Teachinghearts	A Woman Rides The Beast (Revelation 17) "Explore the Word. Change the World"	Lesson 23: Time: 80 minutes Print: 15 pages

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Revelation 17
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Revelation 13

Symbols
Revelation 17 introduces Jesus as the judge and the one who punishes His enemies. Here we see the profile of the human systems that were controlled by Satan. It is a legal case that documents their power and control by the eighth head. In the end the system collapses and since it is not built on Love, they consume each other. The symbols used involve the judgment of empires who fight God.
This is a theme echoed in the experience of Israel. They crossed over into the Promised Land after God subdued seven nations. (Deuteronomy 7)

Background
We learned that in symbolic Bible Prophecy, a "woman" is symbolic of a church and a beast is a kingdom. Here we see a power represented both as a church and a state. Because the woman rides the beast, she is in the controlling position. Previous prophecies showed this union of church and state as a beast which controls religious affairs. It speaks against God and persecutes the people of God. Here the prophecy gives an enlargement. That power is actually two. It is a church that controls the governments of the world and a world controlled by the church and the state. Let us identify the lady and the dragon.

The Great Harlot (The Dragon Lady)
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth." And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. (Revelation 17: 1-6)
There are several points that identify the Great Harlot:

Religious Identity
The harlot is seen as one who demands a religious role.

• Apostasy. A harlot is a symbol of a religious system in apostasy or rebellion against God. It is a church system with wrong teachings that ignores the word of God. It has formed an illegal union with another authority and is guilty of spiritual adultery.
  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." ... "How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. (Isaiah 1: 1, 21.)
  
  As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit prostitution, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. Prostitution and wine and new wine take away the heart. My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declares to them: for the spirit of prostitution has caused them to err, and they have gone prostituting from under their God. (Hosea 4: 7-12. )
• Authority of God. The harlot sits over many waters. This represents a church exercising the authority of God over many people.
  ... the great whore that sits upon many waters. (Revelation 17: 1)
  
  It is God who is supposed to sit over many waters and rule nations.
  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1: 2)
  Give to the Lord the glory due to his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the Lord is upon many waters. (Psalm 29: 2-3)

  The Garments of Rome Cardinal. Dress in scarlet or red. Bishop. Dress in purple. Pope. There is also a gold dress that was used at the inauguration.

• Harlot Priest. The Harlot is pictured as a disobedient priestess.
  Gold, Purple, Red ... the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold ... (Revelation 17: 4)
  
  Notice the description of the garments of the true priests, and the colors contained within them. Compare these descriptions to the description of the colors of the clothing worn by the Great Whore.
  Gold, Purple, Red, Blue. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me in the priest's office. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. (Exodus 28: 4-5)
  Notice that the whore is missing the color blue. What color does this represent?
  
  Blue Law. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to go prostituting: That you may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God. (Numbers 15: 37-41)
  So, what we see is the symbolism that the Great Whore represents a false priestly role, that is lacking the Law of God. It does not include all of God's ten Commandment Law and the result is prostitution.
• Antichrist. The harlot and the beast are portrayed together as the Antichrist, or a rival of Christ.
  
  Omnipresent Nature. The beast claims to exist in all time and have the power of resurrection. It has this power because it came back to life after it "is not".
  ... mystery of the woman, and of the beast.. ... beast that was, and is not, and yet is ... (Revelation 17: 7-8)
  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. ... I am the first and the Last and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forever, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Revelation 1: 8, 17-18)
  Jesus, at the beginning of Revelation, declares Himself to be the one which is, and which was and which is to come. In direct opposition, the Beast power claims to be the "beast that was, and is not, and yet is". Jesus claims to have the keys, but notice also that the pope claims to hold the triple keys. These are the keys of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. He thinks that he controls where you go.
• Many Daughters. The Harlot is the mother of many daughter churches that have followed in her sin.

  Harlot Daughters Churches are doing evil to attract evil doers. Wednesday Nights. Churches have strippers instead of prayer meetings. Gangster Music. Young people are entertained with violent music. Bad Shepherds. Pastors with "alternative life styles".

  
  ... The Mother of Harlots ... (Revelation 17: 5)
  Remember, women in symbolic Bible prophecy, represent Churches. So the "Mother Church" has other churches that have come out of her, that have her characteristics still in them. The "Mother Church" has influenced her "daughters" to also become harlots. They apostatize from their proper relationship to Christ (God) and became guilty of prostitution with the world and idolatry.

Political Identity
The harlot is seen as one who controls people and political powers of the whole world.

• Mystery Name. The Harlot has the Mystery of the Beast written on her forehead. The mystery number is 666.
  and on her forehead, a name was written, a mystery, "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth". (Revelation 17: 5)
  And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:" "Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred sixty and six. (Revelation 13: 16, 18)
  We learned in our study of Revelation 13 what it means to have the mark of the beast written on ones forehead. It is to mentally ascribe to and agree with the beast, to be committed to the Beast's authority.
  
  Unknown Name. Revelation 19: 12 describes Christ as having an unknown name.
  Mystery of God. This is the Gospel. Specifically, it is the process by which God will write His name on our foreheads. The mystery of the woman is the process by which she writes her character on the people of Babylon.
• Global. The Harlot is identified as a great city with global influence.
  The woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17: 18)
  Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits. (Revelation 17: 9)

  It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican Sate proper is now confined. The Catholic Encyclopedia (Thomas Nelson, 1976), s.v. "Rome."

  Local and Global Fulfillments
  Local	Global
  Seven Hills of Rome	Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, Papal Rome, Communism, Babylon the Great
  Egypt	When France became spiritual Egypt, it conquered Egypt in 1798.
  Babylon	When the United States became part of Babylon the Great, it conquered Iraq.
  European Symbols	When Rome and the European Union became part of Babylon the Great they mysteriously adopted all the prophetic symbols in their culture

  The Seven Hills of Rome. As we have come to learn in our lessons, God uses actual local physical events and places to identify spiritual and global realities. Rome was built on seven hills. They are called Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine, and Palatine. The Aurelian Wall encloses the inner city and these seven hills.
  
