Revelation 17:16 Revisited: Do Only the 10 Kings Hate Babylon the Great?

The previous articles I’ve published about Revelation 17:16 were written under the assumption that the ten kings and the beast develop hatred for Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Recall that I utilized the King James Bible’s rendering of the verse in those articles. The King James Bible's rendering of Revelation 17:16 says the following:

• Rev 17:16 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.

You may be wondering why I've suggested that the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire when the King James Bible’s rendering of Revelation 17:16 suggests that only the ten kings hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire.

The main reason is that I studied and wrote under the assumption that the Greek suggested that it is the ten kings and the beast who hate and destroy Babylon the Great. Here are some of the reasons why I studied and wrote under this assumption:

• I have two New Testament commentaries that analyze Greek, Vincent’s Word Studies and Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament. Each of these commentaries suggest that the Greek text conveys the idea that the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. Vincent’s Word Studies suggests this idea while displaying the King James Bible’s rendering of Revelation 17:16 (specifically the phrase "upon the beast").
• In addition, I have read numerous scholarly articles which state that the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. The authors of these articles know far more about the Greek language than me, so I took their analysis of the Greek seriously.
• A third, very minor consideration (since I believe the King James Bible is the best Bible version available) was that several other Bible versions like the NASB agree with the way that the different sources I mentioned above render/describe Revelation 17:16. I thought that there must be something in the Greek that makes these variety of sources (Greek commentaries, scholarly articles, and Bible versions) agree that the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire.

Late last week I became curious about why the New Testament Greek language commentaries I mentioned and why other Bible versions suggest that the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire when the King James Bible suggests that only the ten kings hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. I spent this past weekend looking for answers, and today I’ll finally share much of what I found with you.

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An Observation About the U.S. Debt Issue

I’m currently working on getting ready to write the article concerning Revelation 17:16 that I alluded to on Monday. However, in the meantime, I want to briefly comment on the big story that is dominating U.S. news headlines and the financial news world: the rush in Washington D.C. to raise the debt ceiling by August 2.

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An Update on My Many Ongoing Bible Prophecy Studies

Today I want to provide a quick update/overview on the many ongoing Bible prophecy studies that I’m currently engaged in for newer readers and to provide an update on what happened this past weekend with my ongoing study of Revelation 17:16.

Everything began earlier this year with a desire to better understand the prophecies concerning Libya and Egypt. While studying a variety of Bible prophecy verses concerning those two countries I came to the realization that I need to account for the timing of the events mentioned Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 since Libya is mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5 as a participant in Gog's invasion.

• Therefore, I unable to complete my study of the prophecies concerning Libya and Egypt without first completing a study concerning the timing of the events mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39.

A few months ago I mentioned that I was considering a possible way to view Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 that looked “promising”. This possible way to view Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 is still under consideration, but I still need to make sure I can account for some chapters that may relate to Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 before I am comfortable sharing what I have.

• I want to avoid a situation where I present something and have to take it back a few days later after I see that I failed to account for another Bible prophecy passage.

Some of the important, remaining chapters that I feel I need to account for before I can share what I have on Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 are Revelation 17, Revelation 18, and the chapters related to Revelation 17 and Revelation 18. The identification of Babylon the Great and understanding the events surrounding its destruction (Revelation 17:16) are important factors to consider when evaluating whether the Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 scenario I have in my mind is possible…

• Therefore, I cannot complete my study concerning the prophecies of Libya and Egypt and my study concerning the timing of events mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 without first dealing with topics concerning Babylon the Great and its destruction.

Speaking of Revelation 17:16, I spent the entire weekend studying the verse very closely. I found some interesting and important things/details about the verse which I hope to share in the near future. The article is going to take some time to write because there is a lot to present, but I have a feeling it is going to be worth the wait…

I hope this article eliminates any impression in readers that I’ve forgotten about or neglected the Bible prophecy topics/studies that I’ve mentioned earlier this year and gives newer readers an idea of why I’m focused on Revelation 17:16 at the moment. The topics I’ve mentioned are all related in some way. I cannot really complete any of the ongoing studies without the other study topics addressed. Everything relates to what I've said, which is that Bible prophecy is the ultimate puzzle and that every puzzle piece matters...

