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Particulars
of Christianity:
314
End Times Prophecy (Eschatology)
Prophetic
Symbols: The Great Prostitute (Part 7)
Prophetic
Symbols: The Great Prostitute (Part 1)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 2)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 3)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 4)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 5)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 6)
Prophetic Symbols: The Great
Prostitute (Part 7)
Articles 7-12
Articles 13-18
Articles 19-25
Articles 26-29
From our examination of the relationship of the great city,
Mystery Babylon, to the empire of the False Prophet and the
empire of the Antichrist we can see an interesting, but clear
scenario depicted in the scripture. Apparently, the kingdom
of the Antichrist in accordance with the will of its 10 kings
and their hatred of the harlot, will attack and destroy the
chief city of the seventh empire, the empire of the False
Prophet.
This may seem like a startling event since the False Prophet
and Antichrist are clearly described in Revelation 13 as working
together. But we must remember that while the 10 kings make
up the empire of the Antichrist, the text is careful to place
the responsibility of this destruction of Babylon the great
city with the 10 kings and not the Antichrist himself. It
is the 10 kings, and not the Antichrist himself, who are said
to hate the end-times harlot city.
This is a critical distinction that must be made. While the
Antichrist and False Prophet are working together, it seems
that they pit their kingdoms against one another in some respect
in order to advance their agenda. And this makes sense with
Daniel 2 where we see this very idea presented in the feet
of the statue.
Daniel 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and
toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom
shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength
of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with
miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron,
and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and
partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed
of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even
as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left
to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
This excerpt from Daniel 2 supports this same idea regarding
the enmity that will exist, not between the Antichrist and
the False Prophet themselves, but between their respective
empires represented by the iron and the clay. Verse 43 tells
us that though the unification of these two kingdoms will
be attempted, it will not work, just as iron will not mix
with clay. And verse 42 states that while the part of the
kingdom that is iron will be strong, the part that is clay
will be broken.
The word translated as "broken" in verse 42 is the Aramaic
word "tebar" (8406). It is used only one time in the Bible
here in Daniel 2:42. However, it corresponds to the Hebrew
word "shabar" (7665). Both words carry the idea of being broken
or destroyed.
08406 t@bar (Aramaic) teb-ar'
corresponding to 07665; TWOT-3052; v
AV-break 1; 1
1) to break (P'al) broken in pieces (participle)
07665 shabar shaw-bar'
a primitive root; TWOT-2321; v
AV-break 115, destroy 9, break in pieces 8, break down 4,
hurt 3, torn 2, give birth 1, crush 1, quench 1, misc 6; 150
1) to break, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush,
quench
1a2) to break, rupture (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
1c) (Piel) to shatter, break
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered
While the Aramaic word "tebar" occurs only once, its Hebrew
counterpart "shebar" is used many times. In the book of Daniel
it occurs 8 times.
Daniel 8:7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and
he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram,
and brake (07665) his two horns: and there was no power in
the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the
ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could
deliver the ram out of his hand.
Daniel 8:8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great:
and when he was strong, the great horn was broken (07665);
and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds
of heaven.
Daniel 8:22 Now that being broken (07665), whereas
four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of
the nation, but not in his power.
Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause
craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself
in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also
stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be
broken (07665) without hand.
Daniel 11:4 And when he shall stand up, his kingdom
shall be broken (07665), and shall be divided toward the four
winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according
to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be
plucked up, even for others beside those.
Daniel 11:20 Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser
of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days
he shall be destroyed (07665), neither in anger, nor in
battle.
Daniel 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they
be overflown from before him, and shall be broken (07665);
yea, also the prince of the covenant.
Daniel 11:26 Yea, they that feed of the portion
of his meat shall destroy (07665) him, and his army shall
overflow: and many shall fall down slain.
It is clear from the use of this word "shebar" in the Book
of Daniel that what chapter 8:42 is portraying is that the
clay, which represents the empire of the False Prophet, suffers
some sort of destruction or loss of dominion that does not
occur to the iron, which represents the empire of the Antichrist.
On the other hand the iron, which is the Antichrist's empire,
is said to be strong. The word translated as "strong" in this
verse is the Aramaic word "taqqiyph." This word is used a
total of four times in Daniel. Besides its occurrence in verse
42, two other uses of this word are relevant here.
Daniel 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong
(08624) as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and
subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and
behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
(08624) exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with
the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts
that were before it; and it had ten horns.
As we have covered earlier in our study Daniel 2:40, Daniel
2:42, and Daniel 7:7 are all representations of the Roman
empire and all depict it as iron. Both Daniel 2:40 and Daniel
7:7 qualify Rome's strength in its destructive ability to
break to pieces and subdue the other empires or nations. This
is what is indicated by the phrase "stamped the residue" in
chapter 7. The word residue is the Aramaic word "shehar" which
means "the rest." Therefore, verse 7 is describing that Rome
will break and devour the rest of the kingdoms.
