Chapter I THE FINAL SEVEN YEARS
Chapter II THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
Chapter III THE SCARLET COLORED BEAST
The Old Testament presents the complete history of Israel, from the nation's call through Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) to that future day when the Jewish people will be brought into a full realization of their calling (Isa. 53:1ff; 54:1ff). Through the course of this revealed history, because of continual disobedience extending over centuries of time, God eventually uprooted the Jewish people from their land and drove them out among the Gentile nations. God's purpose for dealing with His people after this fashion was to effect repentance through Gentile persecution, resulting in both the nation of Israel and the Gentile nations ultimately realizing that stated in Gen.12:3:
"...in thee [Abraham and his seed through Isaac and Jacob] shall all families of the earth [individuals comprising all the surrounding Gentile nations (cf. Gen. 18:18)] be blessed."
Revelation chapters six through nineteen have to do with the final seven years of God's dealings with a disobedient people scattered among the nations in the preceding respect. These chapters provide numerous details concerning a sequence of events surrounding Israel and the nations during and at the end of the final seven years of the 6,000 years comprising Man's Day (during and at the end of Daniel's unfulfilled Seventieth Week), anticipating the 1,000-year Lord's Day to follow.
Gentile persecution will reach an apex during these final seven years under the reign of the one to whom Satan will give "his power, and his seat ['his throne'], and great authority"; and Israel in that coming day, left with no place to turn other than to the God of their fathers, will be brought to the place of repentance, with Gentile world power destroyed at the end of this period.
This climax seen in the Book of Revelation is the identical climax seen in the Old Testament account, previously revealed through "Moses, and all the prophets" (cf. Luke 24:25-27). The structure of the latter must be the same as the structure of the former. Later revelation must be completely in line with and rest upon former revelation.
Thus, the Book of Revelation couldn't possibly be structured after any fashion other than that previously seen in the Old Testament. The only logical and possible way one could expect Revelation chapters six through nineteen to end, preceding events seen in chapter twenty (events as they pertain to the 1,000-year Messianic Era), would be the same way matters surrounding Israel and the nations are brought to a conclusion in the Old Testament, preceding the same events seen in Revelation chapter twenty -- Israel's harlotry being done away with, Gentile world power destroyed, and the Messianic Era then ushered in.
Bringing all of these things to light and reaching this climax, chapters six through sixteen form foundational material and build into the climax seen in chapters seventeen through twenty. Then, chapters seventeen and eighteen deal with Israel's harlotry being done away with, chapter nineteen deals with the subsequent destruction of Gentile world power, and chapter twenty deals with the ushering in of the long-awaited Messianic Era.
The Book of Revelation, in the preceding respect, is simply a detailed reiteration of numerous events in the Old Testament bearing on the subject. The book consists simply of closing and final commentary on that previously opened up and revealed in the Old Testament.
Interpretation in the Book of Revelation must come from Scripture itself. Scripture must be compared with Scripture, under the leadership of the indwelling Spirit (I Cor. 2:9-13). One must begin with that revealed elsewhere in the Book of Revelation and then move back into other New Testament as well as Old Testament Scripture. There is no other way to come into a proper understanding of this book or any of the various things dealt with throughout the book.
The identity of both the political power and the harlot in Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen is more often than not associated with "Rome" -- viewing matters as "a revived Roman Empire" forming the political power, and "the Roman Catholic Church" forming a religious power within the political. However, neither identification is correct.
The Church has never really departed from ideology coming out of the Reformation concerning Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen. Almost five hundred years ago the Reformers generally saw everything as "Roman" in these two chapters -- a Roman political power and a Roman Catholic religious power, often viewing the Pope as the Antichrist. And, aside from viewing the Papacy in this manner (though some Christians still do today), this whole interpretative ideology has remained essentially unchanged since the time of the Reformation.
Suffice it to say, ideology associating either the political power or the harlot with "Rome" was wrong at the time of the Reformation, and it remains just as wrong today. In short, that part of Christendom following either or both parts of this interpretation has been wrong for almost five hundred years concerning that taught in these two chapters in the Book of Revelation.
The Book of Revelation, as any other part of Scripture, must be understood and interpreted in the light of Scripture. Material in the book must be understood and interpreted contextually, and the whole of the book rests upon that previously revealed in the Old Testament.
Seeking to identify the political power as a revived Roman Empire has absolutely no basis in Scripture. The Book of Daniel is usually referenced, but the Book of Daniel identifies this final form of Gentile world power as other than Roman.
And seeking to associate the harlot with the Church of Rome has absolutely no basis in these two chapters, or elsewhere in the book, or in other Scripture. In fact, the Book of Revelation clearly identifies the harlot, and this identification is completely in line with and rests upon that previously revealed in the Old Testament.
Arlen L. Chitwood, The Lamp Broadcast, Inc., Norman, Okla.
E-mail: alchitwood@att.net.