Now I'll return to looking at Revelation 17:16 and some verses surrounding it. I hope I can begin to write the article about what I found this past weekend soon.

Revelation 17:16 Another Theory Concerning the Destruction of Babylon the Great

Update: I recently published an article questioning the assumption that both the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Instead, I mention the possibility that the ten kings alone hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. This article is available at the following: link

I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago listing some potential theories that may account for why the beast and the ten horns grow to hate Babylon the Great and eventually decide to destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Shortly after posting that article, I thought of another theory which may explain why this development occurs.

• Today I share this theory with you

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An Update on the Unrest in Jordan

Last week I posted a link to an article about how the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is beginning to pose a challenge to the Jordanian Monarchy. I also mentioned last week that there was going to be a large-scale protest in Jordan last Friday which was expected to be similar to the type of protests seen in Tahrir Square.

I think it would be useful to provide an update on what happened at last week’s protest because it is not easy to find updates on what happened as most news media outlets are busy covering other topics and news events.

• Today I provide an update on what happened at the protest last week and an update on the unrest in Jordan.

There was a lot at stake for the sides involved in last week’s planned protest. Recall:

• The protesters hoped to rally large-scale support by staging a Tahrir Square type of sit-in protest for the first time.
• The article I posted last week quoted a Jordan expert who believed the Jordanian regime was concerned about the potential for the planned protest to escalate into an out of control situation.
• The article also quoted a professor and columnist in Jordan who felt the Jordanian government’s reaction to the protests could escalate the situation.

The Jordanian regime ultimately decided to not risk having the protest grow into something that they could not control. Last Friday Jordanian security forces used decisive force against protesters consisting of people from labor unions, youth groups, and the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

• The security forces reportedly surrounded the protesters as they marched from a mosque to Amman’s main square. The protesters reportedly clashed with pro-government supporters before Jordanian security forces attacked the protesters just as the protesters were going to start their sit-in. Several people were injured during the clash including foreign journalists and local journalists covering the event

You can watch a report of what happened in Amman last Friday in the video below (you can also access the video at the following link if you cannot see the video below). The reporter speaking in the video says that he was one of the journalists who was attacked during the event:

The New York Times recently published an article analyzing the sentiment in Jordan after last week's protest. The article suggests that those who are already unhappy with the slow pace of reform have been further angered by what's happened. The article also quotes a Jordanian businessman and a political analyst who believe that the King of Jordan will only institute reforms that he wants to implement instead of the reforms that the people want implemented.

The sense I got from reading the New York Times article and other articles is that people’s frustration over the slow pace of reform is quickly building in Jordan. I would not be surprised if the frustration in Jordan eventually leads to mass protests like the mass protests seen in other Middle Eastern countries once the fragmented opposition groups organize, which may take awhile according to the New York Times article.

My sense of the situation in Jordan could be wrong, but people who are on the ground in Jordan seem to convey the sense that there is a lot of discontent...

Some of What to Expect Now that the Palestinians Will Pursue the U.N. Option

All indications are that the Palestinians intend to ask the United Nations to deal with the issue of Palestinian statehood this September. Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have voiced their intention to fully pursue the U.N. option in recent days.

• Today I discuss some what we can expect now that the Palestinians have decided to take the U.N. route.

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An Eurasian Economic Union May Emerge Soon

I don't think a lot of people outside of Russia are aware that Russia is currently working with its neighbors to launch a “Eurasian Economic Union” by 2013. Russia’s current prime minister and former (and perhaps next) president, Vladimir Putin, is determined to launch the Eurasian Economic Union as soon as possible. Putin told a group of journalists recently:

"We are hoping to sign as early as next year a declaration about the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which can and must start operating as early as 2013,"

Today I provide an preview of the upcoming Eurasian Economic Union and briefly discuss why it might be something to keep an eye on in the future.

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The Potential Relationship Between Babylon the Great and the Nations of the Earth

Update: I recently published an article questioning the assumption that both the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Instead, I mention the possibility that the ten kings alone hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. This article is available at the following: link

Revelation 17 and Revelation 18 suggest that there will be interaction between Babylon the Great and the nations of the earth. Today I will offer a theory detailing how Babylon the Great may interact with the nations of the earth.

Revelation 17:1 introduces us to a harlot (later to be identified as Babylon the Great in Revelation 17:5) who sits on many waters:

• Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Revelation 17:15 suggests that the harlot rules over practically every type of population group on Earth as it sits over: “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Revelation 17:18 gives us more insight about the harlot’s position in the world. The verse tells us that the harlot is a “great city”, which rules over the kings of the earth”.

• Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 17:15 and Revelation 17:18 indicate that the harlot is going rule over the kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth, so we can conclude that the harlot is going to be a very important location in the world during the End Times. However, a curious person about the End Times may want to know how the harlot uses its authoritative position to influence the nations of Earth.

• I’ll attempt to address this topic next…

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A Couple of Ongoing Mideast Events

I’m currently working on a couple of major articles concerning Revelation 17 and Revelation 18 which I hope to have posted soon. In the meantime, I want to draw some attention to a couple of ongoing events in the Middle East and convey why they are relevant:

Large Protests Scheduled in Jordan on Friday
The Jerusalem Post recently had an article about the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood posing a challenge to the legitimacy of the Jordanian Monarchy. The article mentions that the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood is the largest and most organized opposition group to the Jordanian Monarchy in Jordan and is a group that is popular with the average Jordanian.

• There is a large-scale protest scheduled for this Friday. The participants will attempt to protest in a manner similar to what the Egyptians have done in Tahrir Square. The article quotes a Jordan expert who mentioned that the Jordanian Monarchy is concerned that this upcoming protest could escalate into something big and out of control. The article also quotes a professor and columnist in Jordan who expects the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood to clash with Jordanian Monarchy more in the coming days.

A few months ago I had an article about the growing tension in Jordan. I discussed why it is important to watch what happens in Jordan in that article. Here is what I wrote:

Jordan is a country that we need to watch closely because they’ve had a peace treaty with Israel since 1994. If the tensions escalate into something which threatens the monarchy’s power then the fate of Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel may come into question since it is the monarchy who upholds the treaty even though a majority of Jordanians dislike it. As I wrote before, the cancellation of a peace treaty between Jordan and Israel (and/or Egypt and Israel) could have significant Bible prophecy implications:

By cancelling a peace treaty, Egypt and/or Jordan would no longer be constrained by the agreements they made with Israel in the past and vice versa. (Perhaps it is a war involving Israel versus these countries and others that necessitates the need for the "covenant with many" mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 28:15-19)

The cancellation of one or both peace treaties would also make it much more difficult for peace negotiators to reach an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal because negotiators would have to get Egypt and/or Jordan to agree to a new peace deal with Israel (in addition to getting other parties in the region to agree to peace with Israel). An increase in the difficulty to reach an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal would increase the likelihood that Antichrist will be initially hailed as a “hero” by most people for accomplishing what seemed to be impossible when an all-encompassing Middle East peace deal is finally reached.

An Update on the Israeli/Palestinian Situation
A couple of weeks ago I provided an update on the potential for an Israeli/Palestinian clash at the U.N. this September where the Palestinians would ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state. I mentioned that representatives from the U.S., the E.U., Russia, and the U.N. planned to meet to come up with an international peace plan that would dissuade the Palestinians from asking the U.N. to recognize a Palestinian state this September.

