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In the previous message we considered the great prostitute. Now we shall consider the scarlet beast upon which the prostitute rides, as described in Rev. 17.
We have seen that the rider is the Roman Church and that the beast is the Roman Empire, especially Antichrist, the coming seventh Caesar of the Roman Empire. Revelation 17:8 says, “The beast whom you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction.” The beast, who is Antichrist, “was” in the person of Caesar Nero before John wrote this book. He “is not” at the time of John’s writing, because Nero had died by that time. He “is about to come up out of the abyss.” This implies that Nero’s spirit is now in the abyss and, as indicated in Rev. 13:3, is about to emerge from it to take possession of the body of the slain and resuscitated Antichrist.
The beast is scarlet in color (Rev. 17:3). Scarlet, a dark red color, is the color of the great dragon (Rev. 12:3). The fact that the beast and the dragon are the same color indicates that Antichrist will be one with Satan in appearance.
This beast is full of names of blasphemy (17:3). The seven Caesars, symbolized by the seven heads of the beast, called themselves god. This was sheer blasphemy against God. These Caesars assumed deity and called for their people to worship them. Those who did not worship them were persecuted.
Verse 3 also indicates that the beast has seven heads. Verse 9 says, “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” The city of Rome is built on seven mountains, signified by the seven heads of the beast on which the prostitute sits.
Verse 10, speaking of the seven mountains, which are the seven heads of the beast, says, “And are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.” The seven kings are seven Caesars of the Roman Empire. According to history, the Roman Empire had twelve Caesars; Antichrist will be the thirteenth. Out of the twelve Caesars, only six are included in the prophecy of Revelation. The first five have fallen; that is, they have died unnaturally (Judg. 3:25; 2 Sam. 1:10, 25, 27). They were Julius Caesar. Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, all of whom either were murdered or committed suicide before John wrote this book. The sixth one, Domitian, who was also murdered, was living when this book was written; therefore, it is said of him that he “is.” “The other,” the seventh, who will be Antichrist, had “not yet come” at that time. “When he comes, he must remain a little while” and then will be slain and resuscitated with the spirit of the fifth, Nero, to be the eighth.
Verse 11 says, “And the beast who was, and is not, he also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.” Antichrist will be the coming seventh Caesar. But he “also is the eighth.” According to 13:3, Antichrist will be slain and resuscitated. In that resuscitation, the spirit of Nero, the fifth Caesar, which comes up out of the abyss, will animate the dead body of the seventh Caesar, Antichrist. This one, composed of the fifth and seventh Caesars, is the eighth. Hence, he “is of the seven.” It is no wonder people will marvel at the sight of such an extraordinary being (v. 8).
Verses 8 and 11 indicate that the beast will go “into destruction.” This indicates that Antichrist will perish, as indicated in 19:20 and 20:10. He will be thrown into the lake of fire.
Verses 12 and 13 say, “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.” Ten kings will be raised up in the revived Roman Empire before the great tribulation. They will be one with Antichrist in opposing God and persecuting His people — the Jews and the believers. These ten kings, likened to the ten toes of the great image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream (Dan. 2:42), will submit themselves and their kingdom to Antichrist (v. 17).
The ten kings will receive the kingdom within one hour with the beast. This will be miraculous. Many wonder whether the ten nations of the European Common Market will be the ten kingdoms referred to here. This view may not be accurate, because these kings will receive their kingdom within one hour. Before that time, no one will know who they are. Suddenly, within one hour, they will all receive the kingdom. These ten kings will receive authority within such a short period of time. This will be a miracle performed by Satan, and it will come as a great surprise to the people.
Verse 13 says that these ten kings have one mind and that they give their power and authority to the beast. They will fully submit themselves to Antichrist, who will be very intelligent, imposing, convincing, and subduing.
Along with Antichrist, the ten kings will eventually wage war directly with the Lamb. Verse 14 says, “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 who are with Him are called and chosen and faithful.” The war here is the same as that mentioned in 19:11-21, the war at Armageddon (16:14, 16). Those who are with the Lamb are called, chosen, and faithful. Notice that “chosen” is mentioned after “called.” To be called is to be saved, whereas to be chosen is to be approved by the Lord on the basis of an overcoming life. Many are called today, but few will be chosen in the future (Matt. 22:14). We all have been called. In order to be among the chosen in the future we need to live an overcoming life today.
Verses 16 and 17 say, “And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these shall hate the prostitute and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her utterly with fire; for God has put it into their hearts to do His mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be accomplished.” That the ten horns and the beast will hate the prostitute and make her desolate means that Antichrist and the ten kings will destroy the apostate Roman Church. This will transpire at the beginning of the great tribulation. They will make the Roman Church desolate and naked, destroying her, robbing her of her riches, and exposing her; they “shall eat her flesh,” killing her members; and they “shall burn her utterly with fire,” annihilating her altogether. This also indicates that Babylon the Great mentioned in this chapter is the religious one. It will be of God that Antichrist and his ten kings destroy the apostate Roman Church. This should not be considered as martyrdom, but as the avenging judgment of God.
In 1929 Mussolini signed an agreement with Pope Pius XI making Vatican City an independent nation. Today the Vatican exercises power, authority, and influence over many nations, and ambassadors from other nations are sent to the Vatican. Probably this influence of the Vatican will arouse the hatred of the ten kings, and they will propose to the beast that they destroy the Roman Catholic Church. According to the picture in this chapter, the woman is riding upon the beast. Because the rider always controls the carrier, not the carrier the rider, this means that the prostitute controls the beast, not the beast the prostitute. For example, in driving your car, the car does not control you; you control it. Today, the Roman Catholic Church rides over politics. Eventually, this will stir up the ten kings to hate the prostitute, and together with Antichrist they will destroy her.
