18
45. The actual zenith of papal power was found during the reign of Pope Innocent III (1161-1216), who believed that he was “the vicar of Christ,” with supreme authority on earth.
1) Philip forced the French bishops to annul the marriage and he took Agnes as his new wife.
2) Ingeborg appealed to Innocent III, who ordered Philip to put away Agnes and to restore Ingeborg as his rightful wife.
3)
Innocent placed
46. Under the leadership of Innocent III, the Catholic Church began a persecution of the Cathars, a group that actually was heretical, advocating gnostic and docetic doctrines.
47. This formed the basis for what is known in history as the Papal Inquisitions, which were instituted under Gregory IX, and which continued in some form for almost 600 years.
48. Historians often divide the study of the Inquisition into two major segments – the Medieval (or Papal) Inquisition, which was an arm of the Papacy, and the Spanish Inquisition, which, while closely associated with the Church, is primarily viewed as a tool of the secular government of Spain.
49. It
was during this time that the church and state, which were for all practical
purposes one and the same, began to persecute Jews in
50. The vast majority of those brought before the Inquisition were accused of heresy, which was tantamount to secret Judaizing in the minds of those in charge.
51. During the 600 or so years in which the Inquisition existed in one form or another, millions of “heretics” were killed, many of whom were Jews and faithful believers.
52. While there are still many debates as to the actual numbers of people that were killed during this time (some Catholic authorities suggest only about 60,000), the truth is that a lot of blood was shed.
53. Beginning
with the persecution of the Cathars,
54. This
group included the Waldenses and the Albigenses, and while the attack was most
active in Southern France, it successfully claimed vast numbers of victims in
55. Halley’s Bible Handbook estimates that in the 30 years between 1540-1570 AD no fewer than 900,000 Protestants were put to death in the Pope’s attempt to exterminate the Waldenses
56. The
inquisition continued through the time of the Reformation and in
57. In
58. Perhaps
the most notorious arm of the Inquisition was found in
59. It
is estimated that in the years between 1481-1808 some 100,000 were killed as
martyrs and over 1.5 million were banished from
60. As an institution, the Inquisition stands alone in terms of the length of time it existed (600 years), the number of its victims, the ruthlessness of its methodologies, and the intolerance that it fostered.
61. As John observes this drunken and gruesome spectacle, he responds by employing a cognate accusative with the verb “qauma,zw – thaumazo/to be awed/astonished/ wondered” that has the nuance of “I was astonished with great astonishment”.
62. While various translations express this along the same lines, the NJB (New Jerusalem) provides an interesting thought about the intent of this statement when it translates this as I was completely mystified.
63. John’s astonished confusion is short lived, as the angel immediately offers to explain the entire scenario in detail in vs.7, “And the angel said to me, ‘Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns’”.
64. This is the force of his words as he offers to explain the meaning of the woman, the meaning of the beast that carried her, and the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns.
65. The term “carries/basta,zw – bastadzo” means to bear or to support and looks to the dominance of the RCC early in Daniel’s 70th week.
66. As we will see, the angel does not wait for John to reply or respond in any way and simply launches into the explanation of the startling and amazing scene.
67. We must remember that John lives before the formation of the Roman Catholic Church and this whole scenario “blows his mind”.
68. As one final related application, some have pointed to the irony that the woman is pictured as being drunk with blood since the doctrine of transubstantiation is a staple of the Catholic doctrine.
69. The fact is that the doctrine is unscriptural and
suggests that cannibalism is part of the Lord’s table.
EXEGESIS VERSE 8:
GNT Revelation 17:8 to. qhri,on o] ei=dej h=n kai. ouvk e;stin kai.
me,llei avnabai,nein evk th/j avbu,ssou kai. eivj avpw,leian u`pa,gei( kai.
qaumasqh,sontai oi` katoikou/ntej evpi. th/j gh/j( w-n ouv ge,graptai to.
o;noma evpi. to. bibli,on th/j zwh/j avpo. katabolh/j ko,smou( blepo,ntwn to.
qhri,on o[ti h=n kai. ouvk e;stin kai. pare,stai
NAS Revelation 17:8 "The beast that you saw was and is
not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. to,
qhri,on (d.a. + n-nn-s; "the beast") o] o[j (rel.pro./an-s; ref. the beast) ei=dej o`ra,w (viaa--2s) h=n eivmi, (viIPFa--3s;
"was/existed") kai, (cc)
ouvk ouv (neg.
+) e;stin eivmi, (vipa--3s; "is not/does not currently
exist") kai, (cc)
me,llei me,llw (vipa--3s;
not immediacy; "is with certainty/inevitably" +) avnabai,nein avnabai,nw (+ comp.inf./pa; "to come
up/ascend") evk (pAbl) th/j h` avbu,ssou a;bussoj (d.a. +
n-Ablf-s; "the abyss/the pit")
kai, (cc) u`pa,gei( u`pa,gw (vipa--3s; "keeps on going") eivj (pa) avpw,leian avpw,leia (n-af-s;
"destruction/ruin"; here "eternal
destruction/perdition") And
those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in
the book of life from the foundation of the world, kai, (cc)
oi` o` katoikou/ntej
katoike,w (d.a. + subs.ptc./p/a/nm-p; "those who
dwell") evpi, (pg)
th/j h` gh/j( gh/ (d.a. +
n-gf-s) qaumasqh,sontai qauma,zw (vifp--3p; "will be
amazed/astonished/wonder") w-n o[j (rel.pro./gm-p; ref. earth
dwellers) to, o;noma (d.a. + n-nn-s) ouv (neg. +) ge,graptai gra,fw (viPFp--3s; "has not been written") evpi, (pa) to, bibli,on (d.a. + n-an-s; "the
book/scroll") th/j h` zwh/j zwh, (d.a. + n-gf-s; "of
life") avpo, (pAbl) katabolh/j katabolh, (n-gf-s; lit. to cast down; "laying a
foundation/beginning") ko,smou( ko,smoj (n-gm-s) when they see the beast, that he was and is
not and will come. blepo,ntwn ble,pw (adj.ptc./p/a/gm-p; "when they
see") to, qhri,on (d.a. + n-an-s; "the
beast") o[ti (cc; intro. indir. discourse;
"when they see that") h=n eivmi, (viIPFa--3s) kai, (cc) ouvk ouv (neg. +) e;stin eivmi, (vipa--3s) kai, (cc)
pare,stai pa,reimi (vifm--3s;
"will come forth/arrive/be present")
ANALYSIS VERSE 8:
1. Vss.8-18 constitutes the angel’s full explanation
to John concerning the woman and the
beast.
2. The angel will first explain the beast and then the woman as the development of the beast is crucial to identifying the
woman as she appears in her final incarnate form.
3. The explanation dissects this unholy picture addressing
all sub-primary entities making up its composite imagery:
A. It addresses the nature of the beast as both a person and geo-political
institution.
B. It first addresses its person. Vs.8
C. It then addresses its geo-political make-up
starting with the 7 heads. Vss.9-10
D. It then further identifies the person in
correlation with these heads. Vs.11
E. It then explains the meaning of the 10 horns,
their association with the beast and
their combined political ambitions.
Vss.12-14
F. Vss.15-18 then explain the woman with emphasis on
her judgment of 17:1.
