That Great City: Revelation 17:18

   But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days: 2 Timothy 3:1.

   Revelation: Greek  ἀποκάλυψις - Apokalypsis - to uncover or unveil.  

   Some of the most compelling prophecies in the Bible are found in the Book of Revelation. Revelation is the unveiling of end time events which will occur during a time of tribulation; global war, famine, pestilence, divine judgements, natural catastrophes, cosmic disturbances, the third temple and two witnesses, the rise of a global leader and his kingdom; the beast out of the sea with a religious system, the beast out of the earth. 

   This will be a time of great tribulation unlike anything the world has ever seen. These events mark a time period which must occur before the return of Christ Jesus who defeats evil, claims ultimate victory, and rules from the throne of David. 

   Knowledge of these future events help us identify tribulation markers as they become visible. One of these future events is the prophecy found in Revelation 13  - the rise of the beast out of the sea: a vicious and brutal kingdom which has seven heads (seven kingdoms) and ten horns (ten kings): R 13:1-4. There is also a second beast which rises from the earth: R 13:11, which has two horns 'like a lamb' and speaks the words of the red dragon. This Beast out of the earth (clay) is the religious system of the first beast - the beast out of the sea - the tribulation kingdom of antichrist (iron). 

English Back to Greek Revelation 17:3

English Back to Greek Revelation 17:3

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 

   The most interesting area of study of Revelation 17 and 18 are translating the English  interpretations back into the original Greek and breaking down the meaning behind those words. Some of the English translations were poorly chosen. 

   John chose his words very carefully when drafting his account, detailing specifics that are not found in the English translations. Studying the Greek which John used gives us a clearer picture of what John was witnessing while in the spirit. 

   In verse 7 the angel tells John that he will tell him the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her. The angel begins to explain a succession of events surrounding the beast who carries the woman upon his seven heads. The angel begins with the beast in verse 8, but does not give John much more information concerning the woman  until the very last verse,  Here, the angel tells John that the woman which he saw was that great (μεγας) city (πολις) which reigns over the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:18. This verse transitions chapter 17 into chapter 18.

   In the Greek, μεγας, mega translates into English as great, huge, enormous by volume, overtly large by physical size. 

   πολις or, polis for city is defined in the Greek as a walled city, mother city, magistrate city of many that dominates well defined territory: Babylon the Great.

   So now we know that the woman is a metaphor for a extremely large city. 

Seven Heads of the Beast Revelation 13

   1) "And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (kingdom) rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2) And the beast that I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat (throne) and great authority. 3) And I saw one of his heads as it were (slain) wounded to death,(εσφαγμενην), and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." 

   John is instructed to document and record a series of events: the things which he had seen, the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Revelation 1:19). After the seven letters to the seven churches, John is shown a door in heaven and is taken in the spirit. The large majority of the things recorded in Revelation consists of futuristic events, that extended far beyond John's world, to the end of the age. These events transpire during the appointed time of tribulation and move the reader forward, into the Great tribulation. 

   I think people are shocked when they discover that much of Revelation is more literal than it's given credit for. We are told that Revelation is full of prophetic symbolic imagery and it's hard to understand so, we expect to be confounded and confused. We were told how it should be interpreted and now, we hold onto faulty interpretations for dear life and pass them on. One of these faulty interpretations is that the seven heads of the beast, are the seven hills of Rome. 

   The majority of Revelation consists of the witness statement written by John; the  documented account of the events he viewed 'which shall be hereafter,' These events were witnessed and recorded by John while he was in the spirit on the Lords day. Much of his witness statement is contested by bible students and scholars who don't quite agree with the timing or, the symbology that John saw and documented. Most of the symbology can be found in the old testament and Revelation can be viewed from a biblical perspective based upon the O.T. Once we study the symbolic imagery taken from the old testament, we discover that Revelation can not only be understood but, it's fairly simple.  

English Back to Greek Revelation 17:1

   And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will show you the judgment of the great whore πόρνης that sits upon many waters. Revelation 17:1

   The most interesting area of study of Revelation 17 and 18 are translating the English  interpretations back into the original Greek and breaking down the meaning behind those words. Some of the English translations (in my opinion) were poorly chosen. 

