Revelation 17:7

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

What is the second angle's message in Revelation 14?

 

Share |

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

NOTE: Revelation 14 contains an urgent three-point message that must reach the entire world before Jesus' second coming. In this lesson we will look at the second point of the message it addresses some very straight, and perhaps disturbing, messages to both Catholic and protestant believers. Remember that the second angle's message is from Jesus, the One we all love. So be opened minded and open your heart to His truth, for His only aim is to save and bless you.

     How does God symbolize Babylon in Revelation 17?                                                 

    Revelations 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

NOTE: In Bible prophecy, a woman symbolizes a church. A pure woman represents God's true church (Jeremiah  6:2). In Revelation 12, this woman is clothed with the sun, moon, and stars- the natural light of God's creation. An unfaithful  woman represents  a  church that has  departed  from  the scriptures.  We  can  be  certain   who  this fallen  woman  is,  because Revelations 17:18 says she was ruling when Revelation was written. History tells  us  it was  pagan Rome (Luke 2:1)  that  eventually  turned over its authority,  capital  city, and power to papal Rome.

 This defiled woman is also mentioned in Revelation 17:3 as sitting on a scarlet colored Beast.

Revelations 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

  NOTE: This woman is not a secret (verse 7) And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

    Let us open our ears and minds and listen to what the angle reveals!

     What does a beast represent in Bible prophecies?                                                      

Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

Daniel 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia:

NOTE: In Bible prophecy, a beast represents a government, Kingdom, or political power. God uses beasts to symbolize governments, as we do today-an eagle (the USA), a bear (Russia), etc. In the Bible, "beast" is not a disrespectful term. It does  not suggest beastly characteristics. The beast that has the mark is pictured in Revelation 13:1-10, 15-18. Please take the time to read these verses before proceeding to the next question.

 

     How does the Bible identify the beast of Revelation 13?                                            

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

NOTE: In revelation 13:1-10,15-18, God gives 10 clues to help identify the beast. He gives us a long list of characteristics so that we can be absolutely certain of the beast's identity.

1. Rises up out of the sea (verse 1)

2. Receives its power, seat, and authority from the dragon (verse 2)

3. Becomes a world wide power (verse 3, 7)

4. Is guilty of blasphemy (verse 1, 5, 6)

5. Rules for 42 prophetic months (verse 5)

6. Receives a deadly wound that heals (verse 3)

7. Is a religious power that receives worship (verse 4, 8)

8. Persecuting God's saints (verse 7)

9. Has the mysterious number 666 (verse 18)

10. Is led by one supreme man (verse 18)

Only one power fits all 10 of these identifying marks- the PAPACY. But in order to be certain, we will carefully consider them one at a time, beginning with the first mark.

 

      The beast arises out of the sea. What does the sea, or water, symbolize?                   

Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

NOTE: In prophesy, water represents great multitudes of people, or heavenly populated area. Prophecy predicted that the beast would arise from amid the established nation of the then none world. The papacy arose is western Europe, so it fits Point 1.

 

       Who gives the beast its power and position?                                                            

Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

NOTE: The beast - which has a mark that we must avoid - obtained its power, authority, and capital city from the dragon. According to Revelation 12:3-5, the dragon is the power that sought to destroy the child Jesus at the time of His birth. It was Satan who inspired Herod, a king for the pagan Roman Empire, to slay all the male babies in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13, 16). To whom did pagan Rome  give her authority and capital city? History is clear that pagan Rome turned over its power and capital city to the church of Rome. The following historical quote is typical: "The Roman church...pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation. .. The Pope, who calls himself "king" and "Pontifex Maximus, 'is Caesar's successor.

Adolph Harnack, What Is Christianity? (New York: Putnam, second edition, revised, 1901), p.270.

 

       How far-reaching is the influence of the beast?                                                        

         Revelation 13:3 all the world wondered after the beast.

NOTE: No one would question that during the Middle Ages, the Papacy was indeed a worldwide power. Infact, the word "catholic" means "universal". We can see that Point 3 also fits the Papacy.

 

       What comes out of the mouth of the beast?                                                             

Revelation 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

First what is blasphemy? The Bible defines blasphemy as MAN claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21) and claiming to be God John 10:33.

"Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ."

Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion (New York:Schwartz, Kirwin &

"The preist has the power of the keys or power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of paradise and of changing them from slaves of Satan into children of God. And God himself is obligated to abid by the judgment of his priests and either not to pardon or to pardon."

(Dignity and duty of the Priest, Edit. E. Grimm 1927, P.27.)

Pope Leo XIII said, "We [the Pope] holds upon this earth the place of God Almighty."

Christopher Marcellus, Oration in the Fifth Lateran Council, Session IV (1512), manuscript SC,Vol.32, col.761 (latin).

"Thou art another God on earth."

Pope Leo XIII,Encyclical Latter "The Reunion of Christendom,"date June 20, 1894, trans. in The Great Encyclical letter of the Pope Leo XIII (New York: Benziger, 1903), p. 304.

 

       How long would this first beast rule?                                                                     

         Revelation 13:5 and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

NOTE: Remember that in prophecy, one prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6). This time period is repeatedly referred to in prophecy as three and a half years, 42 months, or 1,260 days. Based on the 30- day calendar used by the Jews, all three time period total the same 1,260 prophetic days, or 1,260 literal years. The worldwide power of papal Rome became official in A.D.. 538, When Emperor Justinian's decree making the papacy supreme was no longer opposed. The papacy was dealt what appeared to be a death blow in 1798 when the Pope was captured by Napoleon's general, Alexander Berthier. You will notice that the time period between A.D. 538 and 1798 is precisely 1,260 years. point 5 also fits the papacy.

 

       What happened to the beast after the 42 months?                                                    

Revelations 13:3 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.

NOTE: As already mentioned, the papacy received what appeared to be a deadly wound in 1798 when General Berthier took the pope captive to France, where he died in exile.1  Half of Europe thought that this event singled the end of the papacy, but God had said that the wound would be healed and that the papacy's power and influence would be restored until the entire world would follow her leading. Malachi Martin, consummate Vatican insider, reveals the following in the book The Keys To This Blood: "The Pope is the best-known person of the 20th century (p.123), has formed personal relationships with the leaders of 91 countries (p.490), and is prepared for worldwide rule now" (p.143).2  Even a novice would recognize that today the papacy is, in many ways, the most influence power on the earth. And with each trip the pope makes, his power and influence grow. Multiplied millions world wide look to the papacy as the only hope for world unity, peace, and decency- precisely as God predicted. The papacy clearly fits point 6.

1 Joseph Rickaby, "The modern Papacy," Lectures on the History of Religion, (London:Catholic Truth Society, 1910), Vol. 3, Lecture 24, p. 1.

2 Malachi Martine, The keys to This Blood (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990).

 

     What does the beast do to the saints?                                                                        

Revelation13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

NOTE: It is common knowledge that the papacy did persecute and destroy conscientious Christians, especially during the Middle Ages, the peak period of its control. Many historians say that more than 50 million people died for their faith during this period of great tribulation. Apparently the church felt that it was doing God a favor by stamping out "heresy". The pope has asked that the church be forgiven for its atrocities, but the fact remains that it did persecute and destroy. The papacy fits the 8th point also.

 

     What is the mysterious number that identifies the beast?                                             

Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

 In revelation 13:18, God says to count the number of the beast's name and that it is the number of a man. When we think of the papacy, the man we naturally think of is the pope. What is his name? One of the pope's official titles is "VICAR OF THE SON OF GOD," which is "VICARIOUS FILII DEI" in Latin (the official language of the church). News paper articles, when referring to the pope as "Vicar of Christ, "will often enclose the words in quotation marks to show that they are a translation of his title, or name. The book of Revelation is saying that the Roman numeral value of the letters of his name will equal 666. Let's see if point 9 fits the papacy.

NOTE: There should be no doubt remaining. We have shown that all 10 characteristics portrayed in Revelation 13:1-8, 15-18 fit the papacy. And This power has a specific mark that we dare not receive.

 

    What other evidence from Revelation 17 proves that Babylon refers to papal Rome?     

• She is guilty of blasphemy (verse 3)

First what is blasphemy? The Bible defines blasphemy as MAN claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21) and claiming to be God John 10:33.

 Quotes:

"Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ."

Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion (New York:Schwartz, Kirwin &

"The priest has the power of the keys or power of delivering sinners from hell, of making them worthy of paradise and of changing them from slaves of Satan into children of God. And God himself is obligated to abide by the judgment of his priests and either not to pardon or to pardon."

(Dignity and duty of the Priest, Edit. E. Grimm 1927, P.27.)

Pope Leo XIII said, "We [the Pope] holds upon this earth the place of God Almighty."

Christopher Marcellus, Oration in the Fifth Lateran Council, Session IV (1512), manuscript SC,Vol.32, col.761 (latin).

"Thou art another God on earth."

Pope Leo XIII,Encyclical Latter "The Reunion of Christendom,"date June 20, 1894, trans. in The Great Encyclical letter of the Pope Leo XIII (New York: Benziger, 1903), p. 304.

• She is dressed in purple and scarlet (verse 4) This is self explanatory:

• She is called the mother (verse 5)

NOTE: "Dominus Iesus" Quote "Other churches are no sisters of ours, the Vatican insists.