G. Her identification is in two parts of vss.15
and18.
H. Her judgment is sandwiched between in vss.16-17.
4. The language of vs.8 makes it clear we are now
dealing with the person Antichrist rather than an empire as the angel explains,
“The beast that you saw was and is not,
and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction”.
5. If interpreters would just read this verse in its
natural meaning regarding Antichrist, many false identifications and
speculations rampant throughout history could be avoided.
6. The first thing noted about the beast is described as to his existence in the phrase “was and is not”.
7. The two uses of the “to be” verb eivmi,-eimi point to a past existence (imperfect tense)
in contrast to not existing (negative + present tense) at the time that John
wrote this book (~96 AD).
8. The next phrase “and is about to come up out of the abyss” then points to an expectation
of a future existence that Antichrist will experience.
9. The present tense of the verb translated “about/me,llw –
mellow” here expresses the idea of certainty indicating an inevitable future
destiny, not that immediacy is required.
10. The NJB (New Jerusalem Bible) accurately captures
the force of all these phrases with the translation, “The beast you have seen was once alive and is alive no longer; it is yet
to come up from the Abyss”.
11. The language concerning Antichrists’ existence is
of utmost importance as there is a direct correlation to the existence of the 7
horns in vs.10 indicating past, present and future realities.
12. In other words, Antichrist is seen to be in
chronological association with one of the 5 kings that have fallen as well as the obvious future kingdom over which he
will rule.
13. That the future holds for Antichrist to ascend from the Abyss points to the reality
that in his past existence he died as an unbeliever and will be resuscitated to
a life perpetuating his unbelief.
Cp.Rev.11:7; 19:20
14. In the interim, Antichrist’s soul resides in hell,
the compartment of Sheol located in the bowels of the earth and where all
unbelieving souls are destined to go after death. Cp.Luk.16:19-31
15. Knowing that Christ emptied Sheol Paradise with
its believing souls prior to His ascension (Eph.4:8), we can safely assume that
any mention of the abyss and its
occupants after the fact references only unbelievers or demons. Cp.Rev.9:1,2,11; 11:7; 20:1,3
16. While no mention of Antichrist’s 2nd
career is here mentioned, we know that his resuscitation will correspond to the
beginning of Daniel’s 70th week.
Rev.6:1-8 cp.11:7
17. In fact, his career is bypassed emphasizing his
ultimate destination “and to go to
destruction”.
18. The term “destruction/avpw,leia – apoleia” looks to that which is destroyed or
wasted. Mat.26:8
19. It is used in a title for Antichrist called “the son of destruction” denoting his nature as one destined for the
eternal destruction of the
damned. 2The.2:3
20. This final, eternal destruction will be visited on the souls of all unbelievers as they
suffer by association with Satan and his angels. Mat.25:41
21. The eternal compartment that will house all unbelieving
souls post-Great White Throne judgment is called the
22. It is this place of destruction that Antichrist and his cohort False Prophet are
ultimately destined for and in fact, it appears they will be its first
occupants having to await the company of others for some 1000+ years. Rev.19:20
23. In vs.8b, we are again introduced to the
unbelieving “earth dwellers”, “And those who dwell on the earth will
wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation
of the world”.
24. The astonishment or amazement of unbelievers looks
back to the fact of Antichrist’s existence as one that has experienced
resuscitation from a long term death.
25. It harks back to Rev.13:3 and the fact that
Antichrist will prove a prior existence and death and that he has now come back
to life.
26. As Antichrist appears on the scene, he will have
to convince mankind that he has conquered death.
27. While his initial appearance may be spellbinding,
his career will continue to keep the world amazed at his presence.
28. There can be no doubt that his presence merely
begins to enhance his legendary status that will result in the Jewish
leadership eventually recognizing him as their messiah.
29. His very appearance in human history is a judgment
on –V unbelievers that are ready, willing and eager to receive that which is
characterized by the lie. 2The.2:10-12
30. The unbelievers again are further defined and
limited as to those whose name has
ceased to be written in the book of life. Cp.Rev.3:5; 13:8
31. The phrase “whose
name” begins with a plural pronoun followed with the singular for name and is designed to indict all
unbelievers en masse, yet retains each in their individual responsibility of
volitional accountability before God.
32. The perfect tense of “has not been written”, indicates a recording that has ceased or no
longer recognized as having been recorded.
33. This is equivalent to unbeliever’s names that have
been “blotted out” from the book of life. Rev.3:5
34. As we have noted, by all appearances there is one
scroll called the “book of life”
that has two separate registries within.
35. One simply referred to as the book of life that is a recording of all humanity throughout
history and the other more specifically defined as the Lamb’s book of life in
which only believer’s names are ever recorded.
36. As unbelievers names are erased with their passing
in unbelief, you have two matching registries of only believer’s names and
hence one book of life.
37. The issue here is the state of unbelief and the
consequences at the GWT judgment when their names are not found recorded in the book of life. Rev.20:12
38. That these unbelieving earth dwellers reject the Person of Christ and truth of BD, they
will be sucked into the vacuum of deception spawned by the real miracle of
Antichrist’s appearance.
39. This is reiterated in vs.8c, “when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come”.
40. The verb “see/ble,pw – blepo” indicates that what they see physically
corresponds with his claim of past existence and now resuscitation.
41. The intent behind their amazement is that what the
world thinks about Antichrist is his claim of resurrection and that he is
Christ.
42. The threefold description of Antichrist in the
first part is now slightly altered by changing the last word from “come up” (vs.8a) to the future of “will come” or “be present”.
43. This fulfills the intent of certainty behind
vs.8a.
44. Many have noted this description of Antichrist
forms a contrast to the threefold description of God. Rev.1:4,8
45. This is designed to picture the evil parody of the
career of Christ that descends from heaven and returns to it while the beast ascends from hell and then
descends back to it.
46. This is an important reality that the negative
world will totally miss as they are only enamored with the fact that Antichrist
died and now he is again physically present with them.
EXEGESIS VERSES 9 – 11:
GNT Revelation 17:9 w-de o` nou/j o` e;cwn sofi,anÅ ai` e`pta.
kefalai. e`pta. o;rh eivsi,n( o[pou h` gunh. ka,qhtai evpV auvtw/nÅ
NAS Revelation 17:9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom.