  The Seven Mountains of Babylon. A mountain is symbolic of a government or power. The seven mountains on which the papal system was built are the seven powers from Babylon to Babylon the Great.
  In using both spiritual and physical identification God shows His genius. While only the last generation can identify all seven spiritual mountains, every generation was able to identify the correct city because of its seven hills! Therefore the historical view of prophecy has truly been a correct guide to all generations.
• Controls Nations. And he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17: 15.)
  The harlot sits over many waters. These waters represent the nations of the world.
• Babylon. The harlot is named Babylon. This is a cryptic name for Rome.

  Rebuilding the Tower of Babel
  Symbol Usage. • Building • Sculptures • Murals • Stamps • Coins • Posters • Magazines • Phone card
  	European Union Poster "Many Tongues, One Voice"	"Tower of Babel" Painting by Pieter Breugel	European Union Parliament Building in Strasbourg Louise Weiss Building
  The Legend of Europa The legend has an eerie similarity to the symbols of Revelation. • Woman riding a beast • A beast in the sea. • A forbidden relationship Zeus saw Europa alone on the beach and lusted after her. So he changed himself into a bull and lay down at her feet. She climbed on his back and he plunged into the waves of the sea and raped her. She conceived a son, and after her death she received divine honors as "Queen of Heaven". The bull became the constellation Taurus. In these last days the symbols of Babylon are emerging within the popular culture. This physical reality has emerged to give us a clue that Babylon has risen from its wounds. I believe that God clouded the minds of the powers so that they used these symbols. No good public relations firm would have endorsed this. The purpose for the sudden reproduction of symbols in our times is most likely as a result of God's approval rather than Satan's mocking. After waiting 2000 years for the development of the final beast, God has allowed these flares to be thrown up so that we can pay attention and recognize that the end is near. There is another article on this phenomenon that I call "Mock prophecy". God seems to use this phenomenon when a major prophecy is about to end. They are signs of the times. If the European Union made such a big mistake, I wonder if the number 666 will openly be assigned to someone? Babylon: Religious. The European Union is the entity that the church started and controls. The European Union chooses the symbol of the building of the tower of Babel to represent their new union and the building of their new parliament building in Strasbourg. They also chose the symbol of a woman riding a beast to represent Europe on coins, stamps, sculptures and paintings. They have symbolically assumed the title of Babylon. Naked Woman Riding a Beast. Painting in the ceiling of the new parliament building in Brussels, Belgium. Tower of Babel Design. The new parliament building in Strasbourg, France. It also has a mural of a naked woman riding a beast. Bronze Statue of Woman Riding a Beast. Outside the Brussels headquarters of the Council of Europe. The beast is riding on waves. Babylon: Political. In 1991 and 2003, the United States defeated and then occupied ancient Babylon (Iraq). It has legally assumed the title of Babylon by the right of inheritance when we controlled the land. Since then we have been involved in many activities that seem to be recreating the conditions at the time of the first fall of Babylon and the first fall of the Papacy in the French revolution. Law of Inheritance. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea. (Deuteronomy 11: 24) Babylon The Great. Together, they are Babylon the Great, assuming their symbols. Revelation 13 shows how they persecute the earth. The United States does the persecuting work of the church with their approval.

  Babylon is a code word for Rome. It is used that way six times in the last book of the Bible. Four of the six are in chapters 17 and 18 and in works outside of the Bible such as Sybling Oracles (5, 159f.), the Apocalypse of Baruch (ii, 1), and 4 Esdras (3: 1).

  Eusebius Pamphilius, writing about 303, noted that "it is said that Peter's first epistle...was composed at Rome itself; and that he himself indicates this, referring to the city figuratively as Babylon." Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Biblical Christians", page 200.

The Sins of the Harlot

• Apostasy. Wine is a symbol of adultery, spiritual and moral apostasy. She has false doctrine that is corrupting and destructive. Wine perverts justice and judgment and make us forget the law.
  ... with the wine of her fornication. (Revelation 17: 2)
  » Wine is a Source of Error. In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people, And for a spirit of judgment to him that sits in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. (Isaiah 28: 5-7)
  » Fools. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whoever is deceived by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20: 1)
  
  » Wine Perverts Justice. Give not your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. (Proverbs 31: 3-5)
• Adultery. The harlot has committed fornication with the kings of the Earth. Fornication is identified as the union of the church with the political kingdoms.
  
  By "joining herself" to the kingdoms of the world, she (the apostate church) has spiritually committed herself to the world in place of staying committed to Christ. Remember, the Church is likened to the bride, and Christ as to the bridegroom. By going after the world, and the idolatry of the worldly systems, she has committed spiritual adultery.
  And the Lord said to Moses, Look, you shall sleep with your fathers; and this people will rise up, and go prostituting after the gods of the strangers of the land, where they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. (Deuteronomy 31: 16-17)
  
  She never learned the real source of her strength.
  The king is not saved by a mighty army; a warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope of victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. (Psalm 33: 16-17)
  
  » Fornication: This is a word that captures the broad spectrum of sexual sins. Babylon is pictured as being involved in many illegal unions with other nations.
  A Beast is a Kingdom. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7: 17)
  • Bestiality. The Bible portrays the harlot's sin as fornication with a beast, in a spiritual sense.
    The Woman Rides the Beast. The great harlot with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of their immorality. And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17: 2,3)
    
    Neither shall you lie with any beast to defile yourself with it: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down there: it is confusion. (Leviticus 18: 23)
    The Hebrew Word for "Confusion" in Verse 23 is "TEBEL". It is a Hebrew noun derived from the Hebrew root for Babylon (Babel).
  • Adultery and Prostitution. She was caught in the act of adultery. She united with the kings and merchants of the world. God calls us to "come out of her". Those who remain in Babylon are caught "in her", in the sexual act of an adulterous relationship because they never "came out of her".
• Abandoned for Rebellion. The harlot rides the beast in the wilderness. The harlot is a church that is portrayed as a rebellious Israel who will never enter the Promised Land. It will be abandoned in the wilderness.
  ... into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast... ... decked with gold and precious stones and pearls ... (Revelation 17: 3-4)
  
  » The Wilderness. Just like ancient Israel, the wilderness is seen as a place through which God leads and protects His people as they leave the land of slavery to sin. But the church was not supposed to stay in the wilderness forever. Their destination is the Promised Land.
  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels. (Revelation 12: 6-7)
  
  » Leaving the Sins of Egypt. The wilderness was a proving ground. God tried to teach the people to abandon the gods and culture of Egypt. But they failed. Only two of the original people in the exodus actually crossed into the Promised Land. The harlot does the same. She does not leave her abominations behind and the last generation is trapped in the wilderness with her.
  
  Removed Ornaments. And the Lord said to Moses, Depart, and go up hence, you and the people which you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, To your seed will I give it: And I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: To a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the middle of you; for you are a stiff necked people: unless I consume you in the way. And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, you are a stiff necked people: I will come up into the middle of you in a moment, and consume you: therefore now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do to you. And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. (Exodus 33: 1-6)
  The phrase "by Mount Horeb" is literally translated "from Horeb onward". (Mount Horeb is another name for Sinai).
  Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. (Exodus 33: 6 R.S.V.)
  After they met God, they started to remove their ornaments to symbolize leaving all that they has learned in Egypt. However, Revelation 17: 4 pictures the harlot as being decorated with precious jewels. She has ignored the commandments at mount Horeb.
  
  » Abandoned in the Wilderness. Israel will die in the wilderness if they remain rebellious.
  And the Lord's anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed. And, Look, you are risen up in your fathers' place, an increase of sinful men, to augment more the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel. For if you turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and You shall destroy all this people. (Numbers 32: 13-15)
• Blasphemy. The harlot is guilty of blasphemy.
  ... full of names of blasphemy ... (Revelation 17: 3)
  The beast in Revelation 13 also had this characteristic because it is a composite image of a state that is controlled by the church. Now that chapter 17 separates the symbols of church and state into a beast and woman, we see that this characteristic probably originates with the harlot church. We learned that the Bible defines blasphemy as claiming to have the power and authority of God:
  1. A man claiming to be equal with God.
     I and my father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of these works do you stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we do not stone you; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, make yourself God. (John 10: 30-33)
  2. A man claiming to forgive sin.
     "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the sick of palsy, son, your sins are forgiven you. But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why does this man so speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only." (Mark 2: 5-7)
  
  » Names of Blasphemy
  The reference to "names of blasphemy" might even reveal that its titles are blasphemous. Here are a few examples of titles and powers that the pope claims.
  
  

  Eternal Priest, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The pope is the supreme judge of the law of the land ... He is the vicegerent (replacement) of Christ, who is not only a Priest forever, but also King of kings and Lord of lords." - La Civilia Cattolica, March 18, 1871, quoted in Leonard Woosely Bacaon, An inside view of the Vatican Council (American Tract Society ed.), page 229

  God. The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man (...) he is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief of kings, having plenitude of power." - Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca, 1763, Volume VI, 'Papa II', pages.25-29

  Jesus Christ. The Pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of flesh. Catholic National July 1895

  Creator. "... the power of the priest is the power of the divine person; for the transubstantiation of the bread requires as much power as the creation of the world. ... thus the priest may be called the creator of the Creator ..." - The diginity of the priesthood by Liguori, page 33

• Murder. The harlot is guilty of the murder of the martyrs.
  ... drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus ... (Revelation 17: 6)
  This is the persecution of God's people during the 1260 years by the Roman church, and by the political powers under her authority.

  The Spanish Inquisition. The horrid conduct of this Holy Office [Inquisition] weakened the power and diminished the population of Spain by arresting the progress of arts, sciences, industry and commerce, and by compelling multitudes of families to abandon the kingdom; by instituting the expulsion of the Jews and Moors, and by immolating on its flaming shambles more than three hundred thousand victims. Jean Antoine Llorente, Secretary of the Spanish Inquisition, 1790-92.

  Heresy. Through the influence of Gratian... and unwearied activity of the Popes and their legates since 1183, the view of the Church has been ... that every departure from the teaching of the Church, and every important opposition to any ecclesiastical ordinances, must be punished with death, and the most cruel deaths, by fire ... J.H. Ignaz von Dollinger, The Pope and the Council, page 195.

  Torture. Clement V's Rebuke of King Edward II.

  We hear that your forbid torture as contrary to the laws of your land. But no state law can override the Church's canon law, our law. Therefore I command you at once to submit those men to torture. Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume 4, page 680.

  Hussite Extermination. Pope Martin V (1417-31) Commanded the King of Poland to Exterminate the Hussites. -

  Know that the interests of the Holy See, and those of your crown, make it a duty to exterminate the Hussites. Remember that those impious persons dare to proclaim principles of equality; they maintain that all Christian are brethren, and that God has not given to privileged men the right of ruling nations; they hold that Christ came on earth to abolish slavery; they call the people to liberty, that is to the annihilation of kings and priests. While there is still time, then, turn your forces against Bohemia; burn, massacre, make deserts everywhere, for nothing could be more agreeable to God, or more useful to the cause of kings, then the extermination of the Hussites." R.W. Thompson, The Papacy and Civil Power, page 553.

  Heresy. A Popular American Catholic Weekly in 1938, stated -

  Heresy is an awful crime against God, and those who start a heresy are more guilty than they who are traitors to the civil government. If the state has the right to punish treason with death, the principle is the same that concedes to the spiritual authority [Roman Catholic Church] the power of life and death over the archtraitor [heretic]." The tablet, November 5, 1938.

The Roman church is the only power that meets the description of the harlot that rides the beast. It also meets the description of the little horn.

The Beast with the Seven Heads
Seven Heads And the angel said to me, Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that you saw 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 saw the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Woman. And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17: 7-12, 18)

These concepts are necessary to unravel the mystery of the beast.

1. Woman. The woman is the church which rules the nations of the earth from the city of Rome.
2. Beast. The Beast Was, Is Not, And Is Coming. This represents three phases of papal rule over the beast.
   The beast that you saw 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 saw the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17: 8 )

   Popes Since the Lateran Treaty
   #	Year	Pope
   1	1922-1939	Pius XI
   	1929	Lateran Treaty
   2	1939-1958	Pius XII
   3	1958-1963	John XXIII
   4	1963-1978	Paul VI
   5	1978-1978	John Paul 1
   6	1978-2005	John Paul II
   	1981	Babylon the Great
   7	2005-?	Benedict XVI

   • Was. The 1260 year reign of the papacy in the Dark Ages.
   • Is Not. The loss of power in the French Revolution. Governments no longer felt that they needed to obey the church.
     And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13: 3, 8 )
     The sixth global head "is not" at the time the sixth local head emerged.
   • Is Coming. The healing of the Papacy's deadly wound began on 11 February 1929 with the signing of the Lateran treaties.
     With the election of Benedict XVI there have been seven popes since its political healing began in 1929. Many see this as a local sign that the seventh pope since the political healing, who appears in the time of the seventh global head many be the final pope before the great persecution of the eighth head.
     Since Benedict is seventy eight years old, he will rule a short time. Is he the seventh head of the seventh head? We cannot tell.
     
     Rules a Short Time. The seventh head rules a short time. The question is, how long will the combination of the United States and the papacy rule the world? Their reign began in 1981. The original Babylon ruled for seventy years.
3. The Eighth Head. The Beast itself is an ancient eighth who has lived throughout the reign of the Seven Kings. This is the figure for Satan. It is Satan who will go into perdition during the millennium.
   And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. (Revelation 7: 11 )
4. The Seven Heads on the Beast. These represent seven kings who are seven series of world empires.
   ... the seven heads are seven mountains ... and there are seven kings. (Revelation 17: 9, 10)

The Seven Heads
The red beast of Revelation 17 represents the satanic phase of the church of Rome after its deadly wound is healed and it consolidates with the eighth head. It is a composite of the red dragon of Revelation 12 and the seven headed beast of Revelation 13. And the seven headed beast of Revelation 13 is a composite of the beasts of Daniel Chapter 7.

And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space. (Revelation 17: 10.)
The seven heads are a series of powers that belong to one kingdom, that is the kingdom of Satan. We have a reference to the past, present and future. Where was the angel in this timeline?

The Past ("Was"): The Five Fallen Kings
Since the first kingdom in Daniel 7 is the Lion, it is probably the first head of the beast in Revelation 13 and 17.

1. Babylon (Lion)
2. Medo-Persia (Bear)
3. Greece (Leopard)
4. Rome (Beast with ten horns)
5. The Roman Papacy (The Little Horn Power). It is significant that this fifth head receives the fifth curse. Their first desolation.

The Present ("One Is"): The Sixth Head
The sixth head is also identified in Revelation. It is the beast from the abyss.
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. (Revelation 11: 7)
Some interpretations have assumed that the sixth head is the Pagan Roman empire that was ruling when John received the vision. So the use of the present tense of the verb points to the time of John. But the purpose of the vision was to bring John forward in time to the future, for the judgment of the harlot at the end of time. (See verse 1)
Therefore, the time that "is" is the time of the judgment of the harlot which began around 1844. This is the time to which the angel brought John in the vision.
During the time of this head, the church becomes the beast that once was, but now "is not" and "will come".

Six is the Number of Man (Secularism and Communism).
Appropriately, a human system of religion emerges in this period. The beast from the abyss in Revelation 11: 7 is a humanistic secular power that emerges after 1798 as a result of the French Revolution. The communist empire was the only such power.

The Communist empire emerged from the atheistic, materialistic philosophy of the French Revolution. It is the beast from the abyss. It is the sixth Head.

The Fall of Communism.

Parallel Fulfillment
Local			Global
#	Year	Pope	Beast	#
-	-538	-	Rome	4
-	538-1798	-	Papacy	5
-	1798-1991	-	Secular, Atheist, Communist	6
1	1922-1939	Pius XI
2	1939-1958	Pius XII
3	1958-1963	John XXIII
4	1963-1978	Paul VI
5	1978-1978	John Paul 1
6	1978-2005	John Paul II
			USA and Papacy	7
7	2005-?	Benedict XVI
8	Unknown number of popes		Satan	8
The angel described time from this view

The prophecy refers to the sixth head in the present tense, as "The one that is" while "the beast is not".
So this time became very important and is the period that is the focus of the prophecy. From this period in time the angel looks back at the previous five kings and forward to the last. Why?
That generation must be able to recognize the times. The angel of that church must be explaining their times to John.
It was the period when God began to merge local fulfillment with the global fulfillment. He does this when an important time period begins or ends. During the time of the global sixth head, the local sixth head was creating a union that would become the global seventh head.

» Local Fulfillment. The sixth global head ceased to exist during the reign of the sixth pope. He cooperated with the United States to form the seventh head for the specific purpose of defeating communism.

» Local Fulfillment. During this period both acted to receive the title of Babylon. One through control of the land of Iraq and the other through the control of the European Union and its symbols of Babel.

» Global Fulfillment. By the time the United States controlled the land of Iraq in 1992, and physically became Babylon, it had spiritually become Babylon the Great in 1981 because it had united with the church. The events of the local fulfillments helped to prepare us to expect and recognize the global fulfillment.
This only helps us to identify the arrival of the final powers and the transition to the seventh head, but it cannot tell us that Satan will arrive during the reign of the eighth pope. After all the fifth head is not related to the fifth pope.
So why choose 1929 as the point to start counting popes?
1929 could be seen as a type of "placing the abomination of desolation". The eighth head is the abomination of desolation, but sometime during the seventh head his representatives might make the arrangements that will make this possible. The unjust conquest and devastation of Iraq could be seen as a military abomination of desolation that did occur.

The Future: Not Yet Come (The Seventh Head).
Seven is the time of rest and it is God's time. Appropriately, this beast is the one that enforces his false Sabbath worship through the governments of the world. This is the woman riding the beast.
This is the same period described in Revelation 13. The beast uses the new lamb beast to control the world.

The seventh head is the return of the Roman church as it seduces the kings of the earth to persecute the remnant people. (Revelation 17: 12-14) This is the phase described as the time of the head that "will come" and as the beast that "yet is". The beast that was returns again.

Rules A Short Time.
The most encouraging statement is that the seventh head will rule a short time. However, we do not know if this is in relation to the time of supremacy of the other six heads. Ancient Babylon ruled for seventy years and this was the shortest time of all the heads. Will Babylon the Great rule for less than seventy years? Their rule started around 1981.

1	2	3		4	5	6 (is)	Gap		7		8
Egypt	Assyria	Babylon		Medo-Persia	Greece	Rome	Papacy	Communism	Babylon the Great		Eighth head (Satan)
Correct View		70 Years	539BC	Babylon lost power for 2520 years (Seven "Times")					1981	Short Time
		1		2	3	4	5	6 (is)	7		8

There are several other theories about the identity of the seven heads.

• Babylon. The heads start with Babylon and are a continuation of the powers seen by Daniel. The prophecy of Revelation 13 clearly places the seven headed beast as a construct of the beasts of Daniel 7 (Lion, bear, leopard and dragon). This is the correct view.
  But we have a remarkable example of a local fulfillment displaying key elements of a prophecy at the end points of a time period.
  » The Beginning of the Papacy. When the little horn papacy was placed into power, three of the ten horns were uprooted, then it grew up as the eighth horn on the head of the dragon!
  » The End of the Papacy. At the end of time, the eighth horn will be associated with the eighth head because the papacy will be the power that introduces it. So the papal eighth horn is a type of the final eighth head.
• Egypt. The heads start with Egypt. However, this creates a problem with the seventh head lasting for a long time. This places the sixth head at the time of ancient Rome, which fell around 476. This would mean that the seventh head has ruled for over 1530 years. This is longer than all the first five heads combined! Some have speculated that there is another gap in this period where time is not counted. There is no biblical or rational basis for this fragmentation of time.
• Divisions. Some have counted the four divisions of Greece. However, this leaves us with an inconsistency because the two divisions of the Persian empire are not counted. This counting of the divisions leaves us with too many heads. Rome would be the eighth head if the Greek divisions are counted and the ninth head if both Greece and Persia are counted.

The Seventh Head is Babylon The Great.

The Eight Heads
#	Power	Years	Comment
1	Babylon	70	Captures Israel for 70 years
2	Medo-Persia	208	Rules Israel and the world
3	Greece	163	Rules Israel and the world
4	Rome	706	Rules Israel and the world
5	Roman Papacy	1260	The middle ages
6	Communism, Secularism	191	After the French Revolution, these philosophies rule the world while the church lost power
7	Revived Roman Power and the United States	Short time	Land acquired in the Lateran Treaty. Wound healed and woman rides the beast
			Land of Iraq controlled after the Gulf War. USA becomes Babylon
8	Satan Babylon the Great	< 1	Satan comes to control the world in a false Second Coming
Notice that each new power defeats the previous power. Therefore, it is significant that the fall of communism was the result of the cooperation between the United States and the Catholic Church. We are therefore officially in the time of the seventh head when communism fell in 1989 and maybe as early as 1981.

This is the combination of the papacy and the United States after it controls ancient Babylon. The seventh head is also Babylon the Great and the king of the North. In the old testament, there are several images used to describe this power. It is further proof that the lamb beast of Revelation 13 has transitioned to the dragon phase. The behavior is a copy of the charges made against the dragon, Satan.

• I Will Make Myself like the Most High. The religious portion of this power takes the power of God. The military half is the only super power.
• Weakened the Nations. The war on terror may have caused more destabilization. The business practices of western nations have conspired to weaken other nations.
• Makes the Earth Tremble. We are in the process of causing terrorism to spread.
• Indefinite Detention. The powers given under the Patriot Act allow this behavior, just like the medieval system.
  Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you saying, "Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?" (Isaiah 14: 16-17)
  As of April 2006, 30% of the "dangerous terrorists" at Guantanamo Bay have been cleared to be released after an investigation. Some of these have been cleared since December 2004. Yet none of them have left. Under the Patriact Act or the Powers of the President, even if you have been found not guilty in a criminal trial, they can hold you forever. They will not let their innocent prisoners go home.

The Eighth Head (The False Second Coming)
The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. (Revelation 17: 11.)
Isaiah refers to Satan as the King of Babylon. This is why God defines an eighth head who controls the others. We know that eight marks the first in another cycle of seven. The first was Babylon. The eighth is Babylon the Great or the demonic phase of the seventh head that is actually described as one of the seven and not technically a separate kingdom. This is Satan himself. He has been alive through out all these kingdoms, orchestrating their moves. Now, at the end of the world, he makes his final bid for worship. He is a combination of the forces of the seventh head and works through them. Technically this is not the succession of a new empire. The beast only has seven heads. Seven successions. But at some time during the short life span of the seventh head, it receives direct assistance from Satan so that it can only be described as "an eighth head which is one of the seven". To make this phrase even more accurate, the revived fifth head becomes part of this union.

We know it is Satan because the description is that it is an eighth head but it was really a part of the seven heads. The Church is the only world power that has existed continuously for a long time, but even the church was not in existence during the time of the first three heads (Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece). Daniel calls the entire series of empires transgressors who desolated the sanctuary. Satan has been using all these powers to destroy God. He was most successful when he tried to defeat God from within the church.

The Three Phases of Satan. Just like the succession of beasts that it ruled, Satan also has a series of phases that are similar. It represents his three phases as ruler of the planet. Notice that he never gets back to the phase where he "is". The third phase of the beast is destruction after a short existence. And, the third phase of Satan is destruction after a short existence as the eighth head. Technically, the phase where "he is", is his control through the seven heads. Specifically, it is the phase after he lost dominion of the world after the crucifixion when he must control through those whom Christ has allowed him to rule. This is the entire phase of the papacy, who mirrors this same three phased dominion.

