CURRENT APPLICATIONS OF BIBLE PROPHECY

REVELATION 17

In Scripture, there are many prophecies that pertain particularly to our time in earth's history.  One of these is Revelation 17.  This chapter shows a red beast with a whore sitting on it.  Somehow the horns on this red beast come to hate the whore.  Verses 16 and 17 say,  "And the ten horns which you saw on the (red) beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.  For God has put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the (red) beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Understanding the symbols in this chapter are very important.  Verses 1, 3, & 15 show that the great whore, BABYLON THE GREAT, is "sitting" on the red beast which is "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."  This pretty much includes the whole world.

The ten horns are the kings or leaders of the world.  In verse 12, it says they "have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the (red) beast."  Keep in mind when you are reading this chapter that the "beast" shown here is the people of the earth.

Babylon the Great "is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."  Rev.17:18.  Then in Rev.18:7 says, "How much she glorified herself, and lived deliciously."  In Rev.18:3 it says, "and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abudance of her delicacies."  In Rev.18:9 it says, "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her..."

When I recommend the study of Rev. 17, I suggest that skipping the "riddles" will help in understanding what the angel was wanting to "show" John in verse 1, which was "the judgment of the great whore."  These riddles are mainly in verses 8-11.

Revelation 17 & 18 are being played out in the world around us today.  There is much to learn about what God wants to tell us here.  I hope these few thoughts from these two chapters will encourage you to give closer study to them.  Further study that goes with this is found in Isaiah 47.

Blessings!