Revelation 18, verses 1 to 3, Babylon the great is fallen

 

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. 2  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Calling this city Babylon the great is very interesting and seems to indicate that this is a euphemistic name for a city that we may know by another name. This city is so influential at the time of the end and so powerful that all nations have participated in her wickedness. Certainly, one wonders at any city today that has that much control and power. Rome of the first century ruled the Mediterranean world but most certainly did not rule China or the civilizations in what we call the Americas today. In fact, the city of Rome ceased being the capital of the empire, with the idea of a capital reflecting the way we think not the way they did, in the fourth century AD as Constantinople, the Emperor Constantine’s glory came into being.  What will have to happen for Rome to rule the world if Babylon the great is Rome? The Vatican surely has no influence over Red China or Islamic nations. What do you think will be the circumstances at the end of history that would cause this? I am tempted to think of New York, USA but with a Pope being photographed kissing the Koran one can imagine an alliance between the Vatican and some in the Islamic world, a world almost as diverse in its belief as Christians are. However, there is a prophesy of a Mahdi, an Islamic messiah who will, I have read, “break the cross.”

With the revolutionary faith of the last two centuries, an ideology of universal collectivism also known as communism, socialism, Marxism, or globalization sweeping all traditional authority and tradition away around the world, we can only try to imagine a city from which the world will be ruled in the latter days.

The concept in modern geography and urban studies of a “Global City”, power city, world city, or alpha city is interesting here with New York, London, and Tokyo all listed as the hubs of a global economic and power network. Even more interesting is that some commentators refer to Babylon’s goddess Ishtar as being the goddess of immigrants and liberty depicted as holding a torch much like the modern version of Ishtar and Isis that sits in New York Harbor called Lady Liberty. Other commentators say that the most important temple in ancient Babylon was the Shining House or translated also as the White House. The question would be which power city sits on seven hills or are those mountains a metaphor for something else? Look up Global City on the internet for more details.

One thing that is clear is that this Babylon is a merchant city and a wellspring of luxury items. It has made the world rich so one can think of cities like New York or London as banking and finance centers, not Rome.

Genesis 13, verses 5 to 13, the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly

 

Genesis 13:5 ¶  And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6  And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. 7  And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. 8  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 9  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Genesis 13:10 ¶  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 11  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. 12  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 13  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Abram and Lot were too wealthy to share the land. There was constant conflict. So, Lot made the fateful decision to pitch his tent toward Sodom as many modern-day Christians have done in leaving their home and family to go reside in a city where there were “more opportunities.” I am sure many a sermon has been started with the question, “have you pitched your tent toward Sodom?”

Genesis 13:13 has 13 words in it. Interesting, isn’t it? Thirteen is the number of rebellion, some commentators of the Bible say.

Sodom represented all that was standing in opposition to God in the ancient world and was a symbol of wickedness.

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Cattle does not necessarily mean beef cows, as in our modern speech. The Bible defines cattle as livestock of all kinds.

Exodus 9:3  Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

Cattle is often used to refer to sheep.

Genesis 30:40  And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.

When we picture Israel, Jordan, and Syria today we picture an arid, desert landscape with little greenery and lots of rocks. But keep in mind that the earth has been constantly drying out since the Flood of Noah and things were different during the times of Genesis than they are now. One source noted that, “Land-use studies throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Mid-East show the prevalence of crops and forests, which were suited to cooler, wetter climates in the period before 1000 B.C.”[1]

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[1] Msgr Charles Pope, “What was the Climate and Weather of Israel like at the time of Jesus?” http://blog.adw.org/2014/07/what-was-the-climate-and-weather-of-israel-like-at-the-time-of-jesus/ (accessed 2.1.2020).

Revelation 17, verses 7 to 18, and the Lamb shall overcome them

 

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. 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. 9  And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

The beast that ascends from the bottomless pit carries the woman. If this represents the Roman Empire and then Church it is supported by Satan, controlled by the Beast. The word for mountain is elsewhere also used for mount and hill.

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. 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.

This is almost impossible to figure out as there have been dozens of Roman Emperors and dozens of Popes since the time of John and many communist dictators in the last century. When these events occur five of these kings are dead, one is ruling, and there is another to come for a brief period. The beast comes from the seven kings, and is the eighth king, emperor, dictator, or pope before he goes to the Lake of Fire. The ten horns, or kings, will rule under the authority of the beast for a short, short time, all in agreement to be in subjection to this eighth king, the beast that ascended from the bottomless pit, Abaddon.

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. 15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 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. 18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

2Thessalonians 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming

Here is a classic metaphor for waters being a type of peoples. We can now go back and perhaps see the word sea as a mass of humanity and pay particular attention to earth as a metaphor in the following verses.

Revelation 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

The beast’s ten kings turn on the city that ruled over them, perhaps the Roman Church, and the true nature of the beast is brought out. We need to discuss again, which city, rules over the kings of the earth and if it is Rome, why would Rome be considered as ruling over the earth when its influence is diminishing, it seems?

Genesis 13, verses 1 to 4, Abram called on the name of the LORD

 

Genesis 13:1 ¶  And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. 2  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. 3  And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; 4  Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

Like the Hebrews in the Exodus, Abram leaves Egypt being given much goods by the Egyptians, only Abram gets his from the Pharaoh’s hand while the Hebrews received theirs from all their neighbors (Exodus 11:2). Abram, now a very wealthy man, returned to the place where he had built an altar to God and called upon His name in 12:8. We, too, in a time of great deliverance, should return to where we first called on God for help, at least in our minds, to get straightened out from the false self-confidence that often comes when we escape something bad ‘by the skin of our teeth.’ Here, Abram, at the place where he built the altar, calls on God again. This whole episode brings to mind that even when we are not praying, not acting out of concern for God’s will but for our own self-preservation, that God is directing the reality of our lives and manipulating events and people to push us toward the end He has set for us. I recommend stopping at this point to read Psalm 139 and contemplate God’s sovereignty over the affairs of men, even heathens like the Pharaoh. Abram and Sarai escaped Egypt by God’s will and not Abram’s dishonesty and cleverness or the Pharaoh’s self-glorying protestations of being morally offended. God used Pharaoh’s power to save them from harm for His purpose.

Psalm 105:15  Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

1John 2 comments, we have an advocate

 

1John 2:1 ¶  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

I read a commentator who made a note that when John refers to little children he is literally referring to new Christians, new believers in Christ, unskilled and a little naïve but this could just be a reflection of his pastoral care and authority over them addressing all believers. Remember that Jesus referred to His disciples as little children.

John 13:33  Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Whatever the case may be, whether he is talking to new believers or actual saved children he warns them not to sin. But if they sin they have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who knew no sin and who pleads our case before God the Father.

Romans 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Christ satisfied the righteous wrath, propitiation, of a Holy God when He died on the Cross and we were justified legally when He rose from the dead. This was not exclusive to the Jews of His time but offered to all mankind, if they would receive it.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1John 2:3 ¶  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

John now moves from the whole world to the body of Christ in particular as he teaches these possibly new converts.

Is this a call to turn back to the Law given to Moses for the Jews? But what about this from Paul?

Galatians 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

And what about this warning in the form of a question from Paul earlier in that chapter in Galatians?

Galatians 3:1 ¶  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Or is this a reminder of the specific instructions given by Jesus to His disciples?

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

And remember what of the Law given to Moses that Paul reinforces for the Christian?

Romans 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Keep in mind now what Jesus said about the Law before His crucifixion and resurrection.

Matthew 5:17 ¶  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

And He indeed is the fulfillment of the Law and has fulfilled it.

Romans 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Philippians 3:9 ¶  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Keep in mind what Jesus said also here;

John 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

There are many admonitions that Christ gave us to follow. Included are;

Mark 8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

John tells us to walk as Christ walked and that would be in complete and perfect/complete obedience to God the Father. And we are about to find out that John 13:34, 35 is the principle to which John is referring. John will insist that there is nothing new about this, that he is offering nothing in addition to what has already been said. He simply underscores and even explains Christ’s commandment.

https://earlychurch.com/a-love-without-condition/

1John 2:7 ¶  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Here starts that reference to Jesus “new commandment” of John 13:34,35 which is not so much new in that God the Father had already given this very sentiment under the Law given to Moses as between the people of Israel.

Leviticus 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

See how neighbor in Leviticus refers to thy people?

I have pointed out previously how the word charity in the New Testament refers to the Christian’s love for their fellow Christians and how important it is.

Colossians 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

2Peter 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

1Corinthians 13:1 ¶  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

    4 ¶  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

    8 ¶  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Such an idea would cause us to forgo self-righteousness and arrogance within the church. The difference between confidence and arrogance is that when we are confident we can handle disagreement and still recognize our unity of purpose and faith while if we are arrogant we can brook no conflicting opinions on any matter and will just go down the street to the next church.

When we love our brothers and sisters in Christ in the proper way, in the Lord, we walk in the Light of Christ but when we hate or despise or hold in low regard our brothers and sisters in Christ or try to manipulate, gaslight, or generally use them for our own agenda we walk in darkness.

1John 2:12 ¶  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Again, perhaps addressing new converts, John reminds them that their sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ’s name. Again, if fathers by contrast addresses more mature Christians and elders he warns all about the dangers of buying into the world system. He counts on them to be strong in their faith, opposing Satan and absorbed by God’s word.

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

John lists some things that are the conditions by which we are drawn to the world.

These things listed are the very things that tempted Adam and Eve at the beginning; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Genesis 3:6 ¶  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

When our focus is on pleasing our flesh, on what appeals to our eyes, and what makes us held in high esteem by other people we become mired in the world. The world will pass away but the person who is focused on God’s will, will live forever.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

1John 2:18 ¶  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Again, supposing John is talking to new converts or simply referring to the disciples he has led he announces that it is the last time. An atheist historical writer, Will Durant, noted that the early Christians;

“…were apparently unanimous in believing that Christ would soon return to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth”.[1]

Christians were always told to be looking up expectantly waiting for Christ’s return.

Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

John makes mention of antichrists, plural, corrupters who had been a part of the Christian community but were now gone out as false teachers. He will explain next what they believe. They have denied the divinity of Christ and there is much to say about that. But John explains here that they were permitted by God to do this so that their pernicious doctrines are exposed. By them being allowed to separate from the brethren it is made clear that the orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ do not agree with them.

1John 2:20 ¶  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24  Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25  And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Unction is divine empowering or anointing from a Greek word, according to Strong’s, that comes from the same word for consecrating Christ’s messiahship. The Gnostic heresy of the first century is emphasized here. The Gnostics, according to some sources, believed that the God of the Old Testament was a devil, perhaps Satan himself, and He keeps man imprisoned and deceived but Christ came, as an avatar and guide, a teacher to lead us to freedom. Christ was not God in the flesh because flesh, like all matter, was evil in which we are imprisoned. So, Christ could not be God. They denied the divinity of Christ, in many instances, and blasphemed God, imagining themselves like in the modern movie, The Matrix, taking the red pill which opens their minds up to the truth of the artificial construct we live in, according to them.  To many of them the real God was unknowable and Christ, while at some point divine according to some Gnostic traditions, only appeared in the human form of evil flesh and matter. The Gnostics also believed that man was perfectable as he embraced this secret knowledge.

Modern day Communist theory is modern Gnosticism with the perfectable socialist man who throws off the shackles of a deceiving world system, of course, after the murder of many millions to get to that place and the total denial of all freedom as the socialist man merges into the collective, his only legitimate identity. Man becomes his own god, as stated and implied in many Marxist writings.

The antichrist spirit denies God the Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost, whom John will mention later. The anointing or unction of the Holy Ghost upon the believer will deliver him or her from destruction and teach them all things.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The antichrist spirit denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One. Each person in Gnostic heresy was responsible for saving themselves and salvation was not found in Christ. Jesus was only a teacher, among many of the Gnostics, who led us to our own self-knowledge and salvation that only we ourselves could provide. You can see Gnosticism all around you if you pay attention to mainstream spiritual thought and the embracing of certain religions and political ideologies, and intellectual thought in the Western world.

1John 2:28 ¶  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

John pleads with these Christians, many of them brand spanking new and not experienced at all, to say faithful to Christ, believing that He will return so that when He does they are not ashamed at their faithlessness. Then, John makes an important transition statement into his next argument that doing what is right flows predictably from everyone who is born of Christ, born again. Verse 29 is a reference to believers in Christ and not a blanket statement saying that everyone who does right, believer or not, if born again.

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[1] Will Durant, “The Apostles: A.D. 30-95,”  The Story of Civilization:Volume 3, Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1944), 575.

 

Bible Study on Revelation 17, verses 1 to 6, Mystery, Babylon the Great

 

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: 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. 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. 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: 5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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.

In the time of the Emperor Vespasian, in the era of the fall of Jerusalem  and destruction of the temple by his son and general and future emperor Titus, there are coins still existing that show the goddess Roma as a woman seated on seven hills. Rome, as an entity, spiritual or temporal, spiritual or political, has existed from the eighth century BC onward and exists now as the Roman Catholic Church.

The founding of Rome in the middle of the eighth century BC led to the Roman Empire, whose western half splintered into kingdoms in the middle of the fifth century “ruled” by the bishop of Rome who would become to be called The Pope, still reigning over a spiritual kingdom today, claiming to do it as the Vicar of Christ, His very presence on earth. For nearly 2800 years this physical, then spiritual empire, has reigned in power. The Pope represents the ancient Emperor, the Cardinals the Senate, on down to the Priests representing the lowest level magistrates of Rome. The ancient pagan title of chief of priests the pontifex maximus is the Pope’s title now as Supreme Pontiff. The Catholic Church adopted, as well, many of the practices of the pagans they attempted to convert and is a mixture of pagan and Christian influences. Also, it is estimated that, through history, the Roman Catholic Church has persecuted and murdered millions of Christians and persons of other religions. Certain Roman Catholic personages have declared that even Satanism has been practiced in the Vatican.

Interestingly, though, Moscow, Russia is said to have seven hills and Moscow was titled “The Third Rome” in history as the legitimate heir to the ancient Roman Empire. But, then Europe also, beginning with Charlemagne’s empire, believed it was the heir to Rome.

However, there is another alternative that should be considered. With the French Revolution a revolutionary faith began to show itself as a political reality. This ideology put into practice in the late 1700s goes by several names; communism, socialism, Marxism, globalization, etc. etc.

It is collectivism whereby the state itself is a divine agent, albeit an atheistic, secular divinity and mankind’s identity and his or her very existence depends upon the modern nation-state, a concept unheard of in the ancient world. In globalization it has spread across the earth with a hybrid of capitalism and socialism enslaving billions of people. It demands worship or it will crush anyone who refuses to do so.

It is fundamentally a denial of God’s sovereignty and a glorification of an elite who uses democracy-by-proxy to rule. Does it have a headquarters seated on seven hills? Can it be likened to a harlot? Is it murderous? Well, in the last century it has slaughtered over a hundred million people, mostly in the countries where it is the ideology of the ruling elite. It is something to consider.

Scholars note that this “revolutionary faith”, as they call it, was heavily influenced by occultism in Germany in the 1700s. The faith was incubated in France during the French Revolution by intellectuals and journalists who preferred ideology over religious belief and grew to the monster it has now become over the last two hundred years.[1] Many note that it is a form of the ancient Gnosticism, part of which John condemns in his letters.

In a country like the United States of America, founded in part on free speech, free speech has become a token of oppression and strictly limited. Freedom of association and freedom of religion, two other fundamentals are strictly limited. You cannot earn money to support yourself without bowing to the dictates of this many headed hydra, this communism. We must think about it in our look at Revelation.

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[1] James H. Billington, Fire in the Minds of Men (Taylor and Francis). Kindle Edition (pp. 3-4)..

 

Genesis 12, verses 14 to 20, the Pharaoh takes Sarai into his house

 

Genesis 12:14 ¶  And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15  The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16  And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. 17  And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. 18  And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19  Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20  And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Pharaoh’s princes saw Sarai as something worthy of the Pharaoh and perhaps were too afraid of his wrath to steal her for themselves but thought to use her as a way of gaining his favor. Abram, thought of as her brother, was treated very well and made wealthier for his supposed sister being part of the Pharaoh’s harem. Racists who insist that Ham and all of his descendants are black also insist that verse 14 says that Sarai was attractive to the Pharaoh because she was white skinned and, of course, the assumption is that darker skinned men always prefer “white” women. This is not only not true but ignores the context of verse 11 and fair to look upon means she was attractive, desirable. I’ve already explained the myth of the so-called curse on Ham previously.