   John chose his words very carefully when drafting his account detailing specifics that are not found in the English translations. Studying the Greek which John used offers a clearer picture of what John was witnessing, while in the spirit. 

   For example the Greek word translated into the English as great (megas) 'prostitute' is  πόρνης which means commercially corrupt one, to export or sell products or commodities immorally for profit or gain. This is generally defined or translated into English by its root πόρνη which is simply pornēs, prostitute or prostitution. This is where the term harlot, wh0re or, prostitute originated from, the root of πόρνης. 

Revelation 13:3 King or Kingdom?

    I was a little late to the Revelation 13:3 social media party and almost missed it completely. After the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald J Trump, social media lit up with Revelation 13:3 quotes. This was mostly from those who don't study scripture but, are quick to use it to serve their purposes or, fit a specific narrative which has become common practice. Most comments were quite misguided, even delusional, misquoting scripture. 

   "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast" 

   The bullet grazed former President Trump's ear, whereas, the alleged shooter received a deadly head wound which ended his life and no, he will not rise again. But, the scriptural reference was directed at former President Trump and his wounded ear. Heads represent kingdoms, horns represent kings, Is Trump a kingdom? Is he a kingdom that belongs to the beast that rises from the sea, mid-tribulation? Is he even a sitting President right now? Is he a leader (king) of a middle eastern world kingdom? No, of course not. 

   Why doesn't scripture say one of the horns was wounded as to death if this verse represents a deadly head wound upon a man; a king? Because it's not a man, it's a kingdom. 

   Let me explain: 

   Revelation 13:1-4 details the rise of the antichrist-tribulation kingdom aka: the beast of ten horns, who parallels the feet and toes of iron and clay.  

Dreams of a King Daniel 2

Nebuchadnezzar's Prophetic Dream

   Upon claiming the throne (605 BC) after the death of his father, King Nabopolassar, King Nebuchadnezzar II inherited a bunch of mystic advisors that had once served his father. These wise men were collaborators of the dark arts who worked in service to the King. The mystic advisors were the best the kingdom had to offer, Egyptian magicians, Canaanite fortunetellers, Aramaic astrologers, and Chaldean dream interpreters. There were also soothsayers, diviners,  sorcerers, enchanters, conjurers, and illusionist available to provide counsel unto the new king.  

   But none would come close to doing what the king requested.

   King Nebuchadnezzar II was haunted by a dream that mesmerized his soul. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the details of his dream evaporating as soon as he woke. It intrigued  him so deeply that he called upon his court of dream translators, sorcerers, astrologers, and magicians to reveal his dream, and the meaning of it.   

   He was desperate to know the interpretation of the mysterious dream that evaded his waking moments. 

Hislop and the Mother Child Religion

   The argument used by Alexander Hislop to explain the mystery religion or, the mother - child worship predominant in the Catholic church is that every false religion in the world is connected to the worship of a woman named Semiramis and her child, Tammuz, the reincarnation of Nimrod. His argument is that the mother-child religion flooded the entire world after the fall of Babel to honor or replicate the worship of Semiramis and Tammuz. He claims that these are the same beings with different names since the languages had changed. 

    His argument is that Mary and Jesus are simply imitations of Semiramis and Tammuz reintroduced into religion, and the birth of Christ Jesus, was a replacement for this ancient Babylonian mystery religion. He ignores any reference to the rise of fertility cults consisting of a variety of deities that dominated the Mesopotamia. 

   History shows that the Mesopotamia was filled with a mixed combination of occult  rituals, idol worshipers and a saturation of fertility religions post-flood. History has no mention of a woman named Semiramis until the 8th century BC, long after the tower of Babel fell and, Nimrod no longer walked the earth. Her memory was expounded upon, and included in the writings of many Greek historians, beginning with Greek physician and historian, Ctesias (5-4th C BC) who connected her to a mythological character, King Ninus. 

   According to Greek mythology, King Ninus ruled Assyria in 3000 BC. These myths and legends are what many historians, including Alexander Hislop, based their research on.