The Summation of The Two End-time Beasts

 Temple Baptist Church - 10-24-2021

Revelation 17:1-18

 

Tonight, as we finish chapter 17 and before we move on the Revelation, chapter 18, I want to give the general breakdown of chapter 17.  This will give a us a concise look at the end-time religious system and why it is abominable in the sight of the Lord but acceptable in the sight of unsaved mankind. 

 

I am not angry at Roman Catholics!  I love these people, but they have followed the teachings of the church instead of the teachings of the Bible and are the "blind" following the "blind" and both will fall into the ditch.

 

We have covered so much over the past couple of months that, if not careful, we lose the flow of the scripture.  One of the best ways to study scripture is to outline the chapter so as to have a continual flow of information instead of being "all over the map."

 

1.  The End-time Religious System's Prostitution - 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: 

 

She sold her soul as she traded the true and eternal riches for the temporal, therefore, she is a whore.

 

2.  The End-time Religious System's Prominence – 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. 

 

She sold her soul and sold herself for popularity with the people and elevation in the political world.  The political system used her to gain power over the people.

 

3. The End-time Religious System's Position – 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. 

 

She is found "riding upon the satanic beast" of government.

 

4.  The End-time Religious System's Possessions – Revelation 17:5  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: 

 

She became the richest religious organization on the earth.

 

5.  The End-time Religious System's Person - (5)  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

 

She is as wicked as Satan himself because it is he who gave her power and riches.

 

6.  The End-time Religious System's Perpetuality – Revelation 17:5 MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.

 

She was from the beginning within the heart of Satan, who hated God, and manifested in the serpent, through Cain, and then Babel.

 

7.  The End-time Religious System's Persecution – 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. 

 

She has hated and systematically destroyed God's people for 6,000 years and will continue to do so in the Tribulation Period as untold millions will be martyred for their unwavering faith in God.

 

8.  The End-time Religious System's Partnership – 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. 

 

She has remained tied with the political powers that be with the final power being the Revived Roman Empire.

 

9.  The End-time Religious System's People – 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. 

 

She uses the unsaved but religious who will love, adore, and bow to her abominable ways.

 

10.  The End-time Religious System's Place – Revelation 17:9, 18  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth ... And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

 

The seven mountains are representative of the seven world powers, with Rome being the final one, and the "City of Seven Hills," which is Rome.  These two verses alone give her name, Roman Catholic.

 

11.  The End-time Religious System's Prophecy – Revelation 17:10-13  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.  (11)  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.  (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.  (13)  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.   

 

Verse 10 - The Seven Kings are these seven world powers – five have fallen: Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Meido-Persia, and Greece.  Though Babel was scattered, it never died but manifested itself through the millenniums through the empires that it founded.  The one that remains is Rome: in Daniel's prophecy was and is the legs of iron and the feet of iron mingled with clay.  Though the Roman Empire officially fell, it has politically and religiously continued and is being revived as we speak.  This end-time religious system has been in the making in the past, present, and future. One that is not yet come is the revived Babel or Babylon the Great, the empire of Antichrist.

 

Verse 11 – The beast that was, and is not, is the eighth.  Though the eighth, he is of the seven as they all make up the world system of ungodliness and he will go into perdition.

 

Verse 12 – The European Common Market nations make up the revived Roman Empire under Antichrist.

 

Verse 13 – These are unified in their thinking, planning, and wickedness.  They will give their power and strength to the beast.

 

Some may see these verses differently as we cannot fully know until the time of the end when everything is set up.

 

12.  The End-time Religious System's Power – 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. 

 

Her control is both wide-spread and great with the masses.

 

13.  The End-time Religious System's Punishment – 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.  (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. 

 

The beast upon which she rides, the political system (which is godless), will not always tolerate the whore upon its back and will ultimately destroy her.

 

14.  The End-time Religious System's Perishing – 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. 

 

Satan's original plan in heaven was to overthrow the throne of God and it failed.  Satan's ultimate plan on earth is to overthrow God's Son when He comes back in the Revelation in chapter 19.  Epic Fail on both accounts as Satan still does not believe that the God of this universe is omnipotent (He cannot be overthrown), omniscient (He does know all that is in the making), and omnipresent (He is ever present to both see and know all Satan's workings and plans).