So we see here the idea presented that Rome, symbolized by
iron, will break other kingdoms to pieces and devour them.
The word translated as "devoured" in Daniel 7:7 is the Aramaic
word "akal" (399). It means "to eat the pieces of." And isn't
this exactly what we see the 10 kings of the Antichrist's
empire do to the great city, Mystery Babylon? Yes, it is.
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest
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.
From all of this we can see decisively that Daniel 2 and Revelation
17 describe that the 10 kings of the empire of the Antichrist
will destroy the great city of the empire of the False Prophet.
So, while the Antichrist and the False Prophet are working
cooperatively as Revelation 13 establishes, we also know that
the deception of the kings of the earth that is orchestrated
and carried out by these two individuals is given no small
amount of attention in the Book of Revelation. From this we
must comprehend that their cooperation with one another may
involve some complexity and cunning strategy, which may not
be easily understood at the time, which apparently includes
the destruction of the great city of the False Prophet's empire.
Now that we have concluded our study of Mystery Babylon we
will summarize its defining characteristics that we have uncovered
in this study.
Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the
Abominations of the Earth is:
1. The inheritors of the ancient mystery religions
that originated in Egypt and Babylon, (including Gnosticism)
and were present in all of the seven empires. These people:
a. Murder the people of God.
b. Instigate and legally institute idolatry and spiritual
adultery.
c. Practice sorcery, astrology, magic, divination,
etc.
d. Hold secret knowledge of, among other things the
changing of the times, which is the time when one kingdom
will fall and be replaced by another.
e. Believe in a plurality of gods.
f. Believe that the gods do not dwell in flesh.
g. Believe in a hierarchy of gods emanating out from
the supreme god.
h. Believe that higher gods can reveal deeper truths
and hidden mysteries.
i. Believe that man can ascend to divinity through
the acquisition of secret knowledge from these gods.
j. Believe that only by practicing secret rituals,
rites, and mysteries can we achieve salvation by acquiring
secret knowledge and enlightenment from the gods and so free
the human spirit from the evil physical world and eventually
become one with god.
k. Believe in and are devoted to mother goddesses.
2. The great city in which these men live and from
which they wield their influence, which transfers from the
leading city of each empire to its successor. In the last
days this city will be:
a. A rich city.
b. Mourned by shipmasters and sailors.
c. A center of world trade.
d. The seat of world political power.
e. The source of global deception.
f. An ethnically diverse city.
g. The leading city of the empire of the False Prophet.
h. Destroyed by the 10 kings of the Antichrist's empire,
the revived Roman empire.
i. Does not have to be Babylon, Iraq or Rome, Italy
though these may be possibilities.
As we close this section, we would like to make one final
note on our assertion that the "great city" of Mystery Babylon
refers not only to an actual city but also to a society of
mystery cults that has existed and flourished in the great
empires of history, particularly those depicted as the prominent
empires of the Bible. Despite the evidence both Biblically
and historically that we have covered to establish this point,
some people will no doubt cling so tightly to the fact that
Mystery Babylon is an actual city that they hesitate to accept
that it also refers to a society of people as well.
And there will be some who insist because of Revelation 17:9
and 18 that Mystery Babylon is only a city that resides on
seven hills, and cannot be interpreted as a society at all.
In addition to all the evidence to the contrary that we have
already provided in this study, we would make one final reference
in this regard and that reference comes from Jesus himself
in Matthew 5:14.
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city
that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Here Jesus Christ compares his disciples to a city that is
set on a hill. While a direct correlation between Matthew
5:14 and Revelation 17 and 18 is not possible or even necessary,
what is clear from this passage is that the idea of a city
referring to a society of people is not a foreign concept
in the scripture. In fact, this idea that the saints are "a
city on a hill" is one of the common metaphors that Christians
apply to the body of Christ. Therefore, the suggestion that
the "city" of Revelation 17 and 18 refers not just to a literal
city but also to a society (a global and historic mystery
cult) cannot be rejected out of hand and the evidence, which
we have presented to establish that conclusion, should be
allowed to speak for itself. The symbol of a city and the
symbol of a woman are used throughout the scripture, including
the book of Revelation specifically, to represent groups of
people. In some cases they are used to depict God's people
and in some cases they are used to depict idolaters and unbelievers.
We now conclude this study with a final summary list of our
findings.
1. A series of unfolding historic empires can be represented
collectively using a single, symbolic entity (such as the
statue of Daniel 2 or the seven-headed beast of Revelation
13.)
