We will be finishing Chapter 17 today and will see the fall of the false church foretold. The Apostle John has seen a vision of a gaudy drunken woman who represents the false church that will be on the earth during the end times. The woman is riding on the beast with seven heads and ten horns. Today the angel will give John extra information about the symbolism of his vision.
We concluded yesterday with verse 9 but we're going to repeat verse 9 again today because it is so closely connected to the verses that follow. It is an angel who speaks these words to John: "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 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." (Revelation 17:9-10)
There are two primary theories regarding who or what the "kings" of verse 10 represent. The first theory is that they are seven rulers of the Roman Empire. The angel says that five have fallen. If the angel is speaking of Roman emperors, then scholars suggest he means Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. These were the last five emperors who ruled before Domitian, the emperor who is on the throne when John writes Revelation. If these five dead emperors are who the angel means, then Domitian is the king "who is" in verse 10. But then who is the "other who has not yet come"? A number of emperors ruled after Domitian. So scholars suggest that the "other who has not yet come" is the Antichrist who very well may be descended from a Roman emperor.
The second primary theory is that these kings who "have fallen" are not men but empires that were overthrown by Rome or that had to answer to Rome during the days when she was a great empire. In that case, the five who are fallen would be Greece, Persia, Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt. Rome itself would be the kingdom "that is" during John's day. Then the empire of the Antichrist would be the empire that "has not yet come".
The angel makes another statement about the seventh king or kingdom: "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seventh and is going to his destruction." (Revelation 17:11) This verse has confused many scholars and theologians ever since John wrote it down. How is the final kingdom an eighth kingdom but also part of the original seven? Earlier in our study we talked about the evidence for believing that the Antichrist's kingdom will be some type of revival of the ancient Roman Empire. In that sense, the that beast "was" and "is not" at the present time but "will come" may be the Roman Empire.
How then is the Antichrist a king who is both the seventh and the eighth? It could have to do with him having a mortal wound that was healed, the wound we learned about in Chapter 12. We were told in Chapter 12 that the world would marvel and would worship the beast because of the mortal wound that was healed. When we studied that chapter we talked about the growing popularity of the theory that the Antichrist will stage a fake assassination and resurrection. If the world thinks he dies from a fatal head wound, and if they view his dead body on TV and on the internet, and if some days later he is alive again, this would explain how he can be both the seventh and the eighth king. I don't believe he will really die and resurrect; Satan doesn't have the power to give life. But those who refuse to accept the Lord will fall for the deception and will believe he has died and risen from the dead. In that sense, to their minds, he has lived twice and that would make him the seventh and eighth king of verse 11.
The beast the false church rides on has ten horns. The angel explains what these symbolize. "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. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 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." (Revelation 17:12-14) The ten kings---or kingdoms---don't yet exist in John's day. In the end times they will ally themselves with the Antichrist. They are going to put all the strength of their military forces behind him, but when we see this happening later in Revelation, we will also see the Lamb and His faithful followers overcoming the Antichrist. This is not going to be a fierce struggle or an ongoing battle where it isn't clear who is going to have the upper hand. The Antichrist is no match for the Lamb of God. Though Satan will deceive some of the people of the earth into thinking the Antichrist is the Messiah, the Antichrist is not Christ's counterpart. The two of them are not evenly matched. The victory of the Lord Jesus Christ is certain.
"Then the angel said to me, 'The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 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. 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. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:15-18)
In the beginning of Chapter 17 we learned that the prostitute (the false church) was sitting by many waters. This means that she appeals to the nations of the world because her doctrine likely includes religious practices from all around the world. She was sitting on the back of the beast beside the many waters. The fact that she was riding the beast tells us that for a time the two of them are in a mutually beneficial relationship. The beast supports her as long as he can use her for his purposes. But a time will come when she no longer serves his purposes. It's likely that in the beginning he used the false religious system to gather the people of the world together, but eventually this system will get in his way because what Satan wants more than anything else is to be worshiped himself. After leading into pagan practices an untold number of people who don't want to bow their knees to God, he's going to turn worship toward himself. We've already learned in Revelation that a day will come when an image of the Antichrist will be set up. People will be commanded to take his mark and give him their allegiance.
It is the Lord's will for "Babylon the Great", the false church, to fall. The angel says so in verse 17. God is going to allow the Antichrist and the nations of the world to turn against the false church and bring her down. The Antichrist (and the devil who possesses him) will think it's his idea to take down the false church, but in reality it's the plan of Almighty God.
In verse 18 the angel tells John that the church has its headquarters in a city that rules over the kings of the world. This is probably the city the Antichrist chooses for his capital. As we discussed earlier in the week, there is some indication that he may take over the Vatican, but we can't say for certain if that's what the angel is referring to when he says the prostitute sits on "seven hills" in verse 9. Rome is known as "the city of seven hills", so this is a clue that the Antichrist may place his capital in Rome, but we can't say for sure whether or not he takes over the Vatican for the false church.
The Antichrist, the second person of the devil's unholy trinity, chooses a bride for himself---the false church. But unlike the beautiful and pure bride of Christ---the true church----the Antichrist's bride is a prostitute. The Antichrist will fall out of love with her. He will divorce himself from her and throw her aside. Isn't it comforting to know that our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, will never fall out of love with us? He will never cast His bride aside. Instead, in His eyes, His bride grows more beautiful and precious every day. The vows He made to His bride are eternal. He will be forever faithful and true.
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