STUDY 6
TOPIC 31—THE ABOMINATION of DESOLATION
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks
There are a great many differing views on chapter nine of Daniel. With so many written volumes of commentary and history covering this chapter, it would be impossible to present an interpretation that would be common with most of those views. So my point of view will be very limited in scope; but I believe it to be scriptural. My primary objective is to establish that a part of Daniel’s seventy weeks still has application for the end—times.
You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. LEVITICUS 25:8
Precedent, scripture witness, has been set in Leviticus for “weeks of years.” While this scripture is for seven weeks or forty-nine years, the scripture in Daniel is for seventy weeks or four hundred and ninety years. The “weeks” in Leviticus were to calculate the time until the year of Jubilee—from Jubilee to Jubilee. And was simply a way to keep track of the years. The “weeks” of Daniel are not quite that simple. They have been explained in various ways. With some of the explanations, the “weeks” seems to accurately note the years between prophesied events; but in all explanations of Daniel’s seventy weeks, there is a ‘gap’ of unknown time and other tensions. After this ‘gap’ ends, the events of the last “week” happen—seven years of Tribulation.
… I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. DANIEL 9:2-3
While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.” DANIEL 9:20-23
In the first part of Daniel, chapter nine, Daniel seems to be searching the writings of Jeremiah “before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem.” He realizes that the seventy years of exile are nearly over. Then he tells us he prays. “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” DANIEL 9:3 His prayer of confession and petition is answered by Gabriel. “while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, ‘O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding.’” DANIEL 9:21-22
Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. DANIEL 9:24-27
Many support a timeline with the seventy weeks of Daniel divided into three segments. The first sixty-nine weeks are chronological. Then there is a period of time, a gap of unknown length, that many call the dispensation of the Gentiles—some call it the Church Age. The final week is the last seven years on earth, the Tribulation. In verse twenty-four there is a key phrase that tells us about the end of the seventy weeks and the last week and the end of time. “… to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness…” DANIEL 9:24 Many of the things listed, if not all, in verse twenty-four were accomplished by Jesus Christ. They have been done already—in God’s Time—outside of time. Putting an end to sin and bringing in everlasting righteousness will be totally accomplished in our time—solar time—after the ending of the millennium.
Although the millennium will be the kingdom of our righteous Lord and His Christ, at its end Satan will be released from the bottomless pit and lead a rebellion. So there will not be an end to sin until he is finally destroyed, after the millennium. After this, there will be a new heaven and a new earth that has never known sin and will never know sin. Righteousness is everlasting already! But after sin ends, nothing unrighteous will ever be seen again. Then Jesus Christ will rule for eternity!
The most plausible timeline of Daniel’s seventy weeks begins with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. DANIEL 9:25 It is a seven week, 49 year, segment of Daniel’s seventy weeks. This should not be confused with the rebuilding of the Temple. The second segment of sixty-two weeks, 434 years, begins when the rebuilding of Jerusalem is finished and ends when Jesus Christ is crucified. “And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing…” DANIEL 9:26 I believe the preceding scripture is referring to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and to the fact that he had no visible earthly kingdom. For Israel proclaimed, “… We have no king but Caesar.” JOHN 19:15 Then after the ‘gap’ we have the seventieth week—the seven years of Tribulation at the time of the end. After that we will have the millennium. [1]
Others believe all of the seventy weeks of Daniel have already been fulfilled. The tension with believing all seventy weeks have already been fulfilled is that the abomination of desolation, that will take place in the seventieth week, was supposed to have been fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid king, of a Greek state in West Africa, erected an altar to the Greek god Zeus, and sacrificed a pig on the altar of incense in the Jewish Temple; but that happened in 168 BC during what many would agree would be near the middle of the sixty-two weeks segment. There is no scripture witness that this event in the event that Jesus mentioned in his Olivet Discourse in Matthew chapter twenty-four. For Jesus did not review history; but rather foretold the future. [2]
Although others may believe all of Daniel has been fulfilled at a much earlier time—the ending of the seventy weeks. “…And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.” DANIEL 9:26 This part of verse twenty-six was fulfilled in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed; but it is not the seventieth week. The middle of that seventieth week will have the abomination of desolation—the mid-point of Tribulation. The Tribulation is the last seven years on earth and is the seventieth week of Daniel’s seventy weeks.
The Abomination of Desolation
“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” DANIEL 9:27
Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. DANIEL 11:31
And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. DANIEL 12:11
While Daniel prophesied about the abomination of desolation in three different chapters, it is Jesus that moves the prophecy forward to a time in the future. Jesus tells His disciples about the abomination of desolation in Matthew, He said, “…when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel…then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” MATTHEW 24:15-16 While Jesus only mentions it, Paul writes about it with some detail in Thessalonians. II THESSALONIANS 2:3-10 Jesus knew and Paul believed the abomination of desolation was and is a future event. It will happen at the mid-point of Tribulation. The words “abomination of desolation” are not mentioned in the book of Revelation; but details of the “man of lawlessness,” that Paul writes about and the “beast” that John writes about, are given in Revelation chapter thirteen.
Although some theologians and historians of Jewish history believe all of the prophecies in Daniel have been fulfilled, others believe parts of chapters two, seven, eight, nine, eleven and twelve are yet to be fulfilled. Those historians that believe the abomination of desolation was fulfilled in 168 BC, are overlooking Jesus’ discourse in Matthew Twenty-Four that refers to it as a future event. These events that surround the mid-point of Tribulation in Revelation are consistent with the prophecies of Daniel and with the teachings of Jesus in Matthew. So the Abomination of Desolation will take place in the future. It will mark the mid-point of Tribulation. After this, things will get so much worse that Jesus referred to it as “great tribulation.” MATTHEW 24:21
Three and one-half years into Tribulation, “…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, [will take] … his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” II THESSALONIANS 2:3-4 Burnt offerings will be taken away from Israel at the mid-point of Tribulation. Daniel says the abomination that makes desolate will happen at about that same time. 1,290 days later Tribulation will end. DANIEL 12:11
The Antichrist, the wounded head that is healed on the first beast rising from the sea, will profane the temple. “Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, …And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. DANIEL 11:31 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. DANIEL 11:36 Again, some historians say this has been fulfilled; but, if it has, it will be repeated in the end time.
Summarizing, the third temple will be rebuilt before the start of Tribulations. Regular burnt offerings that were begun sometime before Tribulation started, will be taken away at the mid-point of Tribulation. While the tenets of the “strong covenant for one-week” are unknown, it is possible that taking away the burnt offerings could be one of the first violations of that covenant. We know that the ten horn kings [Revived Roman Empire, the Antichrist] will violate this covenant [peace treaty or alliance] with Israel that they signed three and one-half years before; and that this will set up the Abomination of Desolation; and the desolator, The Antichrist, will be the ruler until the “…decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” DANIEL 9:27 The Antichrist, the false prophet, and the image of the beast will play a role in this desolation. Idols made by hand have always been an affront to God. The image’s appearance will be at or near the same time the Antichrist takes his seat in the temple! A lot happens near this event—the mid-point of Tribulation, both before and after.
Flee! The Woman Flees the Dragon
So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. MATTHEW24:15-16
Jesus tells Israel to flee— “… let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” MATTHEW 24:16 "Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her.” JEREMIAH 51:6 The furious pursuit by the dragon using a river of invaders could not keep Israel from mounting up on the wings of the great eagle and fleeing to a wilderness in the mountains. When they get there, God promises to take care of them and nourish them. That is something he says and then confirms in Revelation chapter twelve. Israel will spend the last 1,260 days of tribulation in the care of God!
She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. REVELATION 12:5-6
The Woman in verse one of Revelation twelve is clearly the nation of Israel. Many years after giving birth to Jesus, “the male child” and at the mid-point of the tribulation, “…the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.” REVELATION 12:5-6 Wherever they are, they will be sustained by God for the remainder of the Tribulation—the same God that sustained them in the wilderness for forty years in the Old Testament. The same God that gave them manna from heaven, quail from the sea, and water from a rock! The wrath of Satan will be focused against the Jews, that will cause some of the Jews of Israel to flee to a place in the “wilderness” where they will be supernaturally protected by God. REVELATION 12:13-14 Many theories exist about the location of the Jews’ hiding place. Some people believe they will flee to the ancient city of Petra! The Bible mentions a wilderness and mountains! Wherever this place is, not all will escape to this hiding place.
“But the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the Lord alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat—and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.” DEUTERONOMY 32:9-14 God will do the same thing he did the first time Israel fled to a wilderness. JOHN 6:31 & NUMBERS 11:31 & EXODUS 17:6 From these scriptures it is obvious God knows how to sustain his people. God will take care of them. Modern times do not diminish God’s abilities!
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. REVELATION 12:13-14
Although Satan has pursued Israel since they became God’s chosen people and a nation, and on several occasions he sought to kill Jesus, “the male child,” the pursuit that is mentioned in verse thirteen of Revelation chapter twelve is after the great red dragon, Satan, is thrown down from heaven—the mid-point of tribulation. REVELATION 12:13 He knows he does not have many days left. This pursuit begins in earnest after the abomination of desolation. So most of Israel flees!
