Welcome again to our program, 00:00:23.36\00:00:26.70 "Revelation of The Coming King." 00:00:26.73\00:00:30.59 Boy, we're already deep in the Book of Revelation 00:00:30.62\00:00:33.27 dealing with the final events 00:00:33.30\00:00:35.64 and I see in your reactions on one side 00:00:35.67\00:00:39.28 it's so frightening about what happened, 00:00:39.31\00:00:41.56 on other side it telling us praise God, 00:00:41.59\00:00:43.81 we have God who cares about us. 00:00:43.84\00:00:46.14 As you know that this program is a part 00:00:47.64\00:00:50.53 of a long series in which we are covering 00:00:50.56\00:00:53.43 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation. 00:00:53.46\00:00:56.77 And this is one complete series 00:00:56.80\00:00:58.64 that I don't do very, very often is, 00:00:58.67\00:01:01.05 and I'm so excited about that. 00:01:01.08\00:01:02.91 By the way, I'm Ranko Stefanovic, 00:01:02.94\00:01:05.09 Professor of New Testament 00:01:05.12\00:01:07.72 at the Seventh-day Adventist 00:01:07.75\00:01:09.70 Theological Seminary of Andrews University. 00:01:09.73\00:01:13.88 And I'm so glad to be here at 3ABN. 00:01:13.91\00:01:16.76 And I really appreciate each one of you 00:01:16.79\00:01:20.24 who are supporting this broadcasting, 00:01:20.27\00:01:24.17 both with your prayers and your money. 00:01:24.20\00:01:26.89 Keep in mind, keep in mind 00:01:26.92\00:01:28.91 that money cannot replace the prayers. 00:01:28.94\00:01:32.52 And the prayer cannot replace money. 00:01:32.55\00:01:35.28 We have to do both because in order 00:01:35.31\00:01:37.52 that we are able to proclaim this everlasting gospel 00:01:37.55\00:01:41.35 to the world before Jesus comes. 00:01:41.38\00:01:44.11 We would like to encourage you to remind you once again 00:01:44.14\00:01:47.32 that the purpose of this series 00:01:47.35\00:01:50.13 is not to provide the answers to all the questions 00:01:50.16\00:01:53.44 that you have about the Book of Revelation. 00:01:53.47\00:01:55.83 As you noticed already there are some things\ 00:01:55.86\00:01:58.32 I'd like to learn and I'm still studying 00:01:58.35\00:02:01.60 and trying-- and trying to understand, 00:02:01.63\00:02:03.41 but the purpose of this program 00:02:03.44\00:02:04.84 is to give you in a nutshell, okay. 00:02:04.87\00:02:07.74 What are the contents of the Book of Revelation is all about 00:02:09.30\00:02:12.38 and to tell you about the right way 00:02:12.41\00:02:14.84 how to interpret the biblical prophecies. 00:02:14.87\00:02:17.07 So once this program is over, 00:02:17.10\00:02:19.59 we would like to encourage you that you go 00:02:19.62\00:02:21.88 and to find a number of your fellow Christians 00:02:21.91\00:02:25.22 that you sit together and study 00:02:25.25\00:02:27.43 the Book of Revelation in much deeper, deeper way. 00:02:27.46\00:02:31.22 If you want to do it, you need some tools. 00:02:31.25\00:02:35.39 And I would like one more time to remind you 00:02:35.42\00:02:37.14 that we have a perfect tool. 00:02:37.17\00:02:39.63 I'm holding it in my hand 00:02:39.66\00:02:41.27 because the Bible itself explain itself. 00:02:41.30\00:02:44.82 And this is what you shared with me 00:02:44.85\00:02:47.16 how you realized more and more, 00:02:47.19\00:02:48.81 how it's important to allow the Bible 00:02:48.84\00:02:50.63 to interpret the symbols of the Book of Revelation. 00:02:50.66\00:02:53.63 But I'm also glad to remind you 00:02:53.66\00:02:59.14 that when the program is over 00:02:59.17\00:03:01.69 that you can turn to certain pages 00:03:01.72\00:03:05.54 that the entire subject is actually covered here 00:03:05.57\00:03:09.00 in this commentary that is named 00:03:09.03\00:03:11.61 that's titled "Revelation of Jesus Christ," 00:03:11.64\00:03:16.56 which is actually verse-by-verse 00:03:16.59\00:03:18.32 commentary on the Book-- on the Book of Revelation. 00:03:18.35\00:03:20.42 The purpose of this commentary 00:03:20.45\00:03:21.86 actually is to give you both, the Old Testament 00:03:21.89\00:03:25.18 and the New Testament, that ground text 00:03:25.21\00:03:28.97 which you can use to unlock 00:03:29.00\00:03:31.07 the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation. 00:03:31.10\00:03:33.56 So one more time the subject that we will cover today, 00:03:33.59\00:03:36.93 oh boy, it's very exciting subject. 00:03:36.96\00:03:39.37 There is no place in this world under the sun that I went, 00:03:39.40\00:03:42.93 that I had those short series on the Book of Revelation 00:03:42.96\00:03:45.75 that somebody would not raise a hand and say, 00:03:45.78\00:03:49.26 "Please, can you take sometime 00:03:49.29\00:03:51.83 and tell us about the Revelation 17? 00:03:51.86\00:03:54.63 And that's the reason what we are trying now to do. 00:03:54.66\00:03:56.90 And please, I'd like to encourage you to study 00:03:56.93\00:03:59.77 more for yourself and the pages 00:03:59.80\00:04:01.50 in the commentary are from page-- 00:04:01.53\00:04:03.79 from 511, and go on, okay. 00:04:03.82\00:04:08.47 From page 511. 00:04:08.50\00:04:12.26 Okay, but the most important thing 00:04:13.67\00:04:17.28 is what we are supposed to do 00:04:17.31\00:04:19.79 is really to ask God for the guidance 00:04:19.82\00:04:23.13 as we are studying this difficult subject. 00:04:23.16\00:04:26.57 So I'd like to ask you to bow your heads, 00:04:26.60\00:04:29.17 so that we can ask God for His guidance 00:04:29.20\00:04:32.21 and for His presence here in our midst. 00:04:32.24\00:04:34.52 Our Heavenly Father, thank you so much 00:04:34.55\00:04:38.02 for all the promises given to us that we are not left alone. 00:04:38.05\00:04:42.74 As we think so much about the future, 00:04:42.77\00:04:44.45 You told us, don't be afraid, 00:04:44.48\00:04:46.21 I will be with you in the future there. 00:04:46.24\00:04:49.54 But thank you also for the promise that You-- 00:04:49.57\00:04:52.46 that Your Holy Spirit will help us in understanding. 00:04:52.49\00:04:55.58 Sometimes difficult to understand for us 00:04:55.61\00:04:59.89 passages of the Book of Revelation. 00:04:59.92\00:05:02.67 So we're asking You humbly, 00:05:02.70\00:05:04.53 sincerity of our hearts that Your Holy Spirit 00:05:04.56\00:05:07.97 will come here and be present in our midst 00:05:08.00\00:05:09.97 and help us to understand this text. 00:05:10.00\00:05:12.02 Father, and we pray all of this 00:05:12.05\00:05:14.26 in the precious name of the one 00:05:14.29\00:05:15.73 who died on the cross of Calvary. 00:05:15.76\00:05:17.58 Jesus Christ who is the main subject 00:05:17.61\00:05:19.69 of the Book of Revelation. 00:05:19.72\00:05:21.23 We pray all of this in His precious name, amen. 00:05:21.26\00:05:24.83 So I would like to remind you just in few-- 00:05:28.75\00:05:33.36 in few moments what we talk so far. 00:05:33.39\00:05:36.49 Last time we discussed about the biblical concept 00:05:36.52\00:05:40.44 that almost every Christian is familiar with, 00:05:40.47\00:05:44.27 is the concept of the battle of Armageddon. 00:05:44.30\00:05:47.87 We understood last time few things. 00:05:47.90\00:05:49.94 Let me just mention them. 00:05:49.97\00:05:51.34 Number one is that the battle of Armageddon 00:05:51.37\00:05:53.86 is not a literal military battle in near east, 00:05:53.89\00:05:58.90 for different reasons including oil 00:05:58.93\00:06:01.11 or to settle Israeli 00:06:01.14\00:06:05.73 and Palestinian relationships there in Palestine. 00:06:05.76\00:06:08.40 That's not--that's not about that, okay. 00:06:08.43\00:06:10.73 That's--that's the first thing, okay. 00:06:10.76\00:06:12.85 Second thing is the battle of Armageddon 00:06:12.88\00:06:16.41 involves God's people 00:06:16.44\00:06:18.74 who'll be the target of that battle, okay. 00:06:18.77\00:06:23.46 The outcome of the battle of Armageddon results 00:06:23.49\00:06:26.16 in the fall of the end time Babylon. 00:06:26.19\00:06:30.30 Are you still with me? 00:06:30.33\00:06:31.70 Now the fall of the Babylon 00:06:31.73\00:06:33.76 is not because the judgment of a Babylon, 00:06:33.79\00:06:36.13 just because of the judgment. 00:06:36.16\00:06:38.26 It's like, what happened with the ancient Babylon, 00:06:38.29\00:06:40.58 you remember that. 00:06:40.61\00:06:42.06 Why the ancient Babylon had to experience the fall? 00:06:42.09\00:06:45.80 In order to make possible for God's people 00:06:47.43\00:06:50.28 to go back to their land and to rebuild Jerusalem, 00:06:50.31\00:06:53.08 to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. 00:06:53.11\00:06:57.68 So the same situation is with the end time Babylon. 00:06:57.71\00:07:01.14 Why the fall of Babylon? 00:07:02.32\00:07:04.24 What is the outcome of the fall of Babylon 00:07:06.34\00:07:08.55 that the Michael according to the Book of Daniel 12:1, 00:07:08.58\00:07:11.99 that the Michael great prince, 00:07:12.02\00:07:13.39 Jesus Christ Himself can come, 00:07:13.42\00:07:15.75 He will defend His people, 00:07:15.78\00:07:17.33 and finally He will establish His kingdom here on this earth. 00:07:17.36\00:07:21.36 So keep in mind, what is the outcome 00:07:21.39\00:07:24.43 of the battle of Armageddon is the fall of Babylon. 00:07:24.46\00:07:28.29 And resulting in the second coming 00:07:28.32\00:07:30.44 of Jesus Christ one more time, 00:07:30.47\00:07:32.41 it results in the second coming of Jesus Christ. 00:07:32.44\00:07:37.61 Okay, this concept is very important 00:07:37.64\00:07:41.80 to keep here, you know. 00:07:41.83\00:07:43.79 Let me--let me mention few things. 00:07:43.82\00:07:46.50 And please, I will try to go very slowly 00:07:46.53\00:07:48.85 because I see that you are writing. 00:07:48.88\00:07:51.22 I'd like you to give little bit the outline 00:07:51.25\00:07:53.17 of what we have here 00:07:53.20\00:07:54.57 with reference from the battle of Armageddon. 00:07:54.60\00:07:56.69 Revelation 16, one more time, Revelation 16. 00:07:56.72\00:08:00.33 What verses? 12-16. 00:08:00.36\00:08:03.36 Those verses they do not portray 00:08:03.39\00:08:05.22 the very battle of Armageddon. 00:08:05.25\00:08:07.86 Are you with me? Yes. 00:08:09.37\00:08:11.16 There is no battle, portrayal of the battle, 00:08:11.19\00:08:13.52 description of the battle there in those verses. 00:08:13.55\00:08:16.01 Those verses they only portray 00:08:16.04\00:08:18.64 the preparation for the battle of Armageddon. 00:08:18.67\00:08:22.65 Now please, I have to say something to you 00:08:22.68\00:08:26.38 what usually I hate to do, 00:08:26.41\00:08:27.78 but in this case we have to do it. 00:08:27.81\00:08:30.88 The battle of Armageddon, 00:08:30.91\00:08:32.44 it's in many different ways, okay, one more time. 00:08:32.47\00:08:36.66 The battle of Armageddon 00:08:36.69\00:08:38.73 is portrayed in many different ways, 00:08:38.76\00:08:41.75 in different parts of the Book of Revelation, okay. 00:08:41.78\00:08:45.96 You see, the very outcome of the battle of Armageddon, 00:08:45.99\00:08:50.42 it's the seventh plague that we have the fall of Babylon. 00:08:50.45\00:08:54.14 What will happen when the Babylon is fallen? 00:08:56.43\00:08:59.20 You have to go to Revelation 18. 00:09:00.63\00:09:03.21 Are you still with me? 00:09:03.24\00:09:04.82 We're dealing with the conclusion of chapter 16, 00:09:04.85\00:09:07.01 Fall of Babylon. 00:09:07.04\00:09:08.41 By chapter 18, we have the lamentation 00:09:08.44\00:09:10.78 of all those who cooperated with Babylon. 00:09:10.81\00:09:13.59 Keep in mind, they invested so much in Babylon. 00:09:13.62\00:09:17.15 They believed Babylon. 00:09:17.18\00:09:18.84 They hoped that Babylon will provide for them in the future. 00:09:18.87\00:09:22.25 What now the experience there is the fall of Babylon. 00:09:22.28\00:09:26.15 They understand finally that they were building 00:09:26.18\00:09:30.17 on the stand-- on the sand. 00:09:30.20\00:09:32.37 So all their hopes are now crushed. 00:09:33.83\00:09:36.43 That's in chapter 18, okay. 00:09:36.46\00:09:40.29 But what does come between chapter 16 and the chapter 18? 00:09:40.32\00:09:45.43 Comes chapter 17. 00:09:45.46\00:09:47.68 Chapter 17, the purpose of 00:09:48.92\00:09:50.42 this chapter is a kind of interlude. 00:09:50.45\00:09:53.02 It wants to tell us actually, 00:09:53.05\00:09:54.45 why Babylon is judged before God? 00:09:54.48\00:09:58.54 Want to tell us actually what Babylon is all about. 00:10:00.15\00:10:04.02 And this is the focus of our study. 00:10:04.05\00:10:06.14 Chapter 19, the following chapter of chapter 18 00:10:06.17\00:10:08.46 actually describes the conclusion 00:10:08.49\00:10:10.71 of the battle of Armageddon 00:10:10.74\00:10:12.44 and the fall of Babylon when Jesus Christ Himself 00:10:12.47\00:10:15.66 will come to defend His people, 00:10:15.69\00:10:18.82 to take them to Himself and to establish His kingdom. 00:10:18.85\00:10:21.22 Are you still with me? 00:10:21.25\00:10:22.88 But there is also another place in the Book of Revelation 00:10:22.91\00:10:27.29 that portrays the battle of Armageddon. 00:10:27.32\00:10:29.09 Probably you haven't thought too much about that. 00:10:29.12\00:10:31.71 By the way, we studied about the six trumpet, 00:10:33.02\00:10:35.20 which also describes preparation for the battle of Armageddon, 00:10:35.23\00:10:38.82 but there is one chapter 00:10:38.85\00:10:40.56 in the Book of Revelation that really talks about 00:10:40.59\00:10:43.04 the battle of Armageddon without mentioning it. 00:10:43.07\00:10:45.67 It's actually a Revelation 13, the last verses. 00:10:45.70\00:10:49.36 Do you remember the Mark of the Beast? 00:10:49.39\00:10:51.22 Do you remember all those who don't remember-- 00:10:52.49\00:10:54.21 Actually, this is the part of the battle of Armageddon. 00:10:54.24\00:10:57.44 Just want to confuse you a little bit. 00:10:57.47\00:10:59.63 So to stimulate you and motivate you 00:10:59.66\00:11:02.91 to go and to study the subject for yourself, that's enough. 00:11:02.94\00:11:06.36 Please, I'd like now to invite you to go to chapter 17. 00:11:06.39\00:11:09.38 Keep in mind, what is the purpose of chapter 17? 00:11:09.41\00:11:13.84 It's a kind of interlude. 00:11:13.87\00:11:16.84 The purpose of chapter 17 is to tell us 00:11:16.87\00:11:20.23 who and what Babylon is, 00:11:20.26\00:11:22.48 and why Babylon has a such dramatic end? 00:11:22.51\00:11:27.03 And then going to chapter 18, 00:11:27.06\00:11:29.21 actually telling us about the situation of the world. 00:11:29.24\00:11:33.11 All that lamentations that the fall of Babylon will cause. 00:11:33.14\00:11:37.27 So now, oh boy, we have some-- some very interesting text here. 00:11:37.30\00:11:40.75 I have to write something there 00:11:40.78\00:11:42.15 on the blackboard, okay. 00:11:42.18\00:11:44.10 Are you with me? 00:11:44.13\00:11:45.50 It's green board, okay. 00:11:46.74\00:11:48.78 Chapter 17:1, "Then one of the seven angels 00:11:48.81\00:11:53.50 who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, 00:11:53.53\00:11:57.34 saying, "come here, and I will show you 00:11:57.37\00:12:00.96 the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters." 00:12:00.99\00:12:05.69 I thought to write there, but I'll not write. 00:12:05.72\00:12:08.09 Now you have to be with me. 00:12:08.12\00:12:10.63 The angel said to John, I want to show you the judgment. 00:12:10.66\00:12:15.00 The judgment is described in chapter 18, and says, 00:12:15.03\00:12:19.01 one great harlot, the name of that harlot 00:12:19.04\00:12:21.90 is Babylon and that harlot sits where? 00:12:21.93\00:12:25.30 On many waters. Are you sure about that? 00:12:26.81\00:12:28.83 Are you--are you ready for surprises? 00:12:32.41\00:12:34.80 This is what the Book of Revelation is all about. 00:12:34.83\00:12:36.76 Let's go to verse 2, "With whom 00:12:36.79\00:12:38.79 the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality." 00:12:38.82\00:12:41.97 Friends, this is not a literal immorality, 00:12:42.00\00:12:43.91 this is spiritual immoral-- 00:12:43.94\00:12:45.31 Symbol for that illicit relationships, 00:12:45.34\00:12:48.18 when people who are faithful to God, 00:12:48.21\00:12:50.20 abandoned God. 00:12:50.23\00:12:51.60 Do you remember that 144,000 00:12:51.63\00:12:55.37 will not associate themselves 00:12:55.40\00:12:59.92 with those women, you remember that? 00:12:59.95\00:13:01.32 This is what we are talking here about. 00:13:01.35\00:13:03.31 "And those who dwell on the earth 00:13:03.34\00:13:05.01 were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." 00:13:05.04\00:13:08.43 Now, are you with me? 00:13:08.46\00:13:10.15 "And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, 00:13:10.18\00:13:14.06 and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, 00:13:14.09\00:13:17.54 full of blasphemous names, 00:13:17.57\00:13:19.61 having seven heads and ten horns." 00:13:19.64\00:13:22.58 Do you notice anything interesting in verse 3? 00:13:22.61\00:13:25.68 Okay, let me go back. 00:13:28.06\00:13:29.90 The angel said to John, "Come here, 00:13:29.93\00:13:32.00 I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute 00:13:32.03\00:13:34.23 who sits on many waters." 00:13:34.26\00:13:35.91 Where is prostitute sitting on? 00:13:35.94\00:13:37.56 Waters. Waters. 00:13:37.59\00:13:38.96 Let's go to verse 3. 00:13:38.99\00:13:40.36 "And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, 00:13:40.39\00:13:42.67 and I saw the woman sitting on many waters." 00:13:42.70\00:13:45.69 Now look into text. 00:13:47.29\00:13:48.66 "The woman sitting on the scarlet beast." 00:13:48.69\00:13:50.88 Tell me, where is the woman sitting on? 00:13:50.91\00:13:52.53 Beast. 00:13:52.56\00:13:53.93 Is it on the waters or on the beast? 00:13:53.96\00:13:55.33 The beast. It's the both. 00:13:55.36\00:13:56.84 Okay. 00:13:58.23\00:13:59.60 Because the waters they stand for what? 00:13:59.63\00:14:01.38 Verse 15, we read it-we read it. 00:14:01.41\00:14:04.18 Verse 15, "The waters which you saw 00:14:04.21\00:14:06.54 where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes 00:14:06.57\00:14:09.65 and nations and tongues." 00:14:09.68\00:14:11.49 Secular and political powers of this world. 00:14:11.52\00:14:14.60 What does the beast stand for? 00:14:14.63\00:14:17.70 Political powers. 00:14:17.73\00:14:19.10 You see, you have two different symbols. 00:14:19.13\00:14:21.17 Let me remind you something. 00:14:21.20\00:14:22.57 Do you remember when we talk about 144,000? 00:14:22.60\00:14:25.78 John hears something. 00:14:25.81\00:14:27.58 But when he turns to see, he sees something else, 00:14:29.55\00:14:33.84 but the something else is the same thing 00:14:33.87\00:14:35.56 that he heard about. 00:14:35.59\00:14:36.96 So here John hears that the prostitute 00:14:36.99\00:14:39.38 sits on many waters, 00:14:39.41\00:14:41.29 when he actually sees the prostitute, 00:14:41.32\00:14:43.27 the prostitute does not sit on the waters. 00:14:43.30\00:14:45.50 The prostitute is sitting on the beast. 00:14:45.53\00:14:47.97 You see that that part in the Book of Revelation? 00:14:48.00\00:14:50.30 If you are shocked now, I have another surprise for you. 00:14:52.41\00:14:58.23 Viewers, are you ready? 00:14:58.26\00:15:00.47 Let's go there. It's verse 9. 00:15:00.50\00:15:03.74 "Here is the mind." It's Chapter 17:9. 00:15:06.12\00:15:10.97 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. 00:15:11.00\00:15:15.50 The seven heads are seven mountains 00:15:15.53\00:15:17.78 on which the woman sits." 00:15:17.81\00:15:19.88 Where is the woman sitting on-- up on in verse 9? 00:15:23.34\00:15:26.52 Mountains. It sits on the mountains. 00:15:26.55\00:15:28.71 Does the woman Babylon sit on waters 00:15:31.58\00:15:36.30 or on the beast or on the mountains? 00:15:36.33\00:15:39.16 And the answer is, yes. Yes. 00:15:39.19\00:15:41.77 Why the mountains? We'll come to that. 00:15:42.87\00:15:44.77 Mountains in the Bible 00:15:44.80\00:15:46.75 stand as a symbol for the world empires. 00:15:46.78\00:15:50.49 So you see, we are-- you are dealing 00:15:50.52\00:15:51.89 with the same reality, but three different symbols 00:15:51.92\00:15:55.12 are used in the Book of Revelation. 00:15:55.15\00:15:56.75 Just to show you a little bit 00:15:56.78\00:15:58.26 how complex the Book of Revelation is all about. 00:15:58.29\00:16:01.49 So what about this woman? Who is this woman? 00:16:01.52\00:16:04.10 Let's go to verse 4, John sees now the woman. 00:16:04.13\00:16:06.98 She is sitting on the scarlet beast. 00:16:07.01\00:16:09.06 She said, "She is a full of blasphemous names." 00:16:10.32\00:16:13.13 Friends, you now have to help me. 00:16:13.16\00:16:15.21 Have you read somewhere in the Book of Revelation 00:16:15.24\00:16:17.68 about the blasphemous names? 00:16:17.71\00:16:20.03 The Revelation 13. 00:16:22.89\00:16:24.55 Do you remember, it's the first beast. 00:16:25.88\00:16:27.76 That has blasphemous names 00:16:29.20\00:16:31.86 and that beast also speaks blasphemy. 00:16:31.89\00:16:35.25 What is the blasphemy in the New Testament, okay? 00:16:35.28\00:16:40.23 When the person, when the man 00:16:40.26\00:16:43.24 seeks equality with God 00:16:43.27\00:16:45.86 and claims the prerogatives of God. 00:16:45.89\00:16:50.52 By the way, evidently the beast 00:16:50.55\00:16:54.85 up on which the woman is sitting here 00:16:54.88\00:16:57.47 is related to the beast of chapter what-- 00:16:57.50\00:17:00.19 of Revelation 13, the first beast there. 00:17:00.22\00:17:03.23 How do you know that? 00:17:03.26\00:17:04.63 It says, "It has a seven heads and ten horns." 00:17:04.66\00:17:08.01 Have you read somewhere about seven heads and ten horns? 00:17:08.04\00:17:12.57 Yeah, we read in Revelation 12. 00:17:12.60\00:17:14.38 It's the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, 00:17:14.41\00:17:17.81 but also the first beast in Revelation 13. 00:17:17.84\00:17:22.09 Are you still with me? 00:17:22.12\00:17:24.59 But keep in mind, this beast this time 00:17:24.62\00:17:26.80 is not a religious entity any longer, 00:17:26.83\00:17:29.62 it's certainly the political entity 00:17:29.65\00:17:32.14 carrying the religious entity 00:17:32.17\00:17:34.73 which is actually the woman sitting on the beast. 00:17:34.76\00:17:36.89 Are you still with me? 00:17:36.92\00:17:38.29 Like as the Babylon is right on the River Euphrates, 00:17:39.11\00:17:41.75 so these woman is laying on the beast. 00:17:41.78\00:17:44.32 It's the beast that carries this woman. 00:17:44.35\00:17:47.31 Okay, verse 4, "The woman was closed 00:17:47.34\00:17:50.43 in purple and scarlet and adorn with gold 00:17:50.46\00:17:54.58 and precious stones and pearls, 00:17:54.61\00:17:57.29 having in her hand a gold cup full up of abominations 00:17:57.32\00:18:02.91 and of the unclean things of her immorality." 00:18:02.94\00:18:05.81 How is these women here portrayed as a prostitute? 00:18:05.84\00:18:08.78 When you go to the ancient world to the first century, 00:18:10.96\00:18:13.31 you can see the language that is used here. 00:18:13.34\00:18:17.09 Number one, she is closed in purple and scarlet. 00:18:17.12\00:18:20.98 Friends, sometimes I see good Christians, 00:18:21.01\00:18:24.22 they're showing some pictures 00:18:24.25\00:18:25.62 in order to interpret this beast 00:18:25.65\00:18:27.64 of certain church leaders who are dressed in red. 00:18:27.67\00:18:31.18 This is completely opposite 00:18:31.21\00:18:32.81 to the intention of the Book of Revelation. 00:18:32.84\00:18:34.78 The Book of Revelation is not here to tell us, 00:18:34.81\00:18:37.71 look for the people who are dressed in red 00:18:37.74\00:18:39.49 because sometimes-- look, I have a shirt almost red. 00:18:39.52\00:18:42.20 Please, this is not the-- and you have red as well. 00:18:44.73\00:18:47.65 This is not purpose of the Book of Revelation 00:18:47.68\00:18:49.69 to point to certain people who are dressed in red. 00:18:49.72\00:18:51.74 Actually because scarlet... 00:18:51.77\00:18:53.98 in the Bible it's the symbol of blood. 00:18:56.68\00:19:00.42 Talking about entity that is responsible 00:19:00.45\00:19:02.92 for shedding blood of many followers of Christ, 00:19:02.95\00:19:05.61 but is dressed in the purple. 00:19:05.64\00:19:07.01 Why the purple? 00:19:07.04\00:19:08.41 Because the purple is the royal color. 00:19:08.44\00:19:10.71 Are you still with me? 00:19:10.74\00:19:12.70 You're dealing here with the religious entity 00:19:12.73\00:19:14.52 that claims the royal prerogatives, 00:19:14.55\00:19:17.06 but it is responsible for the persecution 00:19:17.09\00:19:19.17 of many God's people there, etcetera. 00:19:19.20\00:19:22.73 And it's covered with the golden precious stones. 00:19:22.76\00:19:25.86 By the way, let me stop here for a while. 00:19:25.89\00:19:27.63 Do you remember that that these women 00:19:27.66\00:19:29.36 stands as antithesis of New Jerusalem 00:19:29.39\00:19:32.46 covered with many precious stones 00:19:32.49\00:19:34.98 and with a lot of gold here, okay? 00:19:35.01\00:19:38.82 And says, "In her hand 00:19:40.22\00:19:42.18 was the gold cup full of abominations 00:19:42.21\00:19:44.80 of the unclean things of her immorality." 00:19:44.83\00:19:47.65 So talking here about the symbol of 00:19:47.68\00:19:50.01 a prostitute woman, prostitute woman. 00:19:50.04\00:19:53.22 And her goal is to go to deceive people 00:19:53.25\00:19:56.07 to side with her immorality. 00:19:56.10\00:19:58.60 It's a symbol of prostitute, okay. 00:19:58.63\00:20:00.66 Let's move on. 00:20:00.69\00:20:02.34 "And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery." 00:20:02.37\00:20:07.24 By the way, if you go to my commentary there, 00:20:07.30\00:20:09.64 you'll find even the text from the Book of Jeremiah, 00:20:09.67\00:20:12.74 it's telling us that actually a custom of having 00:20:12.77\00:20:15.74 the name written there was a custom 00:20:15.77\00:20:17.92 developed in nation Israel among prostitutes. 00:20:17.95\00:20:21.16 So the people could easily recognize 00:20:21.19\00:20:23.88 actually who the woman-- who the woman prostitute 00:20:23.91\00:20:28.15 actually is, and what is that-- what is that all about. 00:20:28.18\00:20:31.72 Okay, let's go on. 00:20:31.75\00:20:33.14 He said, "And I saw the woman 00:20:33.17\00:20:34.65 drunk with the blood of the saints." 00:20:34.68\00:20:37.05 It's interesting is. 00:20:37.08\00:20:38.67 Person is drunk of alcohol. 00:20:38.70\00:20:41.26 These woman is drunk of the blood, 00:20:41.29\00:20:42.92 and that's why the color, the scarlet color very much 00:20:42.95\00:20:45.97 corresponds to the true character of this woman, 00:20:46.00\00:20:49.26 and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. 00:20:49.29\00:20:52.64 "When I saw her I wonder greatly." 00:20:52.67\00:20:54.82 And please, allow me now-- 00:20:54.85\00:20:56.22 now I'm tempted now to talk a lot about that. 00:20:56.25\00:20:58.83 In Greek, it looks like this. 00:20:58.86\00:21:01.61 John said-- are you with me? 00:21:01.64\00:21:03.25 It says, John said, 00:21:03.28\00:21:04.65 "When I saw her I was amazed with the great amazement." 00:21:04.68\00:21:11.38 Why? That's how literal Greek. 00:21:11.41\00:21:13.17 He put here nice English. 00:21:13.20\00:21:14.57 Actually talks like that. 00:21:14.60\00:21:15.97 When John saw this woman he-- how did he react? 00:21:16.00\00:21:22.46 Look the next text-- the next text. 00:21:22.49\00:21:29.30 It's verse 7, "And the angel told me, 00:21:29.33\00:21:33.17 why are you so much amazed?" 00:21:33.20\00:21:36.66 Why is John amazed 00:21:36.69\00:21:40.92 at seeing this woman? 00:21:40.95\00:21:45.70 Let me ask you, what will happen to you, 00:21:45.73\00:21:48.64 if you know one person 00:21:48.67\00:21:50.04 and you know that person is honest, 00:21:50.07\00:21:51.49 that person-- Let's a lady, 00:21:51.52\00:21:54.02 that lady has the family, 00:21:54.05\00:21:55.44 has the children and that lady 00:21:55.47\00:21:58.10 is even in your church, etcetera. 00:21:58.13\00:22:00.09 And one day you're walking in the street 00:22:00.12\00:22:02.92 and you see prostitute sitting there at the corner, 00:22:02.95\00:22:06.85 you look little bit closer into the face of that prostitute, 00:22:06.88\00:22:10.85 how do you react? 00:22:10.88\00:22:13.85 Is it possible, why? 00:22:13.88\00:22:15.25 Because that prostitute is exactly that lady that, 00:22:15.28\00:22:17.16 you know, that has a family 00:22:17.19\00:22:18.56 and that she is there in your church there. 00:22:18.59\00:22:22.80 You know that person, but in the business 00:22:22.83\00:22:25.40 it's very strange to you. 00:22:25.43\00:22:26.86 Why is John reacting so much? 00:22:26.89\00:22:28.33 Because evidently this woman looks very familiar 00:22:28.36\00:22:33.53 to him because he saw that woman earlier in Revelation 12, 00:22:33.56\00:22:38.81 that pure woman that brought the Messiah to this world. 00:22:38.84\00:22:44.94 It was that woman that was subject 00:22:44.97\00:22:46.86 of the hatred of Satan Himself, persecuted by the Satan. 00:22:46.89\00:22:52.46 But then, John suddenly in the Revelation 12 00:22:52.49\00:22:55.38 changes that at the time of the end, 00:22:55.41\00:22:58.05 Satan is determined to go to wage the war, 00:22:58.08\00:23:00.87 not against the woman any longer. 00:23:00.90\00:23:03.87 Satan suddenly starts hating the offspring 00:23:03.90\00:23:08.13 of the remnant of the woman, but not the woman any longer. 00:23:08.16\00:23:12.13 Why not? Because at the time of the end, 00:23:12.16\00:23:15.56 this woman, pure woman, the church of Christ 00:23:15.59\00:23:19.27 turns into the prostitute woman. 00:23:19.30\00:23:23.55 That's why Revelation 17 portrays here 00:23:23.58\00:23:26.46 the apostate Christianity. 00:23:26.49\00:23:28.75 When you say the apostate Christianity, what does it mean? 00:23:28.78\00:23:31.30 We talk about Christianity that in the past was faithful to God. 00:23:31.33\00:23:34.64 Thus, when John sees this woman, he is so much amazed, 00:23:34.67\00:23:38.03 he cannot believe it that this is the woman 00:23:38.06\00:23:40.09 that he saw earlier. 00:23:40.12\00:23:41.49 Now this woman who was so faithful to God 00:23:41.52\00:23:43.76 now turns into the prostitute. 00:23:43.79\00:23:46.34 Are you still, friends, with me? 00:23:46.37\00:23:48.98 And the angel is trying to tell him, 00:23:49.01\00:23:51.13 "John, don't be amazed so much. 00:23:51.16\00:23:54.38 Let me explain to you the secret of this woman. 00:23:54.41\00:23:58.36 What actually happened to this woman?" 00:23:58.39\00:24:01.17 Why does she turn into prostitute? 00:24:01.20\00:24:04.45 And he said, "I will tell you the mystery of this woman." 00:24:04.48\00:24:08.41 What does it mean mystery? Secret. 00:24:08.44\00:24:10.33 Why this woman turned into the prostitute? 00:24:10.36\00:24:13.24 Keep in mind, friends, at the time of the end, 00:24:13.27\00:24:15.16 God will have His remnants, 00:24:15.19\00:24:16.88 while the majority of the Christians 00:24:16.91\00:24:18.37 evidently will be on the wrong side, 00:24:18.40\00:24:20.16 it's very hard for me to say it, 00:24:20.19\00:24:22.29 but this is what the Book of Revelation 00:24:22.32\00:24:23.90 is trying to tell us. 00:24:23.93\00:24:25.90 And it says, okay. 00:24:25.93\00:24:29.74 "And of the beast that carries her, 00:24:29.77\00:24:32.23 which has the seven heads and the ten horns." 00:24:32.26\00:24:37.06 But now where it's very interesting 00:24:37.09\00:24:38.54 is that the angel says to John, 00:24:38.57\00:24:40.42 "I will show you the mystery of the woman 00:24:40.45\00:24:42.23 and on the beast." 00:24:42.26\00:24:43.63 But when you read the rest of the chapter, 00:24:43.66\00:24:45.03 the angel does not talk about the woman any longer. 00:24:45.06\00:24:48.63 He talks only about the beast. Why? 00:24:48.66\00:24:51.93 Because the woman and the beast are inseparable. 00:24:51.96\00:24:55.47 You look the beast, you see the woman. 00:24:55.50\00:24:57.49 You see the woman, you see the beast, 00:24:57.52\00:24:59.65 because is this the beast that carries 00:24:59.68\00:25:02.03 that woman to do her activities. 00:25:02.06\00:25:03.94 Are you still with me? That's why it's said, 00:25:03.97\00:25:06.59 "And the name of this woman is Babylon." 00:25:06.62\00:25:08.24 You remember? 00:25:08.27\00:25:09.64 Because the purpose is here to tell us, 00:25:09.67\00:25:11.78 what and who is Babylon, 00:25:11.81\00:25:13.68 and why Babylon is to be destroyed? Okay. 00:25:13.71\00:25:17.08 Now we are coming to the funny section of Revelation 17. 00:25:17.11\00:25:20.73 Are you with me? 00:25:20.76\00:25:22.24 Please, now we have to sweat, okay. 00:25:22.27\00:25:25.19 Verse 8 says, "The beast that you saw." 00:25:25.22\00:25:29.10 Which beast? 00:25:29.13\00:25:31.20 "The beast that carries the prostitute was, 00:25:31.23\00:25:37.86 and is not and is about to come up out 00:25:37.89\00:25:43.04 of the abyss and go to the destruction." 00:25:43.07\00:25:47.02 Are you with me? 00:25:47.05\00:25:48.73 It says, "And those who dwell on the earth, 00:25:48.76\00:25:54.52 whose names had not been 00:25:54.55\00:25:56.07 written in the Book of Life from the foundation 00:25:56.10\00:25:58.73 of the world will wonder." 00:25:58.76\00:26:01.50 And now we have repetition. 00:26:01.53\00:26:03.64 "When they see the beast 00:26:03.67\00:26:06.88 that he was and is not and it will come." 00:26:06.91\00:26:13.48 Please, I'd like you to pay attention 00:26:13.51\00:26:16.76 to one small detail. 00:26:16.79\00:26:18.55 For you maybe it does not look as a big detail, 00:26:18.58\00:26:21.68 but it's very, very important for the subject 00:26:21.71\00:26:24.12 that we are studying here. 00:26:24.15\00:26:25.54 It says-- it's the middle of verse 8. 00:26:25.57\00:26:30.25 "And those who dwell on the earth, 00:26:30.28\00:26:33.26 whose name has not been written 00:26:33.29\00:26:35.43 in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, 00:26:35.46\00:26:38.67 will wonder or worship the beast 00:26:38.70\00:26:42.41 that was is not and it will come." 00:26:42.44\00:26:44.61 Do these words look familiar to you? 00:26:44.64\00:26:46.71 Amen. Where did we- 00:26:46.74\00:26:48.31 where did you read those words? 00:26:48.34\00:26:49.74 In Revelation 13:8. 00:26:49.77\00:26:51.84 Do you remember in the Revelation 13:1-7, 00:26:51.87\00:26:55.14 when John describes, portrays the beast 00:26:55.17\00:26:57.19 in terms of the past tense. 00:26:57.22\00:26:59.45 Do you remember that by using the past? 00:26:59.48\00:27:00.91 And then suddenly in verse 8, 00:27:00.94\00:27:02.94 he is switching to what tense? 00:27:02.97\00:27:04.89 The future tense. 00:27:04.92\00:27:06.31 And he stops there. 00:27:06.34\00:27:08.35 Now he repeats the same words here in Chapter 18 to tell us. 00:27:08.38\00:27:11.63 Now I'm continuing the subject 00:27:11.66\00:27:13.63 that I stopped in chapter 13. 00:27:13.66\00:27:17.69 Because Chapter 13:8, 00:27:17.72\00:27:19.42 he stopped describing the first beast. 00:27:19.45\00:27:22.84 Now he is continuing to tell us. 00:27:22.87\00:27:24.70 How does he call the beast? 00:27:24.73\00:27:27.82 Two times. He calls the beast how? 00:27:27.85\00:27:29.92 The beast that was is not-- 00:27:30.93\00:27:36.88 I'd like you to pay attention 00:27:36.91\00:27:39.28 here to one very important thing is. 00:27:39.31\00:27:41.69 When you read this text, the beast that was, 00:27:41.72\00:27:45.06 the beast that is not, and the beast will come. 00:27:45.09\00:27:49.58 What does suddenly come to our mind? 00:27:49.61\00:27:53.92 Several times, it occurs in 00:27:53.95\00:27:55.32 the Book of Revelation, the one who was, who is, 00:27:55.35\00:28:01.33 and who is to come, who is that? 00:28:01.36\00:28:03.33 It's God Himself, it's Jesus Christ Himself. 