TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 40: The role the ten-horned economic organization will
play in dismantling Mystery Babylon's power.
I The Revelation emphatically promises that Christ will
prevail over the ten-horned alliance's attempt to eliminate
the world's Christians.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:
and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and
faithful (Rev. 17:14).
A How will the ten-horned alliance actually make war with
the Lamb during the days of the prophecy's fulfillment?
1 Since no earthly group of nations can engage "the
Lamb," Jesus Christ the Creator God, in a physical
war, it follows that the Ten's war will be directed
at Christ's earthly followers.
2 Accordingly, the ten nations, along with the beast,
will use their powerful economic leverage to make war
against Christ's faithful followers, by denying them
access to the world's computerized economic system.
B At the end of the age, the text promises that Christ
will return with His faithful and defeat the beast and
destroy the ten-horned international financial system.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest,
where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues (Rev. 17:15).
A Here, as in Daniel 7, the waters represent the world's
peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
B The whore represents the world's capital city, "Mystery
Babylon," that will rule over all the Earth's people.
II In time the ten horns initial support for the international
capital city will change to hate.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,
these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire
(Rev. 17:16).
A Why will the ten horns willingly "give their power and
strength unto the beast," initially, but later "hate the
whore?"
1 At first, only Christians and other undesirable people
will be subjected to the oppressive policies set up
by the bureaucrats running the capital city.
a But once the international government gets its secret
police firmly in place, suddenly no one will be
immune from being labeled undesirable.
b Everyone will be subjected to living in fear.
2 Eventually the ten nations will come to the point
where they have had enough and fight back.
B How will the Ten break the world capital's reign of
terror?
1 They "shall make her desolate and naked" shows that
the Ten will systematically strip the city of its
unlimited authority over the world's financial system.
2 They shall "eat her flesh" implies that the Ten will
confiscate the goods and wealth the capital will
amass during its three-and-one-half year reign of
terror.
3 As a final solution they will wipe the international
capital city off the face of the earth with atomic
fire.
C What does this passage reveal about the boundaries of
the world government's power?
1 "These have one purpose and give their power and
authority to the beast" (Rev 17:13, NASB) shows that
the ten most economically affluent nations will agree
to let the international capital city regulate the
world economy without hinderance.
2 At the same time, apparently in the interest of world
peace and economic recovery, the Ten will go along
with the world capital's sinister and violent
liquidation of anyone opposing their grand plan,
including the wholesale removal of the individual
rights of the common man.
3 However, the statement "the ten horns...shall eat her
flesh, and burn her with fire," points out that the
world capital and its powerful economic institution
will not entirely displace the governments of
individual nations, nor will it gain real control
over the military forces of the world's nations.
III A careful look at the meaning of John's summary statement
concerning the certainty of the fulfillment of God's
prophesied judgment of "Mystery Babylon."
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to
agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words
of God shall be fulfilled (Rev. 17:17).
A Does this verse mean that God will force these ten
nations to help establish a Satan-inspired one-world
government?
1 No, if it meant God will make the nations set up the
world government it would introduce a gross contra-
diction, since the last beast's primary objective
will be the destruction of Christ's earthly Church.
2 Obviously God would not ally Himself with these ten
nations by giving them a plan of action against His
people.
a Quite the contrary is the case.
b The Revelation warns all nations, hundreds of years in
advance, not to join a one-world government movement.
3 Furthermore, if the verse meant God will force the
nations to set up the world government it would also
contradict the plain meaning of the initial
introduction of this subject.
13 "These have one purpose and give their power and
authority to the beast (Rev. 17:13, NASB).
4 Clearly, the ten nations will consciously agree to
"give their power and authority to the beast;" God
will not force them (like robots) to do any of this
evil against their will.
B A fair question to ask here is if "For God hath put in
their hearts to fulfil his will" does not mean God will
manipulate the Ten's every action, what does it mean?
1 Isaiah's forceful introduction of AWWI, "Behold, the
LORD maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste, and
turneth it upside down, . . . and the earth shall be
utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled; for the
LORD has spoken this word" (Isa. 24:1, 3), provides
insight into the meaning of John's text.
a For instance, even as "Behold, the LORD maketh the
earth empty" does not mean God will literally
bring AWWI upon the Earth, but rather, AWWI will
come to pass according to the infallible Word of
God; so does John's equivalent statement, "For God
hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will" not
mean that God will literally force the leaders of
the ten-horned group to give their kingdoms unto
the beast.
b Instead, John's prophetic statement means the
rulers of the ten nations will give their kingdoms
unto the beast according to the infallible,
pre-recorded, foreknowledge of God.
2 Note further that the qualifying statement "Until the
words of God shall be fulfilled" is equivalent to
Isaiah's clarifying comment, "for the LORD has spoken
this word" (Isa. 24:4).
a That is, God will not literally force the ten
kings to relinquish their power to the beast, but
rather, the ten will agree among themselves to do
this unprecedented act according to the "words of
God."
b Thus, John's startling unbending statement "For
God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will,"
is a typical example of the language the prophets
of Israel used to emphasize the certainty of an
unparalleled future event coming to pass.
3 Why did John employ the typical bold language of the
Hebrew prophets to underline the certainty of the
actual fulfillment of this event?
a In this case, the act of not one, but ten future
powerful rulers handing their kingdoms over to a
newly formed city of administrators was so
implausible (and still is) that the natural
reaction would be to dismiss the statement as
far-fetched.
b The rulers of this world do not give up so much
as a particle of their power; they only strive to
get more.
c Hence, in an effort to counteract this natural
reaction, John declared that the fulfillment would
be as certain as it would be if God compelled the
ten nations to give their power to the beast by
putting the order in their minds to "fulfil his
will."
4 According to this text, what is God's will concerning
the destiny of the world government?
a The word "until" declares that the Ten will
eventually decide among themselves to strip the
world capital of its power, in keeping with the
previous verse:
b "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the
beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh,
and burn her with fire" (Rev. 17:16).
c In the end God's will for His people--a world
where they can live in peace and free from the
world government's persecution--will prevail.
d God's words of judgment against the place,
therefore, will be fulfilled--the city and
its inhabitants will be utterly destroyed
by fire.
IV John ends this prophecy by identifying the woman as the
symbolic representation of the capital city that will
reign over the nations of the earth.
18 And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city having a
kingdom over the kings of the earth (Rev. 17:18, IGENT).