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, w-de
(adv.; "Here/In this case/relevant at this point"") o` nou/j (d.a. + n-nm-s; "the
mind/intellect") o` e;cwn e;cw (d.a. + adj.ptc./p/a/nm-s; "having") sofi,anÅ sofi,a (n-af-s; "wisdom") ai` h` e`pta, (d.a. +
card.adj./nf-p; "the seven") kefalai. kefalh, (n-nf-p; "heads") eivsi,n( eivmi, (vipa--3p)
e`pta, (card.adj./Pred.nn-p;
"seven") o;rh o;roj (n-Pred.nn-p;
"mountains") o[pou (adv. of place;
"where") h` gunh, (d.a. + n-nf-s; "the
woman") ka,qhtai ka,qhmai (vipd--3s; "sits") evpV evpi, (pg; "upon") auvtw/nÅ auvto,j (npgn3p; ref. the mountains)
GNT Revelation 17:10 kai. basilei/j e`pta, eivsin\ oi` pe,nte e;pesan(
o` ei-j e;stin( o` a;lloj ou;pw h=lqen( kai. o[tan e;lqh| ovli,gon auvto.n dei/
mei/naiÅ
NAS Revelation 17:10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen,
one is, the other has not yet come; kai, (cc) eivsin\ eivmi, (vipa--3p) e`pta, (card.adj./nm-p; "seven") basilei/j basileu,j (n-nm-p; "kings") oi` o` pe,nte (d.a. + card.adj.nm-p; "the five" kings
understood) e;pesan( pi,ptw (viaa--3p; "fell/have
fallen") o` ei-j (d.a. + card.adj./nm-s; "the
one") e;stin( eivmi, (vipa--3s) o` a;lloj (d.a. + a-nm-s; "the other" of the same
kind) ou;pw (adv.; "still not/has not yet") h=lqen( e;rcomai (viaa--3s) and when he comes, he must remain a little
while. kai, (cc) o[tan (temp.conj.; "when/at the time
that") e;lqh| e;rcomai (vsaa--3s; "he might
come") auvto.n auvto,j (npam3s; "he himself";
accus. of gen. ref. as subject "to remain/meno") dei/ (vipa--3s; "must/it is necessary") mei/naiÅ me,nw (compl.inf./aa; "to
remain/abide/reside") ovli,gon ovli,goj (adv.; "a short time/a little
while"; contextually = 7 years)
GNT Revelation 17:11 kai. to. qhri,on o] h=n kai. ouvk e;stin kai.
auvto.j o;gdoo,j evstin kai. evk tw/n e`pta, evstin( kai. eivj avpw,leian
u`pa,geiÅ
NAS Revelation 17:11 "And the beast which was and is not,
is himself also an eighth, and is one
of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
kai, (cc) to, qhri,on (d.a. + n-nn-s; "the beast") o] o[j (rel.pro./nn-s; "which") h=n eivmi, (viIPFa--3s) kai, (cc) ouvk ouv (neg. +) e;stin eivmi, (vipa--3s; "is not") evstin eivmi, (vipa--3s) auvto.j auvto,j (npnm3s) kai, (adjunct.; "also") o;gdooj (ord. adj./nm-s; "an eighth/an eighth
one"; used 5x) kai, (cc)
evstin( eivmi, (vipa--3s) evk (pAbl) tw/n o` e`pta, (d.a. + card.adj./gm-p; "the
seven") kai, (cc) u`pa,geiÅ u`pa,gw (vipa--3s; "he goes") eivj (pa) avpw,leian avpw,leia (n-af-s;
"destruction"; same as vs.8)
ANALYSIS VERSES 9 – 11:
1. Vss.9-10 change the emphasis of discussion from
the person of the beast to its geo-political composite under the terms of mountains and kings.
2. The opening clause of vs.9 is much like we saw in
13:18, “Here is the mind which has
wisdom”.
3. That which is different in our verse is the
necessity for calculations and we are merely provided the wisdom sufficient to solve this apocalyptic riddle.
4. The
seven heads of the beast are directly
identified for us twofold:
A. They are
seven mountains on which the woman sits.
B. And they
are seven kings.
5. Just as the great whore sitting on water is
figurative for peoples multitudes, nations and tongues (Rev.17:1 cp.15), thus
are mountains now figurative to
represent kingdoms or empires.
6. OT documentation for figurative use in this
regards:
A. Dan.2:35 of Nebuchadnezzar’s colossus “..But the stone that struck the statue
became a great mountain and filled the whole earth”, identified as the
Millennial
B. Jer.51:25 of prophetic
C. Isa.2:2 of Israel/Zion with “hills” being lesser
kingdoms, “Now it will come about that in
the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the
chief of the mountains, and will be
raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.”
7. That the 7 heads are both kingdoms and kings indicates the beast’s
geo-political makeup consists of 7 world empires with 7 prominent monarchial
rulers.
8. Each of these 7 kingdoms that exist during world
history are empires upon which we again see the woman sitting. Rev.17:3
9. This looks to the known history of her influence
over each of these kingdoms and their rulers via the mother/son cult she
sponsors. See Analysis pt.20 sub point B of Rev.17:3
10. The 7 kingdoms are those empires that form the
backbone of Satan’s attack against God’s plan for history with each promoting a
world empire and like counterfeit religion.
11. The 7 kingdoms of these 7 kings we have identified
as
12. That which politically ties each of these kingdoms
with each other is that each dominate
13. The foundational crux for identifying the kingdoms
in view extend from Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in Dan.2 further explained in Dan.8
esp.vss.21-26.
14. From Daniel’s perspective we can positively
identify
15. Biblically, this leaves the only two other
preceding world empires ruling over the Jews identified in Scripture as
16. In vs.10b,c, we are afforded chronological
information relating to these kingdoms and kings,
“five have fallen, one is, the other
has not yet come”.
17. First, the indication of the language indicates we
are to view the 7 heads in their chronological order of existence in history.
18. Second, that order of existence is to be further
viewed from the perspective of John writing in ~96 AD as seen in the present
tense of the phrase “one is”.
19. Thirdly, the focus is now narrowed specifically
upon the prominent kings that
reigned over these empires.
20. This is made clear in the personalization of the
final clause “and when he (singular
person pronoun autos) comes, he must
remain a little while”.
21. In this perspective the term “have fallen” is understood as a euphemism for death, though it
would also imply the collapse of the empire of which the kings are associated.
22. Unquestionably,
23. This would categorize
24. The one to come looks to the future existence of
Antichrist in correlation with the RRE.
25. The fact he
must remain a little while looks to the resuscitated history of Antichrist
that will last for the 7 year period of Daniel’s 70th week. Cp.Rev.19:20
26. Vs.11 then provides more insight as to identifying
Antichrist spinning off the chronology of these kings and empires established in vs.10, “And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is
one of the seven, and he goes to destruction”.
27. First, we note the reiteration that the beast was and is not. Cp.Rev.17:8a
28. This chronologically parallels Antichrist’s
pre-existence with the five fallen and one is of the 6 past historic kings and kingdoms of vs.10.
29. We can therefore look to one of these prominent kings from the past that will be
resuscitated from hell as Antichrist.
30. That he “is
not” obviously eliminates any ruler from the
31. Yet we must keep in mind that the empire from
which he will arise is geographically associated with
32. This is important not only geographically for
identification, but racially as one would not expect Europeans to embrace a
leader not European himself.
33. While
34. Assyria also never extended its kingdom as far
west as
35.
36. The Medo-Persian empire also never extended
farther west than
37. This leave the one candidate of
38. This empire was the first of European in origin
(Macedonians) and provided the basis for the future
39. His personage is well known in today’s modern
world and can be easily attested as a historically celebrated figure.
40. Other identifying attributes of Antichrist that
can be associated with Alexander:
A. Both claim to be God. 2The.2:4; Dan.7:20 cp.8:,11; 11:36
B. Both enjoy unrivaled military success. Rev.13:4
C. Both are homosexual. Dan.11:37
D. Both have long hair. Cp.Deu.32:42
E. Both are one worlders.
F. Both are capable of motivating people via oratory.
G. Both are geniuses.
H. Both exit the world in judgment at the hand of the
Lord. Rev.13:3 cp.19:20
I. See
Doctrine of Antichrist.