»	Was				Is Not				Goes to Destruction
Satan replaced Adam as our leader					After the crucifixion Christ represents us				Plagues		Millennium	Hell Fire
Babylon		Medo-Persia	Greece	Rome		Papacy	Communism	Babylon the Great		Satan
»	The Three Phases of the Papacy					Was	Is Not	Yet is (Will Come)
»	Was	Babylon Is Not						Babylon will come
Satan rules the seven empires and is "of the seven"										He is the Eighth

Although Babylon follows the pattern of three phases (was, is not and will come), it is not the primary fulfillment of that verse. The papacy is. The power that fulfills this requirement came after five fallen heads. However, it is interesting to notice that Satan, the papacy and Babylon the great all go through these three phases. It is also interesting that the only two powers that destroyed the Jewish temple (Babylon and Rome) return under new management in the end to try to destroy the people of God again.
The Strong Delusion. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2: 11-12.)

The False Christ. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. "Look, I have told you in advance. "So if they say to you, "Look, He is in the wilderness, do not go out, or, "Look, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe them. "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew 24: 24-27.)

The Ten Kings

Possible Candidates
#	Western	Eastern
	Left Foot	Right Foot
1	France	Turkey
2	Germany	Iran
3	Italy	Egypt
4	England	Iraq
5	Spain	Libya
The list was developed based on current strength and the prophecies of Daniel 11: 41-45

And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast. 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. (Revelation 17: 12-14.)
Although the prophecies of Daniel show ten horns which were reduced to seven when the papacy came to power, we find that at the end of time ten kings appear again. The image of Daniel 2 indicates that ten strong divisions will be prominent among the broken nations of Europe at the Second Coming. This is an example of the pattern of symbols that God chooses. These symbolic signs usually appear at the beginning and end of a prophecy so that the generations that are alive at their formation and termination might recognize the signs.
Ten divisions were present to indicate the beginning of the papal empire. Ten divisions will once again be present at its defeat. The ten toes served both purposes. The European Union has over twenty member nations, which nations will they be? Should we only look at the European part or all the physical nations from the original Roman empire? And just as each leg has five toes, should we expect that there will be five nations from each division?
Whenever this final ten emerge, it must not violate the prophecy of Daniel 2. This is that the nations of the old Roman empire will not cleave to one another. The ten kings must act with one goal, but only as independent nations, not one nation.

Other Candidates
#	Nation	Power
1	Security Council	Global Military
2	Europe	European Union
3	G-8 nations	Economic leaders
4	Military Contractors	Expertise
5	UN economic regions	10 Economic divisions
The list is some of the candidates mentioned. I discount the power of the leaders under the ten economic divisions of the world.

European Alliance. During this time, the ten horns receive power for one hour. This is approximately two weeks in real time. This time, Satan directly recruits the state. This is probably when they decide to give their power to the church - because the events they are experiencing are clearly about religious matters. According to Revelation 17: 17 God has put it in their heart to give their kingdom to the beast so that His will can be accomplished. So, in summary, these are the sequence of events.

• The ten kings have no kingdom. Remember, that monarchies have disappeared and these horns do not have a crown. The ten toes still exist as independent nations. So who are these kings without a crown? They may be the heads of these nations or their representatives. Knowing the global political structure, it is probably a vote by the United Nations security council. It is the only power that has the emergency authority to temporarily unleash a multi-national army. It also has the ability to authorize an economic boycott. But the control of the United States and the other super powers who are the five permanent members means that one of these nations is responsible.
  Outsourcing the Persecution. Since they have no kingdom perhaps they are businesses who hire themselves out as mercenaries. It was very revealing to see the war in Iraq being fought by so many contractors. Many traditional military roles are being done by civilians. These have even taken over interrogation and torture functions. It also gives another clue as to why businesses are so severely punished along with the government and the church in Revelation 18. Whoever the ten identifiable heads are, they will probably use the strengths of all the groups mentioned. They will pressure the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the Security Council and the European Union. They will hire military contractors and mercenaries and call on citizens and other businesses to execute the persecution as a part of the war on terror and immorality.

  European Union Rotating Presidency
  Year	January - June	July - December
  1997	Netherlands	Luxembourg
  1998	Great Britain	Austria
  1999	Germany	Finland
  2000	Portugal	France
  2001	Sweden	Belgium
  2002	Spain	Denmark
  2003	Greece	Italy
  2004	Ireland	Netherlands
  2005	Luxembourg	Great Britain
  2006	Austria	Finland
  Year 1 2 3 2007-8 Germany Portugal Slovenia 2008-9 France Czech Sweden 2010-11 Spain Belgium Hungary 2011-12 Poland Denmark Cyprus 2013-14 Ireland Lithuania Greece 2014-15 Italy Latvia Luxembourg 2016-17 Netherlands Slovakia Malta 2017-18 UK Estonia Bulgaria 2019-20 Austria Romania Finland

  
  The Rotating European Union Leadership. Recent events give us one other possible clue to this event. The short, rotating leadership positions sound a lot like the strange temporary leadership structure of the beast. When the beast is healed and revived, ten kings will not have received their turn at power but they will give up their rights to the beast. We have just such a situation brewing in 2009.
  The Presidency of the European Union changes every six months. The sequence is determined by the alphabet, national elections and by the rule that the presidency cannot be held by three smaller countries in a row.
  With the increasing membership of the union and a reluctance by the superpowers within the union to give up power to so many lesser nations, this leadership structure has become impractical and unwieldly. As of 2007 the presidency rotates every 1.5 years. Three countries share the presidency with one in leadership role for six months. This gives every country one chance every thirty years to be king of the hill for six months. It is not effecient. It does not work as one country. It is a union of 27 countries who are trying to maintain their independence and get rich in the process.
  
