May 18, 2018
The further we make it into John’s book, the more confusing it can become. There are so many images and visions flying at us, that it requires great effort to keep up. And much of the terminology or descriptors that John uses seem to do double duty, being used on more than one occasion to refer to more than one person or place. We have already seen that John uses the name Babylon in a variety of ways and in reference to a number of different things. The same is true of the designation, “The Beast.” So, as we move into Revelation 17:7-18, we have to watch carefully and cross-reference each use of these various terms by John. In the end, part of what we are seeing is the integral and interrelated nature of Satan, the Antichrist and the earthly kingdom over which he rules. It is difficult to separate these three things because they are so closely related and interdependent. But suffice it to say, that God has plans for all three, and John is getting a play-by-play description of their demise, complete with color commentary provided from the throne room in heaven.