41. The middle portion of vs.11 then presents a riddle
designed to tie Antichrist’s preexistence with his future reign, “is himself also an eighth, and is one of
the seven”.
42. The question is, “How can Antichrist be an eighth and yet retain the position
of being from one of the seven?”
43. Part of the clue is resolved in the chronological
force of this verse.
44. Fitting the chronological pattern of the previous
verses 8 and 10 of a past, present and future existence, the riddle itself is
designed to express the future event.
45. In other words, Antichrist was and is not and being an eighth
and one of the seven going to
destruction looks to his final role via the RRE.
46. Therefore, “is
one of the seven” emphasizes his position with the RRE and rise to power in
the last days.
47. The phrase is to be taken in contrast that at that
time of being one from the seven he is also an eighth.
48. The key to unraveling his being an eighth is found in Daniel and the
following verses of 12-13 of our passage.
49. In Dan.2:40-43, the iron mixed with clay 10 toes
of the colossus represent the political make up of the RRE.
50. The 10 toes are symbolically parallel to the 10
horns of Daniel’s vision of the 4th beast in Dan.7:7 and the 10 horns of the beast in our passage further described as kingdoms and kings
ruling with Antichrist in Rev.12-13.
51. As Daniel notes in his vision, the Antichrist is
pictured as another “little horn” that appears amongst the 10. Dan.7:8
52. The little horn then pulls out 3 of the previous
10 horns by the roots further interpreted for us as subduing 3 of the 10
kingdoms under his power in Dan.7:20,24.
53. That Antichrist is here called an eighth looks to the fulfillment of
Daniel’s prophecy in this regard noting that 10 kings - 3 leaves 7 + 1
(Antichrist the eighth).
54. A politically identifying mark of Antichrist in
the last days will be his rise to power in the midst of the 10 nation WEU as an
independent agent and force.
55. By implication and association with the great
whore, it appears Antichrist will achieve his success in part through support
and campaigning on his behalf by the RCC.
56. In this process, the 10 nation European confederation
will elect Antichrist as the head of their Executive branch under a likeminded
goal of unity and purpose. Rev.12-13
57. It becomes obvious that some type of dissension
later arises between 3 of the nations and Antichrist and he ultimately uses his
position and power to squelch the insurgency.
58. This will leave himself as the eighth in power and rule over the
remaining 7 making him incontestably the prominent one of rule from the 7th and most dominant empire.
59. However, no matter the degree of his success, we
are again reminded that his ultimate destiny is a continuous path to destruction. Cp.Rev.17:8
60. God will ultimately overrule all that Antichrist
achieves resulting in his permanent eternal damnation. Dan.9:27; 2The.2:8; Rev.19:19,20
EXEGESIS VERSES 12 – 13:
GNT Revelation 17:12 kai. ta. de,ka ke,rata a] ei=dej de,ka basilei/j
eivsin( oi[tinej basilei,an ou;pw e;labon( avlla. evxousi,an w`j basilei/j
mi,an w[ran lamba,nousin meta. tou/ qhri,ouÅ
NAS Revelation 17:12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten
kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, kai, (cc) ta. to` de,ka (d.a. + card. adj./nn-p; "the
ten") ke,rata ke,raj (n-nn-p; "horns") a] o[j (rel.pro./an-p)
ei=dej o`ra,w (viaa--2s) eivsin( eivmi, (vipa--3p) de,ka (card.adj.nm-p) basilei/j basileu,j (n-nm-p; "kings") oi[tinej o[stij (rel.pro./nm-p; qualitative of class;
"who/such a kind as") ou;pw (adv.; "not yet/still
not") e;labon( lamba,nw (viaa--3p; "have
received") basilei,an basilei,a (n-af-s;
"a kingdom") but
they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. avlla.
avlla, (strong advers.) lamba,nousin lamba,nw (vipa--3p;
"they receive") evxousi,an evxousi,a (n-af-s;
"authority/right to act") w`j (compar. conj.; "like/as/in the manner
of") basilei/j basileu,j (n-nm-p;
"kings") meta, (pg)
tou/ to, qhri,ouÅ
qhri,on (d.a. + n-gn-s; "the beast") mi,an ei-j (card.adj./af-s; "one") w[ran w[ra (n-af-s; "hour")
GNT Revelation 17:13 ou-toi mi,an gnw,mhn e;cousin kai. th.n du,namin
kai. evxousi,an auvtw/n tw/| qhri,w| dido,asinÅ
NAS Revelation 17:13 "These have one purpose and they give
their power and authority to the beast.
ou-toi ou-toj (near
dem.pro./nm-p; "these") e;cousin e;cw (vipa--3p; "keep on
having") mi,an ei-j (card.adj./af-s;
"one") gnw,mhn gnw,mh (n-af-s; lit. the mind as the
instrument of knowing; "purpose/intentions/resolve/will/disposition/ determination";
used 9x) kai, (cc) dido,asinÅ di,dwmi (vipa--3p; "the
give") auvtw/n auvto,j (npgm3p; ref. the 10 kings) th.n h` du,namin du,namij (d.a. + n-af-s;
"power/capabilities") kai, (cc)
evxousi,an evxousi,a (n-af-s;
"authority") tw/| to, qhri,w| qhri,on (d.a. +
n-dn-s; "to the beast")
ANALYSIS VERSES 12 – 13:
1. Vss.12-13 now interpret the symbolism of the 10 horns of the beast, “And the ten horns which you saw are ten
kings, who have not yet received a kingdom”.
2. As noted in the exegesis of vs.11, these verses
spin off as the key in near context to unraveling the riddle of Antichrist
being an eighth and yet still one of the 7.
3. Historicist and Preterist interpreters almost
unanimously equate the 10 horns as
kingdoms or provincial governing powers associated with historical
4. These disregard the obvious chronological force
behind our verses indicating a past, present and far reaching future prophetic
fulfillment.
5. The clear language of our verses indicates that
these 10 horns are 10 kings that have not yet received a kingdom and will rule with Antichrist.
6. Most dispensationalist rightly equate the 10 horns with the 10 toes of the image in
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of Daniel 2 and
the 10 horns of the 4th beast rising from the sea in Daniel 7.
7. One thing that sets the 10 horns apart from the 7 heads of the beast is their contemporaneous rule compared to the sequential rule
pictured in each of the 7 world empires.
8. Surprisingly, even among the Spiritualist
interpreters, at least one, Alford, identifies the 10 as a future coalition of
10 European kingdoms that will grow out of the 4th beast in Dan.7:23.
9. In the vision of Daniel’s image of the 4th
kingdom,
10. Further,
11. The feet and toes looks to the political base and
support of the empire.
12. The division itself looks to the demise of
historic
13. The iron of the image portrays the strong elements
of this 10 nation confederation.
14. The clay of the 10 toes portrays 10 weak kings now being addressed in vss.12
-13.
15. The composite kingdom
they have not yet received is
comprised of various forms of government (autocracy, democracy, socialistic,
etc.) held together by a treaty.
16. That treaty is indicated by the fact that the iron
and clay of the kingdom are mixed
together by men, but will not adhere to one another. Dan.2:43
17. The confederacy itself will find the ultimate bond
to hold them together by virtue of the strength of Antichrist.