  The Second Great Lisbon Earthquake. The union went into a crisis when French and Dutch voters rejected the constitution in 2005. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy of France found a way to revive the union by taking decisions out of the hands of the popular vote and into the tentacles of the parliments of the member nations.
  The Lisbon treaty, the name is itself a sign of the political earthquake to come, was agreed upon on 19 October 2007 and will be signed on 13 December 2007 in Portugal who holds the presidential powers. Parliaments of member countries will vote in 2008.
  One change in this ammended treaty is to appoint a president for 30 months up to a maximum of 60 months. His main job is foreign relations and the point of contact for the leaders of the world with Europe.
  The popular leader for this position is Tony Blair, who kept the fact that he was a Catholic a secret until he resigned his office as prime minister of Britain. He would take office on 1 January 2009, if elected.
  

  Members of the Union
  Year	Total	New Members
  1951	6	6	Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg
  1973	9	3	Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland
  1981	10	1	Greece
  1986	12	2	Portugal and Spain
  1995	15	3	Finland, Sweden and Austria
  2004	25	10	Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia
  The Ten Kings
  2007	27	2	Bulgaria, Romania
  Luxembourg Group: Hungary, Poland, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Cyprus
  Helsinki Group: Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia.

  Now this is where a possible fulfillment makes sense. When the treaty is signed, ten new members who joined in 2004 and the two who joined in 2007 would not have received their chance at the rotating leadership which would have begun in 2009. So these have to give up their power to this new office. They do not need to do anything more to fulfill the prophecy of the ten kings who did not get a chance to be king. What that means is that after this time, the rest of the prophecy can be fulfilled!
• Two Weeks of Leadership. The time for the eighth head begins and they give power to authorize war during the two weeks or fifteen days (one prophetic hour) of their combined power. The extremely short time narrows the possibility about the kind of troops and the type of operation.
  If he takes office in January 2007, only Slovenia would have had a chance to serve six months (24 weeks). This gives all twelve a vicarious 15 days or the original ten 18 days!
  But so far, prophecy has been more transparent than this. Therefore, the actual fulfillment may lie in the fact that some version of the six month rotating presidency will exist, but it will be a diminished role. Each country gets to work with the president formally for two weeks or about once every two weeks. So, as the transition to the new office occurs in 2008, Slovenia might have its role diminished then. In fact, in a mini fulfillment, Slovenia and France get to work that year to hand over power to the beast by working on the national parliamentary votes. Once again, France is in a pivotal role in establishing the powers of prophecy.
  
  Caution. Normally, although events can indicate a near fulfillment of prophecy, it is only after the evens, stories and aftermath have been completed that one can say with certaintity that the events meet the requirements. However, the final time scale is so unbelievably short that it is going to be impossible to see them until they are gone. However, for the final generation a late understanding will be useless. We must be able to discern the signs of the times in order to know how to act. The early Christians had their sign. We should at least know what is a possibility so that we can carefully monitor events. Monumentous events will happen within a two week period and one even happens in one week.
  • A Global Crisis. After the treaty is signed in December 2007, any major crisis could escalate events in 2008 so that another paradign shift occurs by January 2009. The impending war with Iran is bound to be a disaster and President Bush intends to flex his muscles before he leaves office in 2009.
  • The Lamb with Two Horns. Between 1 January 2009 and 20 January 2009 the reigns of George Bush and Tony Blair (or the EU president) will overlap. This places a partnership that could fulfill the role of the lamb with two horns in full control of the beast with seven heads and ten horns with the lamb that sounds like a dragon. At a minium they can make secret legal agreements that will fulfill prophecy.
• Alliance. Verses 13-14. God encourages them to give their kingdom to the beast - the union of the Roman Catholic Church and the United States. So, Europe joins forces with the United States. This is probably when the persecuting events of Revelation 13 and Daniel 12: 1 occur. The image to the beast which is set up by the United States, causes the whole world to worship the first beast that was wounded, the Catholic church.
  
  Catholic Eschatology - The Messages from Mary. And what is the stated end time eschatology of the church? As you will see, they are preparing for these roles based on messages given since 1917 by demonic apparitions who claim to be Mary.
  The church expects a worldwide visible appearance of Mary and maybe Christ before the official Second Coming. This is to convince us to listen to the pope so that we can avoid the disaster that God is going to send.

  In apparitions from Mary, terrible disasters will occur unless we turn to her. Specifically, these are the things we should do.

  • Pray the rosary.
  • Close all shops and sporting events on Sunday.
  • Go to church and go to mass - Catholic worship.
  • Ask Mary to save us.

• Persecution. Verse 14. They then make war with the Lamb. This means that they persecute His people again. According to Revelation 13, this persecution is because of forced worship of a false God. The worship specifically causes us to break the first four commandments.
• A Common Purpose. (The Agreement for Christian Unity to save Western Civilization) 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, until the words of God will be fulfilled. (Revelation 17: 17)
  In the end, God propels the actions of these groups so that the end will come. They unite under common purposes. They will agree to give total support to the Catholic church and the United States to overcome the great emergency. They believe in a united Christianity to save the world from Islam and from the forces of immorality.
  • Religious. Churches are uniting under common beliefs to bring morality back into the laws of the land. Although God has said that the wheat and tares should grow together and He will separate them, the religious arm has decided to do a little weeding in the garden themselves to recreate Eden.
    The formation of the Christian Churches Together in May 2005, is the latest and most comprehensive step in the United States to unite all branches of Christianity for the sole purpose of creating a religious government. The threat of Al-Qaeda only drives them further into drastic measures.
  • Political. Governments are uniting to bring about "democracy, freedom and world peace".
  Unfortunately, both groups are attempting to build a Utopian society on the foundations of systems that God has declared corrupt and inadequate and doomed for destruction. There is no righteous nation. God is not coming to save one nation or political ideology, He comes to destroy them all. We cannot build a society for God through economics or legislation of thoughts and actions. God builds His own society by changing minds and hearts from within.
  The Great Persecution. Although the alliance is against other threatening forces, it quickly turns inward to subdue other Christians. Under the emergency, it does by force what it could not do by persuasion for the past 200 years. It takes this opportunity to subdue the world for Mary just as the militant Muslims are trying to subdue the world for Muhammad.
• Cannibalism. Verses 15-18.
  And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. (Revelation 17: 16)
  The alliance fails. God defeats the alliance against His people by turning the partners against each other. The language is written in the symbolism of the final curses. They eat the flesh of the church and destroy her.
  I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh, and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine ... (Isaiah 49: 26)

The Destruction of the Great Whore and the Beast

A Heirarchy of Control Freaks
The Eighth Head
Satan	The Seventh Head
	Beast (State)	Woman (Church)
		Controls the kings of the world
	Lamb Beast		Ten Kings
Control the world

And he said to me, the waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw 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. For God has put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17: 15-18)
In verses 16 -17, we see the ten horns or ten kings, give their power to the Beast, just as stated in verses 12-13. So, it appears that before the final battle when the Beast and the ten kings make war with the Lamb, and are defeated, that the ten kings will rebel against the Great Harlot, and will kill her. This begins the punishment of the harlot.

