The Woman & the Beast

Transcript

GR 1558
02/28/10
The Woman and the Beast
Revelation 17:7-13
Gil Rugh


We're in Revelation 17. Revelation 16 brought us to the final series of judgments, the bowl judgments. We are nearing that 70th week of Daniel conclusion and particularly events of the last 3½ years of that seven-year period. We had verse 21 with verse 19 talks about Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Every island fled away, the mountains were not found, huge hailstones come down, men blasphemed God. Then if you turn over to Revelation 19:11, and heaven opened, and that moves us chronologically. You could right from Revelation 16 to Revelation 19:11. What is going to happen in the intervening chapters is God is going to unfold the details of what He announced in judgment in chapter 16 verse 19. Babylon the great was remembered before God and she is about to receive the cup of His fierce wrath. So we get an unfolding of the details but really chronologically we would move right from the end of chapter 16 to chapter 19 verse 11, Christ returning to earth. But we want to find out the details of the destruction of Babylon.

It is the destruction of the satanic system that Satan has established in the world, the destruction of the religious, political and commercial system over which Satan has ruled. It goes all the way back to Genesis 11, and this fits with Satan, we're told in I John 5:19, that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. In John 12:31 Christ referred to Satan as the ruler of this world, in II Corinthians 4:4 Paul referred to Satan as the god, small “g,” of this world, emphasizing his power and influence. And since Genesis 11 the focus of that power has been on establishing a city that is focused on the worship of him and spreads out from there in its rule, the political aspect, and its commercial dimensions in governing the world.

Go back to Genesis 11. At that point the whole world used the same language, the same words. They settled in a plain in the land of Shinar, verse 2. That's the land of Babylon. And they said come, let us make bricks, burn them, make mortar and so on. Then verse 4, come, let us build a city for ourselves, a city and tower whose top will reach into heaven and make ourselves a name. And the unity there. So this city will become the world center for this time and a focal point of worship in that city. And down through history this pattern unfolds because this is the satanic contract that will come to fulfillment, and we see the destruction of Babylon at the close of the tribulation period. It has flourished in those seven years. Now it comes to its destruction. It is Satan's counterpart to the New Jerusalem, God's city from which ultimately His Son will rule and reign. Satan is attempting to develop a counterfeit.

The destruction of Babylon has been announced and prophesied in Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51, four key chapters prophesying the future destruction of Babylon. We've looked at these chapters so we're not going to look again, but there is some material here I want to remind you of. Look at Isaiah 13, the chapter starts out the oracle concerning Babylon. So this chapter and chapter 14 are about Babylon. Note verse 6, wail for the day of the Lord is near, it will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified. Pains and anguish will take hold of them, they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another in astonishment, their faces aflame. Behold the Day of the Lord is coming, cruel with fury and burning anger to make the land a desolation. He will exterminate its sinners from it. You see ultimately we're being carried far into the future. This is where we are in Revelation 17-18, the Day of the Lord and God's judgment on sinners. The stars of heaven, their constellations will not flash forth their light, the sun will be dark when it rises, the moon will not shed its light. Then I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their iniquity. I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness and the ruthless. That hasn't happened yet. This is yet a future prophecy on Babylon. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir.

Verse 13, therefore I will make the heavens tremble, the earth will be shaken from its place. We've seen some of these judgments in the tribulation under the seals and the trumpets and now the bowls with the climax of that. At the fury of the Lord of hosts in the day of His burning anger. And you can read these two chapters and then over to Jeremiah. So we're carried to the future and it is Babylon that is the focus. In chapter 13 it started out, the oracle concerning Babylon. And it is mentioned again through there.

Go to Zechariah 5. And we've looked at this passage. Verse 5, the angel was speaking with me and said to me, lift up your eyes now and see what is this going forth. I said, what is it? He said to me, this is the ephah, the bushel, going forth. Again he said, this is their appearance in all the land, and behold a lead cover was lifted up. So a bushel basically, covered with a lead cover. This is a woman sitting inside the ephah. Now remember when we get to Revelation 17 we have a woman riding the beast and we are dealing with Babylon the great, the harlot, the mother of the abominations of the earth. This, he said, is wickedness. He threw the woman down in the middle of the ephah, cast the lead weight on its opening. I lifted up my eyes and looked and there two women were coming out with the wind in the wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork. They lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. I said to the angel who was speaking to me, where are they taking the ephah? Then he said to me, to build a temple for her in the land of Shinar. Remember we read in Genesis 11, where did they gather to build the city and its tower? In the land of Shinar, the plain of Shinar. When it is prepared she will be set there on her own pedestal. That will be the focal point of evil and wickedness and Satan governs the world through his man, his religious system during these last days. You'll note these all direct us to Babylon.

Come over to Revelation 17. We looked at the opening verses of this chapter, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, the chapter opens up. So that carries us back to the seven bowls of chapter 16 and what we're getting is insight in particular to that seventh bowl that is going to bring about the destruction of Babylon, additional details on that. I'll show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, those who dwell on the earth were drunk with her immorality. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. Repeated identification that goes on and we'll look at that in a moment. She is clothed with wealth and splendor. On her name was written a mystery, the mystery is Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. Here in this aspect in chapter 17 we're dealing with the religious aspect of Babylon, the harlot as Old Testament dealt with repeatedly in the analogies of spiritual unfaithfulness. Harlotry, spiritual harlotry, spiritual prostitution. And this has been the source of this corrupting influence. This woman is riding the scarlet beast that has the blasphemous names and seven heads and ten horns. This woman is separate from the beast, the woman is not the beast. The woman is closely connected to the beast. And we'll see there is going to be a clear separation taking place. She is in a role, being supported by the beast and having a position of authority and control as she rides the beast. So its religious influence has been permeating. And she is drunk, verse 6, with the blood of the saints, with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw here I wondered greatly. Down through history the satanic system has been violently opposed to the people of God and will be right down to the end.

Verse 7. We're told at the end of verse 6, John said when he saw this woman, I wondered greatly. And so we're ready to look at the angel who asked, why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carried her. So you'll note again the woman and the beast are separate. Which has the seven heads and ten horns. And we just alluded to some of the characteristics of the Babylonian system. I take it that what we're talking about here with this religious system, you'll note it rides the beast that has the seven heads and ten horns, so this fall religious system has been in operation going back to Genesis 11. And has permeated through the kingdoms that have been dominated by satan. So all corrupt religion would be included here. We come down to this final form of it and manifestation of it, characteristics of that Babylonian system continue on. I was asked, do you think this false religious system then is Roman Catholicism. I think that is too limited, I think it would include Roman Catholicism, apostate Protestants and other religions. The dominating influence might be the influence for example of Roman Catholicism since, remember, the Antichrist, according to Daniel 9 is a Roman. That would give him some association there. But he is distinct, not the pope as some of the Reformers would have made an identification.

Let's look further and some of this may hopefully become clearer. He's going to explain the mystery of the woman. I'll tell you the mystery. A mystery is something you don't understand without revelation. So here is additional fuller revelation so you can understand about this woman, the angel tells John. The mystery of the woman and of the beast because now we're going to get clarity. We'll go back to the Old Testament and see again that this has all been unfolded but with the passing of time there is additional revelation. And as we talked about in our earlier study today in Romans, additional revelation does not change or cancel or alter the prior revelation, but it can give additional details and clarification. And we'll see that obviously here. So we're going to find out about the woman, we're going to find out about the beast with the seven heads and ten horns.
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not and will come. Now this seven heads and ten horns that keep coming up.

Go back to Revelation 12:3, another sign appeared in heaven, behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. And on the seven heads were seven diadems. Then you come to Revelation 13:1, and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads and on his horns were ten diadems. So in chapter 12 verse 3 there were diadems, crowns of rulers on the heads. In chapter 13 there are diadems or crowns on the horns because both represent rulers, kingdoms. And kingdoms and the rulers of those kingdoms. We'll look at that a little fuller. The content Revelation 13 is very similar to the verses we are looking at in chapter 17.

Come back to chapter 17. This is the beast that you saw, that John saw earlier in the chapter, was, and is not and is about to come out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And at the end of the verse we are told that the people will wonder when they see the beast. He was, and is not and will come. I take it the beast here represents a king, it can represent a king or it can represent a king and a kingdom. And here it comes together in the person of the Antichrist. We'll see an example of this use in the Old Testament in a little bit.