The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. REVELATION 12:15-16
It is not a river of life that pours out of the mouth of the red dragon after the woman as she flees; but rather an attempt to sweep her away with a flood. REVELATION 12:15 The river that pours out of his mouth could be the invasion of Israel around mid-tribulation. Isaiah uses the analogy of a river for an invasion. ISAIAH 8:7-8 “But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river the dragon had poured from his mouth.” REVELATION 12:16 “…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard agains him. [KJV] ISAIAH 59:19 Those who pursue Israel when they are fleeing could literally be swallowed by the earth. It has happen before! “But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” NUMBERS 16:30
“But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.” REVELATION 12:14 He will give them two wings of the great eagle. He is that eagle! And again God confirms he will nourish Israel in the wilderness. He has done this before for his people. “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.” EXODUS 19:4
War against Israel and the Saints
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. REVELATION 12:17
As already noted more than once, the Antichrist will become furious with the Jew’s escape into the wilderness and will leave off pursuing them to make war on those who did not escape. REVELATION 12:17 Although the war on the rest of Israel will be meant to erase them from the earth, the Antichrist will fail in his goal of annihilating all of the Jews. Israel has always survived attempts to ‘wipe’ them from the face of the earth. We are told in scripture a remnant of the Jews will saved. ISAIAH 10:20-23 & ROMANS 9:27-28 God always saves a remnant! “And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.” MATTHEW 24:22 He will cut the days short!
It seems Israel has always been at war! From the battles to occupy the promised land—through their dispersion and the holocaust—and until the present day, Israel has always faced or is facing battles. Since they became a nation there has been the Six-Day War of 1967, the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and now almost fifty years later, 2023, Israel’s prime minister has declared War on Hamas. Those battles will turn to endless wars near and throughout the Tribulation. The First War of Gog and Magog will be one of the big battles before Tribulation. Some believe it must begin and end at least three and one-half years before Tribulation starts. We do not yet know, but this War on Hamas which started in October of 2023, could be the start of that First War of Gog and Magog. Russia will be an active participant in this war. Although they are now involved in a war with the Ukraine, they have shown an interest in the Israel—Hamas war. Unbelievably, they are encouraging them to reach a peace agreement.
These wars will increase when Satan is thrown down from the second heaven to earth, at or near the mid-point of Tribulation. He knows his days are numbered and he is furious with the woman, Israel, because she escaped and his plan to kill her Son—Jesus Christ failed. [My firmly established belief is that while Jesus died for our sins, he gave His life. Satan had nothing else to do with it.] He will be especially furious when a portion of Israel escapes to the wilderness where she will be protected by God for the last forty-two months of the Tribulation. Between the First War of Gog and Magog and the battle of Armageddon Israel will have very little time of peace, if any. There will be much conflict. Then after Armageddon and before the Final War of Gog and Magog, there will be one-thousand years of peace; for Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for that one-thousand years. Then the Prince of Peace will rule!
A point of information: Almost eighty years after World War II ended, there is still one million less Jews than there were before the Holocaust!
Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, REVELATION 13:7
Satan has always hated God’s chosen people. It looks as though there is going to be a holocaust on Jews and saints during the latter one-half of the Tribulation. When Satan is cast down to earth, he will give his power and authority to the one of the heads of The First Beast, The Antichrist. REVELATION 13:2 “He will be allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it [The Antichrist] over every tribe and people and language and nation.” REVELATION 13:7 Jesus refers to this time as the Great Tribulation. MATTHEW 24:21
In the end-time wars will no longer be rumors; but there will be war after war—almost constant war against Israel and the saints! And those wars will not end until the Antichrist and his false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire after the battle of Armageddon. That will be the war that ends all wars for one-thousand years; but the devil will not be destroyed. He is imprisoned in the bottomless pit. He will released to lead a rebellion after the millennium. This will be the last rebellion; for the devil will then be destroyed!
TOPIC 32— THE GREAT PROSTITUTE and the SCARLET BEAST
The Great Prostitute and the Scarlet Beast
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. REVELATION 17:1-6
Except for verse three, these first six verses in chapter seventeen are all about the woman. In verse one the angel tells John that he will show him the judgment of the great prostitute that is seated on many waters; REVELATION 17:1 but the judgment of the great prostitute does not happen until verse sixteen. The “mystery” portion of this scripture REVELATION 17:7 about the great prostitute and the scarlet beast is addressed in the next topic. Her judgment will be covered after that.
“And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.’” REVELATION 17:15 The waters also represents multitudes that have, like a whore, bowed down to other gods. JEREMIAH 2:20 She has committed sexually immorality with the kings of the earth and with the wine, of sexual immorality, the dwellers on earth have become drunk! REVELATION 17:2 “Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds.” PSALM 106:39 The “many waters” are supporting the great prostitute and partaking of her sins.
Many view the Catholic church as the great prostitute. And a lot of the sins of the Catholic Church and of this world today are sexual sins. Aside from those that are purely sexual in nature, many more are connected to sex in some way, usually in a commercial way. In the New Testament when sins are named, sexual immorality often leads the list. COLOSSIANS 3:5 & GALATIANS 5:19 Sexual immorality, as used in most of scripture, is referring to two things. First, the worship of anything but God is sexual immorality. Idol worship in the world today is both blatant and open and subtle and unnoticed. Even Christians must be careful to keep God first in their lives. Secondly anything sexual outside the guidelines of scripture is also sexual immorality; but the sins of the great prostitute are greater than just sexual immorality!
The great red dragon chases a woman—Israel—into the wilderness; REVELATION 12:13 Then John finds him [a differing version of the dragon] later in scripture into a wilderness as a scarlet beast—same color—same devil; but he is now a beast of burden—the great prostitute is on his back! He “…carries her.” REVELATION 17: 7 The prostitute who was seated on many waters is now sitting on the beast! Sitting on the beast shows she has the support of the beast and his end-time government; but the beast’s support will turn to hate at the mid-point of Tribulation. As the rider, she has great control. She has the bridle!
“The woman was [and is] arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls…” REVELATION 17:4 All the pomp and attire of the Roman Catholic Church is extravagant to the point of being impious. Their attire does not exalt the wearer in the sight of God. Their adorning should be the adorning of the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious! I PETER 3:4
Purple and scarlet are the colors of royalty, or high order, and of rulers. These are colors which Herod clothed Jesus with before his crucifixion as a part of the mockery of the King of kings. JOHN 19:2 & MATTHEW 27:28 These are also the colors which God chose for a screen to the entrance of the tent Moses made in the desert. EXODUS 26:36 And blue, purple, and scarlet are the colors of the veil to the entrance of the Most Holy Place. EXODUS 26:31-33 The use of these colors does not give entrance to the Most Holy Place today. I am not saying that every use of these colors is wrong, only that the blatant use of these colors in a sacrilegious way is an offense to God.
The great prostitute has on her head “…Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” REVELATION 17:5 She has the splendor and pomp of ancient Babylon; ISAIAH 13:19 but she is a prostitute. Harlot or prostitute is God’s way of describing idolatry JUDGES 2:17 and the perversion that idolatry causes. Anything that usurps the praise and glory and worship that belongs to God is idolatry.
We find John’s visions of Babylon are both of a woman—the great prostitute and of a fallen city, Babylon. REVELATION 18:2 Together they share John’s descriptions of sin and idolatry—harlotry! Both are symbolic of the same thing—the evil religious empire and sacrilegious culture in our world that is growing in size day by day. The great prostitute—the apostate church—will partner with the Antichrist to form an evil religious alliance that will last until the mid-point of Tribulation. Babylon the great, the city, represents the political and commercial infrastructure of this evil alliance. Both of these entities share the same characteristics and they are inseparable. One cannot exist without the other. Both have prostituted themselves with the evil things of this world and to continue to exist they must have each other and the devil.
Our social, religious, intellectual, and commercial culture is now more concerned with personal gain and doing what “feels good” than they are in doing what is right! Idols, things made by man, creatures and creation are worshipped more than the creator! They are drinking the same wine of sexual immorality as the great prostitute. This wine is not a drink that is exclusive to the end-time! For the world has been drinking this sinful wine for a long time. From some time before the conversion of Constantine—and the beginning of the Catholic Church—through the time the pope crowned Charlemagne—and the centuries of the Holy Roman Empire—and until now the great prostitute has become and is becoming drunk with the blood of the saints—blood from her bloody persecutions and executions of saints and the wine of her sexual immorality! It will be worse in the end-time; and the great prostitute will still lead the way.
The Catholic Church is viewed by many as the great prostitute. There is much supporting evidence for believing this, evidence the Catholic Church has suppressed for ages; for in the past they have been guilty of more atrocities, both internal and external, than any other religious entity ever. If you view nightly news on a regular basis it would seem they are still guilty of multifarious evil things—perhaps not the people who confess to be Catholics, but the Catholic Church, some of its priests and its hierarchy. They are not only guilty of sexual immorality, the blood of saints is on their hands as well. Now for a very brief look at some of their atrocities.
In 1517, Martin Luther—a Catholic priest—sent a document, now known as Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, titled “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” to the Archbishop of Mainz—one of the seven Prince-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire—These seven Prince-Electors were members of the electoral college who elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire—These theses pointed out many of the false doctrines of the Catholic Church—especially some that dealt with indulgences, penance, and the authority of the pope. He nailed his theses to a church door—the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany! Their rules and laws about indulgences as penance were an added burden to the people. Other doctrines of the Catholic Church kept people from Jesus Christ instead of pointing them to Him. [1]
The Five Solas are not a summary of Martin Luther’s theses. However he is given credit for their introduction and they were a part of his teachings. They are: (1) Sola Scriptura—scripture alone. The Bible alone is out highness authority. (2) Sola Fide—Faith alone—We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ. (3) Sola Gratia—Grace alone—We are saved by the Grace of God alone. (4) Solus Christus—Christ alone—Jesus Christ alone is our Savior. (5) Soli Deo gloria—to the glory of God alone. We live for the glory of God alone.
Scripture alone—we find salvation in scripture, the edits of the pope are not needed. Faith and Grace alone are all that is all that is needed. Works do not save us nor do the penance and indulges prescribed by the church. Christ alone is all we need. No man and his spiritual prescriptions can save us. We all exist for the glory of God. The Catholic Church especially has an averseness to Sola Scriptura and Solus Christus for both subjugate the supposed authority of the papacy. [2]
First published in 1563, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs recounts the persecution and killing of many people. They were martyred because of disagreements with the Catholic Church. Many were charged with “heresy,” then killed, usually after a one-sided inquisition. The Catholic Church is guilty of martyring an untold number of believers. The Catholic Church may well be the woman John was talking about. “And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…” REVELATION 17:6 [3]
Benedict XIII, pope from 1724 to 1730, reportedly said in his jubilee proclamation of 1725, “…This catholic and apostolical Roman church is the head of the world, the mother of all believers, the faithful interpreter of God and mistress of all churches.” If the Catholic Church is the great prostitute, then this is an admission of being the mother of prostitutes. [4]
Until some time in the Reformation the pope’s mitre had Mystery written on the front of it. When that was linked, by others, to scripture the Catholic Church deemed defaming to their image, they discontinued using the word Mystery on his mitre. The pope’s forehead could be the forehead John was talking about when he wrote: “And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.’” REVELATION 17:5 I think most can agree the Catholic Church will play a prominent role in the end-time and not as a bearer of the seal of God in their foreheads. [5]
Further study of their history would reveal an untold number of other atrocities, some things too evil to recount, and things the true church would never do; but this is about the great prostitute in Revelation chapter seventeen, not a history of the Catholic Church.
This woman—great prostitute—arrayed in costly apparel and adorned with gold, jewels and pearls is holding a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality in her hand. She has become drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus! REVELATION 17:6 She will soon be destroyed by her “drinking” partners.
The beast and his blasphemous names that John saw in the wilderness REVELATION 17:3 is the devil with his usual diverse number of ways to blaspheme God. The ten horns represent ten kings and the seven heads represent seven kings—kingdoms—more when the angel solves the mystery for us.
The Mystery of the Great Prostitute and the Scarlet Beast
But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” REVELATION 17:7-14
The angel says to John, “…I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the [scarlet] beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.” REVELATION 17:7 [The great red dragon also has seven heads and ten horns. He is the same color, same devil.] “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.” REVELATION 17:8 The angel is still talking about the scarlet beast in verse eight; but in Revelation chapter twenty we are told that it is the [great red] dragon [that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan] that is thrown into the bottomless pit. Again, both the scarlet beast and the great red dragon are Satan—one devil.
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. REVELATION 20:1-3
The scarlet beast John saw, “…was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction…” is the same “… dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan…” that is bound for a thousand years. REVELATION 20:2 So regardless of what he is called, he is the devil. He was—from his attempt to ascend above God until he is thrown into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years—and is not while he is in the bottomless pit—the earth is free from his evil—and is about to rise from the bottomless pit to lead a rebellion!
After he arises from the bottomless pit, and after a brief rebellion, he goes to destruction; for he was not destroyed in the bottomless pit. Some views are that John is talking about the Revived Roman Empire in verse eight; but scripture says, “the beast.” Further, the Revived Roman Empire was destroyed at Armageddon. Those dwellers on earth who marvel to see the beast REVELATION 17:8 may be the people on earth who are deceived in the rebellion. All will be destroyed! After the rebellion and the last battle on the earth, the devil will join his partners, the Antichrist and the false prophet, in the lake of fire!
The first one-half of verse nine, “This calls for a mind with wisdom…” This is the second time John has said wisdom is needed. REVELATION 13:18 & REVELATION 17:9 We must pray for wisdom to understand so we can come to a knowledge of the Truth.
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. REVELATION 17:9 In John’s vision she was seated on many waters REVELATION 17:1 and on the scarlet beast; but we find yet another meaning of the place where the woman is seated, seven heads—seven mountains. Some believe the seven mountains are the seven hills of Rome; The Roman Empire had Rome as its capital; and the Catholic Church—Vatican City sits inside the city of Rome. In the end-times the great prostitute will be “seated” on the seven hills of Rome. From there she will rule with the end-time kingdom until she is destroyed. [This is yet another argument for the Catholic Church being the great prostitute.]
The next verse, verse ten, gives a different meaning from hills or mountains. “They are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.” REVELATION 17:10 These kings represent major Empires that have impacted or will impact Israel. The five that have fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. The one that is, was the Roman Empire of John’s day and the one that has not yet come is a Revived Roman Empire that must remain only a little while. All the others lasted from two hundred years to more than a thousand years. Since a Revived Roman Empire will be the end-time empire, it is hard to say how long it will last; for it is hard to know when it starts; but the last part of it, when the Antichrist is in total control, will only last for three and one-half years.
Although, verse eleven, has some tension, what seems to be an anomaly, I believe that it refers to both the scarlet beast [and the great red dragon] and the Antichrist. “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.” REVELATION 17:11 “As for the beast that was and is not” is a reference back to verse eight—“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction…” REVELATION 17:8 This is referring to Satan—both the red dragon and the scarlet beast. “… it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven…” This, I believe, is a reference to the Antichrist and when he receives the kingdoms of the ‘horn’ kings. Theirs was the seventh kingdom represented by the seventh head on the beasts. Now that the Antichrist has full control, it becomes an eighth totally evil kingdom; but it still belongs to the seven.
All seven heads—seven kingdoms of this world—have belonged or will belong to the devil. At the beginning of the seventh, and last kingdom it has great influence from the apostate church; but after the Antichrist has full control it will not be influenced by any human entity. It is now totally controlled by the devil—an “eighth” but still the seventh and last kingdom.
At the end of this last empire, the Antichrist goes to destruction along with the false prophet! REVELATION 17:11 & 19:20 All beasts, all forms of and incarnations of the devil, and the Antichrist—all go to destruction!
“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” REVELATION 17:12 In all scripture reference to the ten horns it is clear they are ten kings of the end-time that rule ten kingdoms. It is not clear if their rules start at the same time; but the ten horn—kings—start their rule sometime before Tribulation starts. That is when the Antichrist starts his rise to power. This could be before or after the War of God and Magog that will end three and one-half years before the start of Tribulation.
At some point the Antichrist takes over three of those kingdoms. Since those three kings still remain a force further into Tribulation, they probably continue to serve as subservient kings under the Antichrist—leaving the total kings still at ten. Then as the Antichrist begins his move for complete control, Satan gives the ten kings his “royal power” and they receive authority as kings along with the Antichrist for a very short period of time, “one hour.” A search of “one hour” or “the hour” in scripture will show that it refers to differing amounts of time; MATTHEW 26:40 & REVELATION 14:7 ” but most view “one hour” in this verse to mean simply, a short period of time. This could be a short transition period between the time the devil gives them “royal power” and the time it takes the Antichrist to define their roles as subservient kings and to get their unanimous agreement to hand total control to him. Also together they are going to destroy the apostate church, the great harlot. For this short period of time the world may be ruled by a United Nations model; but it is just an interim for the Antichrist to consolidate his power; for once the ten kings “…are of one mind… they hand over their power and authority to the beast.” REVELATION 17:13
There will be three and one-half years between the time the Antichrist takes complete control and what will happen is verse fourteen.“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” REVELATION 17:14 The battle of Armageddon will end the Great Tribulation with Jesus Christ destroying the armies of the world that have gathered for battle against Israel and against Him. He will do that with the sword of His mouth!
The Great Prostitute Destroyed by Antichrist
And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. REVELATION 17:15-18
The great prostitute and the apostate church are the same. They are the religious “church part” of a Revived Roman Empire. Even though the great prostitute has “‘…on her forehead … written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations,’” REVELATION 17:5 Babylon is the infrastructure of the apostate church. Although Babylon is referred to as mother of prostitutes, she is also referred to as a dwelling place, REVELATION 18:2 and as a mighty city, REVELATION 18:10 Babylon is the seat of the apostate church. She is representative of all the sins and luxuries that will continually increase and the vehicle that is used to transport evil thoughts to evil deeds; but she [Babylon] will fall about the same time the great prostitute is destroyed. A people and an ideology cannot be completely destroyed if their infrastructure is allowed to stand. God will not allow the prostitute nor her infrastructure to survive. The Antichrist and the ten kings will destroy the great prostitute—the Catholic Church. God will destroy Babylon!
“And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.’” REVELATION 17:15 The Catholic Church gets its power from all peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. It would take diligent research to find any peoples, multitudes, nations, or languages not in their sphere of influence. One of the agendas of the beast and the harlot church has been the destruction of other religions and Israel; but this marriage of clay—the peoples and multitudes and nations and languages that support the great prostitute, and iron—the evil empire of the Antichrist—now comes to an end.
“And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.” REVELATION 17:16-17 God sees the hate the ten kings and the beast have for the prostitute. They hate her for her continual and persistent interference of their plans. Even though the apostate church is not grounded in truth, its laws and doctrines are a hindrance to a totally evil empire! Evil empires neither want nor need any restraints from a harlot church. The only thing that could restrain them, a Spirit filled Church, is gone.