18. This is the force behind the strong adversative
beginning the final clause of vs.12, “but
(in stark contrast) they receive
authority as kings with the beast for one hour”.
19. The “one
hour” here is symbolic for the 7 year period of Daniel’s 70th
week.
20. Daniel 7 then provides further insight as to the partnership
between Antichrist and the 10 kings.
A. Antichrist appears on the scene immediately after
the rapture. 2The.2:3-8
B. That he remains for the full hour would indicate that it would be the day of the rapture.
C. Dan.7:7 reveals that the RRE is pictured as having
10 horns directly paralleling our
verse.
D. Daniel was already contemplating the 10 horns when a little horn came up among them. Dan.7:8a
E. The little horn is Antichrist that will arise after
the formulation of the 10 nation confederation in treaty (WEU/Brussels Treaty –
1954).
F. Antichrist begins as a less significant power, but
grows larger than his associates.
Dan.7:20
G. Again, in this process he will subdue 3 of the 10 horns evidencing his dominance as the
“eighth”. Dan.7:8,20,24
21. Antichrist will come to power among the 10 nation
confederation of
22. During the earlier part of the first half of the
trib, he and the 10 kings will have
co-terminus authority with another
that will consolidate as a single powerhouse together throughout the trib.
23. Antichrist will over time assert himself in power
rising to the top reaching his pinnacle at the midpoint. Cp.Rev.13:5
24. His political rhetoric and agenda for the RRE will
correlate directly with the purpose behind the foundational treaty of unity
behind the WEU.
25. That is for this kingdom to arise to the stature of political, economic and military
power that would grant them the status as leaders of the NWO.
26. Antichrist’s agenda would follow along the lines
of policy and agenda as noted in the 4 horsemen of the 1st 4 seal judgments. Rev.6:1-7
27. By all appearances, he will simply step into the
shadow of
28. Alexander’s military and political genius will
shine forth in this regard, and the Confederation will realize that he is their
one great hope to achieve their ultimate goals.
29. This is the force behind vs.13, “These have one purpose and they give their
power and authority to the beast”.
30. The one
purpose is the like-mindedness between Antichrist and the desires of the
Confederation to rule over the world as the head of the NWO. Psa.2.1-3
31. That the 10 rulers “give their power and authority to him” indicates a willingness to
do so without the use of force.
32. These men will be so enamored with Alexander under their
negative volition and one world philosophy that they will relinquish any
sovereign control they may have for the cause.
33. In fact many, if not all, will come to worship
Alexander as god along with the remaining unbelieving world. Rev.13:3-4
34. As time progresses and Alexander’s power becomes
greater, he will essentially dominate the confederation and begin to manipulate
its existence for his own intents and purposes.
35. As noted, 3 of the kings will in some form or fashion attempt to withdraw and/or
realign policy of the confederation and at that time Antichrist’s power will be
of such the revolt will be defeated and the political integrity of the
confederacy will be ensured.
EXEGESIS VERSE 14:
GNT Revelation 17:14 ou-toi meta. tou/ avrni,ou polemh,sousin kai. to.
avrni,on nikh,sei auvtou,j( o[ti ku,rioj kuri,wn evsti.n kai. basileu.j
basile,wn kai. oi` metV auvtou/ klhtoi. kai. evklektoi. kai. pistoi,Å
NAS Revelation 17:14 "These will wage war against the Lamb,
and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, ou-toi
ou-toj (near dem.pro./nm-p; "These"; ref. antichrist and 10 horns) polemh,sousin poleme,w (vifa--3p; "will wage war") meta, (pg; "with/against") tou/ to, avrni,ou avrni,on (d.a. + n-gn-s; "the Lamb") kai, (ch) to, avrni,on (d.a. + n-nn-s) nikh,sei nika,w (vifa--3s; "will overcome/have victory
over") auvtou,j( auvto,j (npam3p) o[ti (causal conj.)
evsti.n eivmi, (vipa--3s) ku,rioj (n-nm-s) kuri,wn ku,rioj (n-gm-p; "of lords") kai, (cc) basileu,j (n-nm-s) basile,wn basileu,j (n-gm-p; "of kings") and those who are with Him are the called
and chosen and faithful." kai, (cc)
oi` o` (dnmp;
"the ones/those" +) metV meta, (pg; "with") auvtou/ auvto,j (npgm3s) klhtoi. klhto,j (a--nm-p; "the called/invited") kai, (cc) evklektoi. evklekto,j (a--nm-p;
"chosen/selected/elected") kai, (cc)
pistoi,Å pisto,j (a--nm-p;
"faithful/loyal/trusty/reliable")
ANALYSIS VERSE 14:
1. Verse 14 provides a snapshot of the ultimate
result that stems from the union of Antichrist and the European Confederation,
“These will wage war against the Lamb”.
2. The verse itself must be understood with the
proper frame of reference of Antichrist influence with respect to the RRE.
3. There is nothing that states that this was the initial
agenda or desire of the 10 kings heading the WEU.
4. Only that the alliance formed is antagonistic to the Lamb and will engage in open
warfare with Him.
5. The verse is designed to be merely a summary
anticipation of the final battle omitting all that has transpired prior to it.
6. As we discussed in the analysis of vss.12-13,
Antichrist arises to power to assume dominance of force and authority over the
RRE.
7. On the way we know that he will squelch rebellion
among his own ranks, exalt himself as the Christ and establish a law of total
obeisance in worship of him.
8. The message will be sent loud and clear that
opposition to Antichrist will not be tolerated.
9. While the unity of the Confederation with
Antichrist initially revolves around exalting the RRE into its empirical goal
as the elite of the NWO, the ultimate destiny of the path taken with Antichrist
will be his satanic goal against God.
10. This to establish Satan’s throne over the world in
fulfillment of 3 & 4 of his 5 “I wills”, “..And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recess of the north,
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds..” Isa.14:13d,14a
11. Once committed to Antichrist’s plan, the
Confederation will find itself in the position of ultimately taking on God in
open combat.
12. Christ has already taught that His return will be like a thief at the 2nd
Advent and therefore the –V world is blind to this reality. Rev.16:15a
13. Antichrist feeds off their spiritual blindness and
leads these in association with him
on a path of destruction. Rev.17:8,11
14. These rulers will be duped by Antichrist in support of
his plan against God through the
same type of spiritual blindness that characterizes all of the other nations
that will align with him. Rev.16:14,16
15. Further, that Christ’s return will be unexpected
indicates that the statement of waging
war against Him is only the result, not their primary offensive.
16. That offensive is recognized in their conformity
with Antichrist, along with all the other nations of the world, to occupy and
destroy
17. It is a failure of many Christians and theologians
today as in past history to recognize the significance of the nation
18.
19. Reversion recovery for
20. When the nations align themselves against
21. Our verse immediately jumps to that ultimate
result, “and the Lamb will overcome them”.
22. As we know, Christ will defeat all of His enemies securing victory for
23. We are then given the cause behind the victory, “because He is Lord of lords and King of kings”.
24. These titles will probably not go unrecognized by
His enemies as they will be ascribed upon His robe and thigh when He
returns. Rev.19:16
25. Both titles together attribute to Christ His
absolute Sovereignty over the world as the God/man.