2. The phrases "out of the earth" and "out of the sea"
are used interchangeably by Daniel and, therefore, no great
significance should be attached in the effort to distinguish
between them.
3. Daniel 2, 7, and 8 as well as Revelation 13 all
depict the same succession of 7 empires starting with Egypt
and Assyria, then Babylon, then Media-Persia, then Greece,
then Rome (along with another nation represented by the clay),
and finally the coming of the kingdom of God, when the saints
possess the kingdom.
4. While Daniel 7 depicts the kingdoms of gold, silver,
brass, and iron from Daniel 2 as four beasts but does not
depict a beast representing the kingdom of clay, Revelation
13:11 finally depicts a beast, which corresponds to the kingdom
of clay.
5. Something of the Roman kingdom exists in two time
periods, the time period of the legs before the clay is introduced
into the statue and in the time of the feet and toes after
the clay is introduced into the statue. Likewise, Revelation
13 depicts the restoration of a former head that was defeated
by war to exist side by side with a second beast. This coexistence
of a former empire with a new empire is identical to the coexistence
of the iron and the clay in the feet of Daniel 2's statue.
6. Beasts represent two items, both kings and their
kingdoms.
7. Likewise, the word "mountain" in Revelation 17 is
an established poetic reference to a kingdom. And so the heads
of the beast in Revelation 13 and 17 represent both kings
and their kingdoms, with four of the heads corresponding to
the four beasts of Daniel 7, one head corresponding with the
second beast of Revelation 13, and the other two heads representing
the past empires of Egypt and Assyria.
8. Although the second beast of Revelation 13 does
represent the single human figure known as the False Prophet,
because the biblical precedent for the symbol of a beast never
depicts just a king or ruler but the king and the kingdom
he rules, we must understand from the second beast of Revelation
13 that the False Prophet is himself a ruler over a kingdom
or empire in the same way that the kings of Daniel 7 and 8
were rulers over actual geo-political kingdoms.
9. Horns also represent kings and, unless specified
by the text, horns represent contemporary kings, not a succession
or line of kings.
10. Although horns represent kingdoms that arise out
of an empire that precedes them, the kingdoms represented
by those horns do NOT have to be situated geographically in
the same region as the preceding empire. The kingdoms represented
by the horns can migrate significantly away from the geographic
location of their imperial predecessor.
11. A beast with multiple heads represents an overarching
political entity and the political powers that come from it,
as was the case with the four-headed leopard of Greece and
the seven-headed first beast of Revelation 13.
12. Angelic princes rule over the kingdoms of men,
and specifically over the empires described in Daniel 2, 7,
and 8.
13. The "prince of the people" who "destroyed the city
and the sanctuary" is NOT the Antichrist, but the angelic
prince who ruled over the Roman Empire.
14. The Roman angelic prince, whose people destroyed
the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary just as Daniel 9:26
predicted, is known by the name or title Destroyer (Abaddon/Apollyon).
He is the beast that is let out of the bottomless pit by the
last of the seven angelic princes, who is depicted as being
cast out of heaven to earth in Revelation 9 and 12 at the
start of the final three and a half years prior to the Millennial
reign of Christ.
15. The last angelic prince is not cast out of heaven
and does not come down to earth until this final three and
a half years, however, the casting out of the Roman prince
and his coming to earth are depicted as occurring in the final
days before Jesus' crucifixion in John 12 and 14. But by the
final three and a half years, this Roman angelic prince has
been put down in the pit.
16. This Roman prince (who is the spirit behind the
human antichrist) "yet is" in the first century when John
wrote his epistles (see 1 John 4), but is described as "was,
is not, and shall ascend out of the pit" in terms of his overall
history in Revelation 17:8 and 11 because he reigns on earth
for a time, then disappears from the earth when he is put
down in the pit, and then reemerges again when he is released
in the last days.
17. Putting all of this together we can see that Daniel's
writings recorded and anticipated a succession of the following
empires: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, another yet
unknown represented by the clay and the second beast of Revelation
13, and finally a Jewish empire or kingdom ruled over by Jesus
Christ the Jewish Messiah, the Prince of princes.
18. While the harlot of Mystery Babylon in Revelation
17 and 18 refers to an actual city, and may indeed be Rome,
Italy, it does not necessarily have to be Rome, Italy but
could very well be another modern city.
19. While the harlot of Mystery Babylon in Revelation
17 and 18 refers to an actual city, as a symbol it most certainly
also includes the mystery cult society, which has been present
and politically prominent in all 7 of the major Biblical Gentile
empires, which has migrated from empire to empire particularly
in the capital or most prominent city, which has used its
political influence to persecute the people of God, entrap
them legally, and to institute idolatry and empire worship
through the legal institutions of those empires.
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