The Lady of the Night: She seeks to seduce your soul!

This article is about a harlot. You know what I mean - a lady of the night. A lady who plays fast and loose. A lady who dresses to allure and speaks to entrap. She has one goal - to get you in her clutches.

Harlots practice their trade for profit. It is for them a business. It's "pay as you go." That ladies of the night destroy families, scar bodies, morally rot society, and sin against a holy God is of no consequence to them.

But the lady of the night of whom I speak is infinitely more dangerous than other ladies of the night. She has been around a very long time. She is experienced, but almost paradoxically still young, stunning, and alluring. And time has not diminished her energy. When she walks across a room, the glances are long and almost embarrassingly conspicuous. And she is pleased. No shyness here - it is what she wants.

This is a high-priced lady of the night. She appears to have so much to offer. Her long hair glistens in the light, and her facial features appear perfect. Her dress is provocative by intention; a little low cut, clinging, and suggestive, but not common - at least not unless it is necessary.

This prostitute is an equal opportunity employee. Young and old, rich and poor, men and women, educated and uneducated, civilized and barbarian - all are solicited to party with her and pay for her favors. She is tireless in her solicitation, always looking for one weak moment to work her charm, one unguarded occasion to allure. Those who think she poses no danger to them are the most vulnerable of all.

Strangely, this lady of the night is not motivated by money. She is not working to acquire more jewelry, a larger apartment, a more expensive car, or more extravagant vacations. Her goal is far more sinister than that. She is not after your mortal body. This lady of the night is after your immortal soul.

She has revolted against the eternal God who created all things, and - make no mistake about it - you are the prize she cherishes, the trophy she desires to possess. If she can keep you from a pure, holy, and intimate relationship with the eternal God who paid the price to redeem you, this lady of the night is happy and fulfilled. To embrace her is both deadly and a denial of the true Lover of your soul.

"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Rev. 17:1-6).

The sixteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation describes the outpouring of God's wrath at the end of the age in the form of seven bowl (vial) judgments. As each bowl is poured out, another judgment impacts the earth. The purpose of these judgments is to purge and cleanse the earth of all things which have defiled it as a result of man's sin.

This purging of the planet is in preparation for Christ's literal, thousand-year reign over the earth. The King of all kings and Lord of all lords will not rule over a kingdom which still maintains within it the seed of man's rebellion and the effects of the fall. The earth must first be purged. That is what the bowl judgments are all about.

God's timing is not man's timing. God is gracious and long-suffering. But in the end, God's justice will prevail. And now the cup of great Babylon's iniquity is full. It is time the lady of the night be judged. "God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). And the time of reaping is at hand.

In connection with the seventh bowl judgment at the end of the age, it is recorded, "Great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath" (Rev. 16:19).

Great Babylon or "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots" (the "lady of the night" of this article) will not escape judgment as God purges the earth of all which has defiled it. That judgment will be swift and severe and is the principal subject of Revelation 17.

In verse one, John, the beloved apostle and human author of the Book of Revelation, is summoned to witness the "judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters."

In the Scriptures the term "harlot" is used to describe spiritual unfaithfulness, debauched worship, idolatry, and false devotion. Isaiah grieves that Israel, once faithful to her God, has become a harlot (Isa. 1:21). And Jeremiah speaks of Israel's adulteries and "lewd" harlotries in Jeremiah 13:27.

This harlot is said to "sit on many waters;" a rather strange expression whose meaning, however, is not subject to debate. The apostle John is told by the angel that "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (Rev. 17:15). In other words, this lady of the night is busy and effective. Her harlotry is worldwide in scope. Her activity encompasses all lands, languages, and peoples.

And this lady of the night is no respecter of persons. Kings of the earth are said to fornicate with her (Rev. 17:2) for political benefit. "And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Rev. 18:3) - that is, through economic benefit.

The prophet Jeremiah prophetically wrote of her, "Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad" (Jer. 51:7).

