Babylon the great, Mother of harlots. Revelation 17:3

 I am jumping off my commentary on the Gospel of John to point something out.

One of the so-called “watchmen” that goes by “generation 2434” went on a bit of a rant, saying.

“I, 100%, stand against the teaching that “Mystery Babylon” could be Jerusalem because it goes against God’s word.”

He went on to say,

“There are many scriptures that prove this… but here is the short and firm answer.”

“Mystery Babylon is destroyed and will NEVER be a city again.”

If you search for the phrase “mystery Babylon,” you will NOT find it. The closest thing we have to mystery Babylon is Revelation 17:5. Here is the KJV.

(I have intentionally broken up the passage so that aspects could be emphasized.)

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment.”

(Judgment is that which originates from God and, in general, would be deemed “the great tribulation”; once again, this is an inappropriate term.)

“of the great harlot”

(Momentarily, we will see that BABYLON, THE GREAT, and THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS are the same thing, and Jerusalem is included.

Here is a huge assumption: If there is a great harlot, can there be lesser harlots?

Since we know that Babylon is one and Jerusalem is another, there is the possibility of others.)

“who sits on many waters,”

(Waters is representative of the nations.
Telling us that this “great harlot sits on many waters indicates that “she” has influence over multiple locations simultaneously.
If this were a human, this kind of influence could only be accomplished by having others fulfill their wishes; this conversation fuels the idea that this being is demonic.

Remember that Satan took a third of the angels, an uncountable number, to earth in his rebellion. It is the reason that Satan can have such an influence. )

“with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality,”

(Perhaps it is best to think of this harlot as wickedness, evil, transgressions, and general darkness.

The question to ask yourself is, against whom?

The answer is that these acts of evil are generally perpetrated against the masses who can do little to defend themselves.)

“and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”

(God is showing John, and subsequently us, the punishment of the harlot and who she has had an impact upon; this is an aspect of God’s wrath. It is important to recognize that by the time we read this, the collapse of their empires and national relationships because of the immoralities associated with the harlot will just about be complete.)

Consider what Revelation 17:3 tells us.

“And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness;”

(When God showed Abram how committed He was to this covenant that He was asking Abram to follow, the entirety of the dream, although it sounded like reality. What the Apostle John passes on to us is no less vivid and real. In Acts chapter 8, we see the disciple, Philip, run and catch up with an Ethiopian eunuch, who is riding in a chariot while attempting to read the scroll of Isaiah. I have so many questions about this scenario. Having, a few moments later, baptized the Eunuch in some standing water, Philip is translated; perhaps we can say he was carried away in the Spirit.

Did this happen to John? I cannot say, however, that it sounds like John’s experience was more like Abram’s.)

(Wilderness should be a familiar term as we saw Jesus driven into the wilderness – Matthew 4 - to commune with the Father and to be tested by Satan. The wilderness is typically bleak, foreboding, and lacking water.)

“and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names,”

(If I saw anyone riding on a “beast,” I would assume they believed they were in control of that animal. I had an opportunity to ride a horse when I went to Oklahoma. That horse, for the majority of the time, did what it wanted to do. Finally, as the horse was standing in about a foot of muddy water, a man led some young riders out by me and told them clearly to let their horses know who was in control and told them how to do that. Unfortunately, I don’t remember how to do that, but I applied my momentary education to the situation, got the horse out of the muddy lake, and got the horse to run on a sprint. By the way, this is when the ride smoothed out, but the thought occurred to me that this horse could run in front of an oncoming vehicle.)  

(It is the woman’s head that is full of blasphemous names, and she is riding the scarlet beast, and the beast is speaking blasphemies.

Let’s focus on the blasphemous names for a moment.

Blasphemy is the Greek word blasphēmia and carries meanings of slander, defamation, vilification, and verbal abuse against someone. The WSD conveys that it is the wounding of someone’s reputation by evil reports. We are not given the names, but if you can understand what they are intended to do, you can comprehend the focus of those words – they are meant to demean God and those who represent Him.)

“having seven heads and ten horns.”

(If you search for “seven heads,” you will only find the phrase in the Revelation.)

- Revelation 13:1 TLV  Then I saw a beast rising out of the sea that had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten royal crowns, and upon his heads were slanderous names.

