Notes on Revelation 17
I here post Study Bible notes on Revelation 17:1-6, the most natural breakpoint in the chapter. There is a vision, followed by a lengthy explanation in verses 7-18. I will share the notes on the rest of the chapter in a couple of weeks.
I was delighted with the rapid and vigorous response to the first set of notes. A few comments on those responses would be in order. As one reader notes, if anyone wants to know the exegetical and theological principles upon which I do my work, they are clearly delineated in my books What the Bible Says About the End-Time (theological principles) and The Deep Things of God (exegetical principles). I consider these principles a work in progress, yet they have not been confronted with significant objections in the last twenty years (I have been teaching them well before the dates of publication), so they are a useful in ferreting out the evidence of the biblical text. Those who don’t follow principles like these tend to overlook significant evidence, leading to problematic conclusions.
While the word "Armageddon" occurs only once in the whole Bible (Rev 16:16), it is clearly the defining point of the sixth and seventh plagues (Rev 16:12-21), which are elaborated in chapter 17, although the word "Armageddon" is not repeated there. I am well aware of the "har-moed" interpretation, but have not gone in that direction because it requires too much of a stretch (I believe) in the linguistic move from moed to mageddon. For the scholarly details, see my entry on Armageddon in the Anchor Bible Dictionary, volume 1.
I agree that more words would be desirable, but that is not a decision for me to make. I understand the reluctance of some to even have an "Adventist study Bible" and I hesitated on those grounds, but since the project was going ahead with or without me, I thought it was too significant to ignore. It might have more of an impact on people’s thinking than anything else I have written, I’d be a fool not to try to make a difference in this way.
It does not seem to me that a project like this violates Rev. 22:18-19, as one reader suggests. It seems plain to me that the passage warns against tampering with the wording of Revelation itself rather than warning against interpretation of the text. If the latter were the case, we should have nothing at all to say about the Bible. Don’t preach it, comment on it or write about it, just read it! I note that the writer raising the concern also writes about Revelation, so I am not sure I follow the point.
Anyway, here’s the next batch of notes:
Study Notes on Rev. 17:1-6
17:1-18 This chapter elaborates on the sixth and seventh plagues (16:12-21).
17:1 one of. . . bowls. Probably the sixth bowl-angel (16:12), as the waters of this verse are the Euphrates River. harlot. Prostitute. See 17:4-5. many waters. See 17:15; Jer. 51:13. The river of Babylon (Euphrates).
17:2 See 14:8.
17:3-6a A vision of prostitute Babylon riding on a beast.
17:3 in the Spirit. See note on 1:10. wilderness. See 12:6, 14. woman. Same as prostitute of 17:1, 5. scarlet beast. See 12:3 and 13:1-2. Represents worldwide political power in support of Babylon.
17:4-5 Many parallels between prostitute Babylon and the OT High Priest (Exod. 28:1-43). A counterfeit end-time religious system (see 16:13, 19), the heir of the medieval papacy. forehead, name. In Hebrew context, a reflection of character.
17:6 the martyrs of Jesus. See 6:9-11. Many interpreters note that the medieval papacy produced more martyrs than any other opponent of God’s people.
I agree with you that Rev. 22:18-19 concerns the 'words' of the book, but it also concerns the interpretation of those words in the following regard: If you say that your interpretation is given directly by the Holy Spirit and your interpretation is incorrect then you are saying that God told you a lie, and that is blasphemy. This is the same as a prophet saying that they are of God and the prophecy that they state is later proven from Scripture to be false. However, if you make the statement before hand that this is your own individual interpretation and the reader must make their own decision then you are not held accountable for THEIR understanding, you are held accountable only for your own.
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What's your point?
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Frankly I have not seen this passage as an elaboration of the sixth and seventh plagues, but I now see how indeed that makes sense. Will look into this more in the future. I am encouraged in your comments that the woman is actually the same woman of chapter 12, but having had an extreme makeover. I have come to the same conclusions years ago. She has become a prostitute for frolicking with the powers of the earth. This transformation fits with an overall theme of apostacy and remnant we find in the O.T. By the fact that remnant is mentioned in 12:17 hints at an apostacy. Chapter 17's woman is the manifestation of that apostasy predicted in 2 Thess. 2:3.
Are the waters just political power? I see it as more people power. The earth dwellers are supporting her, as is the beast, or the political powers. Maybe the waters and the beast are one and the same?
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I am amazed at the opinions of all of the people I meet who believe the Woman of Revelation 12 must be the “Church”. Since when was the church ever in heaven? And as for the church giving birth to Jesus Christ? Where do people come up with this news? But what puzzles me the most is how can a church have offspring? Isn’t the church always the church?
As for the mystery of Babylon—or the great city, Revelation 11:8 points out this is the same place where Jesus was crucified. I also find it interesting that in Rev. 14:8 and 18:2, this same ‘great city’ has fallen twice. Could it be, as it is pointed out in Daniel, that God gave Israel two periods of time to become righteous and since they fell both times, God is again pointing out to those who have wisdom, who this Babylon really is? After all, to fall would mean that they had started out professing to be a perfect bride just as the bible shows what Israel did. And, as Ellen White pointed out, Babylon could not be the Catholic Church, for they were never perfect in the first place.
As for what Dennis wrote, I would agree that the warning in Revelation 22 is for the book of Revelation and only addressed to those living in the last generation, for anyone dead could not receive any of the plagues.
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If one carefully examines scripture in prophectic portions the church is often symbolized as a woman, either pure or impure. That is basic biblical interpretation, uncontroverted.
It clearly says that the woman is a sign in heaven, symbolic in other words. Being consistent with all of the Bible it has to be God's people or the church. The women of Revelation 12 and 17 are the same, but different in that chapter 17's portrayal is of an apostate woman. It's a story of apostasy in the church, predicted in the N.T. several times.
It is pretty clear to me that the church is symbolized and refered to as a woman many times: Ephesians five is an excellent place to see this.
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What English version of the Bible do you use?
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