Coachlight Bible Study – Revelation Chapter 17
The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter – Part XIV
Mystery Babylon The Great – Bride Of The Beast
Both chapters seventeen and eighteen mention the city of
Babylon. At first it might seem that the Bible is talking about the same thing
in both chapters. Chapter seventeen speaks about not the literal city of
Babylon to be rebuilt, but the moral or lack of moral system of Babylon the
Great.
In chapter seventeen, we are introduced to the bride of
the beast. She is actually the religious system that reigns during the first
three and one-half years of the Tribulation period. She is described as a whore
drunk with the blood of the saints. It will be a seductive religion and will
cause many to rebel against God. The 10 king federation will support the whore
during this time. The whore is pictured as riding on a beast. This is the
same beast that John saw coming out of the sea who had seven heads and ten
horns. The beast has not come into power yet, because the horns do not have
crowns on them yet.
At the mid-point of the Tribulation, however, the beast
will proclaim himself God. Daniel called this the Abomination of Desolation.
The ten kings that supported the whore during the first part of the Tribulation
will now hate the whore and destroy this religious system and pay allegiance to
the antichrist.
Revelation
17:1 ¶ And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment
of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Revelation
17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation
17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven
heads and ten horns.
Revelation
17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Revelation
17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Revelation
17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration.
Revelation
17:7 ¶ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell
thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath
the seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation
17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of
the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation
17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation
17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is
not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Revelation
17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation
17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation
17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the
beast.
Revelation
17:14 ¶ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are
called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation
17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation
17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn
her with fire.
Revelation
17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and
give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Revelation
17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth.
I. Babylon The Great
A. Ancient Babylon Is To Be Rebuilt
B. Chapters 17 & 18 Deal With Babylon
1. At First One May Think Both Chapters Speak Of The Same
Thing
2. In 17 - Babylon Called Mother Of Harlots And Abominations
Of The Earth
a. The Woman Is Destroyed By The Ten Kings
b. The Woman Is Destroyed 3 ˝ years Before The City
c. It Is Not The City Of Babylon – But Babylonianism
1. The Moral Structure Of Babylon The Great
2. The Religious & Political System Of Babylon
3. In 18 - Babylon – A Literal City - Called Babylon The
Great
a. The Ten Kings Lament Over The Destruction Of The City
b. The City Is Destroyed By A Great Earthquake & Fire
c. The Destruction Of The City Happens After The Woman
Destroyed
Revelation
18:1 ¶ And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having
great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
II. Mystery Babylon The Great
A. The Woman Is Called Mystery, Babylon The Great
B. Paul Called The Church A Mystery
Ephesians
3:1 ¶ For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Ephesians
3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me
to you-ward:
Ephesians
3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore
in few words,
Ephesians
3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of
Christ)
Ephesians
3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Ephesians
3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
1. In Other Ages Not Made Known To Men
2. Now Revealed To The Apostles In The Church Age
C. Paul Was First To Reveal That Christ Was To Have A Bride
Ephesians
5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
Ephesians
5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
Ephesians
5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians
5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his
wife loveth himself.