What a tragic but accurate description of our world today. Men and nations boast of their accomplishments without the slightest self-awareness that they are mad. To speak in such terms is to invite severest criticism and moral indignation from people who are themselves spiritually dead. But, let God be true and every man a liar.

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns" (Rev. 17:3).

This harlot, whose identity still has not yet been revealed, does not operate alone. She has a companion who aids her as long as it is convenient and beneficial. John is said to be carried away into a wilderness place to behold the coming judgment of the harlot. The wilderness is a fitting place to behold her judgment.

Twice, in the Book of Revelation, John is said to be in the spirit (1:10; 4:2), and twice it is said that he was carried away in the spirit (17:3; 21:10). The idea is that he was put into a state of ecstasy, and while in that condition he was permitted to look back in time, to the beginning of the harlot, and forward in time, to her demise, and record his visionary experience in the text before us.

As the vision begins to unfold, John sees a woman seated upon a scarlet beast. The woman, of course, is the harlot - the lady of the night. The fact that she is riding the beast does not mean that she is sovereign over the beast with seven heads and ten horns, but that there is mutual benefit in this cooperative arrangement.

The introduction of the beast with seven heads and ten horns should not surprise us. The beast of this vision, on whose back the harlot rides, is the same beast which John spoke of earlier when he wrote, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns" (Rev. 13:1). The beast is mentioned here, in Revelation 17, because of its association with the harlot who is now to be judged.

The prophet Daniel wrote extensively about this beast. He said, "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue [elect] with the feet of it: and it was diverse [different] from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns" (Dan. 7:7). And again he wrote, leaving no doubt as to the identity of the beast; "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse [different] from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces" (Dan. 7:23 - emphasis added).

Daniel was told that the beast is a kingdom. However, he was also told that each kingdom is represented by a king. "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth" (Dan 7:17 - emphasis added). According to Daniel, the beast is a kingdom and is represented by a specific king who rules over it.

The beast is said to be full of names of blasphemy. Many rulers throughout history have attempted to deify themselves. They took to themselves titles like Theios, meaning "divine"; Sater, meaning "savior"; and Kyrios, meaning "lord."

Antiochus Epiphanes, who severely persecuted the Jews from 168-165 B.C. and put an image of the god Zeus with a face in his own likeness in the Temple at Jerusalem, gave himself the title Epiphanes which means "the manifestation of God." All of this deification was blasphemous. The ultimate blasphemy, of course, will occur when the Antichrist "sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God" (2 Th. 2:4).

The beast with the woman riding her is a union of government and religion, each benefiting from the other. The overwhelming majority of conservative Protestant scholars identify the beast as imperial Rome (political), and the harlot riding on its back as papal Rome (religious).

The Reformers were being persecuted by Rome, and so it was easy to make this identification. Later commentators simply followed their lead. This article presents a different viewpoint as to the identification of the harlot and the beast with seven heads and ten horns. Who is this woman of the night?

"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication" (Rev. 17:4).

How a person dresses says a great deal about their character. In Revelation 12 we are introduced to a woman. She represents the believing remnant of Israel. Throughout the Old Testament period she travailed in labor pain and, in the fullness of time, gave birth to the Son of God. She is described as "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (Rev. 12:1).

In Revelation 19 we are introduced to a second woman. She is a very special woman - she is the bride of Christ. "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev. 19:8).

But the woman of the night - the harlot of Revelation 17 - has no such comely garments. Her dress is purple and scarlet and made of rare and expensive dyes. She is lavishly adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls - all designed to entice. The lady is a harlot.

In her hand is a gold cup, and within is an intoxicating wine. To the sensual and carnal heart and imagination, the wine represents religion in all of its pomp, splendor, and progress - something bright and glorious - something to be desired - something to satisfy the senses. In reality, what is in the harlot's cup is only abomination and uncleanness. An affair with this counterfeit lover will lead to disaster and eternal separation from God. Sadly, multitudes have been seduced by her charms. God's Word says "the just shall live by faith"; but most men prefer the outward, gaudy trappings of organized religion.

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:5).