Come back to chapter 13 verse 3, I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain. And his fatal wound was healed and the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast. We're told that all the unbelieving world will wonder when they see the beast. Back in chapter 13 verse 3, the whole earth was amazed. That translation of the word was amazed is basically the same word that is translated will wonder over in chapter 17. The impact that we're talking about the same event. I take it what we're talking about is the death, as we talked about in chapter 13, of the man who we know as the Antichrist who will be ruling ultimately during the last 3½ years and who comes to life. And it will amaze the world. They will be in awe, amazed, wonder at this one who had the wound of the sword and came to life.

Look in chapter 13 verse 12, the second beast has all the authority of the first beast and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound was healed. Verse 14, he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which were given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And there are going to be awesome, powerful miracles going on that are going to overwhelm the world with convincing proof that this man is God in the flesh.

Now you're in chapter 13. When these events occur they are clearly placed in the middle of the tribulation period. Look at verse 5, after he experiences this death wound and coming to life, there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemy. Authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. So this event happens in the middle of the tribulation and his resurrection and the signs and miracles done in connection with that cause the world to fall in worship of him. And here you have the climax of Satan's program. Remember in the temptation in Matthew Satan said to Christ, fall down and worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. Christ of course would not. But Satan's goal is to look for the man who will be his earthly representative. And we have the satanic trinity as we talked about with Satan as god the father, the Antichrist as god the son, and the second beast of Revelation 13 as the holy spirit who directs the worship of the world to the man who has been raised from the dead.

Back in Revelation 17. The beast that you saw was, and is not, is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. To come out of the abyss, the abyss is the bottomless pit. It is the dwelling place of demons. And you have here a man who is supernaturally and satanically enabled and empowered. Back in chapter 9 verse 1, the fifth angel sounded. I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth, the key to the bottomless pit was given to him. And he opened the bottomless pit. Smoke comes out and so on. Jump down to verse 11, and these creatures coming out of the bottomless pit. Verse 11, they had a king over them, the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. Hebrew and Greek words for destruction or destroyer. So coming out of that bottomless pit. Over in chapter 20 verse 1, I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and he had a great chain in his hand. And he took hold of Satan, the serpent of old who is the devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand years and threw him into the abyss and sealed it over. So the abyss.

In II Thessalonians 2. You have the restrainer, verse 6, the one who restrains now in his time will be revealed. The mystery of lawlessness is at work, only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. We noted we think that is the Holy Spirit and His restraining influence. That restraint on sin will be removed with the removal of the church at the Rapture. Then that lawless one, verse 8, will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming. So you see the appearance of this lawless one will be at the end, because he will be brought to his end with the return of Christ at the Second Coming to earth. This is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan. We see his connection with the abyss. This man is more satanically empowered and enabled than any man we have yet seen on the earth. All power, signs, and false wonder with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish. And verse 11, God sends a deluding influence. I mean, this will be worldwide delusion that will cause the world to worship this man.

You come back to Revelation 17. This is the man, verse 8, comes out of the abyss, he's going to destruction. He's going to go to destruction. Verse 11, we are told again, this beast which was and is not, he goes to destruction. And that refers to eternal destruction, and we will see him cast into hell at the end of chapter 19, as a result of the return of Christ to the earth and the casting into hell of the first beast of chapter 13 and the second beast. So here the first beast of chapter 13, the one we would call the Antichrist.

And we're told those who dwell on the earth will wonder. And we noted in chapter 13 verse 3, the same basic word translated they are amazed at the beast, they are in awe. They will be amazed at him, they will wonder. Those who dwell on the earth. And this is John's way in the book of Revelation to refer to those who belong to this earth, this world, this system. Paul told the Philippians, our citizenship is not of this world, our citizenship is in heaven. We're looking for the Lord who is coming from heaven. But those who belong to this earth and this system belong to the god of this world. So when he refers to those who dwell on the earth, he's talking about those who belong here. There will be believers present, but when we talk about those who dwell on the earth we're talking about those whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. They are unregenerate people, they will not believe no matter what happens. We saw at the end of chapter 16 verse 21, the conclusion of those judgments was men blasphemed God. We noted men are not brought to their knees by God's grace in this day of grace, men will not be brought to their knees in the day of His wrath. And so these on the earth will wonder and be amazed at the Antichrist, satan's man, and will be willing to worship him. Their name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.

