Revelation Unveiled

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The Woman and the Beast

Okay, verse 6 chapter 17. We left off at verse six where John says:

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

We didn’t cover this verse when it comes to the last line, but what could that mean? I mean John is looking at a woman that he describes as drunken with the BLOOD of the Saints and of the BLOOD of the Martyrs of Jesus…

And the King James says that when he saw here he wondered with great ADMIRATION? Perhaps this is better translated, “I marveled with amazement.” Remember, John is the one witnessing this woman who has drunk the blood of the Saints and the Blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and we know from last week that she is representing the Fallen Jews who sought the deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. of Jesus' bride or church. So we are talking about John, a Jew, looking at the body of his fallen brethren – and how far they have fallen – in hatred, in debauchery, in terror of other brethren and sisters who too were Jews that received their Messiah in faith.

Perhaps the combination of the woman sitting on the beast confused him and he was not entirely sure how they related to each other. So, let’s read our text for today:

Revelation 17, Part II

March 4th 2018

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. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

The Mystery Unveiled

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 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. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

We studied the first six verses of this chapter where we considered the identity of the Great Whore, Babylon the Great, and saw numerous reasons for believing that this was in fact first-century Jerusalem, as well as Old Covenant temple-based Judaism. We were also introduced again (as we were in chapter 13) to the beast with seven heads and ten horns. In this second visit to this chapter, we will see how the angel unveils to John the meaning of the prostitute (Babylon the great) and the beast.

So at verse 7 John writes: 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. The angel now begins by describing the beast that she rides upon. Remember, last week we established two women – one a WHOER and one a Bride – and we saw how the WHOER persecuted the Bride (just like the woman of the flesh persecuted).

The Woman and The Beast in Revelation

The exploration of the woman of the Spirit in biblical narratives finds its roots in Genesis with the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, leading to the eventual casting out of Hagar and her son. However, God still loved them and made them a great nation. This theme carries over into discussions of Revelation, particularly the relationship between the woman and the beast, as highlighted in previous studies.

Within this context, the beast in Revelation 13 is both depicted as an individual (interpreted as Nero) and as a kingdom (interpreted as Rome). This beast is the entity upon which the fallen and corrupt Israel rides.

Insights from Revelation 17

John continues his narrative in Revelation 17:8:

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The angel informs John that the dwellers on earth, understood as Israel, would be struck with wonder at the beast, which embodies both Nero and Rome, as described as "was, and is not, and is to come." This is a parallel to Revelation 13:3-4, describing the amazement of the earth's inhabitants at Rome's and Nero's apparent resurgence in power.

The passage continues:

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Steve Gregg comments on verses 7 through 11, emphasizing the significance of the seven heads as both mountains (v. 9) and kings (v. 10). David S. Clark associates these with Rome's historical and geographical context. The narrative aligns with first-century Rome, noted for its seven hills, and well-documented historical figures such as the Caesars.

Kings and Empirical Alignment

We align this with historical Roman emperors, with the seven kings fitting well with the emperors up until Rome's destruction of the temple in 70 AD.

The List of Roman Emperors

This chronology further reinforces the interpretation that a significant fulfillment of Revelation occurs at least up to chapter 19, drawing firm correlations between the scriptural narrative and Roman history.

Understanding the Role of Roman Emperors in Revelation

I am a committed, confirmed, “cannot return” partial preterist.

Now looking to the board, some historians do not consider Julius Caesar to be one of the emperors, and rather designate him as one who played a key role in transforming the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Flavius Josephus (37-100 AD), however, was one who did, and our list on the board reflects his own list in his writing titled Antiquities of the Jews (Books 18 and 19). Additionally, there are numerous Roman historians who were contemporaries of Josephus who agree. Among these were Dio Cassius and Suetonius (70-135 AD), who wrote “Lives of the Twelve Caesars” and “De Vita Caesarum.” Julius Caesar was appointed as “perpetual dictator” in 42 BC, so his inclusion in such a list would not have been strange.