As John continues to describe the woman, he notes that on her forehead a name was written. References to markings on the forehead occur seven times in the Book of Revelation. On three occasions the mark is the mark of the beast, the Antichrist (13:16; 14:9; 20:4), and men are warned to reject identification with him at all costs - even unto physical death. Four times the mark is the seal or name of God (7:3; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4), and in each instance the mark is for great good.

This name written on the forehead identifies the harlot. She is "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth."

The word "mystery" is not part of the title itself. It is a descriptive reference to the title. There are many "mysteries" in the Bible: the mystery of Israel's blindness (Rom. 11:25); the mystery of the Church (Eph. 5:32), the mystery of iniquity (2 Th. 2:7), and the mystery regarding the time of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:51).

A biblical mystery is something which had been concealed in the Old Testament and is revealed in the New Testament. The mystery before us and now revealed is that Babylon the Great is the mother of harlots and source of all false religion.

The woman is identified as "Babylon the Great." This is not a reference to Babylon as a city along the Euphrates River or Babylonia as a nation. It is intended to be a religious designation. What ancient Babylon was religiously, this woman is religiously. For that reason, she is given the designation "The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth."

The woman seated upon the beast had only one golden cup in her hand. And from it sprang all the false religions of the world. Every religious abomination throughout history can be placed at her feet.

All the way back in the earliest days of humanity there was a man named Nimrod. He was a great grandson of Noah (Gen. 10:8). It is said of this man that "He was a mighty hunter before the LORD" (Gen. 10:9); perhaps a hunter of the field, but preeminently a hunter of the souls of men. It may well be that the very name Nimrod means "Let us revolt."

According to Joseph Seiss, in his classic commentary The Apocalypse, The Targum of Jonathan interprets this to mean that "he was a mighty rebel before the Lord, the mightiest rebel before the Lord that ever was in the earth." And The Jerusalem Targum states that "Nimrod was mighty in sin before the Lord, a hunter of the sons of men."

Nimrod established a kingdom and one of its chief cities was Babel or Babylon (Gen. 10:10). He also built the tower of Babel. "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4).

The purpose of the tower of Babel was not to literally reach heaven - the ancients knew better than that - but to build a platform from which to better observe the heavenly bodies and practice astrology and worship of the sun. It was also intended to unify mankind into one kingdom, in direct defiance of God. And, may I add, this is precisely what the Antichrist attempts to do at the end of the age as he establishes a one-world government, one-world religion, and one-world economy. The "new age" is nothing more than "old Babylonianism."

They said, "Let us make us a name" - that is, a sem - a banner or mark of confederation and organized unity.

The wife of Nimrod, according to many ancient writings, was Semiramis. She became known as "The Queen of Heaven." It was her image, with a dove upon her head and wings outstretched like the horns of the new moon, which became the sem or sign of the defiance of God and banner of Babylonianism. She was said to have been miraculously impregnated by a sunbeam (a counterfeit miraculous birth). Her husband Nimrod had died and become the sun god, and a sunbeam carried his sperm to his wife. While out hunting, her miraculous son, Tammuz, was killed by a wild boar. Semiramis wept for forty days (the basis of the Roman Catholic observance of Lent), and he came to life again (a counterfeit resurrection) - not only as Tammuz, but now also as Nimrod. After all, Jesus is not only "the Son of God," He is also God in flesh.

And thus began a counterfeit religious system. A harlot, no, more than a harlot, the mother of harlots. All of it revolving around the worship of a counterfeit mother and son.

The chart below traces some of the manifestations of this false mother/child system throughout history.

How subtle it is. Even in our own culture Cupid is pictured as a young man with a bow. We associate him with love, the heart, and Valentine's Day. In reality, he is Nimrod, always seen with his bow and arrow - the mighty hunter of the souls of men. He is the one who revolted against God.

Do not think for a moment that this is all fanciful and totally outside of the terrain of the Bible.

