In this episode, delve into the prophetic insights of Revelation 17 as David Hawking unpacks the mysteries surrounding the woman and the beast. Understand the significance of the imagery depicted in the Bible and how it relates to the current spiritual deceptions operating in our world today. With references to recent historical events, the narrative guides listeners through a thought-provoking discussion about the fate of those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
According to the Bible’s presentation in Revelation, no unbeliever’s name is written in the book of life. Jesus said to the 70 who came back and were so excited they were able to cast out demons, He said, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you. Now we all get excited about that, but Jesus said, here’s something to really rejoice in, because your names are written in heaven. No matter what other problems or struggles or burdens you had, this is something to really rejoice in. Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Praise the Lord.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Apostle John sees a woman riding a scarlet beast, drunk with the blood of the saints, draped in gold, purple, and power. But her splendor, it’s a lie. On this edition of Hope for Today, David Hawking pulls back the curtain to reveal what’s really driving the world’s systems, the spiritual deception that’s been working for centuries to defy God himself. The stage, it’s set, and the powers of Earth are moving into place. Stay tuned for day one of The Mystery Revealed. It’s coming up next. DavidHawking.org And if this ministry has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider standing with us? Your prayers and financial gifts help keep these programs on the air and make God’s Word available free of charge to people all over the world. To give, call 1-800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. Or make a donation online at davidhawking.org. Let’s join David in Revelation 17, 7-18 as we begin today’s study.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now, in relationship to Bible prophecy, things are happening so rapidly that I’m not even sure I’m going to finish the book of Revelation before we go home. Open your Bibles, please, to Revelation 17. Chapter 16. Now we’re in 17, I know. But chapter 16, verse 12 says, Everybody got that verse? I’m reading out of the Orange County Register, Tuesday, November 16, 1993. The title of the article, Iraq Steps Up Drive to Drain Marshlands and Attacks Villages. Government forces in Iraq have stepped up a campaign to empty wide sections of the country’s southern marshlands. The campaign has included what some witnesses describe as chemical weapons attacks against opposition Shiite Muslims. Residents and Shiite guerrillas say Iraqi engineers have diverted water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, drying up more than half the vast wetlands and pushing thousands of people deeper into the marshes and into Iran. The operation also has forced an unknown number to surrender to Iraqi troops who have interned families in barren detention centers in Basra, Nasiriyah, and Amra, residents said. Although the draining began in August 1992, Guerrillas say the crackdown has been stepped up. The government’s campaign also has included random shelling, the burning of villages, and executions. The diversion of the water has enabled Iraq to to send infantry and armored vehicles over the dry marsh bed to attack and gut scores of southern villages in recent weeks. Six people interviewed along the border with Iran said they had witnessed a chemical weapons attack by Iraqi forces. Copies of what appeared to be Iraqi military documents buttressed their accounts. UN investigators arrived November 14th in Tehran, Iran, to investigate allegations of chemical weapons attacks. They interviewed two refugees who said they had witnessed such Iraqi attacks. The overall aim of the Iraqi army seems to be to wipe out the scattered villages and farms that sustain the rebels. Rebel commanders and survivors estimate that 50,000 Shiites have been killed already.
SPEAKER 1 :
50,000!
