Part 3b - The Second Scroll: Seven Visions of Victory [17-19]

note: these are very brief notes

C. Seven Visions of Victory

  1. Description of Babylon [17]
    • If Jerusalem represents the people of God, the bride of Christ adorned for her husband [21:2]
    • Babylon is the prostitute, the evil counterpart to Jerusalem
    • She is the fake bride [17:3-4]
    • She represents the seduction of wealth and sex and has damaged the people of God [17:6]
    • 10 kings will rule for one hour and turn on Babylon
  2. Babylon will fall in a single day, a single hour [18]
    • There is a surprisingly long description of the weeping and mourning for the loss of this city
    • Many people have identified Babylon with the Roman empire because of the 7 hills on which Rome was built [17:9]
      • When Rome fell, the whole world was plunged into centuries of dark ages
      • The Roman empire was an empire of trade, of luxury, and of increasing sexual corruption
      • [v.8-9] tell us that (along with the beast that carries it) it “was”, “is not” and “is to come”
    • Some have speculated that in many ways our world system is like the Roman empire both in wealth and corruption
      • If this were true, this event could be world economic collapse
    • What is Babylon?
      • probably the culture of sensual luxury, entertainment, sexual immorality, idolatry, earthly and fleshly pleasure that “rides on the back of the beast”, i.e. is supported by its economic/power system
  3. A vast throng praises God for his judgements [19:1-5]
  4. The wedding of the Lamb and his bride is announced [19:6-10]
  5. Christ appears with army dressed in white [19:11-16]
  6. Announcement of battle [19:17-18]
  7. Great battle: Beast & False Prophet thrown into lake of fire [19:19-21]
    • Note the order of destruction is the reverse of the order they are introduced in this scroll
    1. Dragon
    2. Beast
    3. False Prophet
    4. Babylon
    • Note also that the images are consistent throughout all 4 visions of the second scroll, re-enforcing the idea that they form a unity, separate from the first scroll

Parallel’s with the History of Israel

Updated on 2011-05-27 by Andrew Fountain - loveintruth.com/teaching

The History of Israel as a Prophetic Sequence Reflected in Revelation

  1. Pharoah tries to kill the male children
  2. As the Israelites escape from Egypt and are chased, water blocks them. God dries up the water and they are safe in the wilderness
  3. Jesus Christ appears as their King, carrying a sword (to Joshua)
  4. They go through a long period of wars/famines/oppression during the time of the Judges
  5. This comes to a climax in the oppression of the Philistines, and many Israelites falling back into heathen practices
  6. The people want a leader, and Saul, the “anti-David” is crowned King
  7. Saul turns out to be demonized and persecutes David and his followers
  8. David is finally crowned king and brings victory over all the nations
  9. He brings the nation into rest and establishes the kingdom
  10. Jerusalem is established as the place of God’s presence
  11. Finally a glorious temple is built, full of gold and precious stones
  • The following are parallel images found in Revelation, but not in exact time sequence:
    1. Plagues on the Egyptians that didn’t touch the people of God
      • Purpose was that Egyptians should repent, but most of them didn’t (some did and joined God’s people)
      • The mark (seal) on the homes of believers protected them from the Angel who brought death
    2. Armageddon (Megiddo) — The great battle when the kings gathered against the people of God in the time of the judges Deborah & Barak [Judges 5]:
      1. Kings came, they fought; the kings of Canaan fought,
        at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, but they took no silver as plunder.

Updated on 2011-05-27 by Andrew Fountain - loveintruth.com/teaching

Sequence of events in Revelation

this is only a rough outline. Don’t hold me to it!

  • Jesus born
  • Died on the cross, rose again and defeated Satan =Dragon bound (a-millennial)
  • Ascended to the throne and began his rule
    • Church is protected for a period of time
    • tribulation, wars disease etc.
    • the Antichrist secretly growing in strength
    • not explicitly stated, but at some point probably great numbers of ethnic Israel are saved
  • Antichrist revealed, Great Tribulation begins
    • Beast will come up out of the abyss (before going to destruction) =Dragon released (a-millennial)
    • for 3½ years beast given ruling authority & permitted to war against the saints & conquer them
    • persecution and martyrdom
    • martyrs are with Christ in long white robes, praying for an end
    • beast is given power
    • Special sealing of Christians with the Spirit begins
  • All believers sealed. “Day of wrath” / “Great shaking” begins
    • The world is shaken
    • Demonic armies are released causing terrible pain
    • Cannot touch Christians since they are “sealed”
    • A vast army is gathered together against the Christians
    • They appear to be defeating the Christians
  • Jesus appears in the clouds and the Christians rise to meet him
    • 10 kings will rule for “one hour” and turn on Babylon
    • Babylon will fall in a single day, a single hour with a “great earthquake”
    • Christ comes to battle with army dressed in white
    • Great battle: Beast & False Prophet thrown into lake of fire
    • The Dragon subdued for 1000 years & released (pre-millennial)
    • The Dragon fights, and is thrown into lake of fire
  • Great white throne. The dead are judged
  • A new heaven and a new earth
    • The bride adorned for her husband. “Behold, I am making all things new!”
    • The beauty of the city (the wife of the Lamb)
    • The River of Life (Holy Spirit)

Updated on 2011-05-27 by Andrew Fountain - loveintruth.com/teaching