26. Both are applied to Yahweh of the OT in the
LXX. Deu.10:17; Psa.136:3; Dan.2:47
27. Given the context relating to religious
28. The titles are designed to proclaim that anyone
claiming to have absolute reign must be viewed as a pretender to the throne in
light of the absolute sovereignty of the Lamb.
29. In this vein, the causal force takes on an
implicit impetus of contrast to the cause behind why these (Antichrist and kings)
find themselves at odds with Christ.
30. That is because
of the own power driven STA’s under –V in attempts to become the power elite of
the world.
31. Antichrist represents the epitome in history of a
man with an STA arrogance and power trend and he uses his own trend to feed the
trends of these other rulers.
32. It is this contrast between the humility of the
Little Lamb that secures His
rightful place as the Sovereign of the world and Antichrist that sheds light of
purpose behind the final clause, “and
those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful”.
33. That angels are never referred to as those called, the descriptions
presented are characteristic of believers.
34. The clause is designed to implicate those that will share victory with
Christ against Antichrist and his cohorts as those that have humbled themselves in alignment with Christ by
faith in His Person.
35. In spite of all the efforts of the most powerful
of men in the world to rule the world, even Antichrist, the real power and
right to rule lies within the confines of the truly humble and meek of this
world. Mat.5:5
36. That these believers are further stipulated as
being with Christ would further
narrow these believers in view as Church Age believers. Rev.19:14
37. CA believers are given the special distinction of
accompanying Christ at this battle as the first that have experienced what
gives believers the right to rule with Christ by virtue of their resurrection
bodies evidencing their eternal life.
38. Their salvation experience centers on the doctrine
of election and calling. Rom.8:29-30
39. That they are called
looks to their acceptance of the gospel Ph1 message that occurs in
time for the believer.
40. That they are chosen
or elected looks to God’s predetermination based on His foreknowledge to
destine all believers to be conformed to the image and destiny of Christ.
41. The choosing/election occurs in eternity past.
42. That they are faithful
summarizes in affect their conformance to God’s directive will in His plan for
salvation. Cp.Gal.3:9
43. While there is no indication here whether the
Church will actively engage in battle with Christ, Rev.19:21 attributes all
death of Christ’s enemies in this battle to “the
sword which came from the mouth of Him..”.
44. Review
Doctrine of Election and Calling.
EXEGESIS VERSES 15 – 18:
GNT Revelation 17:15 Kai. le,gei moi( Ta. u[data a] ei=dej ou- h`
po,rnh ka,qhtai( laoi. kai. o;cloi eivsi.n kai. e;qnh kai. glw/ssaiÅ
NAS Revelation 17:15 And he said to me, "The waters which
you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and
tongues. Kai, (cc) le,gei le,gw (vipa--3s) moi( evgw, (npd-1s) Ta. to, u[data u[dwr (d.a. +
n-nn-p; "the waters") a] o[j (rel.pro./an-p) ei=dej o`ra,w (viaa--2s) ou- (adv. of location; "where/place in
which") h` po,rnh (d.a. + n-nf-s; "the
harlot") ka,qhtai( ka,qhmai (vipd--3s; "sits") eivsi.n eivmi, (vipa--3p) laoi. lao,j (n-nm-p; "peoples") kai, (cc) o;cloi o;cloj (n-nm-p;
"multitudes/masses/populace") kai, (cc) e;qnh e;qnoj (n-Pred.nn-p;
"nations") kai, (cc)
glw/ssaiÅ glw/ssa (n-Pred.nf-p;
"tongues")
GNT Revelation 17:16 kai. ta. de,ka ke,rata a]
ei=dej kai. to. qhri,on ou-toi mish,sousin th.n po,rnhn kai. hvrhmwme,nhn
poih,sousin auvth.n kai. gumnh.n kai. ta.j sa,rkaj auvth/j fa,gontai kai.
auvth.n katakau,sousin evn puri,Å
NAS Revelation 17:16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and
the beast, these will hate the harlot kai, (cc) ta. to, de,ka (d.a. + card.adj./nn-p; "the
ten") ke,rata ke,raj (n-nn-p; "horns") a] o[j (rel.pro./an-p)
ei=dej o`ra,w (viaa--2s) kai, (cc) to, qhri,on (d.a. + n-nn-s; "the
beast") ou-toi ou-toj (near dem.pro./nm-p;
"these") mish,sousin mise,w (vifa--3p; "will
hate/detest/abhor") th.n h` po,rnhn
po,rnh (d.a. + n-af-s; "the harlot") and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will
burn her up with fire. kai, (ch)
poih,sousin poie,w (vifa--3p;
"will make") auvth.n
auvto,j (npaf3s) hvrhmwme,nhn evrhmo,w (circ.ptc./PF/p/af-s;
lit. "having been stripped bare" hence, "to make desolate/lay
waste"; used 5x) kai, (cc)
gumnh.n gumno,j (a--af-s;
"naked") kai, (cc)
fa,gontai evsqi,w (vifm--3p;
"they themselves will eat/consume")
auvth/j auvto,j (npgf3s) ta.j h` sa,rkaj
sa,rx (d.a. + n-af-p; "flesh") kai, (cc)
katakau,sousin
katakai,w (vifa--3p; "will burn completely up";
same as 8:7) auvth.n auvto,j (npaf3s) evn (pI; "with/by") puri,Å pu/r (n-In-s; "fire")
GNT Revelation 17:17 o` ga.r qeo.j e;dwken eivj ta.j kardi,aj auvtw/n
poih/sai th.n gnw,mhn auvtou/ kai. poih/sai mi,an gnw,mhn kai. dou/nai th.n
basilei,an auvtw/n tw/| qhri,w| a;cri telesqh,sontai oi` lo,goi tou/ qeou/Å
NAS Revelation 17:17 "For God has put it in their hearts to
execute His purpose by having a common purpose, ga,r (explan.conj.) o` qeo,j (d.a. + n-nm-s)
e;dwken di,dwmi (viaa--3s;
"gave/put") eivj (pa)
auvtw/n auvto,j (npgm3p;
ref. 10 horns) ta.j h` kardi,aj kardi,a (d.a. +
n-af-p; "hearts") poih/sai poie,w (inf. purp.aa; "to
execute") auvtou/ auvto,j (npgm3s; ref. God) th.n h` gnw,mhn gnw,mh (d.a. + n-af-s; "purpose/intention/the
mind") kai, (cc/cc+) poih/sai poie,w (inf.purp./aa; "also to
create/manufacture") mi,an ei-j (card.adj./af-s;
"one") gnw,mhn gnw,mh (n-af-s; "purpose"; to
have a common goal) and by
giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled. kai,
(cc/ch) dou/nai di,dwmi (inf.purp.aa; "to
give") auvtw/n auvto,j (npgm3p) th.n h` basilei,an basilei,a (d.a. +
n-af-s; "kingdom") tw/|
to, qhri,w| qhri,on (d.a. + n-dn-s)
a;cri (cs;
"until") oi` o` lo,goi lo,goj (d.a. +
n-nm-p; "the words") tou/ o` qeou/Å qeo,j (d.a. +
n-gm-s) telesqh,sontai
tele,w (vifp--3p; "will be completed/finished/fulfilled")
GNT Revelation 17:18 kai. h` gunh. h]n ei=dej e;stin h` po,lij h`
mega,lh h` e;cousa basilei,an evpi. tw/n basile,wn th/j gh/jÅ
NAS Revelation 17:18 "And the woman whom you saw is the
great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." kai,
(cs) h` gunh, (d.a. + n-nf-s; "the woman") h]n o[j (rel.pro./af-s)
ei=dej o`ra,w (viaa--2s) e;stin eivmi, (vipa--3s) h` mega,lh me,gaj (d.a. + a--nf-s; "the
great") h` po,lij (d.a. + n-nf-s; "the
city") h` e;cousa e;cw (d.a. + adj.ptc./p/a/nf-s; "the
one having") basilei,an basilei,a (n-af-s;
"royal power/dominion/rule") evpi, (pg)
tw/n o` basile,wn
basileu,j (d.a. + n-gm-p; "the kings") th/j h` gh/jÅ gh/ (d.a. + n-gf-s)
ANALYSIS VERSES 15 – 18:
