The Victory of the Lamb

Transcript

GR 1559
03/07/10
The Victory of the Lamb
Revelation 17:13-18
Gil Rugh

We're in Revelation 17 in your Bibles. I was looking through some of my commentaries, as I've mentioned before, thinking I could perhaps read to you some sections to show you alternative interpretations of Revelation. But I tell you it is a travesty what some have done to the book of Revelation. I couldn't find anything that I thought was simple and clear enough that reading a brief section would be helpful. Once you abandon literal grammatical hermeneutics, you come to the book of Revelation and going to treat it like apocalyptic genre that is to be interpreted allegorically and figuratively, you are adrift in the ocean with nothing to anchor you. We are expected to understand it and it is to shape our lives. And yet it has been turned into a mass of confusion. But that's not the way it is intended to be. Not because we have greater intellect, intellect sometimes has been a problem, but the simplicity of coming to the word of God, reading it and accepting it as it is. And the clarity is there.

We are in the seven-year tribulation, we are in the latter part of the seven years that will be climaxed with the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom, a kingdom over which He will rule and reign. Revelation 17-18 is about Babylon. That's a lot of material on Babylon. When we take this with a couple of other passages in the book of Revelation that talk about Babylon; over ten percent of the book of Revelation is devoted to Babylon. And with the destruction of Babylon we come to the destruction of Satan's kingdom which he has been ruling and attempting to build down through history.

Come back to Daniel 2. I realize this is review. I'm surprised at the number of commentators that don't seem to think that Daniel is good background for Revelation. It would keep them from being out here floating around someplace if they would look and see what God revealed through the prophet Daniel. We looked at these in our last study. In Daniel 2 you have the empires of the world, beginning with the empire in existence at the time Daniel is writing this and these events are occurring: Babylon. And in the vision of an image of a man you have four successive empires unfolded, different metals mark out the different empires. You come to the fourth empire in verse 40 which is a fourth kingdom, and that represents Rome, the most powerful of the empires. We had Babylon which was in existence during Daniel's day. That will be followed by Persia or Medo-Persia, and the Persians will dominate that empire. Then you'll have Greece, then Rome. This fourth empire is as strong as iron, it crushes, it shatters. You'll note, verse 41, “when you saw the feet and toes.” This is a normal image of a man; we would assume there are ten toes here. That will be clarified later. But the toes here are part of iron and part of clay. Now the iron was the Roman Empire, now you mix the clay in the toes and you have a mixed empire. It is strong as iron, but brittle as clay.
Verse 42: “And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong, and part of it will be brittle.” Verse 44: “And in the days of those kings…” Who are those kings? They are the ten toes. This is final form of this fourth empire, because the fourth empire was iron. The iron continues. That's why we talk about it's the revived Roman Empire; it's a continuation of the Roman Empire. Verse 44: “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”

Now simply taking this, unless you were going to spiritualize, allegorize the kingdom that is talked about in verse 44, we don't have it yet. Some would say this is the spiritual kingdom that was brought into existence with the coming of Christ and His death and resurrection. So now there is a kingdom. He is ruling over the hearts of believers and we are destroying kingdoms and whatever. But you understand; these are earthly kingdoms Daniel is talking about. “In the days of those kingdoms the God of heaven will set up a kingdom.”

Verse 35 pictured it as the other kingdoms of the world being crushed by the establishing of this kingdom. It is consistent with Old Testament prophecy. The period of the church is not seen. So we go from the Roman Empire down to the seven-year period, the 70th week of Daniel in this picture because the period we call the church age is not revealed here. But we obviously are carried to the end times when Christ will return to earth and establish His kingdom on the earth. At that time there will be ten kings federated together in one kingdom, but it's a brittle mixture with the iron.