(I am constantly reminding you that our Biblical study is concentrated on Israel and the Mideast; with that in mind, these ten horns and seven heads are defined in Daniel 7 as ten kings. In Daniel 7, he desired an explanation.) The passage that follows is one of those responses.

- Daniel 7:23-24 BSB says ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.  24  And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them, another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings.

(Question: Of the nations in the Middle East, how many are NOT Muslim? Not many.)

The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,

The description conveys that the participants are motivated by wealth and comfort. Soon, they will be subject to God’s wrath, and their money won’t do anything for them.

And on her forehead, a name was written, a mystery,”

Before we go any further, I want to explore this word mystery. I am NOT an expert in English grammar; I pay dearly to have my work edited by “Grammarly’s” document editor. With that said, I noticed that the word mystery ends with a comma. This indicates that there is a pause worthy of contemplating, in this case, the context of the paragraph. While the implications involved with Babylon are significant, we are not given this information for us to be confused because the name Babylon is a mystery.

The word mystery, as used in Revelation 17:5, is the Greek word mustḗrion, and it carries the implications of a person initiated into sacred mysteries. The word mustḗrion is a derivative of the Greek word muéō (G3453) and means to initiate, learn a secret, or some esoteric knowledge. It also denotes something hidden or not fully manifest.

If you are familiar with the Free Masons or the Illuminati, you are already acquainted with the terminology used to describe being initiated into the sacred mysteries.

The prophet, Daniel, revealed this piece of information, somewhat deflating the mystery.

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” Daniel 12:4 NASB

(God has seen fit to open the eyes of those who have an interest in end-times prophecy.)

And this is what was written upon her forehead.

“BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
Revelation 17:5 NASB

You do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that the description seen on the harlot’s forehead is the mystery. It is also an analogy to the centralized system progressively taking over the world.

In an attempt to understand what this mystery is, let’s look at what Revelation 17:18 says.

“And the woman that you saw is the great city exercising kingship over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18 TLV

God calls Babylon the great city, but the problem is that Babylon is no longer there. To add to the confusion, Jerusalem is also called that great city. There are multiple references to the destruction of Babylon in the Old Testament and Revelation. Jeremiah 51:8 is one of our examples.

With all that history, God still has the initiative to use the term suddenly.

“Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.” Jeremiah 51:8 NASB

We find the beginnings of Babylon when we find Nimrod and the tower of Babel. It is from this that Nebuchadnezzar brought about his Babylonian kingdom.

An excerpt from www.worldhistory.org.

“Babylon was founded at some point prior to the reign of Sargon of Akkad (the Great, 2334-2279 BCE) and seems to have been a minor port city on the Euphrates River until the rise of Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE), who made it the capital of his Babylonian Empire. After Hammurabi’s death, his empire quickly fell apart. The city was sacked by the Hittites in 1595 BCE and then taken by the Kassites who renamed it Karanduniash. The earliest mention of the city comes from an inscription from the time of Sargon of Akkad. It was briefly ruled by the Chaldeans (9th century BCE), whose name became synonymous with Babylonians to later Greek writers (notably Herodotus) and biblical scribes, and then was controlled by the Neo-Assyrian Empire (912-612 BCE) before being taken by Nabopolassar (r. 626-605 BCE), who established the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Babylon fell to the Persians under Cyrus II (the Great, r. c. 550-530 BCE) and was a capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE) until it fell to Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. It continued as a trade center under the later Seleucid Empire (312-63 BCE), Parthian Empire (247 BCE to 224 CE), and Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE) but never attained the heights it had known under Hammurabi or the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605/604-562 BCE). The city declined after the Muslim Arab conquest in the 7th century CE and was finally abandoned.” (https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/#:~:text=Babylon%20was%20founded,was%20finally%20abandoned.)

Jeremiah 51:37 also speaks to the cessation of Babylon, a place where no one will ever live again, much like the coming prophecy against Damascus.

Not that long ago, I watched an archaeologist as he visited the site of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. The foundations that mark the perimeter of Babylon still exist, but no one, to this day, lives within those boundaries.

“Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants.”
Jeremiah 51:37 NASB

Consider this: Babylon, acting on behalf of God, in time, took the majority of Israel captive. It is possible that the prophets Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Obadiah were taken captive alongside Daniel.