September 5, 2000 "The Independent"

"It must be always clear that the one, holy catholic and apostolic universal church is not the sister, but the mother of all the churches.--

Cardinal Ratzinger. 9/4/2000

• She has harlot daughters who also are fallen (verse 5)

NOTE: God's symbolism fits perfectly- a fallen mother church whose fallen daughters protested and began to be called Protestants. Ok, so your not worried about the beast, because your not Catholic but maybe your setting up an image of the beast.

Notice this quote from Father James A. O'Brien: "That observance [of Sunday instead of Saturday] remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away.'1

                      1  The Faith of Millions (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 1974), p. 401.

 

On Larry King live, after the Pope John Paul's death on 2nd April 2005

  Billy Graham declared the POPE:    "The moral leader of the world."

  Billy Graham also held a crusade in Mexico and said to all those who had received Christ, "to go back to their original churches and win these people to Christ." The pastors followed Billy's instructions and all went back to the Roman Catholic system. Faith for the family. 1982

• She persecuted and martyred the saints (verse 6)

NOTE: The Roman Catholic Church freely admits that during the Middle Ages, she persecuted the saints and ruled over the kings of the earth.

"The Catholic Church is a respecter of conscience and of liberty.... Nevertheless, when confronted by heresy, ...she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture.. She lit in Italy...the funeral piles of the inquisition."

Catholic professor Alfred "The Catholic Church, Renaissance, and Protestantism," pp. 182, 183

• She sits upon "seven mountains" (verse 9)

NOTE: The church headquarters is in Rome-"the city of seven hills".

• She ruled over the "kings of the earth" (verse 18)

     How do the beasts of Revelation 13 and 17 compare?                                               

NOTE: The beast of Revelation 13:1-10 and the beast of Revelation 17 are obviously the same. Both symbolize this Roman power. Revelation 17 points out the church-state coalition, with the church (the fallen woman) riding and controlling the state (the beast). Revelation 13 also portrays two beast involved in forcing others to worship. The first beast is the same power as  the "mother of harlots" described in Revelation 17. We will so see who the second beast is.

 

 

     What power will support the beast in the end times?                                                  

 Revelation 13:11, 12 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

NOTE: Brace yourself! This second beast of Revelations 13 symbolizes the United States of America. Consider the evidence:

• The time it arose.

God described this power as rising up about the same time the first beast goes into captivity and receives its deadly wound (Revelation 13:10, 11). The United States of America arose about the same time the Papacy's power was broken at the end of the 1260 years, which was in 1798. America declared its independence in 1776, voted the Constitution in 1787, adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791, and was clearly recognized as a world power in 1798.

• It arose from the earth.

As we've studied before, the waters from which most kingdoms (beast) arose represent a densely populated area (Revelation 17:15). The earth represents the opposite. The United States fits this point perfectly because it was established on a sparsely populated continent.

• It had two horns like a lamb.

In prophecy, a lamb represents Jesus and the horn represents power. The two great horns represent Protestant principles upon which America was founded-civil and religious liberty. The founding fathers fled from Europe to escape religious and political persecution. They established a society based on the principles of civil and religious freedom-"government without a king and religion without a Pope.

 

     According to prophecy, what drastic change will take place in America?                      

Revelation 13:11 and he spake as a dragon.

NOTE: Speaking as a dragon means that the United states, under the influence of Satan, will reverse its original Protestant principles of the separation of church and state. It will pass religious laws forcing people to worship contrary to conscience or else be punished with economic sanctions (verse 16, 17) and finally death (verse 15).

 

     What three powers will unite against God's people in the end time?                             

Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

NOTE:

• The Dragon is Satan (Revelation 12:9), working through pagan religions.

• The beast of Revelations 13:1-10 is the Papacy.

• The false prophet in Revelation 16 is apostate Protestantism in America, which is the same power as the beast of revelations 13:11-17 that has two horns like a lamb but later speaks as a dragon. This is the power that does "great wonders" and "deceivith them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast". Revelation 13:13, 14. ( Compare with the description of the false prophet given in Revelation 19:20.)

     Will these diverse organizations ever effectively unite?                                               

Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

NOTE: Yes, God says they will unite. Notice that they are united in their work of spreading deception and building a confederacy against God's people. The "battle of that great day of God Almighty" is the same event as the dragon making war with the woman's offspring (Reve 12:17).

     What effective methods will this end time coalition utilize?                                         

Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles

Revelation 13:13, 14 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do....

NOTE: This end-time coalition will work mighty miracles by the spirits of devils, and almost the entire world will be convinced (Revelation 13:3) and be deceived. Revelation 18:23 says, "By thy sorceries all nations will be deceived.

     What will prevent God's end time people from being deceived?                                  

     Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

NOTE: God's people need to test everything by the Bible. You will not be deceived, because you can test the miracles and teachings to determine whether they come from spirits of devils or from the true Lord of Lords.

     Now that we know who the beast is, what is his mark?                                              

                                            HOME  |