You come over to Daniel 7. Same information revealed with different imagery. The four beasts represent the same four kingdoms—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. You come down to the fourth of these kingdoms, verse 7: “…a fourth beast dreadful, and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured, and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” So just like the image in chapter 2, it had ten toes that represented kings that would be in existence in the days when Christ will return to earth, now you have horns, ten horns. Now we have additional information. Verse 8: “While I was contemplating these ten horns behold, another horn, a little one, came up from among them and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold this horn possessed the eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.” And where do we go in verses 9-14? We go to the kingdom that Christ will establish on the earth. And it's in that context, verse 11, that this little horn, this beast is destroyed. So you see we're in the same kind of timing. The days of those ten kings, during which time and out of which will come one powerful king. Their reign will be brought to an end by the return of Christ to the earth to establish His kingdom. Verse 14: “And to Him was given a dominion, glory and a kingdom; that all peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” The kingdoms of this world are destined to be replaced by the kingdom of our Christ.

Look down in verse 17: “These great beasts which are four in number are four kings…” A king or a kingdom is used interchangeably. Verse 18: “But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.” So there you have a summary. Daniel is particularly interested in the events with the fourth kingdom and the little horn. Verses 23-24: “…The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms… As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and subdue three kings. And he will speak out against the Most High, and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times and a half time.” This is three and half years. And from our other studies in Daniel and Revelation it is clear that is 3½ years. It is also identified as 42 months, 1260 days. So this little horn will dominate for 3½ years.

Verses 26-27: “But the court will sit for judgment and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.” You see, that's where we are. So obviously the unfolding that Daniel began with Babylon climaxes with Jesus Christ on the earth, ruling over all the earth. Again, Daniel 7 doesn't have anything to say about that period of time. We are basically between the first coming of Christ and that seven-year period that will climax with the Second Coming.

When we come over the book of Revelation again, we've looked at chapter 13 and you have in chapter 13 unfolding details about that little horn in Daniel 7 that Daniel was so interested in. And we see a beast here in verse 1 “coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads.” And we noted what happens with John in the book of Revelation, he has the four kingdoms that Daniel saw, but he also adds the two kingdoms that preceded that—Egypt and Assyria. The Bible is only concerned with kingdoms that impact Israel. That's what the focus is. So Egypt is the first one that impacts them. Israel spent 400 years in bondage in Egypt and was molded into a nation there. And Assyria was the kingdom that carried the northern ten tribes away into captivity. So they are added. So that will give us six kingdoms now, not different than Daniel's, just expanded to give it more completeness. Those six nations have impacted Israel in their history.

Come to Revelation 17. It has opened up the mystery that is going to be unfolded about the Babylonian harlot. We noted that is the religious dimension of Babylon, the kingdom that has been the kingdom of satan on the earth since Genesis 11. We come down through verse 8: “The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction…” That's the same as the little horn that we saw back in Daniel 7. That's the beast that we saw in Revelation 13, and in Revelation 13 we're told that this particular individual received a death wound with a sword but is brought back to life. That's why it can be referred to “as the beast that you saw was and is not and is about to come out of the abyss and go to destruction.” His power and enablement is supernatural, it is demonic and it is satanic. And he will ultimately go to destruction. Verses 8-10: “And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast; that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and they are seven kings…” And we looked at this. Some people identify this with Rome, but we are told the seven mountains are seven kings in verse10. “Five have fallen”—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece. Those five have fallen; they are no longer in power. “One is;” that's Rome. “The other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain a little while.” That next phase of the ten horns in verse 3: “saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.” Seven heads are the seven kingdoms. I thought there were six, Rome, and one is. Yes but remember now there are the ten horns, like the ten toes in Daniel 2. They are part of that fourth kingdom. They had the iron of the Roman Empire in Daniel 2 in the toes.

So the seven heads are seven mountains. A mountain as we saw represents or symbolizes a kingdom in biblical prophecy. On which the woman sits. Five have fallen, one is; the other has not yet come. Verses 10-11: “…when he comes; he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not, is himself an eighth and is one of the seven and he goes to destruction.” He is the final one because he is going to be brought to his end by the return of Christ. This is not so difficult; it's the same pattern that was unfolded in the book of Daniel. So you have the empires coming to Rome, then you have that final form, a ten-nation confederacy which is really part of the Roman Empire. But it has to be in the last days because Christ will return in those days. We saw in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and it will be true here.