During the Babylonian captivity, the prophet Jeremiah, who ministered to a remnant of Jews down in Egypt, had to condemn them for worshiping "the queen of heaven." He rebuked them with these words, "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger" (Jer. 7:18; see also the extended passage in Jer. 44:15-30).

And Ezekiel, a contemporary of Jeremiah ministering to the Jewish captives in Babylon, recorded this vision given to him by God. "Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these" (Ezek. 8:14-15).

In Egypt, the Jews were worshiping the mother Semiramis. In Jerusalem, at the Temple of God itself, they were worshiping Tammuz the son.

Is it any wonder that God sent the nation into Babylonian captivity? In essence, God was saying, "If you want idolatry, I will give to you seventy years worth right at its source." Whatever sins my people have embraced since their return from Babylon, idolatry has not been among them.

Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, has brought to her bosom the Roman Catholic Church. And she has drunk deeply from the gold cup filled with abominations and fornication. The evidence of papal Rome's direct association and perpetuation of Babylon's mother/child system is overwhelming. To hear some evangelical leaders suggest from time to time that Bible-believing Christians should find ways to unite or fellowship with Rome is distressing. I cannot help but wonder what the Reformers, some of whom gave their lives to break with Rome's idolatrous practices, would say if they were here.

Throughout our land, one can find shrines to "Mary, Queen of Heaven" or "Queen of the Universe," but to identify the harlot as Rome is wrong. The harlot carried her golden cup filled with abominations and fornication into all the world when they were scattered at the tower of Babel. Every religion, every idolatrous observance, every attempt at man-made worship can trace its ancestry to Babylon and the harlot. Her brew was bottled and labeled long before Romanism came on the scene. And even since the advent of Rome, this harlot continues to "sit on many waters" - often far beyond the sphere of Rome.

Men's concept of this harlot is far too limited. Liberal Protestantism, Muhammadanism, Buddhism, Shintoism, animism, and a thousand other false religions and cults have drunk deeply from the cup of her abominations.

The harlot encompasses all man-made religion which had its origin in Babylon when Nimrod "rebelled" against God. And it will be judged by God at the end of the age.

Every man-made religion requires that its adherents perform some kind of work to be accepted by its deity. Biblical Christianity alone says, "Just as I am, without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me." That which distinguishes all man-made religions from true biblical Christianity is bound up in one word - grace.

A careful comparison between ancient Babylon and Mystery Babylon is fascinating and instructive.

"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Rev. 17:6).

This woman who has caused so many to become intoxicated with the abominations in her gold cup is now said to be intoxicated herself. It is an intoxication brought about by her persecution of the followers of Jesus.

She is not only portrayed as the source of all false religion but as the one who is actively engaged in the persecution of all who love the Lord. The shedding of their blood intoxicates her. How could it be otherwise? The harlot is jealous of the true Bride of Christ.

Throughout history, the elect of God have always been persecuted by false religion in union with godless government. This persecution will reach its peak during what is commonly called The Great Tribulation (Mt. 24:9-21; Rev. 6:9-11). It will be of such severity that "Except those days should be shortened [amputated or diminished in duration], there should no flesh [believers] be saved" (Mt. 24:22). Is there then any wonder that the woman is drunk with the blood of the saints?

See The Lady of the Night: Rides the Beast! for the continuation of this article.

Well, if this is the first of two parts, how about posting part two (for what it's worth)?

The Lady of the Night: Rides the Beast!
by Marvin J. Rosenthal

This is a continuation of an article I wrote previously in Zion's Fire Magazine entitled "The Lady of the Night: She seeks to seduce your soul!"

That article was an exposition of Revelation 17:1-6. In the article, I identified "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:5) as the false religious system which was begun by Nimrod and his wife, Semiramis.

History suggests that after Nimrod (the prime mover in the building of the tower of Babel and the city of Babylon) died, Semiramis took upon herself the role of "high priestess." She associated her dead husband with the sun and made him the object of sun worship.

