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PrintDAY 1 - SESSION 1
Revelation 17:15-18:19
In chapter 19, verse 10, we find a most important verse in connection with our studies, "The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus". This is a reciprocal statement which can be read the other way around - 'The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy' - the thread that runs through all prophetic writings. We were reminded last evening that the Lord Jesus is coming again, and in the very scene where He has been cast out by way of Calvary's cross He is going to be glorified. This should be a settled matter in all our minds. We were reminded last evening that we have the testimony of eye witnesses, the word of prophecy made more sure by writings of accredited vessels, holy men moved by the Holy Ghost. The words of Scripture are God-breathed, therefore entirely reliable. In the circumstances we can be thoroughly persuaded that "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father".
In the closing chapters of Revelation we come to the marriage supper of the Lamb, which is a private matter, and then the coming in glory and power of the Lord Jesus when He appears in person. This will be followed by the world to come and the eternal state - wonderful scope of prophecy!
Last year, it was necessary to turn aside to an aspect of the Lord's coming which is sometimes overlooked. The chapters preceding these wonderful events are not very often read in public. We reached the last of the Lord's providential dealings with this world in the 'vial' or 'bowl' judgments, where, in the seventh bowl the very important verse 17 occurs, "It is done". A footnote says, "It is over, past". In verse 17, it is a voice that comes from the throne as well as from the temple. Those familiar with the earlier chapters will know that the 'trumpet' judgments proceed from the throne, and God's righteousness is prominent, but the 'bowl' judgments proceed from the temple, where God's holiness is prominent. In the prophetic word there is not only the development of evil traced, but also the climax of that evil which calls for God's intervention in judgment. This has to be clearly stated because we are living in a day when the very thought of discipline is departing from the home, the school, the law courts and international dealings. People carry on as if evil were of no matter, but it is all being taken account of by heaven, and very shortly these providential judgments in their weight are going to fall on this world. The personal intervention of the Lord Jesus in the nineteenth chapter brings the "wrath of the Lamb", but in these providential judgments it is the 'wrath of God', sometimes connected with those other words, "the wrath of the fury of God".
Proverbs 25:6 seems to summarise what was our consideration in previous readings. "Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness". The wicked are going to be taken away. Further, we noticed in verse 19 of that same chapter 16, that "great Babylon was remembered before God in the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath". This expression only occurs twice, once in connection with God's dealings with the nations, but here in regard to the most evil system that this world will ever see. This we will call 'anti-Church', and put it alongside 'anti-Christ'. Antichrist is the leader of Jewish apostasy and lives in Jerusalem, but anti-Church is that vile system which connects the name of Christ with every abominable evil, centred in Rome.
Some time was spent last year in the introductory verses of the seventeenth chapter in relation to Babylon and her relationship with the kings. Most of the questions in chapter 17 were asked and answered on a previous occasion. In verse 18 we are reminded that both chapters 17 and 18 speak of Babylon. She is seen as a woman and as a great city in complete contrast with the bride and wife of Christ, and the holy city which come before us in chapter 21.
The queen is sitting in verse 15, as it were at rest - she is sitting - but this is about to be disturbed. I think that is brought out in the following chapter.
About 4 or 5 times in Revelation, starting in verse 9 of chapter 5, we have "people, kindreds, nations and tongues", but here instead of "kindreds", we have "multitudes". Is it significant?
Is it just to show the immense extent of the influence of this anti-Church. I think when kindreds is used it is rather in connection with those who will be brought into blessing.
Up to verse 14 in chapter 17 there was a description of that anti-Church, but from verse 15 there is a change. In chapter 18 we hear that great Babylon has fallen, but it starts actually in this last part of chapter 17 when it is said that "these kings shall hate the harlot and shall make her desolate". At the beginning of chapter 17, this woman was sitting upon this beast, but now, this unholy love is changed into hatred. The political power now turns against the anti-Church.