So those ten kings federated together as a revival of the Roman Empire as we would refer to it today, form the seventh empire. And then that little horn that we saw in Daniel 7, he is one of the seventh in verse 11. Remember he came out and replaced three of those horns to get his power. So he is part of the seventh empire, the ten nations, but he is really an eighth because he is different enough, strong enough, unique enough to be qualified as an eighth. But he's only going to have a short time.

Verse 12: “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” So these ten kings and the beast, or that little horn, are together. Now the scripture will set them out. It did in Daniel 7; it does in the book of Revelation. They are together, yet you can break them apart. The ten will dominate and will be the major power for the first 3½ years of the seven-year period, the 70th week of Daniel. The little horn, the beast, will be the dominant one for the last 3½ years. So the “ten horns which you saw are ten kings which have not yet received a kingdom.” So you'll note these ten kings really together comprise one kingdom. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not received a kingdom.” They receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. This is a short period of time here. And it is brief when you look at these other empires and compared to the Roman Empire, that beast, the sixth of the empires. Well a seven-year period divided into two halves with the ten dominating the first half and the one that comes out of those ten dominating the second half, this is just a brief period of time we're talking about. They have one purpose. They give their power and authority to the beast.

Verse 14: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and the faithful.” These ten kings that are ruling over their domains that are federated together to make a kingdom, they have one purpose in verse 13. Their intention is to turn their power over to the beast, that little horn of Daniel 7, give their power and authority to the beast. So they will continue with him, basically, but he will be the dominant ruling one. And they all agree; he ought to reign over us. And he will do it for a time, times and a half time—3½ years or 42 months. We saw this back in Revelation 13.

Revelation 13:5: “And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.” The 42 months is the same as the time, times and a half time in Daniel. It's a 3½-year period.

Revelation 17:14: “These will wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them…” They will rather have war. These ten kings are under the authority of the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb; “the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.”

Revelation 16:14-16: “for they are the spirits of demons, performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty…And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Mageddon” Or as we call it: Armageddon. Turn over to Revelation 19:19:”And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth…” So for sure this includes that little horn, the beast. The ten kings and any other kings that might be included, but for sure that grouping, and their armies assembled “to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” That's Armageddon. And they are destroyed; the beast will meet his end and be cast into hell.

So you come back to Revelation 17:14, “these will wage war against the Lamb.” The Lamb will overcome them. Why? It is because “He is Lord of lords and King of kings.” Basically the picture we had in Daniel 2 with that One who would come and crush all kingdoms and establish a kingdom over all. Or in Daniel 7 where those ten kings and the little horn will meet their end as he goes to destruction. And then the Lord establishes His kingdom that rules over all. He will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. That same title repeated in connection with Armageddon in Revelation 19:16, Christ returns and “on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’”

So what we have, we are under the seventh bowl judgment and that includes Armageddon. So we're getting unfolded here the climactic destruction of the satanic kingdom and of the beast. We go back a little bit here in what will be unfolded to cover the first half of the seven years. Come to the middle so we can understand the last part and understand the climax of Armageddon as details are filled in for us.

The Lamb is accompanied by a group in 17:14 that are described with three names or titles. They are the “called, chosen and faithful.” And that's exciting because that is you and me, the redeemed who are with Him in His return. We'll see when we come to chapter 19 when heaven is opened and the armies of heaven come with Christ and return at Armageddon. Here we are told those who are with Him at this war as the beast and the kings make war against the Lamb and are overcome by the Lamb, the Lamb is accompanied with the called, chosen and faithful. That can't describe angels. These are titles that refer to us who are the redeemed. That word “called” refers to those that God has called to Himself.

Go back to Romans 1:6: “among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ” because we have demonstrated the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles. That was Paul's ministry. Stop in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And then verse 29: “whom He foreknew, He also predestined.” Verse 30: “and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” So the called are those that God has effectively called and drawn to Himself. I Corinthians 1:9 and Jude 1 have similar kinds of uses of the word “called.”

In Revelation 17:14, the next title is “chosen.” The Greek word translated “chosen” is eklektoi, “the elect.” It is those that God has chosen for Himself. They are the called, those that God has chosen for Himself from among fallen, sinful human beings. Called and elect looks at these people from their relationship from God's perspective. They've been called by God, chosen by God.

