Mystery Babylon
Rev 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 show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 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.
This was spiritual idolatry. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship, and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother Semiramis holding the savior-infant Tammuz, which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local, Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz. (Guzik)
Satan brought about a false religion, of worshipping gods, goddesses and even a false Christ, such as Tammuz. This is the great spiritual harlot, the world's false religions.
Tammuz worship
Ezek 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Ezek 8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
Queen of heaven idolotry
Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jer 7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
Rev 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.
Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The woman sat upon the dragon, satan, who was full of blaspheme and his representative ruler, the antichrist, who crawled out of the sea of humanity, himself filled with satan.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.
Rev 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:
Purple and scarlet were very costly garments, worn only by rulers and people of power. The woman represents all the false worship and ceremonies of the antichrist religions. The faith was not of God.
2 Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Mystery Babylon, spiritual Babylon, the mother of harlots, of false beliefs, of idolatry and abominations of the earth.
The eighth King
Rev 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 (wonder).
The woman, the false religion supported by the antichrist, shall be drunk with the blood of the martyrs. It is a bloody religion attacking the true people of God, thinking this pleases their god. Do you know the one you worship?
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
The woman's god, perhaps unknown, is satan. She enjoys this killing of Jews and Christians, to the point of drinking their blood, as an intoxicated drunk. Satan in her, thrills and compels her to do evil, much as someone caught in the compulsion of pornography. It is the antichrist spirit.
Rev 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.
John, is not to be wondering, the mystery is to be revealed. The beast carries her, uses her for his purpose. Church and state in it's ugliest. They say separate us from church and state even now, but what they really are saying is, separate us from Jesus and the Word of God. Even now they embrace the antichrist spirit.
Rev 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.
The seven heads are seven mountains: Many quickly associate the seven mountains with Rome and the Papacy, because Rome is well known as the city on seven hills. Yet literally, the Greek word means mountains, not hills. (Guzik)
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Mountains not hills, representing nations and kings.
Rev 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.
We go back in history to see the five fallen kingdoms: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The one that is, in John's time was Rome; and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.Who is the seventh kingdom? I am not sure about the seventh king. Perhaps Mohammed, or the nations of Islam? Perhaps the Jews will think it is the kingdom of God, being set up in Jerusalem by the man of peace? The one world empire. The one world government, headed by the satanic beast. We are rapidly heading towards this final time. They will be times of trouble, making the world ready for the false Christ, the man of peace.
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The beast shall be of all the characteristics of the previous world rulers, even as he is the eighth ruler. He will go into perdition; God will cast him into the lake of fire. The beast and false prophet were not put in waiting for their trial and sentencing. Their judgment was swift.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Ten horns
Rev 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.
Daniel interpreted the dream of the king, of a giant statue. In this were kingdoms represented by metals, he mentioned feet of iron and clay, the ten toes representing ten kings in alliance. Iron represented the Roman empire in Europe. European nations and other clay nations are probably represented, Those with alliances with European countries. They would receive power, one hour, a short time, with the beast. The devil promises more, but those who receive him, soon they see that he is a liar and he shall drive them to destruction.
Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
The image would be crushed first at the feet that make war with Gods people in an alliance with the antichrist.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These ten divided kingdoms of iron and clay, shall come together in unity serving the antichrist. They worship the woman, representing a one world false religion, for a time. They united against those who served the true God.
Rev 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.
We see the results of their coming against Jesus at his return. Jesus shall overcome them. Daniel's prophesy says that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. The stone was the chief cornerstone of the church, Jesus Christ.
Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
A one world religion, represented as the false religion of Babylon. Islam now is the religion of Babylon. Others have pointed to Rome, or to apostate churches of Christ. Churches in name only, liberal, embracing all religions and no longer of truth.
Rev 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.
Rev 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.
The nations will come against the false religion and the woman and destroy her, so that all would worship the image of the beast. He will proclaim himself as God. This is allowed, for it must be to fulfill the scriptures.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
The Babylon world system as it once was will be no longer. The woman representing the false one world religion will come down as the antichrist takes power in his hour leading to his final destruction. Utimately the beast would be no more, for he represented the strengths of the conquering nations of the statue. The statues fate was told by Daniel:
Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Jesus shall reign.
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