The Identity of Roman "Kings"

According to the above list, then, Nero was the “king” of whom John said “one is” (i.e. “he is reigning now”), and Galba was the one who had “not yet come.” Because Galba reigned only six months, this makes him an outstanding candidate to be the one who “must remain only a little while.” Also, there’s no problem that John uses the term “kings” and not “emperors.” For instance, Tiberius was referred to as a “king” in John 19:15, and Claudius was referred to as a “king” in Acts 17:7 when, in fact, both were Roman emperors. One may also note that the chart on the board indicates more Roman emperors than were referenced by John.

Kenneth Gentry, quoting J. Russell Stuart, on this matter who simply says (in his book Apocalypse): But why only seven kings? . . . because this covers the ground which the writer means specially to occupy, viz., it goes down to the period when the persecution then raging would cease (Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell, p. 163). We know that the imperial persecution initiated by Nero temporarily ceased with his death in 68 AD. Gentry makes the point that if it can be accepted that Revelation was written prior to that time, then “the enumeration of the ‘kings’ covers all of imperial history up until John’s time and the events ‘shortly’ to follow.

The Mysterious Eighth King

Verse 11

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

So again, we learn that the beast was and is not, but also that it is “an eighth king,” and it belongs in some sense to the seven kings and goes to destruction. This may “represent the remainder of the emperors who will be of or like the former seven.” It may also reference the fact that the Roman Empire fell into such chaos and disorder during the “Year of the Four Emperors” (following Nero’s suicide) that it nearly ceased to exist? We discussed this at length in our conversation over Revelation 13:12.

Kenneth Gentry believes that the key to understanding this reference to “an eighth” is found in the language of the text. This is really interesting. Gentry notes that up until this phrase is mentioned, the definite article “the” is used when referring to “the” seven kings. However, this definite article is “conspicuously absent in the reference to the eighth head /king…the eighth is “an eighth,” not the eighth. Gentry suggests that, “This indicates that John is not concerned with the number of the particular emperor arising after the seventh in the Roman Civil War. Rather he is interested solely with the fact that there is one coming soon, who will, as the empire’s stabilizing head bring life back to the empire. There is a very important sense in which the revival of the Empire under Vespasian, was a revival under “an eighth,” who is “of the seven.” The point is that this is the same Roman Empire that is brought to life from the death of Civil War. John’s concern is obviously with the contemporaneous events, and in this case the Roman Civil War that occurred within the compass of the reign of the seven kings…So the fact that this revival is of an eighth head indicates the rapid recovery of the Beast. That recovery will come shortly after the demise of the original seven (Gentry, Before Jerusalem Fell, pp. 315-316).

The Ten Kings and Their Role

Verses 12-14

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have “one mind,” and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and

Analysis of Revelation 17 and the Ten Kings

The Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

At verses 12-14, John turns to a discussion of the ten kings who represented the ten horns of the beast. We visited this topic in our study of chapter 13, and I will reproduce some of our conclusions here again as the book is a book of recapitulation.

John now says something that makes our current understanding of Revelation 17:12-13 [that of the 10 horns] very difficult. In verse 10, he was speaking of the Caesares. But here in verse 12, he seems to be speaking of another set or group of kings, as he writes “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 hand over their power and authority to the beast.”

Some have thought these 10 kings to be the very ones listed in the chart on the board, since all 10 of them reigned (or had begun to reign, in Vespasian’s case) before Jerusalem’s destruction. However, John wrote that in his day they had “not yet received royal power,” so it can’t be speaking of them. So what can we say to this?

The Roman Senatorial Provinces

Another more likely view is that these 10 kings were the rulers of the 10 empirical (senatorial) provinces of Rome who were empowered by Nero to assist him in carrying out his campaign of persecution against the saints, which Scripture refers to as “war on the Lamb” (in verses 14). The “Global Glossary on the Greco-Roman world” says there were 10 Senatorial Provinces in ancient Rome: They were “areas that were governed by Roman pro-magistrates; there were ten senatorial provinces, eight of which were led by ex-praetors and two of which were led by ex-consuls.”