The third description of them is faithful. It emphasizes the response of the called, the chosen or the elect. They are faithful to the God who has called them and chosen them. The One in whom they have come to believe. Back up to Revelation 2:10, message to the church at Smyrna. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.” These are those who have been faithful. We talked about this in our earlier study today from Hebrews 10, those who have faith. They don't shrink back, they remain faithful; they endure. And those are the ones who truly belong to God. Down in verse 13, and the message to the church at Pergamom. “I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you where Satan dwells.” Faithful is a description used of Christ in Revelation 1:5: “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…” He is always faithful, and always in the will of His Father. And we now who have been called by Him, chosen by Him now also are privileged to manifest that same faithfulness.

Come back to Revelation 17. Faithfulness demonstrates the reality of God's call of us, which is a result of His having chosen us in eternity past, according to Ephesians 1. In Revelation 17:14 we are told these will be joined with the Lamb when the Lamb will overcome them. The beast and the kings joined with him, they'll make war against the Lamb but the Lamb will overcome them. It will be a remarkable time. Here I am reading about myself in the prophetic word that I'm going to be there, I'm going to be returning with Christ in glory at this great and final conflict to be joined with Him when He overcomes them. He has overcome and we in Him are overcomers. We ought to really be intensely interested in the scripture here, telling us what is going to take place in our future. And these are the things that are to shape our conduct and behavior now and further encourage us to be faithful in our service of the One who is our Lord and Master.

A couple of passages we have to look at. John 16:33, as Jesus is preparing His disciples for His impending crucifixion, verse 33: “These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Christ overcame the world in His victory over satan and sin, that was accomplished at the cross, but the realization of that in its fullness is yet future. I mean, look at the world around us. And we will partake in that victory when He overcomes His enemies and crushes them and establishes His kingdom.

Come back to Revelation 3. Some people read that passage in John 16 and that becomes an excuse for them to allegorize the rest of scripture and say that's the victory of Christ. There it is. So now we have the kingdom. He has overcome sin, but that doesn't cancel out the fact He is going to establish a kingdom on this earth and ultimately will overcome His enemies by crushing them and destroying them and removing them. Revelation 3:21: “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, note this, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Christ was exalted after His crucifixion and resurrection and ascension, seated at the right hand of the Father, on the Father's throne. That's not the end. He's not on the Davidic throne. He will come and establish His throne on the earth and we who are overcomers with Him will share in His victory.

Back up to I John 2:13: “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one…” You see we are overcomers. You have overcome the evil one, Satan. How? In Christ, the One who has overcome the world. Verse 14: “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” I John 4:4: “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them…” He's talking about the false prophets, the antichrist spirit that is in the world. You have overcome them. Why? Because “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” I John 5:4: “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world…” Verse 5: “And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Because you see we partake of His victory. He overcame sin and Satan. And when we believe in Jesus Christ and are saved, His victory becomes our victory. And He is the One who has overcome; we now join with Him as overcomers. That's why we will share with Him when He returns in glory to finally overcome, crushing the kings of this earth that oppose Him. We will be there as overcomers. These are remarkable, remarkable promises.

Stop at Revelation 5. This heavenly scene in chapter 5 is where the Lamb as One slain; comes and takes the book out of the right hand of the Father, that seven-sealed scroll. Verse 5: “and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’” He is the One by His victory who can bring to a God-ordained conclusion the plan of God in the destruction of the enemies of God and the redemption of creation. Great promises, great truths. And you and I will share in it.

Come back to Revelation 17:14. The Lamb will overcome them. So that promise was there in John 16:33. Obviously the foundation for that is laid in the death of Christ, paying the penalty for sin as we've been talking about in Romans. This is glorious victory. But it is not done. We don't therefore allegorize and spiritualize everything—now we have the kingdom in our hearts and we're ruling over all. There is victory that we have in Christ over Satan and sin to be sure, but we're talking about a literal kingdom that He will establish. Every eye will see Him when He comes, and His enemies will be literally crushed and destroyed, and He will set up a kingdom on this earth.