Semiramis propagated the concept that a sunbeam carried Nimrod's sperm from heaven to earth to impregnate her. That is why a sunburst, as a religious icon, is so prevalent in Roman Catholicism, New Age, and other false religions. It was supposedly from that union that her "miraculous" son - Tammuz - was born. Tammuz is referred to in Ezekiel 8:14-15. And Semiramis, the "high priestess," became known as "the queen of heaven" (Jer. 7:18; 44:15-30).

On the one hand, Tammuz was said to be the son of Nimrod. On the other hand, he was also said to be Nimrod himself, now appearing in his son. This concept should not seem strange for a counterfeit religion; after all, Jesus is "the Son of God." He is also "God in flesh." He taught His disciples, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9). And again, "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30).

From Semiramis and her son Tammuz began a mother/child counterfeit religious system. This false system spread from nation to nation and from language to language under changing names of mother/son deities (see the article "The Lady of the Night - She seeks to seduce your soul!" for a fuller explanation). Although the languages and names changed, it was always the same mother and son - Semiramis and Tammuz.

The ultimate manifestation of this false system is seen in those who pervert the biblical teaching concerning Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and add man-made, non-biblical doctrines to God's plan of salvation by grace through faith.

Not without reason, this "Lady of the Night" is called "the great whore" (Rev. 17:1) and "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS" (Rev. 17:5). All false religions, however noble they may appear on the surface, can trace their origin back to her.

But not satisfied with simply alluring and seducing mankind away from an intimate and satisfying relationship with the living God, in frenzied jealousy, this harlot is said to persecute the true Church - the Bride of Christ.

John describes her violent attack this way. "And I saw the woman [false, man-made religion] drunken with the blood of the saints [believers], and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Rev. 17:6).

The angel who was revealing these truths to John leveled a gentle rebuke at the aged apostle with these words: "Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns" (Rev. 17:7).

John's "marveling" or "astonishment" was linked to the grandeur, wickedness, and cruelty of this woman. How could a woman of the night - a prostitute - a false lover of the soul - be so successful in her vileness and severe persecution of the true Bride of Christ? The answer is found in the fact that the woman is riding the beast. The beast of Revelation 17, it will be shown, is a composite of specific identifiable empires. It is from being in league with these empires that the harlot received her influence and power and could successfully persecute true believers.

The Destiny of the Beast (Rev. 17:8)

The tandem team of the great harlot and the beast upon which she sits, has, through the centuries of human history, caused enough sorrow and tears to "fill an ocean." And the apex of it all is still to come during the Great Tribulation (Mt. 24:15ff).

John is told that "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit [abyss], and go into perdition" (Rev. 17:8).

This statement, taken at face value, means the beast dies and comes to life again. The "beast" is both a kingdom and a ruling king. Here, the king is in view. Some commentators balk at the proposal that the king will be raised from the dead, arguing that God alone is the source of life and that no one can be resurrected from the dead apart from God.

That observation notwithstanding, John wrote concerning the beast, "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" (Rev. 13:3 - emphasis added). The Greek text translated "as it were wounded to death" in the above verse is the very same expression used in describing the death of the Lord Jesus. And "in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain" (Rev. 5:6 - emphasis added). If Jesus literally died when He shed His blood on Calvary, and He did, then one of the heads of the beast actually died and came to life again. I find no compelling way to circumvent that fact.

That is the cause of the response "and all the world wondered after the beast" (Rev. 13:3). The same response is recorded in Chapter 17: "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder...when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is" (Rev. 17:8).

There is a vital difference between being raised from the dead and being resurrected from the dead. Lazarus was raised from the dead but would die again (Jn. 11:11-14; 43-44). The daughter of Jairus was raised, but she would die again (Mt. 9:18; Mk. 5:23; Lk. 8:52-53).

In significant contrast, Jesus was resurrected never to die again - He would be alive forevermore. And at His coming, believers who have died will be resurrected never to die again.

The beast king will literally die following a head wound (Rev. 13:3). And he will come back to life again. However, that is not the end of the story. He will go into "perdition." He will be separated from God in a place of eternal torment. The beast will not be resurrected - but simply raised to die again.

