Many of us who study Bible prophecy have heard a multitude of professors, pastors and church members say that the book of Revelation is nothing more than a book of symbols and allegories that no one can understand.

I don’t believe God would say all Scripture is profitable (II Tim. 3:16), if the book of Revelation is nothing more than a book of symbols and allegories that no one can understand.

I don’t believe God would promise to bless all who read, hear and keep the things in the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:3), if it is nothing more than a book of symbols and allegories that no one can understand.

I do believe that the book of Revelation is a wonderful book that God knows is hard to understand. So He has explained many of the symbols and given us stories in the Bible to help us understand what He wants us to know.

Revelation chapter 17 is one of the most difficult chapters in the book. It is about a woman called “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.”

She is called the great whore, with whom the kings of the earth (world leaders) have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication (they been corrupted or deceived by what she is doing).

She is arrayed in purple and scarlet (expensive clothes). She is decked with gold and precious stones and pearls (expensive jewelry). She is holding a golden cup in her hand (perhaps a communion cup or the Holy Grail).

She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus (she has persecuted and killed many true believers).

She is riding upon a beast with seven heads (identified as a Satan worshiper in Revelation chapter 13 that people call the Antichrist) and ten horns (identified as ten world leaders that will rule with the Antichrist; Rev. 17:12, 3:10).

Her lovers (the Antichrist and ten world leaders) will make war with the Lamb (Jesus; the Lord of lords, and King of kings) and He will defeat them.

But before Jesus deals with her lovers God will put in their hearts to hate her, turn on her, make her naked and burn her with fire.

Now, instead of dismissing this story as nothing more than an allegory and symbols that no one can understand, we should look in the Bible for a something that will help us interpret it.

We find that in an Old Testament parable about Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:1-43).

On the day that Jerusalem was born her parents abandoned her in a field. They didn’t cut her naval, wash, salt or swaddle her. And there was no one to pity or help her.

God passed by and saw that she was bloody and filthy. He picked her up and said, “Live.” He took her to His house cleaned her up, put clothes on her, loved her and raised her.

Time passed and Jerusalem grew into a beautiful young woman. God asked her to make a covenant with Him (marry Him) and she did.

He washed her (perhaps with the water of the Word), got rid of her filthiness (forgave her), anointed her with oil (perhaps the Holy Spirit), dressed her in expensive clothes, jewels, silver and gold (perhaps His righteousness), and He put a crown upon her head.

Jerusalem’s beauty derived from God and she became world famous. But it went to her head.

She became a flirt and committed adultery. She put her expensive clothes on idols (false gods). She used God’s jewels, gold and silver to make idols. She set God’s oil and incense in front of her idols. Jerusalem was a harlot.

Even worse, she took the children that she had bore unto God, killed some and made harlots out of the others. Yes, she was a mother of harlots (like Mystery Babylon) and she provoked God to anger.

So He decided to make her naked before her lovers, judge her as harlots and killers are judged, let her lovers destroy her and burn her houses in the sight of many people (like Mystery Babylon).

There is a lot more (such as the church is a mystery, she is the Bride of Christ not a harlot, clothed in linen clean and bright, etc.).

Just know that “harlot” and “prostitute” are words that God uses to describe spiritual adultery or false religion. And Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth is a false religion that began at Babylon.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

Angels are created beings (Psa. 148:1-5; Col. 1:16-17).

The Bible doesn’t say when God created the angels, but some scholars believe He did it on the second day of Creation (Psa. 104:4).

The Bible doesn’t say how many angels God created, but He created more than humans can count (Dan. 7:10; Heb. 12:22).

And even though there are more angels than humans can count only three are identified by name in the Protestant Bible: a fallen angel named Satan, and two good angels named Gabriel and Michael.

Here are two interesting things the Bible says about Satan.

Satan apparently overheard what God told Adam and Eve about eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15-17) and he decided to misquote God (Gen. 3:1-6). Salvation involves more than knowing what God said.

Satan appears to have at least some understanding of Bible prophecy because he will know when his end is near (Rev. 12:12), but he will still face the judgment (II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 20:10). Salvation involves more than understanding Bible prophecy. A person must be born-again.

Here are four or five interesting things the Bible says about Gabriel.

Gabriel stands in the presence of God (Luke 1:19). Every message Gabriel delivered concerned the first or second coming of Jesus. What he said is so incredibly accurate it is mind-boggling. But he knew these things because he stands in the presence of God. Some call him one of the angels of the presence.

Gabriel’s first appearance was to help Daniel understand something that will happen at the very end of the Tribulation period (Dan. 8:16-27). The Antichrist will stand up against the Prince of princes (Jesus) and our Lord will destroy him (at the Second Coming).

Gabriel’s second appearance revealed the exact day Jesus would make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and that Jesus would be cut off (crucified), but not for Himself (first coming), and that the Antichrist will stop the animal sacrifices three and one-half years before the second coming (Dan. 9:24-27).

Gabriel’s third appearance was to announce the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias and to let Zacharias know that John the Baptist would prepare the way for the first coming of Jesus (Luke 1:5-25, 67-80).

Gabriel’s fourth appearance was to tell Mary that she would bear a child of the Holy Ghost (first coming, virgin birth) and her Son (Jesus) will rule over the house of Jacob forever (Second Coming; Luke 1:26-39).

Later, an angel appeared unto Joseph to announce the virgin birth (first coming; Matt. 1:18-25). The Bible doesn’t say this angel was Gabriel, but that is probably a good guess.

Here are several interesting things the Bible says about Michael:

Unlike the angel Gabriel who always has a message related to the first or second coming of Jesus, the Archangel Michael is always opposing Satan, his demons, people who want to destroy Israel and things like that.

Michael intervened against a wicked angel that was preventing one of God’s angels from delivering the answer to one of Daniel’s prayers (Dan. 10:13).

Michael will stand up for Israel at the end of the age (Dan. 12:1).

Jude, one of the brothers of Jesus, called Michael an archangel and he said it was Michael that contended with Satan for the body of Moses (Jude 9).

Michael and his angels will kick Satan and his angels out of heaven at the middle of the Tribulation period (Rev. 12:7-10).

The Bible doesn’t say that it will be Michael, but the voice of the archangel will be heard when the Rapture takes place (I Thess. 4:15-17).

In Revelation chapter 8, it is revealed that there are seven angels standing before the throne of God with trumpets that are blown to announce the seven trumpet judgments.

Could one of these be the same angel (Gabriel) that told Zacharias he stands in the presence of God (Luke 1:19)? We don’t know, but God knows the end from the beginning (Isa. 40:10) and Gabriel accurately foretold future things.

In Revelation chapter 16, it is revealed that seven angels will come out of the Temple of God in heaven and pour out the vials or bowls of God’s wrath. Could one of these be the same angel (Michael) that will stand up for Israel at the end of the age? We don’t know, but the nations should stop trying to harm Israel.

A study of angels in the Bible reveals that the world is caught up in a great unseen spiritual war. God and His angels outnumber Satan and his angels. Israel will survive and God’s people (those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior) are going to win.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck