Participants: Ranko Stefanovic
Series Code: RCK
Program Code: RCK000024
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00:23 Welcome again to our program,
00:26 "Revelation of The Coming King." 00:30 Boy, we're already deep in the Book of Revelation 00:33 dealing with the final events 00:35 and I see in your reactions on one side 00:39 it's so frightening about what happened, 00:41 on other side it telling us praise God, 00:43 we have God who cares about us. 00:47 As you know that this program is a part 00:50 of a long series in which we are covering 00:53 22 chapters of the Book of Revelation. 00:56 And this is one complete series 00:58 that I don't do very, very often is, 01:01 and I'm so excited about that. 01:02 By the way, I'm Ranko Stefanovic, 01:05 Professor of New Testament 01:07 at the Seventh-day Adventist 01:09 Theological Seminary of Andrews University. 01:13 And I'm so glad to be here at 3ABN. 01:16 And I really appreciate each one of you 01:20 who are supporting this broadcasting, 01:24 both with your prayers and your money. 01:26 Keep in mind, keep in mind 01:28 that money cannot replace the prayers. 01:32 And the prayer cannot replace money. 01:35 We have to do both because in order 01:37 that we are able to proclaim this everlasting gospel 01:41 to the world before Jesus comes. 01:44 We would like to encourage you to remind you once again 01:47 that the purpose of this series 01:50 is not to provide the answers to all the questions 01:53 that you have about the Book of Revelation. 01:55 As you noticed already there are some things\ 01:58 I'd like to learn and I'm still studying 02:01 and trying-- and trying to understand, 02:03 but the purpose of this program 02:04 is to give you in a nutshell, okay. 02:09 What are the contents of the Book of Revelation is all about 02:12 and to tell you about the right way 02:14 how to interpret the biblical prophecies. 02:17 So once this program is over, 02:19 we would like to encourage you that you go 02:21 and to find a number of your fellow Christians 02:25 that you sit together and study 02:27 the Book of Revelation in much deeper, deeper way. 02:31 If you want to do it, you need some tools. 02:35 And I would like one more time to remind you 02:37 that we have a perfect tool. 02:39 I'm holding it in my hand 02:41 because the Bible itself explain itself. 02:44 And this is what you shared with me 02:47 how you realized more and more, 02:48 how it's important to allow the Bible 02:50 to interpret the symbols of the Book of Revelation. 02:53 But I'm also glad to remind you 02:59 that when the program is over 03:01 that you can turn to certain pages 03:05 that the entire subject is actually covered here 03:09 in this commentary that is named 03:11 that's titled "Revelation of Jesus Christ," 03:16 which is actually verse-by-verse 03:18 commentary on the Book-- on the Book of Revelation. 03:20 The purpose of this commentary 03:21 actually is to give you both, the Old Testament 03:25 and the New Testament, that ground text 03:29 which you can use to unlock 03:31 the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation. 03:33 So one more time the subject that we will cover today, 03:36 oh boy, it's very exciting subject. 03:39 There is no place in this world under the sun that I went, 03:42 that I had those short series on the Book of Revelation 03:45 that somebody would not raise a hand and say, 03:49 "Please, can you take sometime 03:51 and tell us about the Revelation 17? 03:54 And that's the reason what we are trying now to do. 03:56 And please, I'd like to encourage you to study 03:59 more for yourself and the pages 04:01 in the commentary are from page-- 04:03 from 511, and go on, okay. 04:08 From page 511. 04:13 Okay, but the most important thing 04:17 is what we are supposed to do 04:19 is really to ask God for the guidance 04:23 as we are studying this difficult subject. 04:26 So I'd like to ask you to bow your heads, 04:29 so that we can ask God for His guidance 04:32 and for His presence here in our midst. 04:34 Our Heavenly Father, thank you so much 04:38 for all the promises given to us that we are not left alone. 04:42 As we think so much about the future, 04:44 You told us, don't be afraid, 04:46 I will be with you in the future there. 04:49 But thank you also for the promise that You-- 04:52 that Your Holy Spirit will help us in understanding. 04:55 Sometimes difficult to understand for us 04:59 passages of the Book of Revelation. 05:02 So we're asking You humbly, 05:04 sincerity of our hearts that Your Holy Spirit 05:08 will come here and be present in our midst 05:10 and help us to understand this text. 05:12 Father, and we pray all of this 05:14 in the precious name of the one 05:15 who died on the cross of Calvary. 05:17 Jesus Christ who is the main subject 05:19 of the Book of Revelation. 05:21 We pray all of this in His precious name, amen. 05:28 So I would like to remind you just in few-- 05:33 in few moments what we talk so far. 05:36 Last time we discussed about the biblical concept 05:40 that almost every Christian is familiar with, 05:44 is the concept of the battle of Armageddon. 05:47 We understood last time few things. 05:49 Let me just mention them. 05:51 Number one is that the battle of Armageddon 05:53 is not a literal military battle in near east, 05:58 for different reasons including oil 06:01 or to settle Israeli 06:05 and Palestinian relationships there in Palestine. 06:08 That's not--that's not about that, okay. 06:10 That's--that's the first thing, okay. 06:12 Second thing is the battle of Armageddon 06:16 involves God's people 06:18 who'll be the target of that battle, okay. 06:23 The outcome of the battle of Armageddon results 06:26 in the fall of the end time Babylon. 06:30 Are you still with me? 06:31 Now the fall of the Babylon 06:33 is not because the judgment of a Babylon, 06:36 just because of the judgment. 06:38 It's like, what happened with the ancient Babylon, 06:40 you remember that. 06:42 Why the ancient Babylon had to experience the fall? 06:47 In order to make possible for God's people 06:50 to go back to their land and to rebuild Jerusalem, 06:53 to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. 06:57 So the same situation is with the end time Babylon. 07:02 Why the fall of Babylon? 07:06 What is the outcome of the fall of Babylon 07:08 that the Michael according to the Book of Daniel 12:1, 07:12 that the Michael great prince, 07:13 Jesus Christ Himself can come, 07:15 He will defend His people, 07:17 and finally He will establish His kingdom here on this earth. 07:21 So keep in mind, what is the outcome 07:24 of the battle of Armageddon is the fall of Babylon. 07:28 And resulting in the second coming 07:30 of Jesus Christ one more time, 07:32 it results in the second coming of Jesus Christ. 07:37 Okay, this concept is very important 07:41 to keep here, you know. 07:43 Let me--let me mention few things. 07:46 And please, I will try to go very slowly 07:48 because I see that you are writing. 07:51 I'd like you to give little bit the outline 07:53 of what we have here 07:54 with reference from the battle of Armageddon. 07:56 Revelation 16, one more time, Revelation 16. 08:00 What verses? 12-16. 08:03 Those verses they do not portray 08:05 the very battle of Armageddon. 08:09 Are you with me? Yes. 08:11 There is no battle, portrayal of the battle, 08:13 description of the battle there in those verses. 08:16 Those verses they only portray 08:18 the preparation for the battle of Armageddon. 08:22 Now please, I have to say something to you 08:26 what usually I hate to do, 08:27 but in this case we have to do it. 08:30 The battle of Armageddon, 08:32 it's in many different ways, okay, one more time. 08:36 The battle of Armageddon 08:38 is portrayed in many different ways, 08:41 in different parts of the Book of Revelation, okay. 08:45 You see, the very outcome of the battle of Armageddon, 08:50 it's the seventh plague that we have the fall of Babylon. 08:56 What will happen when the Babylon is fallen? 09:00 You have to go to Revelation 18. 09:03 Are you still with me? 09:04 We're dealing with the conclusion of chapter 16, 09:07 Fall of Babylon. 09:08 By chapter 18, we have the lamentation 09:10 of all those who cooperated with Babylon. 09:13 Keep in mind, they invested so much in Babylon. 09:17 They believed Babylon. 09:18 They hoped that Babylon will provide for them in the future. 09:22 What now the experience there is the fall of Babylon. 09:26 They understand finally that they were building 09:30 on the stand-- on the sand. 09:33 So all their hopes are now crushed. 09:36 That's in chapter 18, okay. 09:40 But what does come between chapter 16 and the chapter 18? 09:45 Comes chapter 17. 09:48 Chapter 17, the purpose of 09:50 this chapter is a kind of interlude. 09:53 It wants to tell us actually, 09:54 why Babylon is judged before God? 10:00 Want to tell us actually what Babylon is all about. 10:04 And this is the focus of our study. 10:06 Chapter 19, the following chapter of chapter 18 10:08 actually describes the conclusion 10:10 of the battle of Armageddon 10:12 and the fall of Babylon when Jesus Christ Himself 10:15 will come to defend His people, 10:18 to take them to Himself and to establish His kingdom. 10:21 Are you still with me? 10:22 But there is also another place in the Book of Revelation 10:27 that portrays the battle of Armageddon. 10:29 Probably you haven't thought too much about that. 10:33 By the way, we studied about the six trumpet, 10:35 which also describes preparation for the battle of Armageddon, 10:38 but there is one chapter 10:40 in the Book of Revelation that really talks about 10:43 the battle of Armageddon without mentioning it. 10:45 It's actually a Revelation 13, the last verses. 10:49 Do you remember the Mark of the Beast? 10:52 Do you remember all those who don't remember-- 10:54 Actually, this is the part of the battle of Armageddon. 10:57 Just want to confuse you a little bit. 10:59 So to stimulate you and motivate you 11:02 to go and to study the subject for yourself, that's enough. 11:06 Please, I'd like now to invite you to go to chapter 17. 11:09 Keep in mind, what is the purpose of chapter 17? 11:13 It's a kind of interlude. 11:16 The purpose of chapter 17 is to tell us 11:20 who and what Babylon is, 11:22 and why Babylon has a such dramatic end? 11:27 And then going to chapter 18, 11:29 actually telling us about the situation of the world. 11:33 All that lamentations that the fall of Babylon will cause. 11:37 So now, oh boy, we have some-- some very interesting text here. 11:40 I have to write something there 11:42 on the blackboard, okay. 11:44 Are you with me? 11:46 It's green board, okay. 11:48 Chapter 17:1, "Then one of the seven angels 11:53 who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, 11:57 saying, "come here, and I will show you 12:00 the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters." 12:05 I thought to write there, but I'll not write. 12:08 Now you have to be with me. 12:10 The angel said to John, I want to show you the judgment. 12:15 The judgment is described in chapter 18, and says, 12:19 one great harlot, the name of that harlot 12:21 is Babylon and that harlot sits where? 12:26 On many waters. Are you sure about that? 12:32 Are you--are you ready for surprises? 12:34 This is what the Book of Revelation is all about. 12:36 Let's go to verse 2, "With whom 12:38 the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality." 12:42 Friends, this is not a literal immorality, 12:43 this is spiritual immoral-- 12:45 Symbol for that illicit relationships, 12:48 when people who are faithful to God, 12:50 abandoned God. 12:51 Do you remember that 144,000 12:55 will not associate themselves 12:59 with those women, you remember that? 13:01 This is what we are talking here about. 13:03 "And those who dwell on the earth 13:05 were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." 13:08 Now, are you with me? 13:10 "And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, 13:14 and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, 13:17 full of blasphemous names, 13:19 having seven heads and ten horns." 13:22 Do you notice anything interesting in verse 3? 13:28 Okay, let me go back. 13:29 The angel said to John, "Come here, 13:32 I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute 13:34 who sits on many waters." 13:35 Where is prostitute sitting on? 13:37 Waters. Waters. 13:38 Let's go to verse 3. 13:40 "And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, 13:42 and I saw the woman sitting on many waters." 13:47 Now look into text. 13:48 "The woman sitting on the scarlet beast." 13:50 Tell me, where is the woman sitting on? 13:52 Beast. 13:53 Is it on the waters or on the beast? 13:55 The beast. It's the both. 13:58 Okay. 13:59 Because the waters they stand for what? 14:01 Verse 15, we read it-we read it. 14:04 Verse 15, "The waters which you saw 14:06 where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes 14:09 and nations and tongues." 14:11 Secular and political powers of this world. 14:14 What does the beast stand for? 14:17 Political powers. 14:19 You see, you have two different symbols. 14:21 Let me remind you something. 14:22 Do you remember when we talk about 144,000? 14:25 John hears something. 14:29 But when he turns to see, he sees something else, 14:33 but the something else is the same thing 14:35 that he heard about. 14:36 So here John hears that the prostitute 14:39 sits on many waters, 14:41 when he actually sees the prostitute, 14:43 the prostitute does not sit on the waters. 14:45 The prostitute is sitting on the beast. 14:48 You see that that part in the Book of Revelation? 14:52 If you are shocked now, I have another surprise for you. 14:58 Viewers, are you ready? 15:00 Let's go there. It's verse 9. 15:06 "Here is the mind." It's Chapter 17:9. 15:11 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. 15:15 The seven heads are seven mountains 15:17 on which the woman sits." 15:23 Where is the woman sitting on-- up on in verse 9? 15:26 Mountains. It sits on the mountains. 15:31 Does the woman Babylon sit on waters 15:36 or on the beast or on the mountains? 15:39 And the answer is, yes. Yes. 15:42 Why the mountains? We'll come to that. 15:44 Mountains in the Bible 15:46 stand as a symbol for the world empires. 15:50 So you see, we are-- you are dealing 15:51 with the same reality, but three different symbols 15:55 are used in the Book of Revelation. 15:56 Just to show you a little bit 15:58 how complex the Book of Revelation is all about. 16:01 So what about this woman? Who is this woman? 16:04 Let's go to verse 4, John sees now the woman. 16:07 She is sitting on the scarlet beast. 16:10 She said, "She is a full of blasphemous names." 16:13 Friends, you now have to help me. 16:15 Have you read somewhere in the Book of Revelation 16:17 about the blasphemous names? 16:22 The Revelation 13. 16:25 Do you remember, it's the first beast. 16:29 That has blasphemous names 16:31 and that beast also speaks blasphemy. 16:35 What is the blasphemy in the New Testament, okay? 16:40 When the person, when the man 16:43 seeks equality with God 16:45 and claims the prerogatives of God. 16:50 By the way, evidently the beast 16:54 up on which the woman is sitting here 16:57 is related to the beast of chapter what-- 17:00 of Revelation 13, the first beast there. 17:03 How do you know that? 17:04 It says, "It has a seven heads and ten horns." 17:08 Have you read somewhere about seven heads and ten horns? 17:12 Yeah, we read in Revelation 12. 17:14 It's the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, 17:17 but also the first beast in Revelation 13. 17:22 Are you still with me? 17:24 But keep in mind, this beast this time 17:26 is not a religious entity any longer, 17:29 it's certainly the political entity 17:32 carrying the religious entity 17:34 which is actually the woman sitting on the beast. 17:36 Are you still with me? 17:39 Like as the Babylon is right on the River Euphrates, 17:41 so these woman is laying on the beast. 17:44 It's the beast that carries this woman. 17:47 Okay, verse 4, "The woman was closed 17:50 in purple and scarlet and adorn with gold 17:54 and precious stones and pearls, 17:57 having in her hand a gold cup full up of abominations 18:02 and of the unclean things of her immorality." 18:05 How is these women here portrayed as a prostitute? 18:10 When you go to the ancient world to the first century, 18:13 you can see the language that is used here. 18:17 Number one, she is closed in purple and scarlet. 18:21 Friends, sometimes I see good Christians, 18:24 they're showing some pictures 18:25 in order to interpret this beast 18:27 of certain church leaders who are dressed in red. 18:31 This is completely opposite 18:32 to the intention of the Book of Revelation. 18:34 The Book of Revelation is not here to tell us, 18:37 look for the people who are dressed in red 18:39 because sometimes-- look, I have a shirt almost red. 18:44 Please, this is not the-- and you have red as well. 18:47 This is not purpose of the Book of Revelation 18:49 to point to certain people who are dressed in red. 18:51 Actually because scarlet... 18:56 in the Bible it's the symbol of blood. 19:00 Talking about entity that is responsible 19:02 for shedding blood of many followers of Christ, 19:05 but is dressed in the purple. 19:07 Why the purple? 19:08 Because the purple is the royal color. 19:10 Are you still with me? 19:12 You're dealing here with the religious entity 19:14 that claims the royal prerogatives, 19:17 but it is responsible for the persecution 19:19 of many God's people there, etcetera. 19:22 And it's covered with the golden precious stones. 19:25 By the way, let me stop here for a while. 19:27 Do you remember that that these women 19:29 stands as antithesis of New Jerusalem 19:32 covered with many precious stones 19:35 and with a lot of gold here, okay? 19:40 And says, "In her hand 19:42 was the gold cup full of abominations 19:44 of the unclean things of her immorality." 19:47 So talking here about the symbol of 19:50 a prostitute woman, prostitute woman. 19:53 And her goal is to go to deceive people 19:56 to side with her immorality. 19:58 It's a symbol of prostitute, okay. 20:00 Let's move on. 20:02 "And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery." 20:07 By the way, if you go to my commentary there, 20:09 you'll find even the text from the Book of Jeremiah, 20:12 it's telling us that actually a custom of having 20:15 the name written there was a custom 20:17 developed in nation Israel among prostitutes. 20:21 So the people could easily recognize 20:23 actually who the woman-- who the woman prostitute 20:28 actually is, and what is that-- what is that all about. 20:31 Okay, let's go on. 20:33 He said, "And I saw the woman 20:34 drunk with the blood of the saints." 20:37 It's interesting is. 20:38 Person is drunk of alcohol. 20:41 These woman is drunk of the blood, 20:42 and that's why the color, the scarlet color very much 20:46 corresponds to the true character of this woman, 20:49 and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. 20:52 "When I saw her I wonder greatly." 20:54 And please, allow me now-- 20:56 now I'm tempted now to talk a lot about that. 20:58 In Greek, it looks like this. 21:01 John said-- are you with me? 21:03 It says, John said, 21:04 "When I saw her I was amazed with the great amazement." 21:11 Why? That's how literal Greek. 21:13 He put here nice English. 21:14 Actually talks like that. 21:16 When John saw this woman he-- how did he react? 21:22 Look the next text-- the next text. 21:29 It's verse 7, "And the angel told me, 21:33 why are you so much amazed?" 21:36 Why is John amazed 21:40 at seeing this woman? 21:45 Let me ask you, what will happen to you, 21:48 if you know one person 21:50 and you know that person is honest, 21:51 that person-- Let's a lady, 21:54 that lady has the family, 21:55 has the children and that lady 21:58 is even in your church, etcetera. 22:00 And one day you're walking in the street 22:02 and you see prostitute sitting there at the corner, 22:06 you look little bit closer into the face of that prostitute, 22:10 how do you react? 22:13 Is it possible, why? 22:15 Because that prostitute is exactly that lady that, 22:17 you know, that has a family 22:18 and that she is there in your church there. 22:22 You know that person, but in the business 22:25 it's very strange to you. 22:26 Why is John reacting so much? 22:28 Because evidently this woman looks very familiar 22:33 to him because he saw that woman earlier in Revelation 12, 22:38 that pure woman that brought the Messiah to this world. 22:44 It was that woman that was subject 22:46 of the hatred of Satan Himself, persecuted by the Satan. 22:52 But then, John suddenly in the Revelation 12 22:55 changes that at the time of the end, 22:58 Satan is determined to go to wage the war, 23:00 not against the woman any longer. 23:03 Satan suddenly starts hating the offspring 23:08 of the remnant of the woman, but not the woman any longer. 23:12 Why not? Because at the time of the end, 23:15 this woman, pure woman, the church of Christ 23:19 turns into the prostitute woman. 23:23 That's why Revelation 17 portrays here 23:26 the apostate Christianity. 23:28 When you say the apostate Christianity, what does it mean? 23:31 We talk about Christianity that in the past was faithful to God. 23:34 Thus, when John sees this woman, he is so much amazed, 23:38 he cannot believe it that this is the woman 23:40 that he saw earlier. 23:41 Now this woman who was so faithful to God 23:43 now turns into the prostitute. 23:46 Are you still, friends, with me? 23:49 And the angel is trying to tell him, 23:51 "John, don't be amazed so much. 23:54 Let me explain to you the secret of this woman. 23:58 What actually happened to this woman?" 24:01 Why does she turn into prostitute? 24:04 And he said, "I will tell you the mystery of this woman." 24:08 What does it mean mystery? Secret. 24:10 Why this woman turned into the prostitute? 24:13 Keep in mind, friends, at the time of the end, 24:15 God will have His remnants, 24:16 while the majority of the Christians 24:18 evidently will be on the wrong side, 24:20 it's very hard for me to say it, 24:22 but this is what the Book of Revelation 24:23 is trying to tell us. 24:25 And it says, okay. 24:29 "And of the beast that carries her, 24:32 which has the seven heads and the ten horns." 24:37 But now where it's very interesting 24:38 is that the angel says to John, 24:40 "I will show you the mystery of the woman 24:42 and on the beast." 24:43 But when you read the rest of the chapter, 24:45 the angel does not talk about the woman any longer. 24:48 He talks only about the beast. Why? 24:51 Because the woman and the beast are inseparable. 24:55 You look the beast, you see the woman. 24:57 You see the woman, you see the beast, 24:59 because is this the beast that carries 25:02 that woman to do her activities. 25:03 Are you still with me? That's why it's said, 25:06 "And the name of this woman is Babylon." 25:08 You remember? 25:09 Because the purpose is here to tell us, 25:11 what and who is Babylon, 25:13 and why Babylon is to be destroyed? Okay. 25:17 Now we are coming to the funny section of Revelation 17. 25:20 Are you with me? 25:22 Please, now we have to sweat, okay. 25:25 Verse 8 says, "The beast that you saw." 25:29 Which beast? 25:31 "The beast that carries the prostitute was, 25:37 and is not and is about to come up out 25:43 of the abyss and go to the destruction." 25:47 Are you with me? 25:48 It says, "And those who dwell on the earth, 25:54 whose names had not been 25:56 written in the Book of Life from the foundation 25:58 of the world will wonder." 26:01 And now we have repetition. 26:03 "When they see the beast 26:06 that he was and is not and it will come." 26:13 Please, I'd like you to pay attention 26:16 to one small detail. 26:18 For you maybe it does not look as a big detail, 26:21 but it's very, very important for the subject 26:24 that we are studying here. 26:25 It says-- it's the middle of verse 8. 26:30 "And those who dwell on the earth, 26:33 whose name has not been written 26:35 in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, 26:38 will wonder or worship the beast 26:42 that was is not and it will come." 26:44 Do these words look familiar to you? 26:46 Amen. Where did we- 26:48 where did you read those words? 26:49 In Revelation 13:8. 26:51 Do you remember in the Revelation 13:1-7, 26:55 when John describes, portrays the beast 26:57 in terms of the past tense. 26:59 Do you remember that by using the past? 27:00 And then suddenly in verse 8, 27:02 he is switching to what tense? 27:04 The future tense. 27:06 And he stops there. 27:08 Now he repeats the same words here in Chapter 18 to tell us. 27:11 Now I'm continuing the subject 27:13 that I stopped in chapter 13. 27:17 Because Chapter 13:8, 27:19 he stopped describing the first beast. 27:22 Now he is continuing to tell us. 27:24 How does he call the beast? 27:27 Two times. He calls the beast how? 27:30 The beast that was is not-- 27:36 I'd like you to pay attention 27:39 here to one very important thing is. 27:41 When you read this text, the beast that was, 27:45 the beast that is not, and the beast will come. 27:49 What does suddenly come to our mind? 27:53 Several times, it occurs in 27:55 the Book of Revelation, the one who was, who is, 28:01 and who is to come, who is that? 28:03 It's God Himself, it's Jesus Christ Himself. 28:06 So what can you say about this beast? 28:08 Do you remember that we read already 28:10 that actually these beasts' functions 28:11 as the counterfeit of Jesus Christ? 28:14 Okay, that's one thing is. 28:16 But what is the meaning that the beast was? 28:20 It's not and is to come. 28:22 Please, you have now to be with me. 28:25 This is a funny. 28:27 Okay, part of the Book of Revelation. 28:31 You see, this beast thatJohn 28:35 is talk about has three phases of the existence. 28:39 First, the beast was when was the beast? 28:45 Revelation 13--13. 28:49 From the year when? 538. 28:55 Okay, you see the Book of Revelation 28:57 is not as difficult as it appears. 29:00 Until the year 1798, the beast was. 29:07 Then what happened with events of French Revolution? 29:11 The beast received the mortal wound and the beast was killed, 29:14 so the beast is-- this is not phase of the beast. 29:22 Are you still with me? Amen. 29:24 Then what is the third phase? 29:27 The time is coming. 29:31 When the mortal wound will be healed, 29:36 so the beast will come to life again. 29:40 So now we will have the beast will come. 29:46 Friends, can I ask you one frank question 29:49 and also our viewers? 29:50 Is the Book of Revelation indeed so difficult? 29:54 You see, instead of copying somebody's else ideas, 29:57 if you really go and study the text for yourself, 30:00 you see that's not as much as difficult, okay. 30:04 So keep in mind, Revelation 13. 30:08 Let's put Revelation 13, 30:11 portrays this phase of the beast, 30:15 when the beast was during 30:16 the prophetic period of 1,260 days. 30:19 Are you with me? 30:21 Now here, Revelation 17 portrays the phase of the beast 30:27 after the healing of the mortal wound. 30:30 Now, can you help me in what time period do we live? 30:35 We live today this period is not phase of the beast. 30:40 Because we are waiting for the future event 30:42 of the healing of the mortal wound. 30:44 Are you with me? 30:46 Now so difficult. 30:48 Let's go to little bit more difficult part. 30:51 And this is what our viewers would like now to see it. 30:55 Verse 9, it says, "Here is the mind 30:59 who has the wisdom." 31:01 Are you familiar with this phrase? 31:03 Where that we find somewhere else in the Book of Revelation? 31:07 "Here is the mind who has the wisdom." 31:09 With reference to the number 666, 31:12 Revelation 13:18. One more time, this is not the call 31:16 for human wisdom for some mental and mathematical calculations, 31:22 it's for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, 31:24 only those people who fear God, 31:25 who want to find the truth they will understand it. 31:28 So let's now we'll head into this text. 31:32 "The seven heads are seven mountains 31:35 on which the woman sits. 31:39 And there are seven kings, five have fallen, 31:43 one is, the other has not yet come 31:48 and when he comes he must remain a little while." 31:53 And the beast which was and is not, 31:58 is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven 32:03 and he goes to the destruction." 32:06 Welcome to the club 32:08 of the great riddles of the Book of Revelation. 32:11 Are you excited now about this? 32:13 Friends, let me tell you is, 32:17 those apparently problematic text of the Book of Revelation 32:22 are problematic, not because 32:24 the problem is in the Book of Revelation, 32:27 it's because give an opportunity to many people 32:31 to make many different speculations 32:34 about that to support their ideas what they have. 32:36 And I just want to tell you among the Christians, 32:38 even among my brothers and sisters 32:40 of my own denominations, there is no text 32:43 of the Book of Revelation that cause so many speculations 32:47 among people to support any kind of ideas 32:49 that people can invent. 32:51 But I just want to show you, not just to interpret this, 32:55 I would like you to interpret, but just for sure 32:57 how really the difficulty is not with the Book of Revelation. 33:01 When you with open mind just read 33:03 what the Book of Revelation is telling us. 33:06 So I would like now that we interpret 33:08 these texts together. Amen. 33:11 Okay, are you ready? 33:12 Now let's go here. 33:13 Let's start with verse 9. 33:16 We decided to take enough time 33:17 because I know how many Christians 33:19 would like really to see the meaning of these texts. 33:23 It says, "Here is the wisdom." 33:24 Now we saw that the beasts has seven heads, 33:29 but John is telling us, actually the angel says to John, 33:33 "Keep in mind, John, these heads are not literal, 33:37 they stand as symbol for what? 33:40 For mountains." 33:41 Boy, boy, boy, boy. 33:43 But John is evidently more confused 33:44 and that's why many Christians, 33:46 they're going to certain city of this world to show 33:49 seven mountains are located at. 33:51 Friends, this is not what the Revelation is telling us. 33:53 Look, look, look in the text. 33:55 It says, "The seven heads 33:57 are seven mountains on which the woman sits." 34:00 It's the same symbol as waters, 34:02 but the angel goes immediately telling them 34:04 that these mountains are actually seven kings. 34:09 Not literal mountains supporting the City of Rome. 34:13 Are you still with me? 34:14 It's a symbol of seven kings. 34:18 Before we go into any discussion, 34:21 we have to understand one thing 34:23 because we would like now to do something special 34:26 and to keep in mind about what this vision is all about. 34:29 So please, are you with me? 34:30 Keep in mind. 34:32 John is in the vision. 34:34 It's very, friends, important. 34:35 John is in the vision. 34:38 He sees the woman, he is amazed there 34:42 and after that comes a conversation 34:44 between him and the angel. 34:46 And now the angel, please keep this in mind. 34:50 Now the angel is explaining the vision to whom? 34:56 To John, because John was confused. 