SPEAKER 04 :
And that as many as one-third of the estimated 200,000 residents have fled the marshes in the past five months. The Iraqi government, whose leadership is predominantly Sunni Muslim, maintains that it’s only hunting down deserters and criminals, and that its extensive diversion of water is is aimed at reclaiming 150 million acres of land. The marshes comprise about one-third of Iraq’s southern provinces. U.S. satellite photographs in March showed one-third of the Amara Marsh is already dry, as are large patches of the Huwaiza Marsh. The marshes cover 6,000 square miles. Vast banks of reeds, lagoons, rice paddies, residents of the island villages have been self-sufficient for thousands of years. Now families occasionally are seen paddling toward Iran, nursing the sick and emaciated children. Fresh water is so precious it sells for a dollar a bucket, and so on. My dear friends, they have diverted water from the giant Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and it is dried up so that their armies and tanks have been able to cross it at will. I read that the water of the Euphrates was dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Does that sound interesting to you? If you’re not ready to go home to be with the Lord, you better get ready. Revelation chapter 17. Let’s start at verse 1. We took the first six verses last time, but let’s read the entire chapter to get the whole thing put together in our minds. There came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials or bowls and talked with me, saying unto me, Come here. and I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration The angel said unto me, Why didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings. Five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come. And when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth. and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 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.” And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 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. For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman whom thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. In verses 7 to 14, where we pick it up, we need to be reminded that the woman is sitting on the beast. And as you go through this passage, please separate in your minds the woman from the beast. That is easy to get confused. The woman is described as being a mystery and a mother in verse 5. A mystery connected with Babylon the Great, a mother of abominations and harlots of the earth. We are seeing in verse 7, the angel saying unto John, why did you marvel? Look at the end of verse 6. When I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. Same word as wonder. In fact, the word wonder and marvel all the way through these verses are exactly the same in Greek. Wonder or amazement. He looked at it and it was just awesome to him. You know, I have to say that John certainly saw it in an impact different than ours, but even reading his words, we still wonder with great amazement at what we read. The impact of this beast is mentioned very clearly for us in verse 7 and 8 by that simple statement, Why did you marvel? I’ll tell you the mystery. It’s an amazing mystery, all right. Go back to chapter 13. Chapter 13. The same kind of words were used when the beast was mentioned in chapter 13. Verse 3 says, I saw one of his heads as though it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered. There’s the same word again. Wondered, amazed after the beast. But the world also worships the dragon who gave power unto the beast. They worship the beast saying, who’s like the beast? Who’s able to make war with him? A beast with seven heads and ten horns but becomes a hymn. It’s very difficult to follow. Verse 8 says, Quickly go to chapter 17, verse 8 again, and it says, They that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. We commented on this back in chapter 3 where we had the promise to the church at Sardis. God said, I will not blot your name out of the book of life. That’s a wonderful promise to those who are overcomers to believers. I’ll not blot your name out of the book of life. But in chapter 13, verse 8, and chapter 17, verse 8, those who dwell on the earth during the tribulation are unbelievers, and it is said of them, their names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the earth. According to the Bible’s presentation in Revelation, no unbeliever’s name is written in the book of life. Turn to chapter 20 and look at verse 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. That’s the ultimate destiny of all those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. Turn to Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. Verse 20. Jesus said to the 70 who came back and were so excited they were able to cast out demons. He said, notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you. Jesus said, don’t get excited about that. Here’s something to really rejoice in. Because your names are written in heaven. If your name is not written in the Lamb’s book of life, you will spend an eternity in the lake of fire. You’ll be in hell forever. So the thing to really get excited about in life is that your name is written in the book of life. Back to Revelation 17. The identity of the seven heads is really a problem. Verse 9 and 10. the identity of the seven heads. If you like to take notes, I’m really going to give you eight points that are based on the Scripture. I’m just going to go through them slowly, carefully, and we’re talking about the identity of the seven heads of this beast. Now let’s read the verses again. Verse 9, Here’s the mind which hath wisdom. After you read this and you don’t understand, you kind of are offended by that statement. Well, I guess I don’t have any wisdom. Here is the mind which hath wisdom. We’re talking here the wisdom of God to understand. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth. Well, wait a minute. Back in verse 1, it says she sits on many waters. Now it says she sits on seven mountains. Look at verse 15. The waters that she sits on. are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. You see, my friends, I do not believe the Bible is trying to trick us. What she sits on are nations, people, tongues. Therefore, the mountains represent nations, peoples, multitudes, and tongues. You follow that? The Bible’s not trying to be tricky here. Now let’s walk through these eight points. Number one, in chapter 12, verse 3, seven heads were on the dragon with seven crowns on the heads. Let’s turn back there. Chapter 12, verse 3. First time we saw this imagery. Chapter 12, verse 3. It says, there appeared another wonder or sign in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. So the heads are representing some sort of conquest or kingdom or king. The heads do. Now the second point is in chapter 13, verse 1, and that is that the beast who arose from the sea had seven heads and ten horns with crowns on the horns. Not the heads this time, but on the horns. Chapter 13, verse 1. I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. So again, first point, seven heads are on the dragon. The great red dragon is specifically stated to be Satan or the devil in Revelation 12, verse 10. He’s the accuser of our brethren. He’s the old serpent, Satan or the devil. So the devil’s behind this whole thing. It actually pictures his work in the world. Everything that is represented by this beast with seven heads and ten horns is representing the work of our enemy, the devil himself, in this world. Now, when we look at the beast coming out of the sea, inspired by Satan, it has ten horns with crowns on the horns. which means they will have also a kingdom or a conquest or a rulership in some fashion. It appears as though the ten horns are on one of the heads. First of all, it doesn’t make sense if it’s on all seven. What do you have, one on each and then three on the last or what? I mean, that doesn’t make sense. The ten horns are on the seventh head. Seven heads, and on the seventh one, there are ten horns.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s Bible teacher David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. And just before David returns to close out today’s study time, Matt’s here, and we want to tell you about a wonderful study resource.