The representatives did meet in Washington D.C. earlier this week, but the event resulted in hardly anything being accomplished. In fact, the quartet could not even come up with a common statement to encourage the Israelis and the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations.

• Unless something dramatic changes soon, we are likely going to see the Palestinians petition the U.N. for a September vote shortly. With that will come a very news-filled September…

I hope you find these ongoing events relevant. I have to get back to work on those articles concerning Revelation 17 and Revelation 18.

The Next Stage of Europe’s Sovereign Debt Crisis May Be Approaching

I’ve written in the past about how the ongoing European sovereign debt crisis-a crisis that has so far been marked by the bailouts of Greece, Portugal, and Ireland-could potentially bring Europe closer to achieving political union, a development that a lot of people who study Bible prophecy believe is likely going to happen someday.

• I’ve expressed how I believe it is likelier for the European sovereign debt crisis to become a catalyst that brings political union in Europe than a catalyst that completely breaks Europe apart.

The reason I’m writing about the European sovereign debt crisis again is that the next stage of the crisis may be approaching soon. Today I’ll provide a brief overview of what the next stage is and provide a sense of how this next stage may be relevant to the future of Europe.

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The Book of Revelation’s Value to Us

I received a comment from a reader who noted how seemingly difficult it is to comprehend the verses found in the Book of Revelation and wondered how much value the Book of Revelation has to our daily lives.

• I think a lot of people are wondering the same thing, so I will attempt to address these issues today in this article.

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Some Theories on Revelation 17:16

Update: I recently published an article questioning the assumption that both the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Instead, I mention the possibility that the ten kings alone hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. This article is available at the following: link

I’ve spent a lot of time these past 48 hours looking for potential reasons why the Antichrist and the ten kings grow to hate Babylon the Great and decide to destroy the harlot with fire, which is a detail mentioned in Revelation 17:16:

• Rev 17:16 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.

Today I list a general summary of the ideas I’ve encountered or devised in the past 48 hours of search and study.

• My intention in this article is to not evaluate the plausibility of each idea, but to just list them.

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Rev 17:16: Another Bible Prophecy Research Question to Investigate (Feedback Is Appreciated)

Update: I recently published an article questioning the assumption that both the ten kings and the beast hate Babylon the Great and destroy Babylon the Great with fire. Instead, I mention the possibility that the ten kings alone hate Babylon the Great and destroy her with fire. This article is available at the following: link


A question on my mind the entire 4th of July weekend was: “Why do the Antichrist and the ten kings seek to destroy Babylon the Great?” Revelation 17’s opening imagery of the harlot riding the beast initially suggests that there is some degree of cooperation between the Antichrist (the beast-Rev 17:11), the ten kings (ten horns-Rev 17:12), and the harlot (Babylon the Great).

• Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

• Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore 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.

In contrast, Revelation 17:16 tells us that the Antichrist and the ten kings will eventually hate the harlot and destroy the harlot with fire:

• Rev 17:16 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.

Revelation 17:17 suggests that the beast and the ten kings will execute God’s will by destroying the harlot with fire:

• Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

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How to Distinguish Between the Two Witnesses and the False Prophets of the End Times

I demonstrated recently that the two witnesses’ ministry is likely going to coincide with an extremely difficult time on Earth for those who oppose the Antichrist. I even mentioned near the end of that article that the two witnesses’ ministry is likely going to coincide with a time when there will be false Christs and false prophets seeking to deceive people.

Christ warned that there will be false Christs and false prophets who will show great signs and wonders with the intent to deceive people:

• Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
• Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
• Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
• Mat 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

The prevalence of many false christs and false prophets at that time seeking to deceive people into believing them makes it imperative for people who do not want to follow the Antichrist to know how to distinguish between false christs and false prophets who want to lead them astray and the two witnesses.

• Today I attempt to provide some ways people on Earth at that time may be able to distinguish between false prophets and the two witnesses.

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