A. 4a,§1317
Boek Openbaring §13,17, Beesten: Eerste Beest
Shalom!
^ The dragon in heaven, Satan, is hurled to the earth for the last time {3f§12, Rev. 12:12b-13}.
Next, the believers will meet their Lord Jesus in His secret presence in the air (1The. 5:2; 4:15b, 0c_SumEx; 1The. 4:17).
^ From that time Satan will concentrate on persecuting the people of Israel, and especially the 144,000 messianic believers of the 12 tribes (Rev. 12:15-17).
^ Among the Jewish people, the people of the two-tribes, there have always dwelled small numbers of citizens of the other 10-tribes. As well, from many countries, smaller or larger ethnic groups of them have been found back.
Prayer of them who have already completely overcome the beast and its image and its mark (Rev. 20:4), Bert.
¤ This chapter continues with the same moment when the 12th chapter ends, the beginning of the last half year-week of Daniel, Rev. 13:5, <To it [the beast] was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.>
The dragon will no longer have a chance to visit heaven and accuse believers. Now it stands between the promised land and the sea, Rev. 12:17b, <And it [the dragon] stood on the shore of the sea.>
¤ Next, we see Satan's tool on earth, a same kind of brute dragon. It is a copy or shadow of him {Heb. 8:5 (3a§12)}, Rev. 13:1, <Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.>
The devil-Satan-dragon gives this dragon-beast his destructive, shocking, and deadly powers (Rev. 12:9), Rev. 13:2b, <And the dragon gave to it [the beast] his power and his throne and great authority.>
¤ The meaning of the waters can be found in chapter 17. Of the same beast (and the prostitute sitting on it, Rev. 17:3) is spoken, Rev. 17:15b, <“The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. ….”>
Thus the beast (and prostitute) lives among peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. And it was revealed, Rev. 17:9b-10, <The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.>
¤ Two thousand years ago, the sixth kingdom was the then world power, Rome, and the seventh kingdom will only last a short time. Therefore Rome's rule would last relatively long. We learn from history that the Roman Empire became the Rome of the popes, as foretold in Rev. 13:3a, <One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed,>
As the Rome of the popes it has been a church, symbolized in the Bible as a woman (e.g., Eph. 5:23-33).
¤ God named the system in question Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth (Rev. 17:5).
Next, the mystery of the prostitute and the beast was explained {cf. Rev. 17:(1-)7}.
¤ Instead of a beautiful pure virgin, the mother prostitute has been a sinful woman, Rev. 17:2, <“…. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”>
The city of Rome was known at that time for being built on 7 hills. And it was foretold that as the prostitute it would be the same great city, that would rule over the kings/kingdoms of the earth: the Vatican city of the popes is a part of the city of Rome (cf. Rev. 17:7, 9, 18).
¤ The seven heads have represented seven superkingdoms, seven superpowers. One by one was/is conquering the entire civilization.
Throughout history representatives of the heads of the beast, rulers and popes, have been seen rising and declining, Rev. 17:8, <The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.>
¤ The central purpose of the beast (and the prostitute) is to wage war against the saints and conquer them (Rev. 13:7).
They are the people God has desired to choose as His servants, who do not bow to among others those political powers. Just like Jesus Christ. Satan offered all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor to Him too (Mat. 4:8-10).
¤The other half of the page can be found in the book
(ISBN 9789528096245)