seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 17:1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
Babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Well this chapter is deep. I'm using the plain and understandable easy English site.
Babylon has two meanings in this passage. Babylon means the power that has always been against God. This power has ruled the kingdoms of the earth through the whole of history. But Babylon also means the city that will be the most important city in the kingdom of Antichrist.
This woman sells her body for sex. By this, she makes what is good to be wicked. God gave sex for a good purpose. But such women use it for wrong purposes. John writes this to describe the character of Babylon. The important city had used everything that was good for bad purposes. All the wicked things that the city did were for power and luxury.
The city controlled many rivers. The rivers meant the nations. Babylon had control over the nations of the world. It led the false religions of the world. From the start, it fought against God’s people.
Babylon showed other nations how to behave in the same evil ways. The kings of the earth shared trade and culture with Babylon. With Babylon, they desired wealth, luxury and false gods. So, the importance of Babylon increased. And Babylon caused the nations to worship the beast.
The wicked ways of Babylon spread through the whole earth. It was as if the people had drunk too much wine. They became unable to turn from their evil deeds. Babylon’s false religion had become their religion too. They had joined in the sins of Babylon. And these sins were against God. So, the nations of the world could not avoid Babylon’s control.
There she sat on a bright red beast. That beast was the one that came from the sea (Revelation 13:1). That beast meant the evil ruler of the last great kingdom on earth. He was the Antichrist. He was the great enemy of Christ and God’s people (see Revelation 13:2).
The beast pretended that he was as good as the Lord Jesus. The beast even pretended to be God. On his body were names that were an insult to the real God. He had 7 heads and 10 horns.
The clothes of the woman were purple and bright red. When John wrote, it cost a lot of money to make the colours of purple and red. To wear these clothes meant that she was rich. She wore all kinds of precious things to show her wealth.
The gold cup in her hand was full of awful and evil things. People think that such things will satisfy them. But in the end, such things will ruin those who chose them.
She had a name on her head. That name had a secret meaning. John could understand that secret name. The woman meant the great city called Babylon. And Babylon meant the principal city that the Antichrist ruled.
So, Babylon means the evil cause that leads people away from the real God. Because of Babylon, people follow sinful behaviour that will ruin them.
When the beast comes, he will be most impressive. People across the world will see him. And he will astonish them. They will trust him and they will serve him. The names of these people are not in the book of life.
There is a book of life. God has written in it the names of his people. God wrote that book before he made the world (Revelation 3:5; 13:8). And God’s people will not believe the lies of the Antichrist. So, they will not serve the Antichrist.
In the time of John, Rome was the principal city in the world. It was a city on 7 hills. But perhaps John was not writing about Rome itself. John was writing about the city that will come in the future.
After Rome, there will come the last of the seven (7) kingdoms. That kingdom has yet to come. When it comes, it will last for only a short time. This will be the kingdom that Antichrist rules.
The same evil power that controlled Babylon also controlled each of these kingdoms.
The beast is the eighth king. But he is also one of the seven. The beast was not alive when John wrote. The beast had been alive and he will come again.
He is not just a human ruler by whom the evil power works. He is that evil power. But, that power will come as a man. He will be Antichrist. He will rule among the 7 and will be the eighth (8th).
The ten kings give their power to the beast. This beast will be the most powerful man on earth. He will be Antichrist. He will rule over the kings and the nations of the earth.
John had seen the woman. She was like a city that controls many rivers (Revelation 17:1). The angel now explains the meaning of the rivers. The rivers mean the people of the earth. Rivers do not remain separate. Instead, the waters flow into the sea. There, the waters mix together. So, Babylon’s evil charm has spread across the whole earth. All the nations and peoples follow the wicked ways of Babylon.
The woman meant the principal city that the beast ruled. And the 10 kings supported the beast completely. But then a strange thing happened. There was a war among the evil forces. Antichrist and the ten kings turned against the woman. They hated her.
They destroyed the proud city called Babylon. They took away all that was of value. And they tore Babylon apart. They left nothing. They completely ruined Babylon.
The beast hated Babylon. But this was God’s plan in order to punish Babylon. The kings gave their power to the beast. But even this was in the plan of God. God even works by means of evil men to achieve his plans.
God is in control. His plans will succeed because he is the only real God.
The woman meant the great city called Babylon. And Babylon meant the evil power that ruled over the kingdoms of the earth. Because of Babylon’s power, the people had followed an evil false religion. And Babylon had fought against God’s people.
OK.... I am going to have to wait 'til I get there to get a real understandable version of this chapter.... it's still way over my head. I'm seventy years old and I've been raised in the Southern Baptist Church..... I have the Holy Spirit interpreting for me.... and I think He's talking in Greek because it's almost understandable but not quite clear.
Apparently Rome fits the bill for the new Babylon..... physically it's located on seven hills. Rome was hunting Christians when John was writing this.... so no doubt Rome would have been the evil city on his mind. Remember though...... there have been earthquakes.... multiple... landscape changing horrible earthquakes.... and not a lot of humans will have survived those awful earthquakes.... and then there were the mountains falling from the sky.... hail storms of fire.... animals would have started hunting humans who were too sick to run.... people would be laying gnawing on their own tongues in pain..... the air was toxic by this time... and since wormwood hit... and the seven bowls have been poured out.... drinking water was probably worth a shooting or two at the local Safeway..... after all.... if people will fight over a cabbage patch doll... or toilet paper.... imagine what they will be willing to do for a drink of cool clear water.... [I want to sing "keep a moving Dan". Marty Robins......] Rome would have been shaken to her core.... this must be a new city replacing the old. I bet the architecture will be a modern version with a hint of old.
None of this makes sense.... because it's not supposed to make sense. John had an interpreter. We have his version of what the interpreter told him.... which has been translated for all the languages on earth.... it's like a written version of the Tower of Babel. Whenever humans start thinking they are as good as God... they start unimaginable projects. They try to build a tower to Heaven.... so they can knock on the front door of God's house like God is just another neighbor..... or they try to find the origin of life.... and change it to make themselves more important than God.
The point is.... in the end times... those who are left.... have shunned God... they are sporting a new tattoo on their forehead or their hand.... and they are worshiping the "Anti-Christ". They are scooping up all the wealth left by the "dead".... and wearing wonderful rich garments.... left by the "dead"..... they probably won't care that the "dead" are probably very alive in Christ.... already gone.... leaving a battle field that will be clear of any collateral damage.
Everyone who lives in the Babylon that John saw in this vision..... is really just living on borrowed time.... they will turn on each other... because God has a plan and the Anti-Christ... well he's just an ill mannered angel that God allowed to be created.... and neither he nor the beast will stand a chance when the battle begins.... the humans will be killing each other off.... which will leave less mop up for Christ and His 144,000 virgin Messianic Jews.
Sorry... like the rest... I get wordy when I don't understand something.
Babylon is toast... that's what this chapter means.... Babylon will be toast.
Last edited: