Apocalyptic Literature

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Apocalyptic Literature

• Chapter 17
• April 11, 2008
• Lecture 21

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Chapter 17the woman beast

• Note how many items resemble chapter 131-10
• Beast with 7heads/10horns (131 173)
• Blasphemous names (131 173)
• World was astonished (133 178)
• Sharing of power/authority (134 1713)
• War (137 1714)

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the punishment (v.1)

• In Greek the word is krima (there are at least 2
  other Greek words translated punish) which has a
  wide variety of meanings dispute, verdict,
  judgment in the LXX it includes the notion of
  punish obtain justice in the NT it has the
  connotations of to judge, bring to trial,
  condemn, punish.
• C. Brown

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The woman

• Descriptive items all suggest wealth power
• Seated on a scarlet beast (cf. Red dragon 123)
• Dressed in purple scarlet
• Glittering with gold, precious stones, pearls
• Golden cup in her hand (abominable things)
• Title on her forehead (v.5)
• Drunk with blood of the saints (martyrs)

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Great prostitute image

• Using the image of whore/harlot to describe a
  wicked city is a common motif in Old Testament
  prophecy. Nahum calls the city of Nineveh a
  whore (Nah.34), and Isaiah names Jerusalem as a
  whore in 121. committing fornication usually
  is an image for idolatry, but it can also refer
  to engaging in commerce with someone.
  L.L. Thompson

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Woman on the Beastby David Miles
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The womanBabylon

• Probably the best solution is to regard chapter
  17 as the destruction of ecclesiastical Babylon,
  or Babylon as a religion, and chapter 18, the
  destruction of Babylon as a city and as an
  empire. The great prostitute described in these
  verses is a portrayal of apostate Christendom in
  the end time. The apostasy, called adultery and
  fornication here, of course refers to spiritual
  unfaithfulness, J.F. Walvoord

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The woman (continued)

• Symbolizing Babylon as a whore connotes her
  alluring and seductive nature in attempting to
  draw people away from Christ. That she sits
  connotes that she is able to control the
  multitudes and the beast because of her powerful
  influence. the kings and the nations
  acquiescence to fornication refers not to
  literal immorality but figuratively to acceptance
  of the religious and idolatrous demands of the
  ungodly earthly order. G.K. Beale

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The Beast (178-14)

• The threefold description of God found already
  in 18 48 1116 and 165 is reapplied to the
  beastto mock the beast. Whereas Gods (or
  Christs) eschatological coming consists in his
  victory, judgment of his opponents, and his
  reign, the beasts attempt to be sovereign
  through his own eschatological coming culminates
  only in his defeat and judgment. (see
  Dan.71-14, esp. vv.3, 6, 7, 11 13-14)
• G.K. Beale

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The Beast (continued)

• (178)is either to regard the resurrection of
  the beast as the resurrection of the Roman Empire
  or to consider the possibility of a deadly wound
  suffered in the assassination attempt from which
  he is miraculously healed by Satan. In either
  case, the world ruler comes on the scene as a
  miraculous person.
• J.F. Walvoord

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Seven heads seven hills (v.9)

• The seven mountains may be a reference to the
  seven hills of Rome. as an afterthought, or
  perhaps as a further clarification, the angel
  explains that the seven heads are also seven
  kings. here is probably referring to seven
  Roman emperors, but his choice of words leaves it
  somewhat ambiguous.
• L.L. Thompson

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Seven heads/hills/kings (?)

• The confusion of the seven heads of the beasts
  with the seven hills of Rome, however, arises
  from inattention to what the passage states. If
  the hills represent kings, then they do not refer
  to the seven hills of Rome, (v.10) This could
  not refer to hills. scholars have suggested that
  instead of the five referring to individual
  kings, they refer to the great nations of the
  past Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia,
  Greece, and ancient Rome. ancient Rome would be
  the sixth king, but later in history Rome would
  be revived and would be considered a seventh
  king. J.F. Walvoord

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Seven heads/hills/kings (cont.)

• points beyond a literal reference to Romes
  hills and to a figurative meaning, kingdoms
  The number seven is not a literal number
  designating the quantity of kings in one epoch
  but is figurative for the quality of fullness or
  completeness fullness of oppressive power is the
  emphasis here. rather than seven particular
  kings or kingdoms of the first century or any
  other, the seven mountains and kings, represent
  the oppressive power of world government
  throughout the ages
• G.K. Beale

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Ten horns ten kings (vv.12-14)

• One purpose
• To give their power authority to the beast and
  make war against the Lamb (v. 13)
• Note v.16 both the beast the horns will hate
  the woman bring her to ruin
• Note v.17 God has put this into their hearts
  cf. with Is. 45 and Gods use of Cyrus

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Ten horns/kings

• the ten horns represent ten kingdoms which were
  banded together to form the nucleus of the
  revived Roman Empire Further, it is clear that
  they are simultaneous in their rule, not
  successive.
• J.F. Walvoord

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Ten horns/kings

• the horns are earthly agents kings through
  whom the spiritual forces of Satan and the beast
  work, both throughout the age and at the end of
  the age. the ten horns are not a mere future
  feature of the dragon and the beast but a trait
  they have throughout their existence. cannot be
  limited to a series of Roman emperors.
• G.K. Beale