The Seven Heads of the Beast

The identification of the beast with seven heads has been debated by Bible teachers since the earliest days - and the debate continues.

Nimrod is the candidate of choice for the identification of the beast by some Bible teachers. He was the architect of the movement toward a one-world religion, the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4), and a one-world government, the building of the city of Babylon (Gen. 10:10). The very name, Nimrod, may have actually meant "revolt," depicting his opposition to God through corrupted human government and man-made religion.

Some suggest that Judas Iscariot is the beast. He betrayed the Lord and is called "the son of perdition" (Jn. 17:12; 2 Th. 2:3). It is said of the beast that he will go into perdition. This view appears to be a far stretch. And yet, competent theologians have held it through the centuries.

Still others point to Nero as the beast. Roman temples were built in his honor, and he appears to have accepted the status of a god and the accolades of divine worship. He persecuted believers, particularly in Rome, and blamed them for the fire that burned much of the city to the ground. It is said of the beast that he is a persecutor of God's elect.

The above notwithstanding, if we want the identification of the beast with seven heads, I believe we must look in another direction. John gives the clue to the beast's identification with these words: "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads [on the beast] are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth" (Rev. 17:9).

In the expression "here is the mind which hath wisdom," the idea is this: If you want to understand what I am saying, then get this right. It is akin to the oft repeated admonition "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) because it is very important. Or, it is similar to the Lord's warning, "Whoso readeth, let him understand" (Mt. 24:15).

Each expression is emphasizing the extreme importance in understanding what is being said. This article makes frequent references to "beasts," "heads," and "horns" because they are central to the text. For clarification, the designation "beast" refers to a kingdom (Dan. 7:23) and a king ruling over it (Dan. 7:17). The designation "head" refers to a kingdom which is part of a larger kingdom (the body of the beast), and the term "horn" refers only to kings who arise out of the "head."

John had earlier noted that the beast which carries the woman has seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 17:7). He then adds this information: "The seven heads [attached to the body of the beast] are seven mountains" (Rev. 17:9). If we can identify the seven mountains, we will have identified the seven heads. And if we identify the seven heads we will know who the beast is. What, then, do the seven mountains represent?

"Protestant" theologians, "protesting" Rome's unbiblical beliefs during the Reformation, in their zeal, identified the beast of Revelation 17 with the Roman Empire. Their primary evidence was the seven mountains, which they identified as the seven hills of Rome. The seven hills were said to be seven of the Caesars of Rome.

Among the many problems with this view is the fact that there were far more than seven Caesars. With which Caesar do you begin? And with which one do you end? Who are the five Caesars who had fallen? Who was the one still ruling? Who was the one who had not yet come?

Some of the Caesars ruled for long periods, some for a few months. After the death of Nero, three Caesars ruled within a two-year period, each being murdered. Read the commentaries that take the position that the seven heads are seven Caesars and you will find a hodgepodge of confusion, disagreement, and subjectivity.

Revelation 17 and the preceding and following chapters are not speaking of first-century Rome, but of events associated with the second coming of Christ. Identifying the beast as Rome and the seven mountains as seven Caesars simply does not fit the biblical text.

Following the death of Alexander the Great, the Grecian Empire, over which he had ruled, was divided into four parts. Each part, though part of the whole of the Grecian Empire, was its own kingdom. This division of the Greek Empire into four parts is depicted in Daniel 7:6 as a leopard with four wings.

The leopard with four wings represents Alexander and his rapid conquest of much of the world. And the four heads of the leopard represent the division of his empire into four kingdoms ruled over by four of Alexander's generals. Cassander ruled over Macedonia, Lysimachus ruled over Thrace and Asia Minor, Seleucus ruled over Syria and Babylonia, and Ptolemy ruled over Egypt and Arabia.

The four "heads" on the beast represented four kingdoms which were part of the divided Grecian Empire (Dan. 8:21-22). John was told that the seven heads of the beast of Revelation 17 are seven mountains. Since we are told that heads equal kingdoms and heads are specifically said to be mountains then mountains should equal kingdoms. Do they, in the Scriptures?