00:28:03.36\00:28:06.37 So what can you say about this beast? 00:28:06.40\00:28:08.05 Do you remember that we read already 00:28:08.08\00:28:09.97 that actually these beasts' functions 00:28:10.00\00:28:11.77 as the counterfeit of Jesus Christ? 00:28:11.80\00:28:14.31 Okay, that's one thing is. 00:28:14.34\00:28:16.55 But what is the meaning that the beast was? 00:28:16.58\00:28:20.58 It's not and is to come. 00:28:20.61\00:28:22.06 Please, you have now to be with me. 00:28:22.09\00:28:25.14 This is a funny. 00:28:25.17\00:28:27.70 Okay, part of the Book of Revelation. 00:28:27.73\00:28:31.94 You see, this beast thatJohn 00:28:31.97\00:28:35.06 is talk about has three phases of the existence. 00:28:35.09\00:28:39.94 First, the beast was when was the beast? 00:28:39.97\00:28:45.87 Revelation 13--13. 00:28:45.90\00:28:49.63 From the year when? 538. 00:28:49.66\00:28:55.76 Okay, you see the Book of Revelation 00:28:55.79\00:28:57.86 is not as difficult as it appears. 00:28:57.89\00:29:00.31 Until the year 1798, the beast was. 00:29:00.34\00:29:07.38 Then what happened with events of French Revolution? 00:29:07.41\00:29:11.38 The beast received the mortal wound and the beast was killed, 00:29:11.41\00:29:14.79 so the beast is-- this is not phase of the beast. 00:29:14.82\00:29:22.73 Are you still with me? Amen. 00:29:22.76\00:29:24.65 Then what is the third phase? 00:29:24.68\00:29:27.24 The time is coming. 00:29:27.27\00:29:31.70 When the mortal wound will be healed, 00:29:31.73\00:29:36.31 so the beast will come to life again. 00:29:36.34\00:29:40.57 So now we will have the beast will come. 00:29:40.60\00:29:46.60 Friends, can I ask you one frank question 00:29:46.63\00:29:49.32 and also our viewers? 00:29:49.35\00:29:50.72 Is the Book of Revelation indeed so difficult? 00:29:50.75\00:29:54.76 You see, instead of copying somebody's else ideas, 00:29:54.79\00:29:57.70 if you really go and study the text for yourself, 00:29:57.73\00:30:00.33 you see that's not as much as difficult, okay. 00:30:00.36\00:30:04.73 So keep in mind, Revelation 13. 00:30:04.76\00:30:08.03 Let's put Revelation 13, 00:30:08.06\00:30:11.95 portrays this phase of the beast, 00:30:11.98\00:30:15.47 when the beast was during 00:30:15.50\00:30:16.87 the prophetic period of 1,260 days. 00:30:16.90\00:30:19.27 Are you with me? 00:30:19.30\00:30:21.09 Now here, Revelation 17 portrays the phase of the beast 00:30:21.12\00:30:27.79 after the healing of the mortal wound. 00:30:27.82\00:30:30.44 Now, can you help me in what time period do we live? 00:30:30.47\00:30:35.20 We live today this period is not phase of the beast. 00:30:35.23\00:30:40.85 Because we are waiting for the future event 00:30:40.88\00:30:42.59 of the healing of the mortal wound. 00:30:42.62\00:30:44.70 Are you with me? 00:30:44.73\00:30:46.27 Now so difficult. 00:30:46.30\00:30:48.96 Let's go to little bit more difficult part. 00:30:48.99\00:30:51.65 And this is what our viewers would like now to see it. 00:30:51.68\00:30:55.42 Verse 9, it says, "Here is the mind 00:30:55.45\00:30:59.90 who has the wisdom." 00:30:59.93\00:31:01.46 Are you familiar with this phrase? 00:31:01.49\00:31:03.96 Where that we find somewhere else in the Book of Revelation? 00:31:03.99\00:31:07.53 "Here is the mind who has the wisdom." 00:31:07.56\00:31:09.71 With reference to the number 666, 00:31:09.74\00:31:12.18 Revelation 13:18. One more time, this is not the call 00:31:12.21\00:31:16.34 for human wisdom for some mental and mathematical calculations, 00:31:16.37\00:31:22.14 it's for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, 00:31:22.17\00:31:23.99 only those people who fear God, 00:31:24.02\00:31:25.85 who want to find the truth they will understand it. 00:31:25.88\00:31:28.86 So let's now we'll head into this text. 00:31:28.89\00:31:32.30 "The seven heads are seven mountains 00:31:32.33\00:31:35.81 on which the woman sits. 00:31:35.84\00:31:39.28 And there are seven kings, five have fallen, 00:31:39.31\00:31:43.79 one is, the other has not yet come 00:31:43.82\00:31:48.42 and when he comes he must remain a little while." 00:31:48.45\00:31:53.61 And the beast which was and is not, 00:31:53.64\00:31:58.01 is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven 00:31:58.04\00:32:02.98 and he goes to the destruction." 00:32:03.01\00:32:06.09 Welcome to the club 00:32:06.12\00:32:08.76 of the great riddles of the Book of Revelation. 00:32:08.79\00:32:11.28 Are you excited now about this? 00:32:11.31\00:32:13.89 Friends, let me tell you is, 00:32:13.92\00:32:17.36 those apparently problematic text of the Book of Revelation 00:32:17.39\00:32:22.41 are problematic, not because 00:32:22.44\00:32:24.42 the problem is in the Book of Revelation, 00:32:24.45\00:32:27.86 it's because give an opportunity to many people 00:32:27.89\00:32:31.39 to make many different speculations 00:32:31.42\00:32:34.15 about that to support their ideas what they have. 00:32:34.18\00:32:36.77 And I just want to tell you among the Christians, 00:32:36.80\00:32:38.68 even among my brothers and sisters 00:32:38.71\00:32:40.55 of my own denominations, there is no text 00:32:40.58\00:32:43.88 of the Book of Revelation that cause so many speculations 00:32:43.91\00:32:47.02 among people to support any kind of ideas 00:32:47.05\00:32:49.70 that people can invent. 00:32:49.73\00:32:51.11 But I just want to show you, not just to interpret this, 00:32:51.14\00:32:55.12 I would like you to interpret, but just for sure 00:32:55.15\00:32:57.42 how really the difficulty is not with the Book of Revelation. 00:32:57.45\00:33:01.21 When you with open mind just read 00:33:01.24\00:33:03.86 what the Book of Revelation is telling us. 00:33:03.89\00:33:06.34 So I would like now that we interpret 00:33:06.37\00:33:08.21 these texts together. Amen. 00:33:08.24\00:33:11.06 Okay, are you ready? 00:33:11.10\00:33:12.47 Now let's go here. 00:33:12.50\00:33:13.96 Let's start with verse 9. 00:33:13.99\00:33:16.22 We decided to take enough time 00:33:16.25\00:33:17.94 because I know how many Christians 00:33:17.97\00:33:19.83 would like really to see the meaning of these texts. 00:33:19.86\00:33:23.09 It says, "Here is the wisdom." 00:33:23.12\00:33:24.53 Now we saw that the beasts has seven heads, 00:33:24.56\00:33:29.15 but John is telling us, actually the angel says to John, 00:33:29.18\00:33:33.39 "Keep in mind, John, these heads are not literal, 00:33:33.42\00:33:37.69 they stand as symbol for what? 00:33:37.72\00:33:40.25 For mountains." 00:33:40.28\00:33:41.84 Boy, boy, boy, boy. 00:33:41.87\00:33:43.24 But John is evidently more confused 00:33:43.27\00:33:44.90 and that's why many Christians, 00:33:44.93\00:33:46.30 they're going to certain city of this world to show 00:33:46.33\00:33:49.74 seven mountains are located at. 00:33:49.77\00:33:51.78 Friends, this is not what the Revelation is telling us. 00:33:51.81\00:33:53.85 Look, look, look in the text. 00:33:53.88\00:33:55.25 It says, "The seven heads 00:33:55.28\00:33:57.18 are seven mountains on which the woman sits." 00:33:57.21\00:34:00.26 It's the same symbol as waters, 00:34:00.29\00:34:02.28 but the angel goes immediately telling them 00:34:02.31\00:34:04.50 that these mountains are actually seven kings. 00:34:04.53\00:34:09.37 Not literal mountains supporting the City of Rome. 00:34:09.40\00:34:13.29 Are you still with me? 00:34:13.32\00:34:14.69 It's a symbol of seven kings. 00:34:14.72\00:34:18.28 Before we go into any discussion, 00:34:18.31\00:34:21.69 we have to understand one thing 00:34:21.72\00:34:23.40 because we would like now to do something special 00:34:23.43\00:34:26.10 and to keep in mind about what this vision is all about. 00:34:26.13\00:34:29.33 So please, are you with me? 00:34:29.36\00:34:30.86 Keep in mind. 00:34:30.89\00:34:32.56 John is in the vision. 00:34:32.59\00:34:33.97 It's very, friends, important. 00:34:34.00\00:34:35.71 John is in the vision. 00:34:35.74\00:34:37.99 He sees the woman, he is amazed there 00:34:38.02\00:34:42.09 and after that comes a conversation 00:34:42.12\00:34:44.23 between him and the angel. 00:34:44.26\00:34:46.78 And now the angel, please keep this in mind. 00:34:46.81\00:34:50.04 Now the angel is explaining the vision to whom? 00:34:50.07\00:34:56.23 To John, because John was confused. 