Wikipedia lists these 10 Senatorial Provinces, as they existed in 14 AD, as the following:

1. Achaea
2. Africa
3. Asia
4. Creta et Cyrene
5. Cyprus
6. Gallia Narbonensis
7. Hispania Baetica
8. Macedonia
9. Pontus et Bithynia
10. Sicilia.

Supporting this view in the Bible, we have one mention of a Roman provincial ruler in Acts 18:12-17, where we are told of Gallio the “proconsul of Achaia.” Also, in Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas had direct contact with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7).

Territory of the Roman Empire

David S. Clark’s description is helpful in seeing how vast this empire was: “We know that Rome embraced at that time the countries of Europe that bordered on the Mediterranean Sea, and the northern part of Africa and considerable territory in Asia, and also in central Europe. Rome had conquered the world” (Steve Gregg, p. 414).

The above quote (from Wikipedia) lists out the 10 provinces of Rome as they were then named but a modern naming of them would be: “Italy, Achaia, Asia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Gaul, Britain, and Germany.” Israel/Palestine belonged to the province of Egypt. Indeed, Rome was the world at that time, which is why Luke wrote in Luke 2:1 that Caesar Augustus’ decree was that “that all the world should be registered.” (verse 15)

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

16 And the ten horns (which we described as the ten senatorial areas of the Roman Empire) which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore (Israel), and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

At verse 15, John is told the meaning of the “many waters” referred to in verse 1. He says that they represent “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages,” and this is where the prostitute was seated. As seen already, the scope of these many waters could certainly be a valid description of the Roman Empire in the first century, which we have said represented the whole Gentile world to them at that time. I would suggest that Jerusalem could truly be portrayed as seated on “many waters” (i.e., the nations) because of the great and pervasive influence the Jews had in all parts of the Roman Empire before the destruction of Jerusalem. How so? Their synagogues were in every city, and the extent

The Prophetic Downfall of Jerusalem

The record of the Day of Pentecost tells us that “there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5).

In verse 16, we are told that the 10 horns (kings) would join the beast in hating “the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire.” Earlier in verse 3, we saw the prostitute (Jerusalem) sitting on the beast which was “full of blasphemous names” (Rome). Now here in verse 16 Rome “the beast” has turned on the prostitute with hatred.

We note in prophecy that this very same turn of events was predicted for Jerusalem just before it fell in 586 BC. Why? For playing the harlot. In fact, God says in Ezekiel 16:37-41:

“I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure…I will gather them from all around against you and will uncover your nakedness to them…And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy…They shall burn your houses with fire…and I will make you cease playing the harlot.”

Jerusalem's Destruction in 70 AD

What is the significance of verse 16 then, in light of Jerusalem’s downfall in 70 AD? Let’s re-read it:

16 And the ten horns (which we described as the ten senatorial areas of the Roman Empire) which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore (Israel), and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

Obviously, we are talking about Rome (the beast) turning on the Whore (Israel) and destroying her or making her desolate. It is probably no coincidence that the word “desolate” is used here, just as it is used in Revelation 18:17, 19, and also in Daniel 9:27 and by Jesus Himself in Luke 21:20 (recognized, by the way, even by most Futurists, as referring to Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD). Secondly, we do know from accounts provided by Josephus and Tacitus that a number of kings from surrounding provinces joined Vespasian and Titus in Rome’s war against Israel from 67-70 AD. Thirdly, at the very end of July 70 AD, on the exact same day as Jerusalem was burned in 586 BC, the Second Temple was burned to the ground. On the exact SAME DAY!!!!!

Josephus remarked that from a distance the entire city of Jerusalem appeared to be on fire. In fact, during August and September 70 the rest of the city was set on fire and leveled to the ground. We will talk more of this imagery when we get to chapter 18. Suffice it to say that all the elements necessary for this prophecy to be fulfilled were present in 70 AD.