One of the ways we can look at the original Babylon is to see it as a protective force.

Did everyone obtain untouchable protection?

No, and we see an example of this when we read about King Zedekiah, the King of Judah (the Southern kingdom. Read Jeremiah 39:1-9), but others, such as Daniel and the other three young men that were taken captive, enjoyed God’s protection.

If you read about Daniel, you learn that he was thrown into the lion’s den for maintaining his routine of worship. King Darius, who had been tricked, fought to save Daniel, but his own edict was against him. Daniel came out of this sure death unharmed. Read all this in Daniel, chapter six.

Since we can understand that Babylon is gone, this discussion about Babylon, which is deemed a mystery, has to be more spiritual in nature and in the future. Needless to say, that future is now.

And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.”
Revelation 11:8 NASB

When God talks about the two witnesses who stand in the streets of Jerusalem, He refers to Jerusalem as that great city, merely clouding the issue.

So, when I or anyone else talks about false teachers and how they can lead you astray, someone speaking authoritatively can drag you into confusion by insisting that Babylon must be rebuilt. Clearly, that is not the case. To combat that happening, you must become a student of the Word of God; that means you read and write with the express purpose of gaining insight into how God thinks and feels.

How the Bible states the end will come. What began as short post from Pete Garcia, who goes by REV310 on Telegram.

 This essay was, in a sense, a critique of a short post from Pete Garcia. You can view his page, education, and background on the Telegram app as REV310. 

Part one of at least three.

I am doing this because numbered points are things that you might hear in church but rarely understand; that, and I happen to think that some things need definition, especially when it comes to the Revelation. And I tend to get carried away with my writing and, therefore, have to cut my essay into segments.

I have noticed that Mr. Garcia has become a sought speaker in a brief time when it comes to Eschatology (The study of end-time events related to scripture.) Like Dr. Chuck Missler, he has an extensive military background, but I don’t buy everything he says. 

Having said all that, when I saw his eight quick points on how the end will come, I immediately wanted to see what he had to say, and, if what he was trying to convey was valid; the way I do that is to look at the passage he uses to define his points and see if they work. 

For example, Number 1 is the Church age. I will tell you that most, even the old-timers, which I have now become, cannot define what the church age is. Can I relate this age to say, the stone age, seeing as somehow, at least the stone age can be defined? Perhaps an answer to this is simply from the day the church that believes in Jesus began on the day of Pentecost when over 3000 people came to accept Jesus as their savior/Messiah. This event occurred around 200 decades ago and will continue until the church is snatched away from the turmoil.

The title of this post is: How the Bible states the end will come. The numbered points 1) etc, is Pete's.

1. Church age (or our present-day) Philippians 1:10, Romans 11:25, Revelation chapters 2-3.

   We are starting with Revelation 2-3. While these passages are descriptions of the church, they, for the most part, were written to existing churches, most of whom were in the Asia Minor region. All of these continue to represent the church age as it progressed through the centuries. Today, we are a living representation of the Laodicean church; we have turned our backs on God.

   Philippians 1:9-10 NASB (9) And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, (10) so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

   While Philippians does not speak to a particular church associated with Revelation 2-3, the church of Philippi was one of the many churches started by Paul. It was also in Asia Minor, along with the seven churches. Again, these words speak to us as well. Note how Paul prayed that their love would abound, that they would operate in knowledge and discernment, and be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.

   Although we loudly proclaim that Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, his evangelism toward the Gentiles, for at least 15 years, was only a consequence of his messages to the Jewish communities he tried to enlighten. An understanding of who Paul was talking to should cause us to understand what he is saying when he proclaims, “in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” Most of these “converts” had a Jewish background, and one might assume that the day of Christ could have everything to do with Jesus coming back as the warring Messiah. 

If that had been the case, the terminology would have been stated “as the day of the Lord,” but it was not, so our understanding leans toward Jesus coming back to retrieve His church.

And finally, let’s try to consider why Mr. Garcia included Romans 11:25. 

Romans 11:25 NASB For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

This verse has everything to do with a hardening of the heart that causes them NOT to believe. Current day Jewish teachers in Israel forbid the reading of scriptures like Isaiah 53 and the prophecies of Daniel. Passages like these should be life-changing, but perhaps not because there is a hardening of the heart that prevents understanding. 

