‘Day 300

Chapter 17 summary.

Rev.17:3 describes the scarlet beast in terms similar to the sea beast of Revelation 13, which made war with, and overcame, God’s people (Rev.13:5-7). It was this earlier period of persecution that caused the pure woman to flee into the wilderness during the prophetic period of 1,260 days/years, from A.D. 538-1798 (Rev.12:13-14). We would do well to remember the terrible persecution of the past because, according to prophecy, something similar, but only worse, will happen again.  The events of the last few years have shown us (warned us) of how quickly things can turn against God’s people and how easy it will be for governments to control the consciences of the population.

The scarlet beast is identified as the one that was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. This three-way phrase is, first of all, a counterfeit of the divine name, Yahweh – “who is and who was and who is to come”. It also points to the three phases of existence through which the beast has passed: 

(1) The beast “was”. It existed in the past. Its prior activities lasted for the prophetic period of 42 months, also known as 1,260 days/years (The Dark Ages) (2) “Is not”. With its deadly wound (Rev.13:3), the beast went into its nonexistence phase, at least, as a persecutor, in 1798. It vanished for some time from the world scene, yet it survived. (3) Finally, with the healing of the deadly wound, the beast will revive in full satanic rage.  
Revelation 17 describes the beast of Rev.13:1-8 at the time of the healing of its deadly wound. Upon this revived beast, the harlot Babylon sits. Once again there will be a short-lived union of religion and politics as it existed during the Middle Ages and persecution again will take place. 

 There are seven kings, too, who are symbolized by the seven mountains. Also, these mountains are successive, not simultaneous.  
These mountains do not symbolize individual kings, because Revelation does not deal with individual persons but with systems. In the Bible, mountains often symbolize world powers or empires. In biblical prophecy “kings” represent kingdoms. Thus, the seven mountains symbolize seven great successive empires that dominated the world throughout history, through which satan opposed God and harmed God’s people. These powers are the family tree of the beast.  

An astute mind should be able to see the storm clouds of the last days closing in on us – but look up, because your redemption draws nigh!