Key Events Leading to Jerusalem's Fall

Quickly, this here are some of the key events leading up to the Beast turning on the Whore. First, there was a Jewish revolt in the fall of 66 AD when Zealots and Revolutionaries (against Rome) tried to take control of the Jerusalem temple. Then the Jewish/Roman War begins in October with a revolt at Caesarea due to a group of Greeks sacrificing birds in front of a local synagogue. The revolt occurred because the Jews were frustrated that the local Roman garrison did not intervene. Then the High Priest successfully led a massacre of the Roman garrison stationed in Jerusalem. Then the Romans in Caesarea slaughtered 20,000 Jews. Then about 13,000 more Jews are put to death in Damascus, Syria.

This was just the beginning of the carnage. After a less than successful attack on Galilee and Jerusalem by Cestius Gallus, the Roman governor of Syria, Nero declared war on Israel in February 67 AD, dispatching Vespasian as his general with triple the forces initially led by Cestius Gallus.

Alright, verse 18 gives us an even more specific description of the Whoer, saying:

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

Again, the Whoer, the evil woman who persecutes the good woman, is identified as “the great city” and is said to have “dominion over the kings of the earth.” There are a lot of great cities how can we say that this designation is supposed to go to Jerusalem?

In Revelation 11:8 the name Great City was given to Jerusalem. This great city is then called, “Babylon the Great” on at least seven occasions (16:19; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21).

Now – to the difference even

The Great City: Rome or Jerusalem?

In the house of Preterists – some maintain that the Great City is Rome and others maintain it is Jerusalem. Steve Gregg notes that this verse “is considered most definitive in the recognition of Rome as the harlot city,” and those who agree- agree. He adds, “if no other data were given in Revelation for the identification of the city, no one would question that this is Rome” (p. 420). Unfortunately for Gregg we have seen a wealth of data suggesting otherwise. However, David Chilton said:

If the Great City is Jerusalem, how can it be said to wield this kind of worldwide political power? The answer is that Revelation is not a book about politics; it is a book about the Covenant. Jerusalem did reign over the nations. She did possess a Kingdom which was above all the kingdoms of the world. She had a covenantal priority over the kingdoms of the earth. Lamentations, written shortly after Jerusalem fell the first time in 586 BC, begins this way: “How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.”

Jerusalem's Historical Significance

Interestingly, as we will see in our study of chapter 18, the great city in John’s day says (in verse 7 of that chapter): “I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.” Also, when Jeremiah prophesied of Jerusalem’s soon coming destruction in his day, he wrote:

And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them” (Jeremiah 22:8-9).

Adam Maarchalk adds: Jerusalem was great in the political sense as well, though. Take note of Josephus’ description of Jerusalem in his introduction to Wars of the Jews: “it had so come to pass, that our city Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city under the Roman government, and yet at last fell into the sorest of calamities again” (Wars Preface 1.4).

Ken Gentry also noted in his book, (Before Jerusalem Fell), Jerusalem housed a Temple that, according to Tacitus “was famous beyond all other works of men.” Another Roman historian, Pliny, said of Jerusalem that it was “by far the most famous city of the ancient Orient.” According to Josephus, a certain Agatharchides spoke of Jerusalem thus: “There are a people called Jews, who dwell in a city the strongest of all other cities, which the inhabitants call Jerusalem.” Appian called it “the great city Jerusalem.”

The Covenant and Jerusalem's Glory

More important, however, is the covenantal significance of Jerusalem. The obvious role of Jerusalem in the history of the covenant should merit it such greatness… Josephus sadly extols Jerusalem’s lost glory after its destruction: “This was the end which Jerusalem came to be the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificance, and of mighty fame among all mankind (Wars 7:1:1)… And where is not that great city, the metropolis of the Jewish nation, which was fortified by so many walls round about, which had so many fortresses and large towers to defend it, which could hardly contain the instruments prepared for the war, and which had so many tens of thousands of men to fight for it? Where is this city that was believed to have God himself inhabiting therein? It is now demolished to the very foundations” (Wars 7:8:7).

For me, and here at the conclusion of Revelation 17, it seems very clear that the Whore represents all of unredeemed Israel, the Beast she rides upon as Nero specifically and Rome Generally, and the fact that the beast turns on the Whore as supported by secular history.

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