Chapter 17
When God showed the target of His Judgement again, the harlot was shown. (1)
This harlot was sitting upon a scarlet beast. This beast is the one in Chapter 13 who was extremely arrogant and tormented the saints and blasphemed God, and whose politics have destroyed the churches of God for 42 months. Therefore, it is the harlot who relies on the power of the beast standing against the King of kings. So her name is Babylon and she has become the mother of harlot-like world. (2~5)
Also, she is the regime of devil who has been doing antichrist acts that shed the blood of many saints and witnesses of Jesus. (6)
The angel taught the mystery of the seven heads and the ten horns. (7)
The beast that would come at the last Judgement period is the antichrist nation with treacherous policy as that of the emperor Nero, so it was said that “the beast was and is not and is about to come up out of the abyss.” Those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life will altogether worship the beast. (8)
This beast belongs to the last head of the seven heads. (9~11)
It clearly teaches that the seven heads are the historical kings. At the time of Roman Empire, five have fallen and they are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media and Greece, which have harmed the churches of Old Testament.
Roman Empire was the nation that have brought scary darkness of religious persecution – including the persecution of the emperor Nero – until the emperor Constantine. And the beast which will severely persecute Christianity at the end is the beast with ten horns. This beast is the king belonging to the seventh head and he is to appear in the last Judgement period; he is USSR with satellite countries.
This beast will be greatly victorious with its ten horns during Judgement period, and this is why the diadems were on ten horns as in Revelation 13:1. “These will wage war against the Lamb”; it indicates the ideological domination over the world by the policy which makes everyone to receive the mark through the deception of the false prophet. But the Lamb, Jesus, will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful; as in Revelation 14:1, the sealed 144,000 and Christ will descend onto the earth together, and the last war waged by them will take place as in Revelation 19:11 and following verses. (12~14)
The foolish and mad harlot-like force will be exploited by the beast with ten horns, who is the tool of the red dragon, and after then she will become hated and be burned up with fire. (15~16)
Because God uses the red dragon in order to fulfill His Words, everyone will receive the mark of the beast and perish. (17~18)