In their hatred for the great prostitute the ten kings will make her desolate and naked. The Roman Catholic Church today is far from being desolate; rather, it is flourishing. Recently I learned that the Roman Church owns one-third of the real estate in the city of Rome. Although the Roman Church is flourishing now, one day the Antichrist and the ten kings will make her desolate; that is, they will rob her of all her riches. Furthermore, they will make her naked. This means that they will strip off her covering and her pretensions and thoroughly expose her. Antichrist will be used by the Lord to expose this apostate church to the uttermost.
Today the Roman Catholic Church is covered, and we cannot see her real condition. We cannot see how filthy, sinful, worldly, devilish, demonic, and satanic are the things hidden within her. She not only engages in spiritual fornication, but in physical fornication as well. How terrible! Once I read an article saying that a certain dry well in Spain is filled with the bones of babies. We do not know how sinful, how evil, and how filthy are the things in this apostate church. One day, however, Antichrist and his ten kings will expose everything.
They will also eat the flesh of the prostitute, meaning that they will harm and even kill her members. Antichrist will devour and kill the members of the apostate church and burn her utterly with fire. If this word is not fulfilled in relation to the Roman Catholic Church, then on whom will this judgment come?
Some of those reading this message may be naturally kind and sympathetic, and they may think that my word regarding Roman Catholicism is too severe. If my word is too severe, I am not the first to speak such a word. The first is the Lord Jesus Himself, for the book of Revelation is His word. In 10:9 the Lord told the apostle John to devour the little scroll. He also said that the scroll would be sweet as honey in his mouth, but that it would make his stomach bitter. I cannot deny that I have seen the vision, and I have no choice but to speak the word of the Lord. The Lord must have a strong testimony today. I hope that you all will be stronger than I. But in order to be strong you must have a clear vision. In the Lord’s recovery today the vision is clear, especially after the release of all these messages. We must press on to have a strong, fresh, living, up-to-date testimony of Jesus. I realize that not many will take this way. Nevertheless, a good number will turn and come into the Lord’s recovery. The Lord will gather all His sincere and pure seekers to be His living, up-to-date testimony. This testimony will not only produce the firstfruit; it will also help the Christians still on earth during the great tribulation.
Verse 17 says that God has put it into the hearts of the ten kings to do His mind. I am glad that we have this verse. Antichrist and the ten kings will do certain things according to God’s mind to terminate the apostate church and to fulfill God’s will. How marvelous! God will put it into their hearts to destroy the Roman Church. Will you be kinder than God? God hates the apostate Roman Catholic Church. In His eyes it is a great prostitute, an abomination. One day, at the end of this age, God will cause the devilish rulers on earth to do His will to destroy this apostate church and to burn it with fire. Although many of us have had the Bible in our hands for years, we have never seen the significance of these two verses. Praise the Lord now so many of us have seen it! We are clear that the Roman Church will be burned. For this reason, we must tell our friends and relatives to come out of her.
If you want your relatives and friends to come out of the Roman Catholic Church, you must approach them in a proper way. Perhaps you are burdened for your mother. Do not say, “Mother, one day Antichrist will burn your church.” Rather, you should speak to your mother in a wise yet frank way. At first, you may ask her to read the Bible with you. But do not start with Revelation 17. It is better to begin with chapter twelve and read about the universal bright woman revealed there. Surely your mother will be interested in this, and she may say, “During my whole life in the Catholic Church, I never heard about this.” The next time you visit her, you may read chapter thirteen concerning the beast, Antichrist, and the time after that, chapter seventeen. Gradually you should help her to see that the woman riding on the scarlet beast is the Roman Catholic Church. However, do not tell her this directly. Instead, read the chapter with your mother and ask her to think about it. Eventually, she will conclude that the woman riding on the beast is the Catholic Church. She may even say, “It seems that this rider is my church.” Let her come to this conclusion herself. Even after she reaches this conclusion, you should ask her if she is sure about it. We must learn the wisdom to talk to people without offending them. Do not directly tell people that the Roman Church is demonic.
The subtle, devilish Catholicism is rooted in the blood of its people, and it is not easy to turn them away from it. If you want your friends and relatives to come out of the Catholic Church, you must pray for them desperately, asking the Lord to have mercy and to open their eyes. At times you may be so burdened that you will pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, I am desperate with You about my mother. I simply cannot go on unless she comes out of Catholicism. Lord, it is a matter of life and death. You must turn my mother.” I assure you that the Lord will answer your prayer. But as you talk with her, be wise and be full of the anointing. Never argue.
As you contact those in the Catholic Church, do not be hard with them. Approach them in a sincere, honest, soft, and wise way. Furthermore, your contact with them must be supported by a great deal of prayer. Even as you are talking to your relatives or friends, you need to pray, “Lord, have mercy on them and open their eyes that they may see the great prostitute.” If we do this, we shall be living witnesses to people. However, we have no intention of gaining increase by proselytizing. The increase is in the hands of the Lord. Although we do not proselytize, we are burdened to testify to all. As the living testimony of Jesus, we must learn how to express the Lord according to what we have seen. Do not argue with people or offend them — speak to them in a very pleasant way. The Lord will afford you the grace you need to be such a testimony.