Chapter 18 starts, "After these things...". This is an expression frequently used in the Revelation and sometimes it has time order in mind. For example in chapter 4, having had a review of the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3, we are lifted into heaven to catch a glimpse of the throne and in chapter 5 the book. "After these things" in chapter 4 seems to have a time order. But that isn't always the case; and I suggest in chapter 18, "After these thing" is with a view to introducing another view of what has taken place, in a measure, in chapter 17. The prophet, in getting his visions tells the story in true Hebrew style. Every block of teaching has to be considered on its own, and it would seem in chapter 18 that we see the judgment of the anti-Church more from the divine side. There is no mention of the beast or the ten kings. It is God who is acting, and we find here the judgment of anti-Church viewed from the divine side. The words "After these things" covers, perhaps, much of the territory seen in chapter 17.
In confirmation of that would verse 17 of chapter 17 be helpful? It says God has given to their hearts to do His mind, and although it is man doing these things, they are still doing God's mind. It is interesting that it is "until the words of God shall be fulfilled". It is not the word of God, but the words of God. This is the first time in the Revelation we have "the words of God". They are not without significance.
You distinguish between "word" and "words" in this way perhaps, that "word" might include the whole story, but "words" the detail.
Yes. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass away even to the jot or the tittle".
I have a question. In chapter 17, verse 1 we read "I will show thee the sentence of the great harlot who sits upon the many waters". Does this include only the western nations, or all the nations of the world? Because then it says "and the ten horns which thou sawest..." I wondered if this has a connection with the nations which we see today springing up all around us in Europe?
We see in this chapter three seats on which this woman is sitting. The first is in verse 3 "I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast", this seems to show that the newly raised Roman empire in all its power and glory will be the basis on which this religious system - the woman - will be sitting.
The second thing is that in verse 9 the seven heads are seven mountains on which this woman is sitting. This seems to show the geographical setting. The seven hills are plainly the seven hills of Rome; although the seven heads also have another meaning, seven kings, subsequent kingdoms, but we have seen this already.
The third thing is in verse 15 "the waters which thou sawest on which the woman is sitting..." - this seems to show that, apart from the sitting on this scarlet beast which is the direct support, the influence and the effects of this religious body, which has been reigning over great parts of the world for almost 2,000 years, is not limited to, say, western Europe, the Roman empire, but is spread all over the world. These masses of peoples show us the whole world being influenced, not necessarily by the direct religious aspect of Roman Catholicism, but by the cultural and moral effects of this system. I think this is the sense here. She is sitting on great waters, which means all people are influenced by her and, in a way, support her until the big moment comes. In verse 16 the ten horns, representing the reestablished Roman empire of the future, of which we already see the first traces, will hate the harlot and will make her naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
In verse 12 we have "and the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have not yet received a kingdom but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast". In verse 16 "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot.." So the woman which has been supported until this moment will now be hated by those who have supported her, the beast and the ten kings. This act of making the harlot desolate happens at the beginning of this one hour when these ten kings are of one mind, because in that one hour, which is exactly three and a half years, no other religion will be tolerated other than the adoration of the beast.
This happens in the middle of the last week of Daniel. The one hour is the three and a half years of the second half, and then, what we have in chapter 18 is what is fulfilled at the end of that time because, the religious character of Babylon will have been destroyed, though her commercial, and perhaps her cultural effects will remain until the end of the second half of the last week of Daniel.
These ten kings only receive their crowns at a certain point. They may be framing up before our eyes, but they don't receive their kingdom until the one hour begins, and it is at that time that, with a united mind, they deal with the harlot. We are not to look for these ten kingdoms at the moment. They take on Roman character when they receive this power from the beast.
We have read in verse 15 about the tremendous influence that the harlot has on all peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. By contrast, we read in chapter 5, verse 9 "because Thou hast been slain and has redeemed to God by Thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation and made them to our God kings and priests". If many are under the influence of the beast, the mercy of God also reaches to many.
I should like to point out by way of contrast the "one mind" which we have in verse 17. God has given to them all to do His mind and to act with one mind. There is the other one-mindedness which is ours if we have the mind of Christ, because the Holy Spirit has been given to us. In chapter 19 "After these things I heard as a loud voice of a great multitude" - it was a great multitude, but it was one voice. Heaven's mind is one. If we are truly Christ minded, we will also be one-minded.
