Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Revelation 17

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet (Sym. shameful-debased royalty) beast (Leviathan, Sea Monster) which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

• What should we learn from this chapter?
  • The explanation of the beast, the seven heads, the Antichrist, the ten horns, the woman, and the meaning of the color scarlet.
  • ALL TEN horns are on the SEVENTH and LAST head of the beast.
    
• THE BEAST:
  • The beast with seven heads is Satan. He swims in a sea of people:
    
    • Revelation 13:1 The Beast from the Sea
      Then I (John) stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea (a multitude of people), having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.
      
    • The “sand of the sea” is the Jewish Kingdom (past, present, and future). As numerous as the sand of the sea. (Genesis 32:12). John’s focus is on the Jews during the Seven Year tribulation, which is also Daniel’s (Jewish) seventieth “week”. (Daniel 9:24-27)
      
      
• THE SEVEN HEADS
  • Satan’s heads are the seven gentile kingdoms that have (and will) rule over the Jews (past, present, and future).
  • Revelation 17:10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time (Seven Years).
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  • Satan is an invisible principality who swims in a symbolic sea of people. From a man’s point of view, Satan can only be seen in the visible realm through the physical kings (heads and crowns) he has (and will) influence. His presence is visible when the waters are stirred, when they boil and stew.
  • The seventh head/crown is the future Antichrist, who will betray, attack, and rule over the Jews. He is not only influenced, but indwelt, by Satan with the mission to utterly annihilate all Jews. Both he and Judas are called the “Son of Perdition” for their betrayal. (II Thessalonians 2:3, John 17:12)

• THE ANTICHRIST
  • He is also called a Beast, taking on all the initiatives of Satan.
  • When both Satan and the Antichrist are discussed together, Satan is referred to as the Dragon while the Antichrist is called the Beast. (Revelation 13:2,4,11,13)
  • In the book of Daniel, he is called “the fourth beast” (Daniel 7:7,19,23), and in Revelation, he is “the seventh crown/head yet to come” (Revelation 17:10).
  • Daniel deals only with the last head, the fourth beast:
    
  • Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard (the speed of Alexander the Great, the third beast), his feet were like the feet of a bear (the massive strength of Cyrus’ Persian army, the second beast), and his mouth like the mouth of a lion (the authority of Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar, the first beast). The dragon gave him (the fourth beast-the Antichrist) his (Satan’s) power, his throne, and great authority.
  • The Antichrist as the head of the last kingdom represents the feet of iron and clay on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.
    The iron is Rome. The clay are the ten horns indicating the Edomites.(Red Clay)
  • He not only is the head of the beast, but he is also one of the ten horns (powers of the Middle Eastern tribes which come against Israel)
    
• The Harlot Woman
• Revelation 17:9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains (kingdoms of the past, present, and future who have ruled over the Jews) on which the woman (harlot) sits.

See: {1 of 4} Revelation 17 – The Harlot
See: {2 of 4} Revelation 17 – The Beast
See: {3 of 4} Revelation 17 – Isaiah 21
See: {4 of 4} Revelation 17 – Symbolism