Look at verse 15: “And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.’” Back in Revelation 17:1: “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me saying, ‘Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.’” I wonder what waters represent? Well we come down to verse 15, “the waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes, nations and tongues.” They are a symbol, and they represent something. They're not just some mystery and how do you unravel it? In fact this is not even new, this symbolism. It is drawn from the Old Testament.

Just one passage in the Old Testament, Isaiah 8:7: “Now therefore behold the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates…” What do you mean? Does that mean we will have a flood of the Euphrates? We're too far away from what we're talking about here, Damascus and Samaria, to be flooded by the Euphrates. But he identifies these strong and abundant waters of the Euphrates, “even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and it will arise over all its channels and go over all its banks.” He's coming from the Euphrates, the king of the Assyrians with his army, and he's going to overflow their land like water floods it. That's the picture. So a background for the waters representing peoples is not even new. Jeremiah 47:2 uses the same kind of picture.

But come back to Revelation 17:15, the waters which you saw, so this harlot representing the spiritual dimension of the satanic system down through its various empires. It's ruling over peoples, dominates them and influences them. You know it is false religion, false worship, and teaching contrary to the revelation of God. It seems to be everywhere. You understand this harlot has dominated down through the history of empires because it's a satanic activity working among the peoples who are the subjects of Satan.

Look at verse 16; we ought to note here, the woman sits on the waters. Verse 3, she also sat on the scarlet beast. And she also sat, verse 9, on the seven mountains. So you see her dominating influence down through the earthly kingdoms. Those seven empires, she sits on them. This false religious system has permeated the empires of the world. Satan has always had his religious system and the empires that he has controlled. And now here this last empire, the beast is also dominated and controlled and has authority of this false religious system. But that's about to change.

Verse 16: “And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” This is picture of a harlot: an apostate religious system and activity. We won't take the time but back in Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 23, Ezekiel 28, for example, are all passages where the picture of a city, even Jerusalem, that promoted and encouraged opposition to God and false worship. It's depicted as a harlot, sometimes by the prophets very graphically, and their prostitution and unfaithfulness to God and opposing God. And false worship is pictured as a harlot in the spiritual dimension. This is the false religious system that has been so dominant down through the first seven empires, including the ten-king confederacy for the first 3½ years. That's going to come to an end now and the forms it has had. And the ten kings and the beast are going to agree together, we're going to destroy the harlot. Not because they're going to turn to a living God but because they're going to set up now the culmination, the final satanic counterfeit to replace all religious counterfeits—the beast as the Antichrist and his false christ to rule the world and a kingdom in place of the Christ and the kingdom that God will establish.

So the picture here is they make her desolate, naked, will eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. Picture the destruction and judgment that is poured out upon them. Why? Verse 17: “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast…” You'll note these ten kings are a kingdom, one kingdom. So we have this revived Roman Empire kingdom, ten-nation confederacy, but these ten agree to give their kingdom to the beast “until the words of God should be fulfilled.” That's the same thing that was said in verse 13—they have one purpose, they give their power and authority to the beast. But now we're told that God is behind this. He's not causing them to sin, but He is in control and directing so that their sinful activity accomplishes His purposes and has fixed the satanic plan and purpose. Satan is ready to be rid of the kind of false religion that has permeated all the kingdoms, he is ready for the great and grand counterfeit system, establishing his christ on the throne of the kingdom of the world. And we have that satanic trinity that we have talked about. God has put it in their hearts to accomplish His purpose. We ought never to lose sight of the fact, that's why it is so sad to see Christians get all upset by who wins an election, or who is getting power. We get down to this time and the Antichrist assumes the throne, sets himself up in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. God is totally in control. Satan is allowed here to exercise greater authority and influence and power that he has before, but the ultimate power controlling it all is our God. Everything is under control. What great encouragement to us as believers. I should be frustrated by who wins an election? I'm not saying you can't vote, or you shouldn't vote, but I understand the outcomes are in the hand of God, whether it's by an election, whether it's by a military coup. My God's rule and control cannot be overruled. And so it will be right down to the end. God has put it in their hearts. They are doing what they want, that's turning it over to their sin, but it's accomplishing His purpose. And that will bring God’s program to a completion. All of the words of God will be fulfilled.

