Seven Heads of Revelation 17

Revelation 17 has been a continual challenge to Bible students down through time. I don't profess to have a perfect understanding of it, but I'll offer some suggestions. Points of discussion include the identity of the beast, its heads and horns, and its rider. I covered the subject of the horns in my October 9 post. As for the woman who rides the beast, her name is Babylon. I discussed the identity of Babylon in my October 17 post.

Currently my comments in The Patmos Papers offer three options for the identity of the seven heads. Here I'm presenting a fourth option. The main difference lies in the placement of the "is not" phase of the beast. In The Patmos Papers I was attempting to limit the career of the beast to the time frame of the seven heads. I made no provision for an eighth head. Now I'm viewing the beast as Satan working historically through the various earthly kingdoms represented by the seven heads, himself being the eighth after the fall of all earthly kingdoms. The bottomless pit of verse 8 can be understood to line up with Revelation 20:3.

Artists have consistently painted this beast as having seven heads all at the same time. But verse 10 indicates that these heads appear sequentially. I'd like to think that its lion head, for example, was replaced by the head of a bear, which was later supplanted by that of a leopard, etc.

"Babylon" as it appears in Revelation is understood as Satan's counterfeit religion, and it has three historical aspects:  Paganism, Catholicism, and Apostate Protestantism. With the woman (Babylon) riding the beast, we identify the seven heads as the leading world kingdoms mentioned in Scripture that carry and endorse the Babylonian religion in one of its three forms. The United States Constitution allows no state-established religion, so America cannot function as a head of the beast until it repudiates the principles of its Constitution.

I have identified the sixth head as the power existing in John's day. That's because the angel's words to John in verse 10 are not part of the vision itself, but are part of the angel's post-vision explanation to John. In the vision itself (verses 3-6) John was shown the situation as it would appear centuries afterwards. But when the vision ended, the angel explained things to John from his own first-century perspective.

Based on clues from the book of Daniel, I consider the medieval kingdoms as divisions of the Roman empire rather than as a separate head.

The Babylonian religion dates back to the time of Nimrod and the tower of Babel. That early Mesopotamian civilization was the first to carry the great whore in her original pagan phase. The first call to come out of Babylon was given to Abram and his family. From that separation we may trace the two lines of religion that ultimately appear as the two women of Revelation.

The second world power to pick up the religion of Babylon was the ancient civilization on the Nile. And God had to call His people to come out of Egypt. The third great kingdom was the Chaldean or Neo-Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar. And from that point we follow the sequence of kingdoms outlined in prophecy.

Old Covenant, New Covenant

Here's an overview of God's covenant with His people down through time:  Two Covenants or One?  (A seven-page Word download)

Does God Destroy?

In 1985 Frank Holbrook wrote a critique of a printed sermon by Dr. Elliot Douglin on this subject. An extract of Elder Holbrook's critique is posted on the Biblical Research Institute website. Read the extract.

Only One Covenant

Twenty-five years ago I believed that the old covenant was a covenant of works and the new covenant was a covenant of grace. I prepared a booklet on that subject that I intended to include in my These Last Days Bible study series. Then I had the wonderful privilege of getting my lessons reviewed by Elder Frank Holbrook at the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference. He made some practical suggestions on how to improve my lessons. One of the things he said I needed to fix was my view of the two covenants. Click here to read what he said.

So I carefully studied it out, and concluded that he was right. God never offered man a covenant of works.

Feast Days

The question of whether or not to observe the Old Testament festivals should not be a point of contention in the church. I appreciate the balanced viewpoint expressed by Dr. Jacques Doukhan in his two-part analysis entitled, "Should We Observe the Levitical Festivals?: A Seventh-day Adventist Perspective" published in Ministry magazine in April and June of 2010. Here are the links to those articles:   Part 1   Part 2

Mystery Babylon

"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8

The word Babylon is used six times in the book of Revelation (14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). In each case the adjective "great" is used to describe it. Although usually referred to as a city, Babylon is also pictured as a harlot. Revelation touches mainly on its final condemnation and fall.