35:00 So he is trying to make a sense of this woman to John, 35:06 so when we now see the interpretation 35:08 that the angel is making to John, 35:10 we have to keep in mind to whom the angel was explaining, 35:15 because the Christians today when they read 35:18 these interpretation of the angles, 35:20 they put themselves in the position 35:21 that the angel is explaining to them. 35:27 And that's why you have all those different ways 35:30 of interpreting what-- Can you keep this in mind? 35:35 Okay. So now, let us now try to do something 35:41 and to see what we have here. 35:44 Now you have to be with me. 35:46 Let me first remove 35:48 this from the blackboard, okay. Okay. 35:57 Let us make it-- let us make it very, very clear. 36:00 The angel is explaining to John and telling him, 36:02 "John, let me talk about the beast 36:05 because the characteristic of the beast 36:07 is that has seven heads." 36:10 But he is telling him, "Keep in mind, 36:11 those seven heads are not literal, 36:13 they stand as symbol for the mountains. 36:15 Actually even those mountains are not literal. 36:17 They stand as a symbol of kings." 36:21 Oh, now this gives an opportunity, 36:24 chance to many people to interpret who are those kings. 36:29 Preterist are interpreting seven Roman emperors. 36:33 Today futurists Christians are interpreting 36:35 seven different popes or different leaders 36:38 that fit this picture. 36:41 Friends, this is contrary to the Bible, 36:43 because you have to understand something that the Bible-- 36:47 Are you with me? 36:48 The Bible, the Book of Revelation 36:50 never deals with individual persons. 36:55 It deals either with the kingdoms or the systems. 36:59 So these kings here are not individual kings, 37:03 they are kingdoms or now you'll will say, 37:09 "Brother Stefanovic, are you using now 37:10 your imagination to make an impression." 37:13 No, that's biblical. 37:14 Please, would you turn with me? 37:16 Can you turn to the Book of Daniel 12? 37:18 The Book of Daniel 12. Friends, we have to understand 37:24 how the Bible treats the subject, 37:26 not what we would like to make of the subject, okay. 37:30 It's Daniel 2. 37:33 Do you remember what we have in Daniel 2? 37:36 Do you remember what we have there? 37:39 The King of the Nebuchadnezzar. 37:41 Do you remember the King Nebuchadnezzar 37:42 saw that statue, the head of gold, do you remember? 37:46 Then it leads to the silver, then to bronze 37:50 and to the iron there. 37:52 But the King Nebuchadnezzar did not understand 37:54 what was going on, so God revealed to Daniel. 37:57 And now Daniel explains to the King Nebuchadnezzar, 38:00 the meaning of the statue that dream. 38:02 So please, would go with me Daniel 2:37. 38:07 So verses 37-39. 38:10 Daniel is explaining to the King Nebuchadnezzar 38:12 and he said--Let's read from verse 36 here. 38:15 It says, "This was the dream 38:18 now we will tell the king its interpretation before the king. 38:21 You, O, king, are the king of the kings 38:24 to whom the God of heaven has given 38:27 the kingdom the power, the strength and the glory. 38:31 And wherever the sons of man 38:34 dwell or the beast of the field or the birds of the sky, 38:38 he has given them in to your hand 38:41 and has cause you to rule over them all, 38:44 you are the head of gold." 38:47 Oh, no, no, you have to be with me. 38:51 Who is represented by that head of gold on the statue? 38:57 Babylon, we know that clearly. 39:00 But what is that t Daniel said to the king? 39:03 You are that head. 39:04 Please, please, look--look something else. 39:06 Let's go to the following text. 39:09 Verse 39, "After you there will be-- 39:14 there will arise another kingdom." 39:16 What is that kingdom? 39:18 Medo-Persia. Please, please, 39:20 we also--already mentioned the fall of ancient Babylon. 39:24 Did Medo-Persia come after the King Nebuchadnezzar? 39:28 No. No. It came after the King Belshazzar 39:34 and between the King Nebuchadnezzar 39:36 and Belshazzar, there are three other kings. 39:40 So Medo-Persia really did not come 39:42 after the King Nebuchadnezzar. 39:46 So when Daniel said to the king, 39:47 "You are the head of gold." 39:49 He wanted to tell him actually, 39:51 Babylon because the King Nebuchadnezzar 39:54 was the ruler of Babylon. 39:56 And keep in mind we're dealing with ancient concept. 39:58 The king is the kingdom, the kingdom is the king. 40:01 Don't confuse with our modern concept 40:03 when president and a country, they are two completely 40:05 different entities because the president 40:07 is just for few years. 40:09 We're dealing with ancient concept. 40:10 Let's see something else-- let's see something else. 40:12 Daniel 7:17, what do we have in Chapter 7? 40:19 Do you remember when Daniel saw the same-- 40:22 the same word empires, but this time 40:24 in terms of four beasts? 40:27 And Daniel was confused. 40:28 He did not know the meaning of those four beasts. 40:31 Now the angel explains to John in verse 17. 40:35 So Revelation 7:17 telling him, "These great beasts, 40:41 which are four in number, are four kings." 40:45 One more time. "Are four--" 40:48 Kings. "Kings, which will arise from the earth." 40:51 Which four kings? 40:58 Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome, 41:03 so they're not really kings, they are kingdoms. 41:06 Are you, friends, with me? 41:08 So when in the Bible there is a talk about kings, 41:12 it actually means, what? 41:15 Kingdoms. Are you persuaded? 41:17 I can give you many more evidences. 41:18 You have there in my commentary, 41:19 but just if you see that. 41:21 So when you go to Revelation 17, 41:25 when the angel explains to John that those seven heads 41:30 are seven mountains that they are actually seven kings, 41:33 actually means seven kingdoms. 41:36 Keep in mind that Book of Revelation 41:37 does not deal with individuals. 41:41 It deals with systems and kingdoms. 41:44 Now John is thinking, what are those seven kingdoms? 41:52 And the angel is telling him. 41:54 Oh, boy, "There are seven kingdoms, 41:57 five have fallen, one is the other has not come yet, 42:03 when he comes he must remain a little while. 42:06 But the beast which was and is not is himself 42:09 also the eighth and is one of the seven 42:12 and goes to destruction." 42:14 Are you confused? 42:15 That's good if you're confused, then we can now go and talk. 42:18 So please allow me now. 42:19 I will use my artistic skills to see how I can draw here, okay? 42:42 Am I an artist? Amen. 42:44 Okay. This is the beast. 