1. After having explained the images of the beast, the angel is now set to explain the woman sitting on the beast.
2. As noted previously, the purpose for first addressing the beast in its composite form is to help the reader in identifying the woman.
3. Other than operation tower of Babel in Gen.11 and a few miscellaneous verses in the OT referencing the “queen of heaven” and “Tammuz” mother/son occult (Jer.7:18; 44:17-19,25; Eze.8:14), apart from Revelation, the Bible is otherwise silent as to this occult’s significance in the A/C.
4. With the dissecting explanation of the beast, we now know that the mother/son cult is the prominent religious occult behind all 7 satanically sponsored empires.
5.
More importantly, we can further account for the occult
to be the prominent religion of
6. With the addressing of the rise of Roman Catholicism in the letters to the 7 churches in Rev.2-3, we can know without doubt that the RCC assumed the position to carry forward this spiritual apostasy. Rev.2:12-24
7. That the RCC has prevailed for some ~1600+ years and remains prominent in association with the European theatre today, we can also without doubt pinpoint her as the final incarnate form of the mother/son occult.
8. While we with certainty can identify the very organization, we must remember that from John’s perspective, he can only attribute the characteristics revealed by the angel as to how the woman manifests herself in future history.
9. The angel’s explanation is two-fold:
10. The entire explanation is presented in such a way as to addressing her identity in vss.15 and 18 inserting her judgment in between with vss.16-17.
11. The purpose of this explanatory format in part is to correlate her demise with Antichrist’s religious-political agenda.
12. His agenda can thus be simplified in two parts as first elevating himself over the world as a religious icon securing immense wealth (Rev.13:14-17), so as to secondly advance his final goal to rule the world politically.
13. The angel begins by interpreting for John part of the symbolism attributed to her in vs.1, “And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues’”.
14. We are now told specifically that the waters represent the inhabitants of the world, their places of residence and social existence.
15. The nuance behind the verb “sits” looks to the dominance and extent to which she has established herself on an international basis.
16. The present tense of the verb is an historic present viewing with vividness of certainty the ongoing nature in which she establishes herself over history.
17. While the NAS appears to lump all the subjects of her dominance together, the Greek is more defining.
18. Literally, the final phrase is translated, “peoples and multitudes they are also nations and tongues”.
19. The predicate nominatives of the nouns “nations and tongues” are in correlating apposition to the preceding nouns “peoples and multitudes”.
20. In other words, “nations and tongues” emphatically define the “peoples and multitudes”.
21. The Greek makes it clear that the influence of the whore is not limited to individuals or simply specific groups of people, but has spread into every nation and society.
22. The emphasis of vs.15 is that geographical or ethnic boundaries have no limits as to where the whore can be found to reside.
23. This further emphasizes the global religious influence she wields more so than political, which will be addressed in vs.18.
24. This is important with respect to judgment upon religious Babylon as judgment comes first as a result of what man believes (or not). Joh.3:18
25. What comes from our heart or how one thinks is what we truly are. Luk.1:51; Rom.1:21; 2:2-8; Eph.4:1-19; 2Pet.2:12-15
26. That God is ultimately behind this judgment (vs.17) further iterates this principle.
27. From
a relatively small beginning at the
28. In
that regard, religious
29. There is no extant religious organization today that can boast of such geographical success presented here other than the RCC.
30. It is estimated that over one billion people belong to this organization and the RCC exists in virtually every nation on the planet.
31. There agenda is obvious as actively pursuing to bring all religions together under a single banner – theirs.
32. There has been active attempt to bring “churches with defects” back to their fold conducting ecumenical negotiations with Anglican, Evangelical Protestants, Mennonites, Lutherans and others to achieve this unity.
33. “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the 3rd Millennium” is a 25-page document attempting to foster ecumenical unity.
34. It was originated by Chuck Colson and Catholic social critic Richard John Neuhaus, was signed by 40 noted evangelical and Catholic leaders including Pat Robertson, heads of Home Mission Board and Christian Life Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for Christ), Mark Noll of Wheaton University, Jesse Miranda (Assemblies of God), Richard Mauw (President, Fuller Seminary), J.I. Packer (noted author) and Herbert Schlossberg (Anglican leader).
35. The RCC will no doubt continue on the path it has chose and may very well attract a new following after the rapture.
36. That her religious ideology is so wide-spread, it will only seem prudent to Antichrist that she become a target for extermination.
37. While she will have value to Antichrist in his rise to power at the beginning, she will become expendable and ultimately a barrier as he seeks to elevate himself as God and the true religion.
38. While Antichrist’s thinking is fairly obvious (religiously and politically), the European Confederation will also be convinced that she is a threat to them.
39. This is made clear in vs.16a, “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot”.
40. Both the WEU and Antichrist are here said to “hate the harlot”.
41. Secondly, we should note that all ten horns are involved indicating that judgment of the woman will occur before Antichrist subdues the 3 rebel nations of the Confederacy. Dan.7:8,20,24
42. That
the fall of economic
43. The European Confederation has embraced Antichrist for one primary reason; they regard him as their ticket to political and economic success for world power.
44. They have thrown their “hats” into the Antichrist “ring” and will become like minded with him in their pursuits.
45. The future tense of the verb “will hate” should be viewed as ingressive “will begin to hate”.
46. The physical reality portrayed here is the contempt that can stem from a relationship between a prostitute and her clients.
47. Over time, while the prostitute profits from her services, the “john” expends more and more for his physical pleasure and begins to appreciate the full experience and impact of what their relationship is really about.
48. Prostitution as a business is all about money. Pro.6:26a; Pro.29:3
49. This would indicate that it is money, as much as power, that is the driving force behind why the Confederation adopts this attitude.
50. The international tax exempt status the RCC enjoys pictures the breeding grounds for this contempt to surface.
51. There is no doubt that while the RCC helps politicians and others rise to power, while investing in other humanitarian causes, it is for their own selfish ambitions.
52. And all the while they greedily are enjoying the vast wealth of their membership with comparatively little shared diplomatically and otherwise.
53. That money rules in this matter is at least implicit in what they ultimately do to the whore, “and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire”.