King David, in speaking of all the vicissitudes of his reign as king of Israel, wrote, "LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain [kingdom] to stand strong" (Ps. 30:7).

The prophet Daniel, using the imagery of a giant colossus, depicts four powerful empires which would arise in the earth. The colossus is awesome in appearance. But at the end of days, Jesus, the smiting stone, will smite the image (representing Gentile world powers) on the feet, and the entire statue will collapse (Dan. 2:34). "And the stone [Christ] that smote the image became a great mountain [kingdom], and filled the whole earth" (Dan. 2:35).

In interpreting the meaning of great mountain, Daniel wrote: "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed" (Dan. 2:44 - emphasis added).

The seven heads on the beast are seven mountains, and mountains are kingdoms ruled over by kings. The animal in Daniel 8, with four heads, represented the one Grecian Empire divided into four smaller empires. The beast in Revelation 17 represents a composite kingdom made up of seven kingdoms which emerged throughout history and, empowered by Satan, opposed the purposes of God. The great harlot rode upon its back through the centuries.

The Seven Beast Kingdoms and Their Kings

The seven beast kingdoms, which make up the one composite beast of Revelation 17, can be identified. So, too, can the seven kings who ruled these kingdoms. John was told, "there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space" (Rev. 17:10).

The five kingdoms that were fallen are these: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. And the five specific kings who ruled over these kingdoms are:

• The Pharaoh of Egypt who "knew not Joseph," enslaved the Jews, and tried to destroy the race by killing all of the male children (Ex. 1:16). His name comes down to us in history as Thutmosis III, according to most scholars.

• The exceedingly wicked king of Assyria who, in 722 B.C., marched against Israel and took the ten northern tribes into captivity. This resulted in changing the composition and distribution of Jews worldwide. His name was Tiglath-pileser (2 Ki. 15:29).

• The more familiar Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who marched against Israel on three occasions - 606 B.C., 598 B.C., and 586 B.C. On the latter occasion, he destroyed the Temple of God on Mount Moriah, attempted to put an end to the rule of King David's royal descendants (2 Chr. 36:7), and took the two southern kingdoms of Judah and Benjamin into captivity.

• The evil and treacherous prime minister of Persia known in the Book of Esther as Haman. He plotted to kill all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Persia - the world power of that day. Only in the fact that in the sovereignty of God, Esther, a Jewess who had married the Persian king and heroically interceded on behalf of her people, was the tragedy averted (Est. 7:3-6).

• The wicked and prideful Antiochus Epiphanes who ruled over Syria, a part of the divided Grecian Empire. He corrupted the high priesthood of Israel by bribery, sought to outlaw the practice of the Mosaic Law, put a statue of Zeus in the Temple of God, and butchered large numbers of Jews (Dan 11:31; see also I Maccabees 1:17-24; 41-64). Only the heroic action of a group of people known as the Maccabees, who started a three-year, guerilla-style war against Antiochus and his soldiers, saved the day (Dan. 11:28-35).

John was told, "five [kingdoms] are fallen, and one is" (Rev. 17:10).

The one kingdom, which was in existence when John wrote, was Rome. And the Caesar who was ruling at that time was Domitian. It was during his reign that John was exiled to the Roman penal colony on the island of Patmos. It was under Domitian's reign that emperor worship became the law of the land. It was during his reign that official persecution of believers became universal - in contrast to Nero's persecution, which was largely restricted to Rome.

Five kings were fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. One was then in existence - Rome, which was the sixth beast empire. But we are told that one king was still to come; and when he came, he would last only a short time. He would be the seventh.

Since the Book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible, written about A.D. 95, this king who was, in John's day, still to come had to appear at a time beyond the first century and the close of Scriptures. And inasmuch as there is yet another (an eighth) king (the Antichrist) who must follow him and will appear at the end of the age, this seventh king must appear during this church age.

This seventh king must rule for only a "short span of time." This seventh king must have a commonality with the six kings who preceded him. That is, he must have an unholy hatred of the Jew, and he must take action to destroy the race.