00:34:56.26\00:35:00.49 So he is trying to make a sense of this woman to John, 00:35:00.52\00:35:06.42 so when we now see the interpretation 00:35:06.45\00:35:08.81 that the angel is making to John, 00:35:08.84\00:35:10.58 we have to keep in mind to whom the angel was explaining, 00:35:10.61\00:35:15.86 because the Christians today when they read 00:35:15.89\00:35:18.38 these interpretation of the angles, 00:35:18.41\00:35:20.12 they put themselves in the position 00:35:20.15\00:35:21.84 that the angel is explaining to them. 00:35:21.87\00:35:27.75 And that's why you have all those different ways 00:35:27.78\00:35:30.93 of interpreting what-- Can you keep this in mind? 00:35:30.96\00:35:35.28 Okay. So now, let us now try to do something 00:35:35.32\00:35:41.42 and to see what we have here. 00:35:41.45\00:35:44.52 Now you have to be with me. 00:35:44.55\00:35:46.11 Let me first remove 00:35:46.14\00:35:48.69 this from the blackboard, okay. Okay. 00:35:48.72\00:35:50.91 Let us make it-- let us make it very, very clear. 00:35:57.02\00:36:00.49 The angel is explaining to John and telling him, 00:36:00.52\00:36:02.80 "John, let me talk about the beast 00:36:02.83\00:36:05.76 because the characteristic of the beast 00:36:05.79\00:36:07.83 is that has seven heads." 00:36:07.86\00:36:10.05 But he is telling him, "Keep in mind, 00:36:10.08\00:36:11.71 those seven heads are not literal, 00:36:11.74\00:36:13.65 they stand as symbol for the mountains. 00:36:13.68\00:36:15.56 Actually even those mountains are not literal. 00:36:15.59\00:36:17.86 They stand as a symbol of kings." 00:36:17.89\00:36:21.46 Oh, now this gives an opportunity, 00:36:21.49\00:36:24.56 chance to many people to interpret who are those kings. 00:36:24.59\00:36:29.27 Preterist are interpreting seven Roman emperors. 00:36:29.30\00:36:33.54 Today futurists Christians are interpreting 00:36:33.57\00:36:35.59 seven different popes or different leaders 00:36:35.62\00:36:38.65 that fit this picture. 00:36:38.68\00:36:41.85 Friends, this is contrary to the Bible, 00:36:41.88\00:36:43.86 because you have to understand something that the Bible-- 00:36:43.90\00:36:47.09 Are you with me? 00:36:47.12\00:36:48.49 The Bible, the Book of Revelation 00:36:48.52\00:36:50.88 never deals with individual persons. 00:36:50.91\00:36:55.26 It deals either with the kingdoms or the systems. 00:36:55.29\00:36:59.12 So these kings here are not individual kings, 00:36:59.16\00:37:03.56 they are kingdoms or now you'll will say, 00:37:03.59\00:37:09.02 "Brother Stefanovic, are you using now 00:37:09.05\00:37:10.82 your imagination to make an impression." 00:37:10.85\00:37:13.04 No, that's biblical. 00:37:13.07\00:37:14.44 Please, would you turn with me? 00:37:14.47\00:37:15.99 Can you turn to the Book of Daniel 12? 00:37:16.02\00:37:18.42 The Book of Daniel 12. Friends, we have to understand 00:37:18.45\00:37:24.89 how the Bible treats the subject, 00:37:24.92\00:37:26.56 not what we would like to make of the subject, okay. 00:37:26.59\00:37:30.56 It's Daniel 2. 00:37:30.59\00:37:33.43 Do you remember what we have in Daniel 2? 00:37:33.46\00:37:36.08 Do you remember what we have there? 00:37:36.11\00:37:39.36 The King of the Nebuchadnezzar. 00:37:39.39\00:37:41.18 Do you remember the King Nebuchadnezzar 00:37:41.21\00:37:42.72 saw that statue, the head of gold, do you remember? 00:37:42.75\00:37:46.35 Then it leads to the silver, then to bronze 00:37:46.38\00:37:50.66 and to the iron there. 00:37:50.69\00:37:52.16 But the King Nebuchadnezzar did not understand 00:37:52.19\00:37:54.79 what was going on, so God revealed to Daniel. 00:37:54.82\00:37:57.24 And now Daniel explains to the King Nebuchadnezzar, 00:37:57.27\00:38:00.12 the meaning of the statue that dream. 00:38:00.15\00:38:02.63 So please, would go with me Daniel 2:37. 00:38:02.66\00:38:07.25 So verses 37-39. 00:38:07.28\00:38:10.05 Daniel is explaining to the King Nebuchadnezzar 00:38:10.08\00:38:12.41 and he said--Let's read from verse 36 here. 00:38:12.44\00:38:15.69 It says, "This was the dream 00:38:15.72\00:38:18.09 now we will tell the king its interpretation before the king. 00:38:18.12\00:38:21.78 You, O, king, are the king of the kings 00:38:21.81\00:38:24.59 to whom the God of heaven has given 00:38:24.62\00:38:27.27 the kingdom the power, the strength and the glory. 00:38:27.30\00:38:31.96 And wherever the sons of man 00:38:31.99\00:38:34.50 dwell or the beast of the field or the birds of the sky, 00:38:34.53\00:38:38.70 he has given them in to your hand 00:38:38.74\00:38:41.09 and has cause you to rule over them all, 00:38:41.12\00:38:44.60 you are the head of gold." 00:38:44.63\00:38:47.92 Oh, no, no, you have to be with me. 00:38:47.95\00:38:51.19 Who is represented by that head of gold on the statue? 00:38:51.22\00:38:57.74 Babylon, we know that clearly. 00:38:57.77\00:39:00.52 But what is that t Daniel said to the king? 00:39:00.55\00:39:03.04 You are that head. 00:39:03.07\00:39:04.80 Please, please, look--look something else. 00:39:04.83\00:39:06.67 Let's go to the following text. 00:39:06.70\00:39:09.01 Verse 39, "After you there will be-- 00:39:09.04\00:39:14.07 there will arise another kingdom." 00:39:14.10\00:39:16.92 What is that kingdom? 00:39:16.95\00:39:18.52 Medo-Persia. Please, please, 00:39:18.55\00:39:20.56 we also--already mentioned the fall of ancient Babylon. 00:39:20.59\00:39:24.81 Did Medo-Persia come after the King Nebuchadnezzar? 00:39:24.84\00:39:28.80 No. No. It came after the King Belshazzar 00:39:28.83\00:39:34.36 and between the King Nebuchadnezzar 00:39:34.39\00:39:36.13 and Belshazzar, there are three other kings. 00:39:36.16\00:39:40.96 So Medo-Persia really did not come 00:39:40.99\00:39:42.52 after the King Nebuchadnezzar. 00:39:42.55\00:39:46.03 So when Daniel said to the king, 00:39:46.06\00:39:47.88 "You are the head of gold." 00:39:47.91\00:39:49.90 He wanted to tell him actually, 00:39:49.93\00:39:51.47 Babylon because the King Nebuchadnezzar 00:39:51.51\00:39:54.13 was the ruler of Babylon. 00:39:54.17\00:39:56.18 And keep in mind we're dealing with ancient concept. 00:39:56.21\00:39:58.26 The king is the kingdom, the kingdom is the king. 00:39:58.29\00:40:01.80 Don't confuse with our modern concept 00:40:01.83\00:40:03.28 when president and a country, they are two completely 00:40:03.31\00:40:05.39 different entities because the president 00:40:05.42\00:40:07.30 is just for few years. 00:40:07.33\00:40:09.29 We're dealing with ancient concept. 00:40:09.32\00:40:10.69 Let's see something else-- let's see something else. 00:40:10.72\00:40:12.96 Daniel 7:17, what do we have in Chapter 7? 00:40:12.99\00:40:19.29 Do you remember when Daniel saw the same-- 00:40:19.32\00:40:22.23 the same word empires, but this time 00:40:22.26\00:40:24.60 in terms of four beasts? 00:40:24.63\00:40:27.28 And Daniel was confused. 00:40:27.31\00:40:28.68 He did not know the meaning of those four beasts. 00:40:28.71\00:40:31.71 Now the angel explains to John in verse 17. 00:40:31.74\00:40:35.77 So Revelation 7:17 telling him, "These great beasts, 00:40:35.80\00:40:41.67 which are four in number, are four kings." 00:40:41.70\00:40:45.77 One more time. "Are four--" 00:40:45.80\00:40:48.60 Kings. "Kings, which will arise from the earth." 00:40:48.63\00:40:51.58 Which four kings? 00:40:51.61\00:40:58.61 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, 00:40:58.64\00:41:03.25 so they're not really kings, they are kingdoms. 00:41:03.28\00:41:06.43 Are you, friends, with me? 00:41:06.46\00:41:08.63 So when in the Bible there is a talk about kings, 00:41:08.66\00:41:12.49 it actually means, what? 00:41:12.52\00:41:14.97 Kingdoms. Are you persuaded? 00:41:15.00\00:41:17.15 I can give you many more evidences. 00:41:17.18\00:41:18.55 You have there in my commentary, 00:41:18.58\00:41:19.96 but just if you see that. 00:41:19.99\00:41:21.72 So when you go to Revelation 17, 00:41:21.75\00:41:25.49 when the angel explains to John that those seven heads 00:41:25.52\00:41:29.99 are seven mountains that they are actually seven kings, 00:41:30.02\00:41:33.06 actually means seven kingdoms. 00:41:33.09\00:41:35.98 Keep in mind that Book of Revelation 00:41:36.01\00:41:37.39 does not deal with individuals. 00:41:37.42\00:41:41.39 It deals with systems and kingdoms. 00:41:41.42\00:41:44.82 Now John is thinking, what are those seven kingdoms? 00:41:44.85\00:41:52.32 And the angel is telling him. 00:41:52.35\00:41:53.98 Oh, boy, "There are seven kingdoms, 00:41:54.01\00:41:57.52 five have fallen, one is the other has not come yet, 00:41:57.55\00:42:03.22 when he comes he must remain a little while. 00:42:03.25\00:42:06.69 But the beast which was and is not is himself 00:42:06.72\00:42:09.91 also the eighth and is one of the seven 00:42:09.94\00:42:12.59 and goes to destruction." 00:42:12.62\00:42:13.99 Are you confused? 00:42:14.02\00:42:15.39 That's good if you're confused, then we can now go and talk. 00:42:15.42\00:42:18.15 So please allow me now. 00:42:18.18\00:42:19.81 I will use my artistic skills to see how I can draw here, okay? 00:42:19.84\00:42:26.41 Am I an artist? Amen. 00:42:42.70\00:42:44.91 Okay. This is the beast. 