Genesis 6:2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Esther 1:11  To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.

But you will believe what justifies your bigotry and prejudice and will force the Bible to justify your social beliefs, taking the non-believers’ and the skeptics’ eyes off of the gospel of Christ and onto your inconsistencies, hypocrisies, and moral weakness.

Whatever the case, God plagued Pharaoh and his house for this action, thereby saving Sarai from suffering the humiliation, the unfinished murder of being forced sexually against one’s will. Pharaoh makes himself out to be a just man who is done wrong by Abram although we know by Abram’s repeat of this behavior and Isaac’s copying of it that the chance of Abram being eliminated was likely, regardless of this heathen’s protestations of his innocence. Still, he sent Abram and Sarai away with all of their possessions. The plagues put a fear in Pharaoh that would have served a later Pharaoh well if he had heeded them.

Revelation, chapter 16, Behold, I come as a thief

 

Revelation 16:1 ¶  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. 3  And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

The two witnesses, who called down disaster on the people of the earth, are removed. The believing Jews are hiding in the wilderness. Countless martyrs are before God in heaven. Now, the end of the Great Tribulation will be fiercer than anything seen in history.

Revelation 16:8 ¶  And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Notice the terror of these judgments on the beast’s kingdom.

Revelation 16:12 ¶  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

This preparation for Armageddon seems to draw those events about the 200 million strong army and in 14:20 the winepress and the blood up to the horses bridles together. The false prophet is first mentioned here as a reference. Is that a representation of Islam with Mohammed as the founder? China would be capable of fielding an army this size, probably not fully equipped, but in desperate times like this who knows what could happen?

This battle is going to be the ultimate confrontation in the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 16:17 ¶  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Verse 18 is the fifth verse mentioning an earthquake but this one is the biggest of all. The entire world is affected by this earthquake. This worldwide disaster, after the Battle of Armageddon leaves the earth changed in appearance with every city crumbling and islands and mountains disappearing. This is a cataclysm like Hollywood likes to portray. Now, this Babylon will face its final judgment.

Psalm 55, part 1, verses 1 to 8, Give ear to my prayer, O God

 

Psalm 55:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.» Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 2  Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; 3  Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. 4  My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5  Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. 6  And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 7  Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 8  I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

 

As far as the immediate context this Psalm is most likely referring to the traitor, Ahithophel, David’s trusted counselor, betraying him to David’s son, Absalom, when that son rebelled against him.

 

2Samuel 15:12  And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

 

David cries unto God in his outrage and pleads with God not to turn from David’s plea. He makes an argument against those who have harmed him and are trying to kill him. He feels isolated and alone except for God. Who can he trust if he cannot trust his own family, his beloved son, Absalom, and his once faithful counselor, Ahithophel? David wants to, but cannot, escape who he is and what he must face in this hour of betrayal. We’ve had songs made about flying away from our troubles. See what Christ quoted from the Cross, opening up that Psalm about Him.

 

Psalm 22:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.» My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

 

Matthew 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

Imagine Christ in His frail humanity offering up prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane as the Jewish leadership and the mob they controlled conspired to kill Him. He knew what He had to face but did not look forward to the pain and suffering of His impending death and was reacting like any of us would react showing us that it is not wrong to feel repulsion at the prospect of the process of dying.

 

Hebrews 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

 

There may have also been times in your own life when you felt betrayed and alone or seemed to have the whole world against you. You then wanted to cry out in this type of eloquence.

 

Psalm 22:12  Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

Revelation, chapter 15, a sea of glass mingled with fire

 

Revelation 15:1 ¶  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Now comes the seven plagues, poured from seven vials, by seven angels. The church will not see this from the point of view of the people on the earth as it has been raptured or translated, as promised.

Revelation 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

What does it mean to have victory?

These are the martyrs of the Great Tribulation, who refused to take the mark of the beast. These are referred to in 6:9.

Revelation 6:9 ¶  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Review Moses’ song in Exodus 15:1-19. This praise predicts a swift and terrible judgment on God’s enemies. Verse 4 shows that now God’s judgments are revealed and made plain.