So now the seventh kingdom; the ten nations have become the eighth kingdom, the rule of the Antichrist. The Babylonian mystery religion, Babylonian harlot, they are all gone. Now it is all focused and clear. One man is on the throne of the world, one man worshiped as God. It is at this time that he set himself up in the temple.

Go to II Thessalonians 2:7-8: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed…” That's the little horn of Daniel 7, that's the beast we're talking about in Revelation. Verse 8: “…whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming” Same thing that Daniel 7 told us would happen to him. Same thing that Revelation is telling us will happen to him. Verses 9-10: “that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish…” What's he doing? Look at versed 3-4, he's called “the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” You see what happened? All those other religions and the harlot is destroyed, not because we now have the true religion, the worship of the living Christ, but because satan now has come up with that which has been his goal all along.

So this man who is ruling the world as king is also being worshiped as God. He takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. This is what is called in Daniel 9, the abomination that makes desolate. Remember in Matthew 24? Jesus warned the Jews, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, you better run. Don't even go back into your house to get a coat because persecution is going to break out. Now you have satan's attempt to destroy the people of God, to annihilate the nation Israel. Because as we've seen in Daniel 12, that's his goal because if he could destroy every last Jew there could be no Jewish kingdom. The plan of God would be thwarted.

But that's what we're talking about, evidently as we saw in Revelation 13 when the death wound to this beast is healed, verse 3, “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.” And this evidently is the trigger that causes the ten kings to agree, he is much greater than we are. We will agree to give him our authority, we'll serve under him, he is God, he is king; he's the God-man. Revelation 13:4-5: “and they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast…and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.”

So you see we're getting a broader glimpse in Revelation 17 of the destruction of Babylon. So we see what's going on over that first 3½ years as the woman rides the beast and dominates the kingdom. But after 3½ years, there is a dramatic change and that apostate religious system is destroyed. You know there is no love in Satan, so these have been people who follow him but he's ready now to destroy them. They are just pawns that Satan is using for the accomplishing of his ultimate goal. So it is nothing for him to wipe out now the false religious system that he has used down through the empires of the world. Satan is ready for his great replacement. And nothing can be allowed to stand in the way of that, which is his ultimate goal and plan.

Come back to Revelation 17:18 and we'll end here because we'll pick up with this with chapter 18. “And the woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” And we'll talk more about this in connection with chapter 18 as well. I take it we're talking about Babylon. Some say that must be Rome. Can't be Rome; it's Babylon. And that will become clear in chapter 18.

So the woman, that's not all there is to Babylon because when we get to 18:2 we'll see, “fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” So the religious dimension of Babylon as it has existed is destroyed, although it has been replaced by the greatest of false religions that Satan could muster. But we're talking about Babylon. I believe the Bible indicates Babylon will be rebuilt, we've talked about that, we'll talk more about that in connection with chapter 18. I heard something early this morning, as I was having breakfast I turned on the news and I just thought there was an interesting comment. I don't even remember the context, but they were talking about Iraq and the good things happening there and they were saying if can continue to bring peace to Iraq, in a very short time Iraq will be producing more oil than Saudi Arabia. I thought that was interesting. Iraq will become a major commercial center, which we'll see in chapter 18. And to hear the news talking about it—soon they'll be producing more oil than Saudi Arabia if we can resolve some of the conflicts. The conflicts there will be resolved, Babylon will be rebuilt and that will be the new capital of the world for the satanic empire.

These are marvelous things. We're not looking for that, we're looking for the coming of the Lord to take us to glory; then we're looking to return with Him in glory and be part of His establishing His kingdom. What a future we have.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your truth. Thank You for the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the truth concerning the final victory that You will bring about through Him and the enemies of our Lord and Savior will meet their final end. We shall return with Him in glory to share in His overcoming victory. What a marvelous salvation You have provided for us in Him, a salvation that will be complete, a salvation that will ultimately be realized in His rule over all creation and we will rule and reign with Him. May we live our lives each day faithful to You, anticipating all that You have promised for those that love Christ. We pray in His name, amen.

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