00:42:44.94\00:42:50.04 How many heads does the beast have? 00:42:50.07\00:42:54.74 Seven. Is it seven or eight? 00:42:54.77\00:42:56.79 Eight, yeah. Read verse 11. 00:42:56.82\00:43:01.22 I think it has eight. 00:43:01.25\00:43:02.62 Okay, but originally it has seven. 00:43:02.65\00:43:04.02 Let's put it here. 00:43:04.05\00:43:11.03 Boy, this is terrible beast? 00:43:11.06\00:43:12.45 More terrible than it's in the Book of Revelation. 00:43:12.48\00:43:14.48 One, two, four, three, okay. 00:43:14.51\00:43:19.63 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Okay. 00:43:19.66\00:43:26.71 Now let's work together. Keep in mind. 00:43:26.74\00:43:30.02 To whom does is the angel explaining the vision? 00:43:30.05\00:43:35.33 To John. To John, not to us, to John. 00:43:35.36\00:43:38.12 And John wrote what was explained to him. 00:43:38.15\00:43:42.01 So the angel said to John, 00:43:42.04\00:43:44.84 five of these kingdoms have fallen, they are the past. 00:43:44.87\00:43:51.66 Are you still me? 00:43:51.69\00:43:53.06 So you see, five of them are fallen, okay. 00:43:53.09\00:43:58.82 What about the sixth one? 00:43:58.85\00:44:01.68 This one is, is. 00:44:01.71\00:44:05.88 They are past. 00:44:05.91\00:44:09.58 And what about the seventh one? 00:44:09.61\00:44:13.48 Will still come. Now let me ask you. 00:44:13.56\00:44:16.65 I want to do for yourself and the viewers, 00:44:16.68\00:44:18.78 when you look at these I have two illustrations. 00:44:18.81\00:44:21.57 Where is the key to the understanding 00:44:21.60\00:44:23.89 of these seven kingdoms? 00:44:23.92\00:44:29.28 Where would you start with which head? 00:44:29.31\00:44:36.08 No, the angel doesn't talk about Babylon here. 00:44:36.11\00:44:39.29 Babylon is not mentioned here. 00:44:39.32\00:44:43.04 Let me ask you, to whom did the angel explained the vision? 00:44:43.07\00:44:47.75 John. To John. 00:44:47.78\00:44:50.03 So when the angel said to John, 00:44:50.06\00:44:52.84 the sixth one is, is from whose perspective, time perspective. 00:44:52.87\00:44:58.59 John's. From John. 00:44:58.62\00:45:00.83 Is the Book of Revelation difficult? No. 00:45:00.86\00:45:02.80 And tell me what was the kingdom 00:45:02.83\00:45:05.33 and the empire at the time of John? 00:45:05.36\00:45:07.19 Rome. Rome. 00:45:07.22\00:45:08.59 Is it difficult? No, it's not. 00:45:08.62\00:45:10.69 It's the sixth one. 00:45:10.72\00:45:12.09 You see the sixth one. 00:45:12.12\00:45:13.49 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. 00:45:13.52\00:45:16.89 So it's Rome. So does it mean? 00:45:16.92\00:45:23.60 What about five others? 00:45:23.63\00:45:26.28 Are the kingdoms they were in existence 00:45:26.31\00:45:30.46 prior to the time of John, prior to Rome? 00:45:30.49\00:45:33.64 Now there is question, what are those kingdoms? 00:45:33.67\00:45:37.30 That's why you have to go to the Old Testament. 00:45:37.33\00:45:39.68 What is the characteristic of these kingdoms? 00:45:39.71\00:45:41.48 They all unite the religion and politics 00:45:41.51\00:45:43.52 and they were involved in persecuting God's people. 00:45:43.55\00:45:45.82 Tell me in the Old Testament, what was the first kingdom 00:45:45.85\00:45:50.12 that persecuted the church of God? 00:45:50.15\00:45:52.53 Babylon. Really? 00:45:52.56\00:45:55.65 Is the beginning with church of God with Babylon? 00:45:55.68\00:45:58.86 Actually it's Egypt. Egypt, yeah. 00:45:58.89\00:46:01.37 The first kingdom that persecuted the church 00:46:01.40\00:46:03.41 of the Old Testament which was actually Israel was Egypt. 00:46:03.44\00:46:07.46 You see that. 00:46:07.49\00:46:11.63 What was the next kingdom 00:46:11.66\00:46:13.03 that was involved in persecuting God's people? 00:46:13.06\00:46:15.59 Actually destroyed the ten tribes, 00:46:15.62\00:46:18.04 removed them from the world scene completely. 00:46:18.07\00:46:20.14 What was that? 00:46:20.17\00:46:21.86 Assyria. Okay, it's Assyria. 00:46:21.89\00:46:27.25 I put here abbreviation Assyria. 00:46:27.28\00:46:30.21 You remember took ten tribes, dispersed them there. 00:46:30.24\00:46:33.15 We don't have ten tribes. 00:46:33.18\00:46:34.55 We talk about in Revelation 7 about that. 00:46:34.58\00:46:36.50 What was the next kingdom 00:46:36.53\00:46:37.90 that was involved in persecuting God's people? 00:46:37.93\00:46:40.43 It's a Babylon. 00:46:40.46\00:46:43.60 What the next one? 00:46:43.63\00:46:45.00 Now it's easy. It's Medo-Persia. 00:46:45.03\00:46:46.92 What next one? Greece. 00:46:46.95\00:46:48.32 It's Greece. 00:46:48.35\00:46:54.18 See, they were all the empires that Satan used, 00:46:54.21\00:46:57.15 trying to prevent God's plans with reference to His people. 00:46:57.18\00:47:01.21 Now Rome was the empire at the time of John, 00:47:01.24\00:47:07.07 but what do we have next? 00:47:07.10\00:47:09.10 He says, "But the seventh one is not yet." 00:47:09.13\00:47:16.21 It was supposed to be the future from John's perspective. 00:47:16.24\00:47:21.83 After--after when? 00:47:21.86\00:47:23.87 After the Roman Empire. 00:47:23.90\00:47:25.43 And what was the power that ruled for more than 1,000 years 00:47:25.46\00:47:30.33 controlling the people, persecuting God's people 00:47:30.36\00:47:34.06 during the 1,260 prophetic days or years. 00:47:34.09\00:47:37.86 It's Papal Rome. 00:47:37.89\00:47:39.75 Now you'll see that very difficult text, 00:47:48.03\00:47:50.13 it's not so difficult. 00:47:50.16\00:47:51.53 Let's go Revelation 1-- Revelation 17:11, it says, 00:47:51.56\00:47:57.56 "The beast which was and is not." 00:47:57.59\00:48:02.34 This beast that we just talk. 00:48:02.37\00:48:04.75 He says, "Is the eight." 00:48:04.78\00:48:07.48 Did you see that? 00:48:07.51\00:48:09.12 Okay, let's put it here. 00:48:09.15\00:48:12.01 Okay, six, seven. 00:48:12.04\00:48:15.18 Now let me put here just to distinguish. 00:48:15.21\00:48:18.48 There is the eighth head. 00:48:18.51\00:48:22.77 But the angel said to John, 00:48:22.80\00:48:25.44 "But actually these eighth is one of the seven." 00:48:25.47\00:48:32.78 Now you have to be with me. 00:48:32.81\00:48:34.18 Let me go here. 00:48:34.21\00:48:36.60 He says that these eight, the beast has actually seven, 00:48:36.63\00:48:40.52 there is no eighth head, but he says actually 00:48:40.55\00:48:43.48 if there is the eighth head, this is not the eighth head, 00:48:43.51\00:48:46.79 it's actually one of the seven. 00:48:46.82\00:48:50.07 Which one of the seven? 00:48:50.10\00:48:55.45 Let me suggest to you, it's the seventh one. 00:48:55.48\00:49:00.08 Please, I need your attention now. Why? 00:49:00.11\00:49:02.31 Because the seventh head received the mortal wound. 00:49:02.34\00:49:08.44 And what will happen to the mortal wound of that head? 00:49:08.47\00:49:11.12 It'll be healed. 00:49:11.15\00:49:13.66 And this head will come to the existence 00:49:13.69\00:49:16.51 again and revive the beast. 00:49:16.54\00:49:19.30 It will be new power, carried by the beast. 00:49:19.33\00:49:23.89 But actually that's not a new power. 00:49:23.92\00:49:27.32 It's actually this power that received the mortal wound 00:49:27.35\00:49:30.73 that was killed and comes again. 00:49:30.76\00:49:35.64 So the beast-- the beast that John saw 00:49:35.67\00:49:39.47 in the vision actually worked now through this eighth head. 00:49:39.50\00:49:44.75 That's why this beast is called the beast that was, 00:49:44.78\00:49:49.40 the beast that is not and the beast to come. 00:49:49.43\00:49:53.29 But please, I'd like you now to notice something in verse 11. 00:49:53.32\00:49:57.72 It says, "The beast which was and is not." 00:49:57.75\00:50:00.91 What is lacking here? 00:50:00.94\00:50:04.46 To come is lacking. Why? 00:50:04.49\00:50:06.74 Because the beast has come already, 00:50:06.77\00:50:10.03 as angel is explaining to him, because this beast, 00:50:10.06\00:50:12.98 it says, it's the eighth one. 00:50:13.01\00:50:14.74 It's actually-- it's actually the seventh head 00:50:14.77\00:50:19.73 that received the mortal wound, 00:50:19.76\00:50:21.65 the mortal wound is healed. 00:50:21.68\00:50:24.70 And now the beast is active again. 00:50:24.73\00:50:27.88 Friends, are you confused? 00:50:27.91\00:50:30.58 You can see the Book of Revelation 00:50:30.61\00:50:31.98 actually was not-- 00:50:32.01\00:50:33.38 You see, when you forget 00:50:33.41\00:50:35.39 that actually the angel is explaining to John 00:50:35.42\00:50:38.57 to the meaning of the beast, 00:50:38.60\00:50:40.80 then you cannot be confused with what this six head 00:50:40.83\00:50:46.25 is all about because there is only one head, 00:50:46.28\00:50:49.72 one empire that was active and in existence 00:50:49.75\00:50:53.95 at the time of John, and it was Rome. 00:50:53.98\00:50:56.63 This is the key to the understanding. 00:50:56.66\00:50:59.15 The power that comes after Rome was Papal Rome. 00:50:59.18\00:51:02.65 The power that dominated the Christian world 00:51:02.68\00:51:05.39 for 1,260 years of the medieval period. 