We saw this back in chapter 13. Again in chapter 13 we're talking about the world being amazed at the beast and worshiping him. And you'll note verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him. Everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. So we have the same thing said in chapter 17 verse 8, their name has not been in the book of life from the foundation of the world. That goes back to the beginning, the beginning of the beginning. Their name has not been in the book of life. That mean some names were never included in the book of life because their names hasn't been there from the foundation of the world. It is not there. We don't have time to look at the doctrine of election in Ephesians 1:3-4 and God's sovereign work, but from among sinful human beings God has graciously chosen some and draws them to salvation which is in His Son, the salvation that He offers to all men, the salvation He has provided for all men. But is rejected by all, their own choice. Yet God in grace has intervened to draw some. And that was His plan from the beginning.

When you get over to Revelation 20:12, I saw the dead, the great and the small standing before the throne. The books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. So you have the book of life, judgment is on the basis of works, but no one is going to be saved on the basis of their works. They will be judged on the basis of their works, their works will just reveal their sinfulness and will determine their punishment, where in hell they will be. Because we're told in verse 15, if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he was thrown into the lake of fire. So there are two books here, the book of life and the book of works. You have to have your name in the book of life to go to heaven, but the book of works will determine where in hell will be your condemnation. Revelation 21:27, to be part of the New Jerusalem, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

So you come back to Revelation 17:8, all those who dwell on the earth whose names are not in the book of life will wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not and will come. And they will worship him.

Here is the mind which has wisdom, verse 9. Back in chapter 13 verse 18, here is wisdom. You see the close connection to what we had in chapter 13 and what we have in chapter 17. And we're getting fuller information in chapter 17 as the revelation has unfolded. Only those with spiritual wisdom and discernment are able to comprehend God's plan. Remember Paul wrote to the Ephesians, the natural man, the soulish man, the man apart from the Holy Spirit of God cannot comprehend the things of God for they are spiritually discerned. So here, here is the mind which has wisdom. God has given understanding to His children, to His people.

He's going to explain what this all means. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. This causes some confusion. That's one of the reasons we went back to the Old Testament and we looked briefly into Isaiah 13 and saw the prophecy concerning Babylon that related to the end times and the Day of the Lord, that time when men will be scarcer than gold because of the destruction, judgments of God on the earth. That's why we stopped in Zechariah 5 and noted in the last days evil will center in Babylon. Because when you get here and it says, here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Some will stop here and say, it's Rome, the city of seven hills. So? This woman is in Rome and we're talking about Rome.

An example of that, break into the idea here. This person misunderstands mystery in verse 5 is not part of the name of Babylon. Here is the mystery, the mystery is about Babylon the great. It's not mystery Babylon, as though Babylon means something other than Babylon, because then you have to deal with all those prophecies in the Old Testament that said it's going to be in Babylon. They all didn't mean Babylon, either. Well then did Babylon in Genesis 11 mean Babylon? Where does this stop? This goes on to say, furthermore, another evidence here. We're in about the third paragraph of this chapter, A City on Seven Hills. She is a city built on seven hills. That specifically eliminates ancient Babylon. Only one city has for more than 2000 years been known as the city on seven hills, that city is Rome. So then you have a whole chapter demonstrating only one other city outside Jerusalem, they refer to Jerusalem being accused of spiritual adultery and fornication in the Old Testament. Only one other city in history could a charge of fornication be leveled, that city is Rome, more specifically Vatican City. And there is a whole chapter on that. And there are others who make that identification.

A number of problems with that view. One just in the context here. Verse 9, the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and they are seven kings. Well the heads, the mountains, the kings, they are all the same thing. The mountains are explained for us. Babylon is not given a different name, but the mountains are said to be symbolic or representative because we are told the seven heads are seven mountains. The heads and the mountains refer to the same thing. The head represents the same thing the mountains do. And you know what? Verse 10, there are seven kings, a king or a kingdom. So we're not talking about literal mountains and a representative city that is called Babylon that really means Rome, sitting on seven literal hills or mountains. We're told that the seven heads are seven mountains and there are seven kings. So the connection.

