In this article, I want to expose one example of the wild interpretations of the supposed last-days teaching experts. A well-respected teacher on the radio just recently repeated a grossly erroneous speculation on that woman and the beast John saw in chapter seventeen.
In Revelation 17:9, the angel explained to John that the seven heads on the beast were seven mountains on which the woman sits. In biblical prophecy, mountains represent kingdoms. Daniel 2:35 says the stone—Jesus Christ—destroyed the iron and clay of the ten toes on that image Nebuchadnezzar saw, and then destroyed the rest of the metal image, and then became a mountain—kingdom—that filled the whole earth.
That expert taught that those seven heads (mountains) were representative of the seven hills of the city of Rome. Many others hold the same error. That man also asserted that the word mystery in “Mystery Babylon” refers not to any historical religious system, but to a new religious doctrine that will come out of Rome—the Roman Catholic Church—in the last days. Neither does the word Babylon refer to an actual city, but is instead a code word for the new doctrine that will deceive many during the Great Tribulation. Well, enough of the speculative details of that Revelation passage by the so-called last-days experts.
Now for the actual biblical truth: Verses nine and ten: The angel told John the seven heads were seven kings—kingdoms. Five (kingdoms) had fallen; one was in John’s day; and the other had not yet come (did not exist in John’s day). This is the very same Scripture passage that highly-respected Bible teacher said referred to those seven hills of Rome. Well, had five of those literal rock and dirt hills of Rome fallen? Did they exist no more? And the angel said one was—was still in existence. And one had not yet come. So according to the angel Rome had only one hill—if that teacher is right. How could the angel have been talking about the seven hills of Rome?
The kingdom that is to come will continue only a short time—the last seven years of this age. Verse eleven: “The beast that was but is not is also the eighth, and is of the seven [heads on the beast that John saw], and will go to perdition [hell].” This beast refers to the fallen angel that ruled over a Gentile kingdom of the past—most likely Greece. In John’s day, that kingdom had been long gone, and the angel which had been over that kingdom was obviously confined in the underworld. Also note that the ten horns were upon only one of the heads, not on all seven.
Those ten horns pictured ten kings or rulers that will be over ten smaller kingdoms that the Antichrist will take over in the last days. See Daniel 7:8, 20, 24. The Antichrist will defeat three of the ten, and the rest will yield to him and rule under him in the final form of the Gentile domination of mankind in this evil age. They will yield the authority they already have to the beast—the Antichrist—the human ruler that will be ruled by the red dragon—the devil.
(Ron Craig is pastor, teacher and author of Christian books; and these articles. You may view all the books by logging onto www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org. While logged on the website you can even listen to audio Bible-lesson podcasts. You may also send your questions or comments to ronwritercraig@gmail.com)