54. Vs.16b now describes the physical judgment the RCC will experience.
55. The participle “desolate/evrhmo,w – eremoo” literally means “to be stripped bare”.
56. This looks to the complete removal and confiscation of all of the rich clothing and accoutrements that so characterized the whore in vs.4.
57. This in turn will expose her as “naked” to the world and thus expose the whore for what she truly is.
58. The phrase “eat her fleshes (Gk.plural)” is figurative for devouring or consuming those of hierarchy that control her means of operation.
59. The wealth of the RCC, its buildings, property and anything else it possesses will be confiscated, its leaders defrocked and killed and everything else destroyed.
60. This is the force of the final phrase “will burn her up with fire” emphasizing the destruction of that deemed of no value by the Confederation.
61. While
the logistics of “Operation Judge Whore” may seem insurmountable on a global basis,
much will be accomplished simply by taking control over their command center at
the
62. There, the Confederation will gain access to deeds, banking accounts, etc., and by cutting “the head off the snake” will disable satellite churches monetarily and operationally as to being an effective institution.
63. Having secured controlling rights over the RCC’s domain will give the RRE practical leverage to dispose of otherwise foreign investments.
64. Otherwise,
the vast amount of wealth stored at the
65. As
we noted in Antichrist’s economic agenda of the 3rd seal
(Rev.6:5-6), this influx of vast wealth into the RRE will probably propel the
Euro dollar as the dominant international currency, especially after the fall
of the
66. This will secure for Antichrist and the WEU the monetary leverage to fulfill the economic purpose of Antichrist’s image of Rev.13:16-17.
67. Vs.17 then explains an underlying cause behind why the RRE makes a “hit” on the Catholic Church, “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose and by giving their kingdom to the beast”.
68. We can summarize the cause as simply fulfillment of God’s plan as His sovereignty operates behind human history.
69. Some suggest that vs.17 is the angel’s anticipation for objection to such an eventuality that the Europeans would allow the RCC with such deep roots in European culture to be destroyed by a new political union.
70. This suggestion is probably due in part in that the Confederation (10 horns)/their kingdom are singled out distinct from the beast/Antichrist.
71. While Antichrist is locked into facilitating Satan’s plan as being the false Messiah, the question is how do other men find themselves into whole heartedly throwing in their support to crush the RCC?
72. While we have addressed STA predilections that would provide motivation, our verse declares that God is instrumental in their thinking to take this path in life.
73. The verse is not stating that God has formulated or introduced evil thoughts into their heads, only that He has introduced or influenced their thinking necessary to execute His purpose.
74. The doctrine of volition is required to have an understanding of this verse as we know God does not violate this Divine institution.
75. What God puts in their hearts to execute His purpose is a two-fold proposition:
A. By having a common purpose.
B. And by giving their kingdom to the beast.
76. What God first does under His permissive will is to allow the negative volition of those ruling over the Confederation to pursue their STA goals of the NWO.
77. He again under His permissive will allows the resuscitation and subsequent introduction of the Antichrist into their fold of leadership.
78. His agenda and their agenda will harmonize politically producing a common purpose and goal of global domination.
79. In their common plan, the Confederation willing of their own free will transfer the power and authority of their kingdom to the beast.
80. This forms the framework in which the leaders of the WEU will willingly then destroy the RCC.
81. God permits their evil to exist and in refraining to overrule at this time in history effectively allows circumstances and situations to come to maturation.
82. That God controls history and does not overrule the partnership, He effectively is giving these rulers the ammunition in their thinking to pursue His Divine will to obliterate the Catholic Church.
83. To state it another way, by putting Antichrist and the 10 horns together in history, God effectively secures their persons to execute His purpose.
84. This is a classic example of God utilizing evil to judge evil effectively bringing circumstances and situations together that in turn promotes the thinking necessary to facilitate God’s plan.
85. The charisma and power of Antichrist will be so strong that once these power, money driven greedomites are brought into contact with him, God will have provided them all that is necessary to do His bidding.
86. The
final phrase, “until the words of God
should be fulfilled” looks not only on the decreed destruction of religious
87. This is seen in the plural used of the noun “words”.
88. The temporal conjunction “until/a;cri – achri” looks forward to the time when God will implement His overruling will against the RRE.
89. Vs.18 closes by providing a definite geo-political identification of the woman, “And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth”.
90. That the city is described as great points to its notoriety and importance.
91. The present tense of the “to be” verb “is” indicates that the city is in existence during John’s time.
92. Further, the city possesses dominion and power over the kings of the earth.
93. The
city would be easily identifiable by
John pointing to
94. That
the woman has a definite future of
fulfillment, a characteristic that John and his readers can apply to the
religious whore is a future affiliation with
95. We
know today that the great city is
none other than
96. It
is from this location that religious
97.
98. While it is only 100 acres and its population of residence ~921, it is called great.
99. This indicates her international influence that is totally out of proportion to its size.
100. With the subtle shift of emphasis to the political aspirations of the Confederation in vss.16-17, we now see the same emphasis with respect to the whore.
101. While religious and economic reasons behind the RRE and their destruction of the RCC have been discussed, last, but not least, it obviously has political reasoning and impact.
102. These points to the ultimate goal of the RRE, global rule.
103.
There can be little doubt that the political leadership
of
104.
It can be readily documented that from the 5th
Century AD until the time of Reformation, Catholic power in the political realm
was simply a fact of life for the temporal powers in
105. The Catholic secretive society called Opus Dei (Latin for work of God) is a good example of the Churches political involvement .
106. The group is noted as engaged in advancing the agenda of the Pope with respect to the place of women, reproductive issues, abortion, and the like.
107. Their goal is to place members in influential positions and thereby impose policies society-wide deriving from Roman Catholic belief.
108.
Opus Dei pursues the
109. Opus Dei does not publish the names of its members, and many members do not make public their membership in the organization.
110. While the organization lists just over 80,000 members worldwide, its power is out of proportion to this relatively small total.
111. Their strategy of recruiting, influencing and nurturing highly educated elite explains the organization’s focus on recruitment of students, intellectuals, professionals and the wealthy.
112.
Through its members and sympathizers, Opus Dei is
strongest in the media, medicine, the judiciary, university education, finance
and politics with its greatest political strength in Europe and
113.
They have successfully infiltrated the highest levels
of government in
114.
In
115. Their work includes the foundation of bioethics and other research institutes across the continent and involvement with the medical community.
116.
It has come to have a political presence at the highest
levels of governments and European political institutions, completing a direct
line from the
117. As some of their critics have noted, the real agenda this organization advances is determination to create a World Government under the Pope.
118. Many have recognized that the Catholic Church has never rescinded their claims to temporal power, and the agenda has and is that of a one world government under a one world religion.
119.
The
120.
Paul Blanshard describes the
121. The extent of Vatican influence is aptly presented by Avro Manhattan in The Vatican and World Politics, “This power of the Catholic Church to interfere in social and political spheres is rendered infinitely more dangerous by the fact that it is not limited to any given country: it reaches all countries in which there are Catholics. Thus there is no continent where the Pope cannot influence, to a greater or less degree, the social and political life of the community”.
122. The whore’s demise has been recorded and foretold for posterity of +V and God will use her illicit lovers to do His bidding for Him.
123. Review Overview of Religious Babylon.