This has been clear. Come back to chapter 12 where we read earlier. Verse 3, another sign appeared in heaven. Behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns. And on his heads were seven diadems. So the heads represent kings or kingdoms. And in chapter 13 verse 1, a beast coming up out of the sea having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems. The heads represent kings or kingdoms. And as we have noted, you go back to the Old Testament, a mountain is used as a symbol of a kingdom.

Come back to Daniel 2:35, we'll just pick up at the end of this prophecy, talking about the establishing of the kingdom of Christ on the earth. And you'll note verse 35, the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. And we go back and look at the details here again, that mountain is the kingdom that Christ will establish and it's a kingdom that will rule over the whole earth. The mountain represents a kingdom. Isaiah 2, in the kingdom they will say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. So a number of passages, we don't have time to look at them. In the Old Testament a mountain represents a kingdom.

So it is a symbol or representation of a kingdom, as the heads are also here. And we are told in the context that the seven heads are seven mountains and are seven kings. So we don't want to stop and say seven mountains, seven hills, what a great connection to Rome. Well these seven mountains are the same things as the seven heads and they are the same thing as seven kings or kingdoms. So it is interpreted for us. The mystery is being explained. Now the angel doesn't say that Babylon has to be explained. We know what has to be explained is what do these represent. Well these heads and mountains represent kings or kingdoms which connects it directly with the Old Testament.

Come back to Revelation 17. The woman is separate from these kings or kingdoms but she sits on them. Here is the mind which has wisdom, the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. So down through history of these kings or kingdoms this apostate religion has had a controlling, dominating and permeating influence. Because what is Satan all about? Worship. How did this all start out? I will be like the Most High. Fall down and worship me and I'll give you the kingdoms of the world. That's the conflict. So this apostate religion is satanic religion. Remember in I Corinthians 10 Paul cautioned the Corinthians about becoming involved or associated with false worship. Why? Because he says false worship is the worship of demons. That's the issue, that's the problem. It's not like the Old Testament prophets made clear, an idol is nothing. It is a piece of wood carved. But people worshiping that idol are worshiping the devil. And that is the issue, that's the problem. So here the woman sits on the seven heads or seven mountains. And verse 10 clarifies, they are seven kings or kingdoms.

Verse 10, he'll explain now these seven heads, seven mountains, seven kings. All referring to the same thing. These seven kingdoms represented by heads or mountains. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. He can't be talking about the seven hills of Rome. It makes no sense. And the simplicity of this escapes ........... I was going to bring some examples to read you to show you how confused people are but I thought maybe reading them would be confusing. So we'll just stay with the simplicity of what the scripture says. Five have fallen, one is, the other is not yet come. And when he comes he must remain a little while. And so these kingdoms, five have fallen. There are seven kingdoms, five have fallen—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece. The Bible is concerned about the empires that have impacted Israel. That's where the Bible is focused. Israel is the center, Jerusalem is the center of the world. It goes on still down to today. There is the issue. This is what the empires of the world are focused, this is what the devil is battling for because that's where God's Messiah will rule and reign. And the conflict as Satan tries to make that an impossibility and establishes his own kingdom.

So you have Egypt. Where do we go back? We read about the Abrahamic Covenant in our earlier study today and where even in that context God said, Abraham, your descendants will go into Egypt and be there for 400 years and come out a great nation, great wealth and so on. So we start with Egypt. There is the first empire that really impacts Israel in biblical unfolding. Then Assyria who carried the northern ten tribes into captivity. Then we have Babylon. Much of the prophecy that we have takes place while Daniel is in Babylon. And what's the one Old Testament book that you study in connection with Revelation? Daniel. And Daniel is in Babylon. What comes after Babylon? Persia, they have a key role in Israel's history. Greece, Rome. So you have five have fallen, you're down through #5. Then he says, one is. What is the empire ruling? What is the kingdom as John writes this, as the angel explains it? What one is? Anybody have any question? 95 A.D., what empire rules? Rome. The other has not yet come. There is one after Rome. And when he comes he must remain a little while. That's going to be a short one. I take it #7 after Rome will be the ten-nation confederacy. We'll note this in a moment.

