The Lamb Conquers Babylon Part 3
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Seventh Day Adventist mailing.
Let’s review what we have learned about the vision of the great prostitute in Revelation 17.
First, we have the vision of the great prostitute, who is seated on many waters, and is also seated on the red beast who has seven heads and ten horns.
In part one we discussed the four possible identities of the great prostitute.
In summary, they are as follows:
She is a cryptic reference to Rome used by the early church to keep certain truths from persecutors.
She is the city of Jerusalem as an apostate set against God.
She is a metaphor for the entire world system set against God. This includes all major cities through time.
She is a revived Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates River, once again leading the world in apostate religion.
In part two we dug into the interpretation of the seven heads of the beast.
We learned that the seven heads of the beast symbolize seven mountains, and that the mountains symbolize seven kings or kingdoms.
From these observations, there are two veins of interpretation.
The first is in the vein of kings, specifically Roman Emperors.
The second is in the vein of kingdoms, which are opposed to Gods people. Those kingdoms would be Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. These kingdoms give way to the sixth, which is the Rome of John’s day. The seventh follows, which is the last day of persecution by a world empire; and the eighth is the final expression of that which is actually one of the seven.
Now let’s take a look at the second half of the interpretation in Revelation 17:12-13.
12 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.
13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.
The OT background for the ten horns is Daniel 7. I encourage you to read Daniel 7 in light of Revelation 17.
What do we know from the text?
First, the ten horns symbolize ten kings.
Second, they have not yet received power.
Third, they will have power for one hour.
Fourth, they share power with the beast, being of one mind and willingly giving it to him.
Who are these ten kings?
There are three modes of interpretation to identify them. The first is literal. The second is symbolic. The third is both literal and symbolic.
There are two literal options.
The first is “ten literal rulers of the ten Roman provinces, of Parthia, of Asia, of Palestine.” This would be a preterist position.
(G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999), 878.)
The second is a confederacy of nations that ally themselves with a renewed Rome. This would be the futurist position.
The symbolic option is the number ten represents the great power of these future kings just as the Lamb’s seven horns represent his full power. If these kings are taken symbolically then they span the ages of kingdoms who are opposed to the kingdom of God. This would be the idealist position.
The third interpretation is a combination of the literal and symbolic. These ten kings do make up a future confederacy which is opposed to Jesus and is conquered at his second coming, and they also symbolize the power of the world system which is opposed to God.
Beale writes, “… the horns are earthly agents through whom the spiritual forces of Satan and the beast work, both throughout the age and at the end of the age.”
(Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 1999.)
The second observation of the text is that they have not received power. This observation fits well with the futurist idea of a confederacy against the Lamb at his second coming. The idealist idea of “ten” representing the power of kingdoms against God in the past, present, and future would struggle with this since they have not yet received it.
From where does their power and authority come? It ultimately comes from God and they choose to abuse it and use it against his kingdom. Yet the Lamb conquers.
The third observation of the text is they will only have power for one hour, like the eighth who will only be in power for a little while. God limits their reign according to his purposes, for the Lamb conquers.
The fourth observation of the text is them sharing their power with the beast, being of one mind. They are united in opposition to the Lamb. They want to destroy his kingdom and his people. But praise God they will not win. Look at Revelation 17:14.
14 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.”
What does the Lamb do? He conquers them.
Who is the Lamb? He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
Who are those who follow him? We are called, chosen and faithful.
This is good news. The Lamb conquers, and we conquer through the Lamb.
Let’s take a look at Revelation 17:15.
15 And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.
The OT background is Isaiah 17:12-13.
12 Ah, the thunder of many peoples; they thunder like the thundering of the sea! Ah, the roar of nations; they roar like the roaring of mighty waters!
13 The nations roar like the roaring of many waters, but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away, chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind and whirling dust before the storm.
The angel in verse 15 gives the interpretation for what the many waters symbolize. The many waters symbolize the people of the earth who join the harlot (who symbolizes Babylon) in adultery and idolatry.
Patterson writes: “Babylonianism seems to exist anywhere in the world where religious faith is ecumenical, primarily experiential, imperialistic, hedonistic, and generally compromised. The focus of Babylonianism is always on man’s achievement as opposed to God’s grace.”
Revelation 17:16-17.
16 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,
17 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.
Verse 16 reminds me of the the words of Jesus in Mark 3:26.
26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.
Verse 17 reminds us that God is in control. We need to remember that in our own trials. He will fulfill his purposes.
18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
Who is this great city? According to Revelation 16:19 it is Babylon.
19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
The identity of the woman is Babylon. Whether it is a revived Babylon, a cryptic reference to Rome, a symbol of Jerusalem, or a symbol for chaos and evil, or some combination of this, we do not know.
What we do know is Jesus wins! Babylon, in whatever meaning, will be done away with. In this we have hope. The hope that the wicked will not always prosper. God is reworking all things for sacred space. A hope that we will reign with the Trinity in a new heaven and new earth. Let us hold fast to the present and future hope. The Lamb has conquered.