00:51:05.42\00:51:10.59 But this power have received the mortal wound 00:51:10.62\00:51:12.69 with the French revolution, you remember that. 00:51:12.72\00:51:15.32 However, the mortal wound will heal, 00:51:15.35\00:51:17.00 that's why this beast here. 00:51:17.03\00:51:18.65 It's the beast that was the beast 00:51:18.68\00:51:21.75 that was not it was killed and actually the beast 00:51:21.78\00:51:24.93 that finally came because the mortal wound was healed? 00:51:24.96\00:51:28.65 Are you with me? Amen. 00:51:28.68\00:51:30.46 Are you excited about the Book of Revelation? 00:51:30.49\00:51:32.05 See, it's not as difficult as many people think that it is. 00:51:32.08\00:51:37.19 The problem is, it's difficult when we have our own ideas 00:51:37.22\00:51:39.70 and then we have to dig to justify those ideas. 00:51:39.73\00:51:43.40 Now let's move on, we have just more than 5 minutes left. 00:51:43.43\00:51:47.19 It says in verse 12. 00:51:47.22\00:51:50.73 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings 00:51:50.76\00:51:54.84 who have not yet received a kingdom, 00:51:54.87\00:51:57.57 but they receive authority as kings 00:51:57.60\00:52:00.70 with the beast for one hour. 00:52:00.73\00:52:03.13 These have one purpose, 00:52:03.16\00:52:04.53 and they give their power and authority to the beast." 00:52:04.56\00:52:08.01 Friends, this is another very difficult 00:52:08.04\00:52:09.81 text of the Book of Revelation. 00:52:09.84\00:52:12.79 The problem is we do not know 00:52:12.82\00:52:14.97 who and what these ten kings are. 00:52:15.00\00:52:19.01 Many Christians are trying to go 00:52:19.05\00:52:20.42 and to find solution in the Book of Daniel Chapter 7 00:52:20.45\00:52:23.65 where we have ten kings. 00:52:23.68\00:52:25.64 Unfortunately, it doesn't help 00:52:25.67\00:52:27.14 because according to the Book of Daniel, 00:52:27.17\00:52:29.38 three of those ten kings were exterminated, 00:52:29.41\00:52:33.22 removed from history, only seven are left. 00:52:33.25\00:52:36.09 So they are not, it cannot--it cannot be. 00:52:36.12\00:52:38.40 I'd like to suggest to you. 00:52:38.43\00:52:39.80 We are talking here about number ten, 00:52:39.83\00:52:41.99 is the number of their fullness of the divided kingdoms. 00:52:42.02\00:52:46.00 That's what happened in the Daniel, 00:52:46.03\00:52:47.40 that's what we have here. 00:52:47.43\00:52:48.80 Who are they actually? 00:52:48.83\00:52:50.20 Some people suggest that they are 00:52:50.23\00:52:51.74 economic powers of this world. 00:52:51.77\00:52:53.27 Some people have different. 00:52:53.30\00:52:54.82 I'd like to suggest to you, let's avoid speculations. 00:52:54.85\00:52:58.97 Let's admit with humility of our hearts, 00:52:59.00\00:53:00.99 we do not know. 00:53:01.02\00:53:03.30 Let us wait and the future will reveal to us 00:53:03.33\00:53:06.63 and tell us exactly who they are. 00:53:06.66\00:53:10.15 If you speculate, it will not help you spiritually at all. 00:53:10.18\00:53:15.43 Only if you're wrong 00:53:15.46\00:53:17.47 can give wrong information to other people. 00:53:17.50\00:53:21.31 And your information, you don't help others 00:53:21.34\00:53:24.10 spiritually either, okay. 00:53:24.13\00:53:26.39 Let us wait. 00:53:26.42\00:53:29.53 But what we're talking here about that the beast 00:53:29.56\00:53:32.40 will be associated with the worldwide confederacy 00:53:32.43\00:53:34.90 of political and secular powers of this world. 00:53:34.93\00:53:39.58 They will unite themselves together because 00:53:39.61\00:53:42.32 we have here now the climax of the battle of Armageddon. 00:53:42.35\00:53:45.65 It says, "These they have one purpose, 00:53:45.68\00:53:49.61 they give the power and authority to the beast. 00:53:49.64\00:53:53.38 These will wage war against the Lamb 00:53:53.41\00:53:55.94 and the Lamb will overcome them because He is the Lord of lords 00:53:55.97\00:53:59.68 and King of kings, and those who are with Him 00:53:59.71\00:54:03.28 are the called and chosen and faithful. 00:54:03.31\00:54:05.90 And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw 00:54:05.93\00:54:08.22 where the harlot sits 00:54:08.25\00:54:09.98 are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 00:54:10.01\00:54:13.07 And the ten horns which you saw, 00:54:13.10\00:54:15.86 and the beast, these will hate the harlot.'" 00:54:15.89\00:54:19.62 We have now the fall of Babylon. Are you still with me? 00:54:19.65\00:54:21.53 We have now the fall of Babylon. 00:54:21.56\00:54:22.93 "Harlot will make her desolate." 00:54:22.96\00:54:25.26 That's what happened to prostitute. 00:54:25.30\00:54:26.81 "And naked, and will eat her flesh 00:54:26.84\00:54:30.24 and will burn her up with fire." 00:54:30.27\00:54:33.69 All this language is taken from the Old Testament 00:54:33.72\00:54:35.86 what people did for prostitute and a faithful women, okay? 00:54:35.89\00:54:39.18 These are the language of the Old Testament. 00:54:39.21\00:54:41.69 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose 00:54:41.72\00:54:46.31 by having a common purpose, 00:54:46.34\00:54:48.34 and by giving their kingdom to the beast, 00:54:48.37\00:54:50.56 until the words of God will be fulfilled. 00:54:50.59\00:54:52.95 And the woman who you saw is the great city, 00:54:52.98\00:54:56.55 which reigns over the kings of the earth." 00:54:56.58\00:54:58.81 One more time. 00:54:58.84\00:55:00.21 "The woman which you saw is the great city." 00:55:00.24\00:55:03.95 Preterist, they say, "This great city was Rome." 00:55:03.98\00:55:05.90 Futurist, they call it different way. 00:55:05.93\00:55:08.25 In the Book of Revelation, which entity is the great city? 00:55:08.28\00:55:12.40 It's Babylon. 00:55:12.43\00:55:14.34 So this woman is equivalent to Babylon. 00:55:14.37\00:55:16.47 Do you see that? 00:55:16.50\00:55:17.87 That's why this woman is called Babylon. 00:55:17.90\00:55:20.16 Friends, here in Chapter 17, 00:55:20.19\00:55:23.48 we have all the rational wider destruction of the Babylon 00:55:23.51\00:55:27.09 because the Babylon, this great city 00:55:27.12\00:55:31.31 has filled the judgment for herself. 00:55:31.34\00:55:37.01 Let us go and when you go now to Chapter 18, 00:55:37.04\00:55:40.89 we see the consequences of destruction of the Babylon. 00:55:40.92\00:55:43.29 This is what we talked already about before is, 00:55:43.32\00:55:47.07 that the fall of Babylon will cause a chaos in this world. 00:55:47.10\00:55:53.43 All those people who believed and trusted Babylon 00:55:53.46\00:55:55.81 so much resided with the Babylon, 00:55:55.84\00:55:58.03 trusted Babylon, believe in the promises of Babylon. 00:55:58.06\00:56:01.12 Now with destruction of the Babylon, 00:56:01.15\00:56:02.55 all their hopes are shattered. 00:56:02.59\00:56:08.58 All their plans for their better future 00:56:08.61\00:56:11.68 are found on that sinking sand. 00:56:11.71\00:56:15.29 And now those people see the consequences 00:56:15.32\00:56:19.33 of their choice and the result of what they have done. 00:56:19.37\00:56:23.75 Unfortunately, this does not change them, 00:56:23.78\00:56:29.09 because at that moment as they're trying 00:56:29.12\00:56:30.54 to destroy God's people, they're faithful. 00:56:30.57\00:56:32.56 You remember, we have the battle of Armageddon, 00:56:32.59\00:56:34.16 they organize themselves. 00:56:34.19\00:56:35.72 They see what Babylon did, 00:56:35.75\00:56:37.83 but they don't turn against Babylon now, 00:56:37.86\00:56:39.49 they turn against God's people blaming them 00:56:39.52\00:56:42.63 and this gives the occasion for the second coming of Christ. 00:56:42.66\00:56:45.88 This is decisive moment of the Book of Revelation. 00:56:45.91\00:56:48.59 And please, I'd like to invite the viewers 00:56:48.62\00:56:51.17 to join us for my favorite chapter 00:56:51.20\00:56:54.52 which is actually Chapter 19. 00:56:54.55\00:56:57.49 Boy, I cannot wait that we deal with this chapter. 00:56:57.52\00:57:00.24 This is beautiful. 00:57:00.27\00:57:01.64 Actually it's telling us about 00:57:01.67\00:57:03.04 the very purpose of the Book of Revelation. 00:57:03.07\00:57:06.31 Yes, this is indeed 00:57:06.34\00:57:07.83 the revelation of the Jesus Christ. 00:57:07.86\00:57:09.89 It deals with those terrifying things. 00:57:09.92\00:57:13.54 These are the things that will happen in the future, 00:57:13.57\00:57:16.17 but you can see what is there between the lines, 00:57:16.20\00:57:18.94 telling us that God is warning us, 00:57:18.97\00:57:21.30 telling us about what the future will bring, 00:57:21.33\00:57:24.00 so that we can be ready and not to be surprise 00:57:24.03\00:57:27.27 to find ourselves on God's side and eventually in His kingdom. 00:57:27.30\00:57:31.64 May God bless you. Amen. 00:57:31.67\00:57:33.31