• Covet the Property of God (Stoning and Burning). Achan and his family and possessions were stoned and then burnt by fire. They had coveted and stolen items that were dedicated to God.
  ... And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. (Joshua 7: 25)
  The earth will be stoned at the Second Coming and burned with fire at the Third Coming because the prostitute and her mentor coveted the throne of God.
• Prostitution (Burning). The punishment was burning with fire for a daughter of the priest. This is the harlot.
  And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by harlotry, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. (Leviticus 21: 9)

Repetition and Enlargement

The Seven Nations Surrounding Ancient Israel
This global experience is repeated in the experience of Israel. God slowly cleared away seven nations before Israel could take complete possession of the Promised Land. This is similar to the seven heads that He removes before the Second Coming.
When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you. And when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them.
The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts will grow too numerous for you. (Deuteronomy 7: 1-2, 22)

Comment	Deuteronomy 7		Revelation
The exodus from slavery to peace involves the removal of seven mighty nations	1, 22	Seven nations were removed	13:1	Seven heads are seven series of mighty powers
Israel is threatened by wild beasts	22	Trouble from wild beasts is controlled	13	Symbol used in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. Israel encounters these beast nations one by one
A warning about joining with these nations	1	Make no covenant with them	13	The beast tries to change the covenant and force the world to submit
God destroys their false gods and false system of worship	5	False sanctuary destroyed	16	Seven last plagues destroys the sanctuary
	10	Enemies destroyed	18	Babylon is repaid double
The nations will cause us to become harlots and immoral	3-4	Harlot	18: 5	Babylon is the mother of harlots
The last power is described as a place of confusion	23	Thrown into confusion	18	Babylon means confusion
He will keep this covenant for one thousand generations	9	One thousand generations for twelve tribes of sons.	14	144,000. Twelve tribes of 12,000
The result will be a place of peace for the holy people	13-18	Blessings	21-22	In Heaven there is no more curse

The Seven Last Nations Surrounding the People of God
The great harlot is the beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn. Revelation 18 finally shows all the political or civil powers as different stages or heads of this gigantic beast and it shows the religious power as a prostitute who is controlling the beast. Satan is the long-lived civil government who controls the earthly governments in order to gain religious worship. To do this, he tries to destroy the church set up by God using pagan governments who worship him. When he does not achieve lasting success at this, he infiltrates the church of God to corrupt it and teach it to worship him.

The Great Harlot	The Beast	The Beast	The Little Horn, Tree
Revelation 17	Revelation 13	Revelation 12	Daniel 4, 7, 8
Woman sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns	Beast with seven heads and ten horns with crowns merges with composite beast (lion, bear, leopard)	Beast with seven heads and ten horns with crowns	Beast with ten horns, Little horn. Lion, bear, leopard
Religious	Is worshipped	-	Claimed religious authority
Church and state. Union with the kings of the world	Was given its power by Rome	-	Mighty but not by its own power
Influences nations	All the world admired the beast	Deceives the world
Great city with global influence	Global religion	-
Lasted 1260 years	Lasted 1260 years	1260 years	Lasted 1260 years
Claims authority like God	Sets up worship for himself	-	Magnified himself to Christ
Blasphemy	Blasphemy	-	Mouth speaks great things
Wine - immoral, apostasy, lawless	Enforces the mark of the beast	-	Changes times and laws
Written on her forehead	666	-	-
United States	Lamb with two horns	Earth helped the woman	-
Mother of harlots	Other powers obey, blaspheme	-	-
Persecutes	Persecutes the remnant	Persecutes the child, the woman and the remnant	Made war with the saints
Was, is not and will come	Deadly wound that was healed	-	Stump Revived

#	Power	Daniel 2	Daniel 4	Daniel 7	Daniel 8	Revelation 12-13	Revelation 17
		Metal man	Tree	Wild beasts	Sanctuary	Composite Beasts and the Dragon
1	Babylon	Head of gold	Fruit, leaf	Lion	-	Mouth of a lion	First head		Five Fallen (Beast was)
2	Medo-Persia	Chest of silver	Stump, Axe	Bear	Ram	Feet of a bear	Second head
		Two Arms		Two sides - one higher	Two Horns - one higher
3	Greece	Belly and thighs of brass	Brass band	Leopard	Goat	Body of a leopard	Third head
				Four heads	Four horns
4	Rome (pagan)	Legs of iron	Iron band	Terrible beast	Little horn: Horizontal	Dragon	Fourth head
5	Rome (papal)			Little horn	Little horn: Vertical	Beast (7 heads)	Fifth head	Prostitute
	Europe	Ten toes	Roots in clay	Ten horns	Transgressors Finish	Ten horns		Ten horns
6	Communism	-		Extension of Life		(Wounded)	Sixth head		Beast is not
7	USA	-	Revived	Little Horn Boasts	Insolent King	Lamb beast	Babylon the Great (Seventh Head)		Beast is (is to come)
	Papacy	-				Beast and Image (Healed)
8	Satan	-					Eighth head		One of the 7
Kingdom of God		Rock	Holy Ones	Judgment	Cleansed	God comes on a white horse with an army

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Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.   2 Timothy 2: 15 Copyright     Updated : November 2007 Credits: Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008) See our reference page. All images except the Babel buildings, statue, and coin were created by Laverna Patterson and are the property of teachinghearts.