Chapters 17-19

Checking the flowchart again, we see that the Ch17-19 box is directly underneath the Ch15,16 box, and is shorter in length. Since it ends at the same place, the last event it portrays occurs at the same time the last event portrayed in the Ch15,16 box occurs. Now, either these are two different events occurring simultaneously or they are two different descriptions of the same event, each giving details not included in the other. This last view is the correct one.

Notice that the Ch17-19 box begins to the right of the Ch15,16 box. That means that the events portrayed here begin after the events there begin. Since this box also begins well after the Ch12-14 box begins, and since that box begins with a description of the gospel, we can see that the Ch17-19 box begins sometime after the gospel has been introduced into the world.

Just as in the case of all the other boxes, this one too forms a complete scene to add to the total picture of Revelation. We mentioned earlier that perhaps the original readers were in need of a more immediate prophecy, not so much a general picture of good eventually triumphing over evil, but a more specific prophecy of their own relief from the source of most of their persecutions.

This box contains just such a prophecy. There has been much confusion over the identity of Babylon, most of it due to not trying to see how the original readers would understand it. There is no point in trying to find a modern identification since there is no way the original readers could possibly come to the same conclusion, nor would it have provided them with any comfort if they had. Going back to one of our original premises, scripture cannot mean more to us than it did to its original readers. Of course, it can mean less, and we've seen that, insofar as some of the more mysterious details, that we cannot be absolutely certain we understand correctly, may very well have been understood by the original readers. But we've also seen that that in no way keeps us from seeing the big picture, the overall understanding that Jesus wants us to have.

There are many who believe that this box, too, with its description of Babylon, and the previous boxes, with their battles and confrontations, all portray the struggle between faithful Christians and apostate Christians. Naturally, the apostates are always identified as "the other guys, those not of our group." Let me emphasize that there is absolutely no reason at all for such a sectarian view, nor would it be of any comfort to the original readers, whose persecutions were coming from outside, not inside, the church.

In virtually every generation someone has identified Babylon with some political threat at that time. Since that identification changes from one generation to the next, it shows how nebulous and risky this can be. Every generation thinks its times are the worst, and thinks that the second coming is at hand. The fact that it hasn't happened yet shows how wrong people who are always trying to 'read the signs' can be. Remember, there are no signs, Matthew 24:36.

It is my view that the original readers would understand the images in chapter seventeen to represent not the Roman Catholic Church, or any other church, but the Roman Empire, with some images alluding to Rome, others to the Emperor. The great prostitute in v2, Babylon in v5, the references to Christian persecutions in v6, the seven hills in v9 (Rome sits on seven hills, Jerusalem also being excluded from being Babylon as she sits on only two hills,) all would clearly refer to Roman oppression. V15-18 predicts her ruin.

Chapter eighteen describes the fall of Babylon, or Rome. Notice that v2 is in the past tense. This doesn't mean that it has already happened at the time of the writing. It means that it's as good as done — it's a done deal, so to speak. If God says it will be, it will be, and often is spoken of as if it has already happened, that's how guaranteed the outcome is.

V3 shows that this prostitute is a nation in her dealings with other nations. Those nations, the kings of the earth, the merchants who grew rich from her excessive luxuries, are all the activities of a nation, not a church, so the modern idea that Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church or any other church just doesn't stand up. Nor does this describe Jerusalem, whose main income was agricultural. Also note that Jerusalem, at 50,000 residents, was only 1/20th the size of Rome, and was off the main trade routes, being inland, unlike Rome.

There is the warning to come out of her, spoken to Christians, before she meets her ruin. This alludes to Jesus' warning concerning the fall of Jerusalem, found in Matthew 24:1-35. Some commentators state that when Christians saw the signs of that, they left that city so that when it was destroyed, and perhaps tens of thousands of people died, not one Christian was there.

Here, the reference has more to do with 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, so that they will not be enticed or forced to commit sin with her.

V6-8 again warns of her impending doom.

V9, the kings of the earth, v11, the merchants of the earth, and v17, every sea captain, all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all the rest, all mourn her ruin, but not for her sake! Rather, they are all really mourning their own loss caused by her ruin. The kings of the earth will share in her adulteries and luxuries no longer. The merchants of the earth will sell their precious cargo to her no more. The sea captains and all who made their living transporting all these goods to her will no longer have this trade. They are really mourning their own loss, since Babylon made them all rich. V11-13 provides a pretty thorough list of the types of goods that were normally transported over the Roman trade routes.

The end of the eighteenth chapter, beginning with v21, again predicts Babylon's ruin in graphic terms. V24 gives the reason why.

Chapter nineteen begins with the fall of Babylon occurring. The first four verses show all the heavenly hosts rejoicing over her fall. V5-9 show those left on the earth joining in the celebration.

John apparently is overcome by joy and falls down to worship the nearest heavenly being, an angel who promptly tells him not to do it! The angel is only the messenger — he is not God. This reminds one of when Paul and Barnabas were mistakenly thought to be gods in Acts 14:1. They were no happier about that than the angel here was!

This concludes the specific prophecy that the Roman Empire would not stand forever, that God would bring her to ruin for a number of reasons, including her adulteries (read idolatries,) excesses, and persecutions of Christians. This would be a great encouragement to the original readers, who were suffering more than at any time in history. This tells them to hang in there, don't give up, all is not lost, God will set the record straight.

Chapter nineteen now shifts gears and skips to the long range future. Beginning with v11, the rest of the chapter deals with Armageddon.

Since we know historically that the Roman Empire fell, and since we also know that Armageddon is still future, we can easily place the present time, as far as this box is concerned, in chapter nineteen, between v10 and 11, represented by the red line as it passes through this box.

Notice in the flowchart that at the right end of the Ch17-19 box there is a subbox labeled Ch19:11-21. Notice that this subbox is lined up vertically with the 3 in the Ch 12-14 box, the 7 in the Ch15,16 box and the v7-10 subbox in the Ch20:1-10 box, which is the subject of the next chapter. We saw that the 7 and the 3 in the above boxes dealt with Armageddon. Here in 19:11-21 more details are given concerning this battle.

V11 has Jesus on a white horse, white being the symbol of victory. His crowns in v12 are royal crowns, symbolizing Christ the King.

The rest of this section is pretty graphic, but it can be summed up simply as showing Christ as being victorious at Armageddon.

With this last section we have now seen three views of Armageddon, each one adding details not given in the other two. Some mistakenly view these sections as describing three different events, but it should be clear that they are really three different views of the same event.