Revelation 15:5 ¶  And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: 6  And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. 7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. 8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

There are now seven plagues that must be unleashed on the remnant of mankind.

Genesis 12, verses 10 to 13, and Abram went down into Egypt

 

Genesis 12:10 ¶  And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 11  And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12  Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13  Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Later, we will get the definition of famine which is a period of little food and a poor return for farmers. We look at a word in context and compare its use against like phrases in the verse or passage.

Genesis 41:27  And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

Grievous is shown later to mean that there will be no surplus during a famine. It will then be a grievous famine.

Genesis 41:31  And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

Grievous is an abundance of calamity in the curses on Egypt in Exodus 9 and it is a very difficult burden to bear in 1Kings 12 and 2Chronicles 10. Grievous causes grief, obviously, but it is important to see how the Bible defines words in context and I want to reinforce that for you to help in your own personal reading.

Abram does what we would consider a cowardly thing rather than trusting in God to deliver him. He tells his wife, who is in her 60’s but still at that time still a fair woman to look upon, to lie and say she is his sister, not concerning himself in this whether she will suffer humiliation but in preserving his own life.

Abram, as Abraham, will do this again in Gerar in chapter 20. His son, Isaac, will also do this with his wife, Rebekah, in chapter 26 in Gerar, as well. Apparently, by this, we know that it would not be uncommon for a man to be murdered so that someone could obtain his attractive wife as a sexual resource.

We know that fair to look upon means that a person is sexually desirable. In our modern world women seek to dress and look like this although if they considered the assortment of characters they would be attracting, most of which do not look like their favorite movie or music stars, they might think better of it. Sarai, like other women, had little choice in the matter and was little better than a commodity or a pack animal under prevalent laws and customs. It is only in Christ that woman’s status rises.

Galatians 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Unless, of course, she is an Independent Fundamental Baptist, in which case she is typically still in Egypt.

In this general time, although you cannot seriously accept the dates put forth without absolute proof of which there is none, Mizraim’s Egypt (see comments on 10:6) was ruled by a Pharaoh, a king, who held absolute power. Later, the Greek historian Herodotus will tell us that there could be as many as 12 rulers leading from various places claiming all to be THE Pharaoh. This makes any attempt to put the Pharaohs and their dynasties in any absolute dating plan difficult. In addition, the commonly accepted method for dating ancient Egypt is not without its detractors and is controversial. So, when reading about Old and New Kingdoms, Intermediate Periods, Dynasty dates, etc. etc. be very skeptical and cautious about accepted conclusions. Egypt’s ancient history is probably much more compressed than current scholarship would be willing to let on.

In any event, depending on the flooding of the Nile River to irrigate crops, rather than an abundance of rainfall, Egypt was the place to go in most famines in Canaan. Egypt was also the superpower that would have held the kings of Canaan as tributaries in those times when other empires were not in control such as the Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians.  Soon, we will see that part of Canaan at this time was held in tribute by several kings from further east; including Elam and Babylon.

Revelation 14, verses 13 to 20, the great winepress of the wrath of God

 

Revelation 14:13 ¶  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 14  And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16  And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17  And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18  And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

There is a special blessing for those who die after this pronouncement about those who worship the Beast and take his mark is made. One like unto Christ, is told by another angel to reap the harvest on the earth as judgment is upon them, the full force of God’s wrath. Outside of the city of Jerusalem it is said that the blood will rise to the level of horses’ bridles, about 4-5 feet in a space of 1600 furlongs which is roughly 200 miles. This can simply mean that the bloodbath cannot be imagined. This is usually associated by commentators with Armageddon coming up in 16:16  and linked to the 200 million number of the spiritual creatures in 9:16-19 and the kings of the east in 16:12. If this is true then the clearly supernatural creatures of  chapter 9 mean that for every event on earth there are similar events happening in the invisible world that precede the events on earth. Or it means that the description in chapter 9 is a metaphorical description of the massive army that comes from the east to meet at Armageddon for a climactic battle that results in a huge bloodbath of unimaginable proportions. Whatever the case, the blood shows us that these events will happen in the physical world and not just the spiritual. What happens on earth is echoed in the world of the spirit.