Note how Paul uses the word mystery. Most religious folk will tell you that the Bible is a mystery and that NO ONE can understand it or know. 

There is a problem if you try to use the word mystery as a weapon in your goal to keep the masses illiterate and uneducated. 

The word mystery is the Greek word mustērion  and means something previously hidden but now fully revealed. 

Eugene Peterson’s Message says it best.

“‘Go on about your business, Daniel,’ he said. ‘The message is confidential and under lock and key until the end until things are about to be wrapped up.
(Daniel 12:9 MSG)

This may not shock you, but God is about to wrap this church thing up. With that being said, I do not see how reading about the seven churches can convince some that we are living in that age, especially since this age has lasted for over two thousand years. But then, there is that idea that God has unlocked the understanding for those who choose to understand.

2. Rapture of the Church (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, 5:9; 1 Corinthians 15:51-56, Revelation 3:10

   The first consideration is that there is NO direct reference to the phrase “the rapture of the church;” Yet, there are many examples of the church being caught up. The expression is derived from the Latin Vulgate, which uses the term rapio, which means to be snatched.

   Revelation 12:5 speaks of the church, her child, being caught up unto God. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the Apostle Paul states that we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And finally, Philip in Acts 8:39 was caught up and moved a great distance to another place, Azotus – not that the site is essential. 

Here in Acts 8:39, the translators used the word snatched. Webster’s dictionary defines snatched as seized suddenly and violently.

Caught up or snatched is the Greek word harpazō, and it carries several implications such as: to seize, take away by force, snatch away, to convey away suddenly, or transport hastily.

There are many willing to fight with you about this subject. Some believe that we, the church, are already in the time of tribulations. I think that if I could have a conversation with “believers” from Ukraine, they might agree. 

My point of view, and I believe my opinion stems from a competent comprehension of the scriptures; we will experience a catching away of the church prior to God’s wrath being poured out upon the world. 

John 14 does not use the term harpazo but bears the implication of our being gathered.

John 14:2-3 NASB “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (3) “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Why would He need to gather us, the church, back to Himself? Because there is wrath that is coming, that exceeds your imagination.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NASB (10) and wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Thessalonica to address worries and concerns about some being left behind. I give you a portion of Pete Garcia’s reference.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 speaks of the church not being destined for wrath. Most call the time of wrath – the Great Tribulation. Well, how would you expect to be delivered from this wrath? Only through death or the catching away of the church. By the way, Jesus told us that tribulations would be a way of life for His followers.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 NASB (9) For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

1 Corinthians 15 communicates how these perishable bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

1 Corinthians 15:50 NASB (50) Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

There is a solution for that, to go through a change in which we obtain imperishable bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB (51) Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

So, when does that change occur, most likely when we are caught up or snatched into the clouds to be with Jesus. The last example the author uses is Revelation 3:10. 

Revelation 3:10 NASB ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Though it does not speak expressly about catching away or snatching, the idea is there, and the presumption is that you would understand this by now.

The woman drunk with the blood of saints. Revelation 17:6,7.

 In my previous post, I only covered two verses. I suspect the reason I did that is that the majority of us are experiencing the World Economic Forum’s goals of global dominance and a concerted effort to reduce the world’s population. While, on the other hand, we are trying desperately to figure out who is pulling the puppet strings intended to make us dance.

Here is a portion of Revelation 17:5 to help prove my point.

Revelation 17:5b. ISV ...BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

Some might say, what they are doing is NOT detestable, and it is common among my community of friends. We all have a community of what we call friends, just as Jeffrey Epstein did. However, they were all so blinded that they could not or refused to see that what they are doing to children was no better than what Israel did with that Molech idol that they coerced Aaron to make in the wilderness. 

The Old Testament does not convey the depth of perversion involved in what Israel did there with that idol. But, as you can see from this ISV translation that we are told, it was just an idol to be used in a festival. Well, that sounds like a good time is to be had.

He took them (their gold adornments) from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, “This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and then he proclaimed, “Tomorrow is to be a festival to the LORD.” (Exodus 32:4-5 ISV)

But Stephen understood what it was and what they did there that day, and he retold the details to the Jewish council that would soon kill him because of false charges that caused him to be standing here.

Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him (both God and Moses) but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt -- we do not know what has happened to him!’ At that time, they made an idol in the form of a calf, brought a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, house of Israel? But you took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, the images you made to worship, but I will deport you beyond Babylon.’ (Acts 7:39-43 NET.)

That sacrifice was their children, which they roasted as they danced.

Albert Barnes, in his commentary, explains for us what Moloch was. “Moloch - This word comes from the Hebrew word signifying “king.” This was a god of the Ammonites, to whom human sacrifices were offered. Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire”. 

God’s character and moral law have never changed, and His law has been written upon the heart of every living being; it has been this way since He put humanity on this earth. 

First, it is essential to note that Satan understood that humans would know good and evil.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 NASB)

Let’s take for granted that you don’t believe me, then look at this interaction between God and Cain. This interaction brings us to my second point. Cain, having sacrificed improperly, brings God into the picture (in the form of Jesus), and God has a conversation with Cain.

“Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Genesis 4:4-7 NASB)

God could not have this conversation unless He, in some manner, had previously instructed  Cain on what is right and how to do it. God’s nature is not to pull a sneak attack on you and then laugh as He throws you mercilessly into hell. Therefore, we can lean on one of two things. 

1. Because we see nothing that tells us that God instructed Cain, his instructions had to come from Adam. I am telling you this because I have heard these foolish arguments.

2. Since Adam gave up the dominion of the earth to Satan by his actions, God had to come down and slaughter enough animals to offer a sacrifice for both Adam and Eve, but explained why; and then made clothing out of the skins. Information about the necessity of a sacrifice, and perhaps the clothing, was passed from Adam to Cain and Abel. And we know this by inference – Abel sacrificed a lamb, the firstborn, and God accepted that sacrifice.

So, even though this next piece of information comes from Leviticus, it seems to have come after the Moloch incident. Of course, some will take this idea to the next level and say, see, these people should not be held responsible for roasting their children to a false and abhorrent god. Sorry, that argument is not going to work, and I have already told you why.

‘You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. (Leviticus 18:21 NASB)

Just in case you think I was kidding about this Moloch stuff, check this out. 

“You shall also say to the sons of Israel: ‘Any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones. ‘I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name. ‘If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to Molech, so as not to put him to death, then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech.” (Leviticus 20:2-5 NASB)

If you have been bold enough to speak out against the vaccine tyranny on YouTube, then your page, or at least your speech, has probably been blocked, demonetized, and made to disappear from the internet. I say this because some have made compelling documentaries about how the rich kill the children they take off the street because they believe that they gain some dark spiritual power. Do not think for a second that they will go unpunished.

So much for an introduction. Let’s move on to Revelation 17:6. 

Revelation 17:6 NASB “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.”

Drunk is the Greek word methuō and obviously means drunken, but it is also (as Thayer’s dictionary conveys) metaphorically indicative of one who has shed blood or been murdered profusely.

If you were to ask me, when does all this blood get shed? I would have to say, look at the third world nations, especially those with a considerable Islamic influence, because there is hardly a week that goes by where anywhere from ten to 100 churchgoers are shot, burned, or bombed. 

Is it just the third-world nations? 

Hardly because the news out of Europe frequently has some fool screaming Allahu Akbar while stabbing or shooting ten or so people. The fact that the passage tells us that the “woman” is drunk with the blood of saints tells me a significant motive of the global elite is to kill off those who associate themselves with Christianity. I can tell you that our governing bodies are turning against the Church daily here in America. 

Our California governor was sued, and a judgment was rendered by the state supreme court. The decision against him prevents him from making proclamations against the church. 

So how does our illustrious governor responds to a court order? 

He hands off his dirty work to local city councils, such as San Jose’s or the state health department. But, you might ask, how is the state health department playing into this role? Since the California governor cannot declare our church assemblies illegal, he has the health department limit the number of people who meet indoors to 1000, which again attempts to disrupt the church. Here is what is interesting about this. Since the initial Covid shut down, many churches have closed their doors and not reopened. 