Because the ancient city of Babylon now lies in ruins, our usual approach to the concept of Babylon in Revelation is to treat it as a symbol. We speak of "spiritual Babylon" in contradistinction to "literal Babylon." We assume that the application of the term at the end of time requires Babylon to have a different identity than it had in the days of Daniel. But that's because we're only seeing Daniel's Babylon as a geopolitical kingdom that has long since passed away. But if we turn our attention to the religion of ancient Babylon, there we have something that can point today to the very thing that existed in Daniel's day. As a religious influence, the Babylon of Revelation is the direct continuation of the ancient Chaldean worship. It is one and the same.

Babylonian worship is characterized both in Scripture and in history by the term "mystery."

"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT. . . ." Revelation 17:5

"I will tell thee the mystery of the woman. . . ." Revelation 17:7

According to Alexander Hislop in his book, The Two Babylons (page 4), the grand distinguishing feature of the ancient Babylonian system was the Chaldean "mysteries," that formed so essential a part of that system. All the Satanic religions of antiquity in fact participated in what we call the "ancient mysteries" that date back to the period of the tower of Babel.

The apostle Paul referred to these pagan doctrines and customs as the "mystery of iniquity," which even in his day began to creep into the church (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Of that, Ellen White writes:

"Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men, the mystery of iniquity carried forward its deceptive and blasphemous work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found their way into the Christian church. The spirit of compromise and conformity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured under paganism. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions. The nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century, caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now, the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished, became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ." GC 49, 50.

So we find that the term "mystery of iniquity" refers to the heathen beliefs and practices that permeated the ancient world. What held back paganism's influence on Christianity for a time was the persecution of the church. Persecution kept the church relatively pure until the reign of Constantine. Then the mystery cult of Babylon penetrated and perverted the Christian religion.

The book of Revelation declares that the Babylonian mysteries, adopted into the imperial church in the fourth century, have ultimately spread to all nations (14:8; 18:3). Even the daughters of the great whore of Revelation 17 are described as harlots. With this information we are now prepared to identify the "three parts" (16:19) of Babylon as the "dragon," the "beast," and the "false prophet" (16:13).

The fundamental manifestation of Babylon is paganism, signified in Revelation 16:13 as "the dragon." This is the religion of Satan, the great dragon (12:9). When paganism was incorporated into the Roman church, "the beast" was formed. This is the second manifestation of Babylon. And to whatever extent the churches of Protestantism are influenced by the other two, they form the third manifestation of Babylon, "the false prophet."

Presented under the two symbols of a "city" and a "woman," the term Babylon in Revelation is not just a symbol. It is exactly what it always has been, the religious apostasy of Babel.

The Seven Trumpets in Context

The book of Revelation unfolds the story of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Significant confrontational episodes of that drama are told in the two segments of Revelation that flank the central chapter. These two corresponding sections outline God's initiatives in His war against error. The seven trumpets in Chapters 8-11 form one of those sections. Chapters 13-16 provide the sequel. Let me offer a suggested approach to understanding these passages.

The War Against Error:

Revelation 8 - When 4th-century Christianity is corrupted by imperial patronage and pagan influences, God sends Arian barbarians swarming into Roman territory, bringing down the western empire and checking the advancement of the state religion.

Revelation 9 - When the eastern emperor overthrows the barbarian hindrance and asserts the supremacy of the Roman bishop, God sends Arabs and Turks to overtake the eastern empire.

Revelation 10, 11, & 13 - When the beast from the sea blasphemes God and makes war with the saints, God's two witnesses prophesy in sackcloth until the beast receives a deadly wound and a remnant is raised up to exalt the truths of God's word.

Revelation 13-16 - When the beast from the earth makes an image of the first beast and enforces the mark of the beast, God's three angel's messages are proclaimed with power throughout the world until probation closes and the seven last plagues fall on all who have spurned God's merciful appeals.

The Outcome:

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15