“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.” REVELATION 17:12 In that “one hour” that these ten kings have authority together with the beast, they destroy the prostitute! They help the Antichrist consolidate his power and authority when they destroy her. God is still in control; but he is removing any restraint the apostate church may have had on a Revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist.
When the great prostitute is destroyed, and the ten horn—kings give the beast their power, it will then be a totally demonic world! It seems God wants this last three and one-half years to be between him and the devil, no outside influences—not even an apostate church
TOPIC 33—THE FALL of BABYLON
THE SECOND MESSENGER ANGEL DECLARES BABYLON IS FALLEN
Come Out of Her, My People!
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” REVELATION 18:4-5
While the call by God for his people to come out of Babylon is connected with the Fall of Babylon in Revelation, he has been calling for us to flee from the midst of Babylon even in the Old Testament. “Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her.” JEREMIAH 51:6 Although the Babylon of old has been destroyed, her propensity to sin has not been destroyed. We cannot consistently be “yoked” with this world and not partake of her sins. If we partake of her sins then we will share in her plagues. REVELATION 18:4 “For her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” REVELATION 18:5 Again, we must come out of her. If we sin willfully and continue to sin, then we have not seen him or known Him. I JOHN 3:6 If we keep on sinning then we are “in Babylon” and not “in Christ”and we will share in Babylon’s plagues!
Idolatry is the devil’s substitute for worshipping God. God hates idolatry! Idolatry is whoredom! It is sexual immorality! “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” ISAIAH 42:8 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” COLOSSIANS 3:5-6 “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” I CORINTHIANS 10:14 Come out of her, My People!
The Fall of Babylon—Babylon—Dwelling Place For Demons
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” REVELATION 18:1-3
Angels who have great power and glory that makes the earth bright are God’s archangels. Their deployment is for missions of great difficulty and importance. The ten horn—kings and the Antichrist will have already destroyed the great prostitute. Now this archangel will destroy her infrastructure—both tangible and intangible. He announces with a mighty voice that Babylon is fallen. REVELATION 18:1-2 He says fallen twice. He is saying the great prostitute has fallen and now Babylon is fallen! Then he tells us only demonic beings will now occupy that great and mighty city.
He states the reasons for her destruction. “For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” REVELATION 18:3 These are the same things that condemned the great prostitute. Only the mention of the “merchants of the earth have grown rich,” in this scripture, is different from the indictments against her.
Babylon is the commercial—political part of the great prostitute. The “merchants of the earth” are an integral part of her infrastructure. To become a religious giant, a giant apostate church, it takes more than masses of people that are deceived. It takes the same kind of infrastructure that any commercial business or government would need to function. This archangel sent from God is here to destroy all of it!
The Catholic Church did not exist in John’s day; but the might and deeds of ancient Babylon were known then. Ancient Babylon is not only a good analogy of the Rome the Catholic Church “built,” it is in many points a parallel to it. It is said the Catholic Church claims Peter as their first pope. Regardless of when they actually started, they have been around for almost two millennia. Just like the Catholic Church, for almost two millennia Babylon served as a center of Mesopotamian civilization. King Nebuchadnezzar lived there. So many legends are bound to Babylon that it is hard for archaeologist to separate fact from fiction; but what is known is many scientific discoveries were made there and it was a city whose rulers conquered many people. One historical account says “the citizens grew wealthy through commerce.” A lot of what is “known” about Babylon are archaeological conclusions; but, of course, there is much scripture about Nebuchadnezzar, his statute and his attempt to be worshiped as God and his humiliation by the God of Daniel. His dream of a statute and Daniels’s interpretations and prophecy still has much meaning for the end-time. [1]
There is great deal of scripture about the fall of ancient Babylon that parallels the coming fall of Babylon, Rome. “And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!” And he answered, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.” ISAIAH 21:9 “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.” ISAIAH 13:19-20 “Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad. Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.” JEREMIAH 51:7-8 “Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.” JEREMIAH 51:53
“‘For the Lord is laying Babylon waste and stilling her mighty voice. Their waves roar like many waters; the noise of their voice is raised, for a destroyer has come upon her, upon Babylon; her warriors are taken; their bows are broken in pieces, for the Lord is a God of recompense; he will surely repay. I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts. ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: The broad wall of Babylon shall be leveled to the ground, and her high gates shall be burned with fire. The peoples labor for nothing, and the nations weary themselves only for fire.’” JEREMIAH 51:55-58 With so much scripture recounting the fall of ancient Babylon and prophesying the fall of the Babylon of Revelation it is little wonder that John named the city he saw Babylon—Rome.