Ephesians
5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it,
even as the Lord the church:
Ephesians
5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians
5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Ephesians
5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
1. Marriage Here On Earth Is But A Type Of Christ & The
Church
2. When We Treat It Correctly – We Are Showing The Lord By
Example
D. John First Revealed That Antichrist Was To Have A Bride
1. Antichrist’s Bride Is Called Babylon The Great
2. Why Give A Bride The Name Of A City? – The Lord Does:
Revelation
21:9 ¶ And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials
full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will
shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Revelation
21:10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed
me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
3. The Bride Instead Of Being A Woman Is A Great City
4. The City Is Called A Bride Because Of The Inhabitants
E. Mystery Babylon The Great – Antichrist’s Bride - A
Religious System
1. Made Up Of All False Religions
2. This System Helps The Kings Get Power Until The Middle Of
70th Week
a. The Kings Then Swing Their Alliance To Antichrist
b. The Kings Then Get Rid Of The Woman
3. The Woman Sits On A Scarlet Colored Beast
a. The Beast Will Support The Woman For A Short While
c. The State Church Will Have Power First 3 ˝ Years
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John’s First
Beast
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John’s Second
Beast
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The Beast Has A Dual Meaning – Last Stage
Of The Roman Empire and Antichrist
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Comes Out Of
The Sea – Represents The Beast At The Height Of Its Power
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Comes Out Of
The Bottomless Pit – Represents The Empire At The Beginning Of The
Tribulation
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Includes
Characteristics Of The First Three Beasts
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Includes
Characteristics Of The First Three Beasts
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Has Seven
Heads
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Has Seven
Heads
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Has 10 Horns
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Has 10 Horns
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Has Ten Crowns
On The Horns
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Horns Have No
Crowns
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Wars On Earth
Precede The Rise Of Antichrist
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Wars Cause Ten
Horns To Align For Mutual Protection
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Five Of The
Heads Have Fallen, The Sixth Is Ruling Now
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Scarlet
Clothed Woman Riding The Beast – Represents Apostate Church After the Rapture
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The Last Of
The Seven Heads Makes A Seven Year Peace Pact With Israel
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While Riding
The Beast, The Woman Will Aid In Federation – Union of Church And State
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The One Head
Wounded Mortally – Represents The Antichrist
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Ten Horns
Receive Their Crowns And Hate The Woman
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Imitates
Christ’s Resurrection – 8th King
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Ten Horns Hate
The Woman
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After
Resurrection He Breaks The Seven Year Pact With Israel
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Ten Kings Will
Expose The Woman, Kill Her, And Take Her Wealth
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He Is
Personification Of Wickedness And Blasphemy
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Ten Kings Will
Take The Woman’s Wealth And Burn Her Cathedrals
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III. Comparison of John’s 2 Beast Visions
A. Beast Has A Dual Meaning – Last Stage Of The Roman Empire
& Antichrist
1. Last Stage of Roman Empire – Comes out of the sea of
nations – Revelation 13:1
2. Antichrist comes up out of the bottomless pit –
Revelation 11:7; 17:8
B. Body of the beast – Includes characteristics of Daniel’s
First 3 Wild Beasts
1. The body is like a leopard – Largest Part – Grecian
characteristic predominant
2. Bear paws – Persian characteristic
3. Mouth of a lion – Babylonian characteristic
C. The Beast That Comes Out Of The Sea – Beast At The Height
of Power
1. Has 7 Heads
2. Has 10 Horns
3. All Horns are crowned
4. Shows Empire at height of power
a. It has all its heads
b. The ten kings are all crowned
D. The Beast That Comes Out Of The Bottomless Pit –
Revelation 17
1. Has 7 Heads
2. Has 10 Horns
3. No Crowns
4. Shows Empire at the beginning of the week – before kings
crowned
E. The Scarlet Clothed Woman Is Seen Riding The Beast
1. She represents apostate church after the rapture
2. Wars will precede the rise of Antichrist
a. 10 nations will align together for protection
b. The woman will play a part in the alliance – Union of
church & state
c. The woman will dominate in the alliance
d. In the middle of the week the kings will receive their
crowns
1. The kings will receive their crowns
2. They will hate the whore
a. The kings will make her desolate and naked
b. The kings will eat her flesh – confiscate her wealth
c. The kings will burn her – Burn down her cathedrals –
Revelation 17:16
Revelation
17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation
17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is
not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
3. The 7 heads are 7 mountains – tie the beast with the
Roman Empire
4. The 7 heads also represent 7 kings
a. 5 are fallen – don’t know who they are
b. 1 is the king in power at this time
c. The one to come - Antichrist
Revelation
17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation
17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no
kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
5. The 8th king that is of the seven
Revelation
13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as
the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave
him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Revelation
13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
a. The Antichrist receives a deadly wound
1. Probably at the hand of an assassin
2. He actually dies or simulates death - His body is lying
in state
3. He rises from the dead
a. Becomes the 8th though he is of the 7 revived
b. Imitates Christ’s resurrection
b. The world wonders at the beast
c. This could be the change in the antichrist – breaks the
Jewish covenant
d. Abomination of Desolation – Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15