In the last few weeks, before writing this post, I have come to find out that California Governor Gavin Newsome, the nephew of Nancy Pelosi, was a recent graduate of the Klaus Schwab school of global governance. When you consider that Klaus Schwab is the dark lord leader of this international governing body that we see in the end times, it only makes sense that this school is an educational ground for future oppressors.

• “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.”

For a period of time, I thought that the context of the word saints, as used here, only spoke of those who were killed during the time of wrath. However, if you look up the word saints, you will find that Paul addressed the believers as saints on several occasions. Therefore, we cannot limit this conversation to the time of wrath alone, especially since Christ-followers are killed daily.

In the reference to the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, the definition of a witness is not so rigid. 

Why say that? 

The thief on the cross is one of the most dramatic examples of a witness that fits outside of the religious definition. Before the crucifixion, we know nothing about these two lawbreakers hanging there with Jesus.

Yet, as soon as the conversation begins, you get a strong sense that everyone in this scenario is a Jew.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 NASB)

It is clear that there is an understanding that Jesus is God in this man, that they, the criminals, deserved punishment, but Jesus did not; and he asked that Jesus remember him, to which Jesus said, I will. 

This interaction had none of the standard religious talks, and yet the thief, also nailed to a cross, had a heart toward God; this was evident because he expressed an understanding of who Jesus is, and he knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong. All of these assessments are true. The thief did not cry out for salvation, did not necessarily plead for forgiveness of sins, and may not have been able to have a lamb sacrificed for his benefit. 

Can you see that that there is nothing standard about this process? 

And yet, Jesus told him, this day, you will be with me in paradise. A vast number in the Middle Eastern world have been brutally murdered for not bowing to Allah and giving their allegiance to this god who is no god. 

Is it possible that they, like the thief on the cross, by rejecting a false god, gave their lives to the God who created the heavens and promised them a life of peace with the Father?

John, in Revelation 17:6, says, “When I saw her, I wondered greatly.” Wondered sounds so benign and simplistic, why would anyone feel the need to pursue such a simple word? Because I always read this and thought, this is like looking at a horrific car crash and not looking away. 

The word wondered is the Greek word thaumazō, and it means to regard with admiration or to reverence. 

Suddenly I find myself disgusted, or, at the least, taken back by the fact that John was not repulsed. After all, this is the entity drunk on the blood of saints. The obvious thing that I see here is that riches and power have an extraordinary draw on us.

Revelation 17:7 NASB And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

What an odd question this angel asked. It is almost as if John is surprised this entity is so attractive. Isn’t that the way Satan seems to work? Revelation 17:7a. BBE, puts it this way, And the angel said to me, Why were you surprised? He makes the worst of things seem attractive, at least for a time. 

The angel begins to answer the question. 

• “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.”

Mystery? The Greek word is mystērion and for me, the meaning is unusual. Mounce’s dictionary says it best. It is “a matter to the knowledge of which initiation is necessary; a secret which would remain such but for revelation.”

Every time I see the word mystery, I get a sense of something we cannot possibly know.

One of my pastors verbally attacked me because, as he claimed, NO ONE can understand the book of Revelation or eschatology. Obviously, he did not, and he asserted, that is why I don’t teach it. 

How does the Revelation open? 

Revelation 1:3 NASB “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

Another translation reads, God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church.

Based upon this, should I make the foolish assumption that God does not want me to understand? 

The answer is NO. He desires for us to know, it merely requires an open mind and the time to look at passages in the Old Testament, because there is little in the New Testament that did not come from the old. 

Romans 16:25,26 NASB tells us 

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;.”

Paul, writing to the church at Colossae, says

I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God -- given to me for you -- in order to complete the word of God, that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. (Colossians 1:25-26 NET.)

Alright, so it’s no longer a mystery to the believer, as the Word of God – scripture is the thing that allows us to understand things that used to be mysteries.

This “mystery” is what the prophet Daniel dealt with as he was frequently shown images that made no sense. A lack of understanding prompted him to ask for interpretations, which were provided, although I doubt some of the explanations made sense because they were for future times; nonetheless, explanations were freely given. I genuinely believe that we are living in those times now.

Next time we will regroup at Revelation 17:7 and move forward quickly from there. 

In the meantime putting yourself into the arms of Jesus moves you into the category of those who have had the mystery opened up to them, but there is also the knowledge that you are accepted and loved by the Father.