In Acts 15 verse 14, we read "God has visited to take out of the nations a people for His name". This is precisely what is done in the gospel. The sharp distinction between His people and the nations is plainly stated in that verse.
I would like to add to what has been said already. Great Babylon is before us, first as a woman and harlot, it's religious character, and then as a great city, the political or economical, cultural side. We have seen that judgment against her in her religious character is executed by the ten horns, most likely at the beginning of what we call the great tribulation. At the end judgment is executed against her as the great city by the Lord Himself for we read at the end of verse 8 of chapter 18 "For strong is the Lord God who has judged her". In this judgment against her as a great city, the Lord is brought before us in verse 1 "After these things, I saw another angel descending out of the heaven having great authority." Something similar is found in chapter 8 verse 3, where we read "And another angel came and stood at the alter having a golden censer...". There we see the Lord in the character of priest. In chapter 10 verse 1 "And I saw another strong angel coming down out of the heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow upon his head, and his countenance as the sun" - the Lord before us as King, and here we see Him clearly as Judge. The Lord Himself will execute judgment against Babylon, this great city.
This is the only angel said to have great authority. At the very end, God passes this judgment to the One who not only has authority to do it, but great authority. Clearly he has the power to do it. There are those who have authority, but no power; there are those who have power, but no authority. This angel has both.
Summarising, could we say we have the angel priest in chapter 8, the angel king in chapter 10, and the angel judge in chapter 18. I find these summaries useful. This angel not only has great authority, but is able to "light the whole earth with his glory". I think this supports the suggestion that this is none other than a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
We have a type of that in Ezekiel chapter 43 and verse 2 "And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east and His voice was like the voice of many waters and the earth was lit up with His glory".
The Father loves the Son and has put all things into His hand, including judgment. The Son loved of the Father is before us even in these verses that speak clearly of judgment.
There is a point that is brought up by a writer whose writings on prophecy we value, as to the time order. He connects the overthrow of the harlot by the ten kings with the fifth trumpet where the smoke comes up from the pit as from a furnace and the one who is over the locusts that come out of the smoke is called Apollyon. His name is translated in both Greek and Hebrew as "the destroyer". It may be that the overthrow of the harlot takes place, not exactly at the beginning of the second half of the week, but at some point in the middle of the second half of the week. I think it is a very interesting suggestion.
It fits perfectly into the whole picture of what is described in the Revelation. After the first half of the week, Satan will be thrown from heaven to earth, which means that from then on the earth is his only sphere of activity, and he will concentrate his activities there. The second point is that the Roman empire will unfold its greatest power in the second half of this week, and no other religion will be tolerated other than the worship of the beast. This leads to the conclusion, that the harlot has to be religiously destroyed in the middle of the last week of Daniel or at sometime during the last half of the week. But economically, and culturally, this power will continue to exist until the time which is described in chapter 18 where God Himself will destroy what has been left of this, in the first place religious, power of Babylon.
This seems to correspond well with a different part of John's writings. In 1 John 2 verse 22 we read that the Antichrist is not only the religious head of apostate Judaism because he denies that Jesus is the Christ, but he is also the head of apostate Christendom because he denies the Father and the Son. In the first half of Daniel's seventieth week it would seem there is a certain competition going on when Antichrist will aspire to be the head of Christendom. This battle will be decided in favour of the Antichrist in the middle of that week. The Lord Jesus will not judge religious Babylon Himself, but God will act by giving one mind to these ten horns or kings.
Of course He is overruling matters always, but when the full power of the enemy is there, he will put into their hearts to do His will and to act with one mind. Today there is not one mind in Europe. It is something which, if it was not of God, would be impossible, but God is acting. In chapter 18, verse 5 we read "God has remembered her unrighteousnesses", and in verse 20, "God has judged your judgment upon her". It is the Lord Jesus who is executing the judgment.
We get the same picture, do we not, in the crucifixion of our blessed Lord. "Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and Thy people Israel" were all of one mind to put Him on the cross, but it was to accomplish the determinate council and foreknowledge of God. At all times God has His hand over the whole matter, even in these closing scenes of judgment.