The fall of the Babylon in Revelation is a decisive loss for Satan and his kingdoms of the world. The delicacies and splendors of Satan’s world have failed! The stock market has crashed never to rise again! He has destroyed his religious partner—the great prostitute. Now God has destroyed Babylon—and the means by which “… the merchants of the earth have grown rich…” REVELATION 18:3 The world is already desolate from all of God’s judgments. All of the earth will soon be like this fallen Babylon now that this last bastion of luxury and commerce has been destroyed. The last three and one-half years of Great Tribulation will be hell on earth. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.” REVELATION 18:2
All of her wealth, power, worldly wisdom, glory, pomp, pleasures, false doctrines, luxuries, her gods, and splendor have all failed! She has been brought to naught. Since her destruction is so total—its only use is as the haunt of every unclean thing. Babylon is a “ghost” town! Once she was the exalted capital of all things evil. She has become like Sodom and Gomarrah when God overthrew them. ISAIAH 13:19 And her judgment has reached up to heaven! JEREMIAH 51:9 Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
Anyone or anything worshipped other than the True God is idolatry. God says idolatry is whoredom! He destroyed whoredom when he put it into the minds of the ten horn/kings to help destroy the great prostitute. Any entity of any kind used in the prostituted worship by the mother of harlots and her children, will be destroyed by God’s archangel. Now there is nothing visible or tangible left on earth that worships anything but the devil and his Antichrist. Those who do not worship him and take his mark will be killed—martyred! God will destroy the devil soon!
The Judgment of Babylon
Babylon will be judged!
for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, “I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.” For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her. REVELATION 18:5-8
“Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad. Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken…” JEREMIAH 51:6-8 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.” REVELATION 18:24 Her destruction will be final.
The Final Destruction of Babylon
“'Then a mighty angel [the archangel sent to destroy Babylon] took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.’” REVELATION 18:21-23 “…For in a single hour she has been laid waste.” REVELATION 18:19 "Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her.” JEREMIAH 51:6 “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.” ISAIAH 13:19 “O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!” PSALM 137:8
Babylon—USA—Parallels
Some views hold that the United States of American, for reasons not scripturally known, does not appear in end-time prophecy. There is even a greater number of views on what happens to us before the Tribulation. Scripture witness is sorely lacking for any view on the United States’ role in the end-time; but scripture in Revelation chapter eighteen closely describes the United States. “…the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” REVELATION 18:3 Although several countries have now surpassed the United States, throughout the twentieth century the United States was recognized as having the highest standard of living in the world. Nevertheless, many countries of the world have grown rich from the power of our luxurious living—including some of those that now have a higher standard of living!
“And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore.” REVELATION 18:11 “The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud.” REVELATION 18:15 The United States is still the number one importer of goods in the world. In 2022 the value of goods imported was about 3.38 trillion US dollars.
“‘…And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 1and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, ‘What city was like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.’” REVELATION 18:17-19 Only China has more container ship traffic than the United States. And China is by far the largest exporter of goods in the world. A good portion of it to the United States.
“‘For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” REVELATION 18:8 “Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;’” REVELATION 18:21
Our Yellowstone National Park doesn’t just have a volcano, it is a volcano. In fact, it is a super-volcano. The degree of destruction to the United States and to the world depends on the scientific source you consult; but by everyone’s calculation the devastation would be catastrophic. [2] The United States could well become “…a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.” REVELATION 18:2 “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.” ISAIAH 13:19-20
The Second Messenger Angel Declares Babylon is Fallen
Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” REVELATION 14:8
This Second Messenger Angel will tell every spot on earth that Babylon has fallen, the great prostitute, the apostate church—she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. REVELATION 14:8 There will be no more false [apostate] churches to join for a sense of false peace and false security. Everything that pertains to God and to Jesus Christ on the earth is being purged from the earth by the devil. If anyone who has not worshipped the beast or its image turns to Jesus Christ, they will have to be totally committed to him; for there is no “church” support left on earth. They must not fear death! For they will be martyred for their belief in Christ and refusal to take the mark of the beast. “… do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” MATTHEW 10:28
Earth Mourns Babylon’s Destruction
And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. REVELATION 18:9-19
All the luxury is gone and all the vehicles of sexual immorality. In verse thirteen it mentions “slaves, that is, human souls.” This may be referring to the evil subculture of sex traffickers. All the merchants of all luxury items, gold and jewelry and fine linen, are in business no more. There are no buyers or sellers. All shipping has ceased! The stock market has crashed never to recover. There are no employers—except for the devil. Men weep and mourn aloud. The mark of the beast will control what little buying and selling that will happen in their Great Tribulation future—of necessary items only and when available! They have reason to mourn Babylon’s destruction!
Heaven Rejoices Over Babylon’s Destruction
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” REVELATION 18:20
In three different places in scripture heaven rejoices at the fall of Babylon, “The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, ‘Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!’” REVELATION 16:4-6
“‘After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’ Once more they cried out, ‘Hallelujah!’ The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.’” REVELATION 19:1-3
“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” REVELATION 18:20
Written by Mallard E. Guy Jr.
Over a Period of Two + Years
Finished October 28, 2023
Last Edited February 2025