Then verse 11, the beast which was and is not is himself also an eighth and is one of the seventh. I mean he comes out of the prior kingdom and yet he is different enough to be called an eighth kingdom, even though he is of the seven. And so you have the kingdom of the Antichrist. So you have a total of eight according to verse 11. And at the end of verse 11, he, this eighth one, goes to destruction. That's the culmination. When Christ returns in chapter 19 what He will do is send this final ruler of this final kingdom to hell, at the end of chapter 19 when He returns. So the flow is clear, it's not difficult.

The ten horns which you saw, verse 12, are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. Then they have as one purpose to give their power and authority to the beast. So these ten horns which form the seven that rule for a short time really have one goal. Part of the satanic plan not to have the ten rule, but to have the one rule, the Antichrist. And so they'll be in agreement ultimately to give their authority and power to the Antichrist. So even though he comes with the seven, he'll really be an eighth because it will be world dictatorship for the last 3½ years.

Come back to Daniel 2, just look at this briefly. We've been through this. I was reading this afternoon just to refresh my mind. I don't understand, I couldn't even make sense of what this man who is an evangelical set and has good credentials as far as his training, I said where did he get this silliness in Revelation 17? You just come back to Daniel 2, this is not new revelation. And remember additional revelation doesn't change prior revelation, it may clarify and add to it but it doesn't alter it. So what we have in Daniel 2, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the image. We have the same basic information, not as full in Daniel 2. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar had this dream and saw this image of a man—the head of gold, chest of silver, belly of bronze, legs of iron. Daniel interprets it for him and we're just going to pick up with the interpretation. Verse 36, Daniel says, I will tell you the interpretation now that I told you what the dream was. You are king or the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, the glory. God looks at unregenerate Nebuchadnezzar, God gave him the kingdom, the power, the strength, the glory. And wherever the sons of men dwell or the beasts of the field, He has given them into your hands. You are the head of gold. So you see here the king and the kingdom become identified. The head of gold is Babylon and the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, becomes the epitome of the empire. But there will be other kings of Babylon before Babylon passes off the scene. But you Nebuchadnezzar are the head of gold. The first empire is Babylon, so the king and the kingdom become identified together.

Then after you, verse 39, will arise another kingdom inferior to you, inferior in quality. That is Medo-Persia. Then a third kingdom of bronze. We're talking about kingdoms here, so no confusion. And that will represent Greece. And then, verse 40. You'll note verse 39, there are two kingdoms there. They are significant but they don't get the attention. Now you come to the fourth kingdom which represents Rome and that covers verses 40-43. Then comes a fourth kingdom as strong as iron, as much as iron crushes and shatters. Gold is more pure, valuable in that sense, but iron is much stronger. And Rome will be the kingdom of power and might and it will crush everything. And it did.

Now you'll note verse 41, you saw the feet and the toes part of potter's clay and part of iron. Now remember Rome is iron. That's why we say when we talk about the revived Roman Empire. Some would want to talk about a continuation, but there is a break in reality even though elements may continue. But when you get down to the last phase, remember the ten horns that have ten crowns, here they are pictured as ten toes on the image of the man. They are part of iron and part of clay. So Rome is continued. It doesn't say they are part gold and part clay, part silver and part clay, part bronze and part clay. No, they are part iron. It's Rome that continues on here. But now the iron has clay in it and so the interpretation is that it will have the strength of iron but the brittleness of clay. And part of that is it's being brought together as a ten-nation confederacy. Well we see some of the weaknesses that could be in that.

Verse 42, and the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong, part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with the common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. There is a fragileness to it, but it still has strength in it. Now note, in the days of those kings. What kings? The ten toes. The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, a kingdom that will not be left for another people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Hasn't happened yet. So what do people do who don't believe in a coming kingdom on earth? They spiritualize this. Well at His death and resurrection Christ crushed the kingdoms of the earth spiritually. Now He reigns spiritually. That's not what we're talking about, we're talking about spiritual Rome, spiritual Babylon. We're talking about literal kingdom Babylon. These literal kingdoms in their final phase, the ten toes, Christ establishes a kingdom and crushes it. When He does that, all the kingdoms of the earth will be crushed and He will rule. So we've come to the ten. Same thing. And it is Rome because iron is in this.