SPEAKER 01 :
Each month, we air a special program featuring my dad’s answers from the Bible to questions we received from listeners over the years.
SPEAKER 02 :
And at the root of many inquiries, Matt, are basic but essential questions such as, who am I? Where do I come from? What is the meaning of life? Where am I going and is there any hope for me?
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, in life’s greatest questions, we go to the Bible, the sure word of God for the answers to the perplexities of the human heart.
SPEAKER 02 :
Matt, the psalmist asked, and you know this verse, what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him?
SPEAKER 01 :
Psalm 84. Our Lord cares and the Bible doesn’t avoid tough questions. No. It answers them with the truth of God’s love, his plan of redemption, and his promise of eternal hope.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Lord Jesus himself declared, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
SPEAKER 01 :
John 14, 6. You know, friend, in him we find both the meaning of life and the assurance of life everlasting. And you don’t need to remain in darkness concerning life’s greatest questions.
SPEAKER 02 :
God has given us his truth, and in it, The truth of God’s Word, in that we find hope, assurance, and peace through His Son, our Savior, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Amen. John 8, 32. Go get your copy of Life’s Greatest Questions by David Hawking today for $10 from Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Read, enjoy, and then share with a friend who also needs answers.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, boy, so many folks around us do. And when you purchase this or any resource, would you prayerfully consider adding a donation to help us continue the ministry work of Hope for Today? Or perhaps send a donation by itself. And please do pray for us whenever you hear or remember Hope for Today. Amen to that. Amen. To get your copy of Life’s Greatest Questions by David Hawking, call 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. You can also purchase the book online at davidhawking.org. By the way, while you’re getting in touch with us, we’d love to hear from you. You might have a prayer request or maybe a testimony to share, or maybe you can tell us how God has used this ministry to strengthen your faith. Let us know. Your stories and testimonies remind us that God’s Word is still changing lives every day, and it brings a smile to the faces of everyone here at Hope for Today. And also, if Hope for Today has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider supporting us this month? Your gifts keep these broadcasts on the air and online. They help us share Bible teaching around the world and provide a number of free resources to those who need them the most. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a real difference. You can reach us by writing to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO 7 Oaks, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 8P1. Online at davidhawking.org. And now let’s get back to David for his closing comments on today’s study.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, friends, I hope you’re enjoying our study of Revelation 17. It’s quite a chapter. It’s about Babylon the Great. Don’t forget. We have a book called Babylon. It’s history and the prophecies of the Bible about it. And people tell me it’s one of the best ever written, and I thank them for it. But you want to get a copy, you can order it from Hope for the Day, whether you’re in the United States at 1-800-75-BIBLE, or you’re in Canada at 1-888-BOOK. 75 Bible. So get your copy and stay with us for the study, Can You Believe? The mystery is being revealed here. We’re told that the beast that you see in this chapter, that the woman rides, comes out of the bottomless pit, out of hell itself, and will go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth will wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that was and is not and yet is. Now, that phrase is talking about a deadly wound, and he gets healed from it, and the whole world now is pretty excited about it. And the Bible is going to describe this in detail as to what are the seven heads, what are the ten horns. And be careful, friends. There’s all kinds of wild interpretations. And we need to know exactly what the Bible is saying and teaching. Because here at Hope for Today, it’s the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible. God bless. God bless.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, thank you, David. If you’d like a copy of David’s book, Babylon, its history and prophecies, you can purchase it for just $15. To order, go to davidhawking.org or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Well, next time on Hope for Today, David continues our study in Revelation with day two of his message, The Mystery Revealed. We’re going to see how Babylon is exposed and the power behind her destruction. Do join us then right here on Hope for Today.