42:50 How many heads does the beast have? 42:54 Seven. Is it seven or eight? 42:56 Eight, yeah. Read verse 11. 43:01 I think it has eight. 43:02 Okay, but originally it has seven. 43:04 Let's put it here. 43:11 Boy, this is terrible beast? 43:12 More terrible than it's in the Book of Revelation. 43:14 One, two, four, three, okay. 43:19 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Okay. 43:26 Now let's work together. Keep in mind. 43:30 To whom does is the angel explaining the vision? 43:35 To John. To John, not to us, to John. 43:38 And John wrote what was explained to him. 43:42 So the angel said to John, 43:44 five of these kingdoms have fallen, they are the past. 43:51 Are you still me? 43:53 So you see, five of them are fallen, okay. 43:58 What about the sixth one? 44:01 This one is, is. 44:05 They are past. 44:09 And what about the seventh one? 44:13 Will still come. Now let me ask you. 44:16 I want to do for yourself and the viewers, 44:18 when you look at these I have two illustrations. 44:21 Where is the key to the understanding 44:23 of these seven kingdoms? 44:29 Where would you start with which head? 44:36 No, the angel doesn't talk about Babylon here. 44:39 Babylon is not mentioned here. 44:43 Let me ask you, to whom did the angel explained the vision? 44:47 John. To John. 44:50 So when the angel said to John, 44:52 the sixth one is, is from whose perspective, time perspective. 44:58 John's. From John. 45:00 Is the Book of Revelation difficult? No. 45:02 And tell me what was the kingdom 45:05 and the empire at the time of John? 45:07 Rome. Rome. 45:08 Is it difficult? No, it's not. 45:10 It's the sixth one. 45:12 You see the sixth one. 45:13 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. 45:16 So it's Rome. So does it mean? 45:23 What about five others? 45:26 Are the kingdoms they were in existence 45:30 prior to the time of John, prior to Rome? 45:33 Now there is question, what are those kingdoms? 45:37 That's why you have to go to the Old Testament. 45:39 What is the characteristic of these kingdoms? 45:41 They all unite the religion and politics 45:43 and they were involved in persecuting God's people. 45:45 Tell me in the Old Testament, what was the first kingdom 45:50 that persecuted the church of God? 45:52 Babylon. Really? 45:55 Is the beginning with church of God with Babylon? 45:58 Actually it's Egypt. Egypt, yeah. 46:01 The first kingdom that persecuted the church 46:03 of the Old Testament which was actually Israel was Egypt. 46:07 You see that. 46:11 What was the next kingdom 46:13 that was involved in persecuting God's people? 46:15 Actually destroyed the ten tribes, 46:18 removed them from the world scene completely. 46:20 What was that? 46:21 Assyria. Okay, it's Assyria. 46:27 I put here abbreviation Assyria. 46:30 You remember took ten tribes, dispersed them there. 46:33 We don't have ten tribes. 46:34 We talk about in Revelation 7 about that. 46:36 What was the next kingdom 46:37 that was involved in persecuting God's people? 46:40 It's a Babylon. 46:43 What the next one? 46:45 Now it's easy. It's Medo-Persia. 46:46 What next one? Greece. 46:48 It's Greece. 46:54 See, they were all the empires that Satan used, 46:57 trying to prevent God's plans with reference to His people. 47:01 Now Rome was the empire at the time of John, 47:07 but what do we have next? 47:09 He says, "But the seventh one is not yet." 47:16 It was supposed to be the future from John's perspective. 47:21 After--after when? 47:23 After the Roman Empire. 47:25 And what was the power that ruled for more than 1,000 years 47:30 controlling the people, persecuting God's people 47:34 during the 1,260 prophetic days or years. 47:37 It's Papal Rome. 47:48 Now you'll see that very difficult text, 47:50 it's not so difficult. 47:51 Let's go Revelation 1-- Revelation 17:11, it says, 47:57 "The beast which was and is not." 48:02 This beast that we just talk. 48:04 He says, "Is the eight." 48:07 Did you see that? 48:09 Okay, let's put it here. 48:12 Okay, six, seven. 48:15 Now let me put here just to distinguish. 48:18 There is the eighth head. 48:22 But the angel said to John, 48:25 "But actually these eighth is one of the seven." 48:32 Now you have to be with me. 48:34 Let me go here. 48:36 He says that these eight, the beast has actually seven, 48:40 there is no eighth head, but he says actually 48:43 if there is the eighth head, this is not the eighth head, 48:46 it's actually one of the seven. 48:50 Which one of the seven? 48:55 Let me suggest to you, it's the seventh one. 49:00 Please, I need your attention now. Why? 49:02 Because the seventh head received the mortal wound. 49:08 And what will happen to the mortal wound of that head? 49:11 It'll be healed. 49:13 And this head will come to the existence 49:16 again and revive the beast. 49:19 It will be new power, carried by the beast. 49:23 But actually that's not a new power. 49:27 It's actually this power that received the mortal wound 49:30 that was killed and comes again. 49:35 So the beast-- the beast that John saw 49:39 in the vision actually worked now through this eighth head. 49:44 That's why this beast is called the beast that was, 49:49 the beast that is not and the beast to come. 49:53 But please, I'd like you now to notice something in verse 11. 49:57 It says, "The beast which was and is not." 50:00 What is lacking here? 50:04 To come is lacking. Why? 50:06 Because the beast has come already, 50:10 as angel is explaining to him, because this beast, 50:13 it says, it's the eighth one. 50:14 It's actually-- it's actually the seventh head 50:19 that received the mortal wound, 50:21 the mortal wound is healed. 50:24 And now the beast is active again. 50:27 Friends, are you confused? 50:30 You can see the Book of Revelation 50:32 actually was not-- 50:33 You see, when you forget 50:35 that actually the angel is explaining to John 50:38 to the meaning of the beast, 50:40 then you cannot be confused with what this six head 50:46 is all about because there is only one head, 50:49 one empire that was active and in existence 50:53 at the time of John, and it was Rome. 50:56 This is the key to the understanding. 50:59 The power that comes after Rome was Papal Rome. 51:02 The power that dominated the Christian world 51:05 for 1,260 years of the medieval period. 