Come over to Daniel 7. You have the same revelation given to Daniel, additional details. Doesn't change any of the prior revelation, but it fleshes it out and adds to it. So he sees four beasts of the earth. Verse 3, four great beasts were coming up from the sea different from one another. The first was a lion. A second one, verse 5, representing a bear. It is raised up on one side because you have the Medo-Persian Smpire and Persia dominates. You have the third, a leopard, verse 6. Then the fourth beast and you get elaboration on this. Dreadful and terrifying, extremely strong, large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled. It was different from all the beasts that were before it. I mean this has power, this is the same thing as the iron. I mean, iron could beat the gold to pieces or the silver or the bronze in Daniel 2, as far as power and might. Here you have this beast more powerful than all the other empires. And note what happens, verse 7, it had ten horns. The fourth beast has ten horns just like in Daniel 2 with the ten toes and the iron of Rome is in the ten toes. Here you have the fourth beast, it has ten horns. The ten horns are part of Rome. So we talk about a revived Roman empire. And while I was contemplating the ten horns, now we're going to get information that wasn't given in chapter 2. Now note nothing has changed so far, nothing will change the revelation that was given in chapter 2.

Now we're going to get additional revelation. Additional revelation doesn't change the prior revelation. Now we're told, while I was contemplating the ten horns behold another horn, a little one, came up among them and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it. Behold this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. Now we have the little horn who is going to supersede the ten, as we saw in Revelation 17. Same exact revelation.

And what happens next? Verse 9, we get to look into heaven, we're ready for the kingdom. So you see the throne of the Father in heaven. Verse 11, in this context, I kept looking, the sound of boastful words which the horn was speaking, the blasphemy of this little horn, the beast of Revelation 13 and 17. I kept looking until the beast was slain, its body was destroyed. The rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away and now you have the glory and the kingdom given to Christ in verses 13-14. We come to the same place as we did in Daniel 2. Only now we got additional revelation to add on so we know more than we did then. Doesn't cancel out anything there. Doesn't say the fourth kingdom, we replaced it with something else. No, the fourth kingdom is still the fourth kingdom under a different imagery, but the same point made. The power and the final form of it, ten toes in chapter 2, ten horns in chapter 7.

So when we come to Revelation as we saw in chapter 13 and now in chapter 17, it's not so difficult. I get into all this that I'm reading and I say, what is he saying? Well seven is symbolic and seven mountains and we talk about the reign of sin in lives and it's complete control. And I say, where are they getting this? What about Daniel? Wouldn't that help? I mean, we go back to the Old Testament and we have explanation there. And we get explanation in chapter 17. The seven heads are seven mountains and they are seven kings or kingdoms. Five of those kingdoms are past, one is now, Rome. There is another to come. It will be in existence for only a short time, then it will be superseded as those ten horns give all their authority to the one man. And he will reign until he is brought to an end with the return of Christ. He goes to destruction, to hell.

So the unfolding plan of God in its simplicity and its beauty. First we are to see the plan of Satan focuses in the worship because that is most important to Satan. The desire to rule the world is so that he can draw the worship of the world to himself. And we, the people of God, are privileged to have the revelation of God. His intention is that we know it, we understand it, and remember the book of Revelation is that we are to live in light of it. We know where we are going, we know how this will all end up. We are not amazed, we are not shaken. God raises up rulers and empires and all part of His sovereign plan. We are not wringing our hands, we are not frustrated, we are not disheartened. Everything is on track and we see in all these events the Lord moving us to its appointed conclusion. We'll talk more about that in our next study.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your word. How blest we are to be entrusted with your truth, and you have chosen to make known to us your plan for bringing all things to their appointed conclusion, the destruction of the plan of satan, the enemy of our souls, the enemy of our God. He desires to turn the worship of the world to himself and has been relentless in that attempt right down to our very day. Lord, we are not surprised at the attitude of the world as they turn from you, refuse to bow before you, reject your grace but join in worshiping the one who is opposed to you. May we be faithful to you in these days, may even our consideration of these future events be an encouragement to our hearts. And in the turmoil and confusion of the world, the things that can be disheartening, we take hope in knowing that our God rules over all and is ultimately bringing it to the point when our Savior will rule on this earth and we'll reign with Him. We thank you in Christ's name, amen.