Many kings and kingdoms have persecuted the Jews during the nineteen hundred years since John wrote the Book of Revelation. But one stands out in bold relief, unequaled and diabolical in hatred and persecution of the Jewish people. The kingdom was Nazi Germany, the king - Adolph Hitler.

Hitler had a meteoric ascendancy to power (1933-38) and in a few short years plunged the world into war (1938-45).

• Hitler filled a vacuum created by German liberal theologians who denied the authority of Scripture, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, bodily resurrection, and substitutionary atonement. Theological liberalism helped pave the way for the ascendancy of Adolph Hitler.

• Hitler was committed to astrology. He made no major moves unless the heavenly bodies were favorable. The British army had a team of men whose job it was to determine when, on the basis of astrology, Hitler would be prone to launch an attack or take some other important action.

• Hitler wanted to establish a new world order - he called it "The Third Reich" - a thousand-year kingdom. It lasted a short time from 1933-1945. For him the Holy Roman Empire was the "First Reich" (1273-1806). The "Second Reich" began with Otto Von Bismarck and continued through the rule of Kaiser (Caesar) Wilhelm and the First World War (1871-1918).

• Hitler instituted the Nazi salute which was taken from the Roman salute of the raised hand. The institution of "Heil Hitler" came directly from "hail Caesar." He viewed himself in the train of the Roman Empire.

• Hitler appeared to have a protective shield around him. There were repeated attempts to assassinate him. But something unseen always seemed to prevent it and protect him.

• Hitler, even in death, leaves us perplexed. Did he really die in his bunker? Was it a suicide? Was it a head wound? What happened to his body?

• Hitler was able to persuade the most civilized people in history to commit the most uncivilized acts in history.

Hitler, above all else, had an unholy hatred of the Jews. It was more than an obsession. When, in the last days of the war, his generals were pleading for the use of trains to get desperately needed supplies and troops to the front lines, Hitler was using the trains to get the Jews to the gas chambers.

It is impossible to understand Hitler and the Nazis without understanding that demonic power was behind them.

Germany was the seventh beast empire, and Hitler its king.

To the question, Why was Germany not included in the colossus of Daniel 2 or the beast empires of Daniel 7?, the answer is conspicuous. The Church age was unknown to Old Testament prophets. They saw clearly the suffering of Christ (the first coming) and the glory that would follow (the second coming and final beast empire), but they had no knowledge of the events in between and so could not have written of a seventh kingdom, which emerged during the Church age.

The reason for such hatred, though abominable and inexcusable, is understandable. God, in His sovereignty, chose Israel to be a special people - a nation of destiny. They were politically to be a government ruled by God, a theocracy. Jesus, the Messiah, was to come from that nation, and in God's timing, He is to rule the world in righteousness.

Israel was also chosen by God to be the spiritual leader of the world, to show men the way to God. At first, it was to be through their priesthood, tabernacle, and sacrificial system, which, in time, if followed, would lead men to Christ, the Lamb of God.

Satan, in his attempt to thwart God's glorious purposes for mankind, established a false political system - the beast empires. At the end of time they will become a conglomerate, counterfeit, anti-God, one-world empire ruled over by the progeny of Satan, the Antichrist.

Satan also established a counterfeit religious system - the woman who rides the beast - the great harlot. Again, this was designed to rival and oppose the true system which God established with Israel and which provides for access to God and acceptable worship.

Like the beast political empire, the false religious system of the harlot will be a conglomeration of all false religions at the end of the age.

The woman of the night, the harlot who rides the beast, wants to entice men away from intimate access to God made possible through our great High Priest and His once-and-for-all sacrifice for sin.

The beast with seven heads (kingdoms) has had as its purpose - the destruction of Israel. That would prevent the Son of David from returning as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and establishing a righteous, theocratic kingdom which will never pass away.

But the end is not yet. Seven beast empires have appeared in history. An eighth is still to come - the most violent of all. It is the kingdom of Antichrist and will be the subject in a future issue of Zion's Fire.

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