51:10 But this power have received the mortal wound 51:12 with the French revolution, you remember that. 51:15 However, the mortal wound will heal, 51:17 that's why this beast here. 51:18 It's the beast that was the beast 51:21 that was not it was killed and actually the beast 51:24 that finally came because the mortal wound was healed? 51:28 Are you with me? Amen. 51:30 Are you excited about the Book of Revelation? 51:32 See, it's not as difficult as many people think that it is. 51:37 The problem is, it's difficult when we have our own ideas 51:39 and then we have to dig to justify those ideas. 51:43 Now let's move on, we have just more than 5 minutes left. 51:47 It says in verse 12. 51:50 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings 51:54 who have not yet received a kingdom, 51:57 but they receive authority as kings 52:00 with the beast for one hour. 52:03 These have one purpose, 52:04 and they give their power and authority to the beast." 52:08 Friends, this is another very difficult 52:09 text of the Book of Revelation. 52:12 The problem is we do not know 52:15 who and what these ten kings are. 52:19 Many Christians are trying to go 52:20 and to find solution in the Book of Daniel Chapter 7 52:23 where we have ten kings. 52:25 Unfortunately, it doesn't help 52:27 because according to the Book of Daniel, 52:29 three of those ten kings were exterminated, 52:33 removed from history, only seven are left. 52:36 So they are not, it cannot--it cannot be. 52:38 I'd like to suggest to you. 52:39 We are talking here about number ten, 52:42 is the number of their fullness of the divided kingdoms. 52:46 That's what happened in the Daniel, 52:47 that's what we have here. 52:48 Who are they actually? 52:50 Some people suggest that they are 52:51 economic powers of this world. 52:53 Some people have different. 52:54 I'd like to suggest to you, let's avoid speculations. 52:59 Let's admit with humility of our hearts, 53:01 we do not know. 53:03 Let us wait and the future will reveal to us 53:06 and tell us exactly who they are. 53:10 If you speculate, it will not help you spiritually at all. 53:15 Only if you're wrong 53:17 can give wrong information to other people. 53:21 And your information, you don't help others 53:24 spiritually either, okay. 53:26 Let us wait. 53:29 But what we're talking here about that the beast 53:32 will be associated with the worldwide confederacy 53:34 of political and secular powers of this world. 53:39 They will unite themselves together because 53:42 we have here now the climax of the battle of Armageddon. 53:45 It says, "These they have one purpose, 53:49 they give the power and authority to the beast. 53:53 These will wage war against the Lamb 53:55 and the Lamb will overcome them because He is the Lord of lords 53:59 and King of kings, and those who are with Him 54:03 are the called and chosen and faithful. 54:05 And he said to me, 'The waters which you saw 54:08 where the harlot sits 54:10 are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 54:13 And the ten horns which you saw, 54:15 and the beast, these will hate the harlot.'" 54:19 We have now the fall of Babylon. Are you still with me? 54:21 We have now the fall of Babylon. 54:22 "Harlot will make her desolate." 54:25 That's what happened to prostitute. 54:26 "And naked, and will eat her flesh 54:30 and will burn her up with fire." 54:33 All this language is taken from the Old Testament 54:35 what people did for prostitute and a faithful women, okay? 54:39 These are the language of the Old Testament. 54:41 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose 54:46 by having a common purpose, 54:48 and by giving their kingdom to the beast, 54:50 until the words of God will be fulfilled. 54:52 And the woman who you saw is the great city, 54:56 which reigns over the kings of the earth." 54:58 One more time. 55:00 "The woman which you saw is the great city." 55:03 Preterist, they say, "This great city was Rome." 55:05 Futurist, they call it different way. 55:08 In the Book of Revelation, which entity is the great city? 55:12 It's Babylon. 55:14 So this woman is equivalent to Babylon. 55:16 Do you see that? 55:17 That's why this woman is called Babylon. 55:20 Friends, here in Chapter 17, 55:23 we have all the rational wider destruction of the Babylon 55:27 because the Babylon, this great city 55:31 has filled the judgment for herself. 55:37 Let us go and when you go now to Chapter 18, 55:40 we see the consequences of destruction of the Babylon. 55:43 This is what we talked already about before is, 55:47 that the fall of Babylon will cause a chaos in this world. 55:53 All those people who believed and trusted Babylon 55:55 so much resided with the Babylon, 55:58 trusted Babylon, believe in the promises of Babylon. 56:01 Now with destruction of the Babylon, 56:02 all their hopes are shattered. 56:08 All their plans for their better future 56:11 are found on that sinking sand. 56:15 And now those people see the consequences 56:19 of their choice and the result of what they have done. 56:23 Unfortunately, this does not change them, 56:29 because at that moment as they're trying 56:30 to destroy God's people, they're faithful. 56:32 You remember, we have the battle of Armageddon, 56:34 they organize themselves. 56:35 They see what Babylon did, 56:37 but they don't turn against Babylon now, 56:39 they turn against God's people blaming them 56:42 and this gives the occasion for the second coming of Christ. 56:45 This is decisive moment of the Book of Revelation. 56:48 And please, I'd like to invite the viewers 56:51 to join us for my favorite chapter 56:54 which is actually Chapter 19. 56:57 Boy, I cannot wait that we deal with this chapter. 57:00 This is beautiful. 57:01 Actually it's telling us about 57:03 the very purpose of the Book of Revelation. 57:06 Yes, this is indeed 57:07 the revelation of the Jesus Christ. 57:09 It deals with those terrifying things. 57:13 These are the things that will happen in the future, 57:16 but you can see what is there between the lines, 57:18 telling us that God is warning us, 57:21 telling us about what the future will bring, 57:24 so that we can be ready and not to be surprise 57:27 to find ourselves on God's side and eventually in His kingdom. 57:31 May God bless you. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17