Q354 : The Timing of Events in the Book of Revelation
I have several questions.
On the two Babylons: I know it it is a city as well as representing the religion and commercial aspect of it. How would the harlot be destroyed which is the city and then God destroy Babylon the city? I know also the ten kings will be behind it. But when they overtake the Harlot, is this just the religious part?
Secondly, when the Antichrist first comes on the scene, will he be reigning with the ten Kings and the harlot? Because I know he supposedly will experience some type of resurrection, but the occurrence—will it happen at the start of the middle of the week?
Chapter 12, when Satan is defeated and kicked out of heaven. Is this the middle of the week?
Lastly, when the four horseman are let loose at the beginning of the week, are these things all happening in the first part of week only or through the whole duration? |
A354 : by Tony Garland 
On the two Babylons: I know it it is a city as well as representing the religion and commercial aspect of it. How would the harlot be destroyed which is the city and then God destroy Babylon the city? I know also the ten kings will be behind it. But when they overtake the Harlot, is this just the religious part?
I do not hold to the popular teaching of "two Babylons" — one religious (in Revelation 17a) and the other commercial (in Revelation 18b). Rather, I understand "Babylon" to be a single entity which has both religious and commercial aspects. I do not view Revelation 17 and 18 as describing two cities or two destructions, but a single destruction of the Harlot which Scripture defines to be the city, The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18). Concerning the unity of Revelation 17 and 18 describing the same entity, (the Harlot who is the city), see my chart, The Harlot verses the Cityc.
Secondly, when the Antichrist first come on scene will he be reigning with the ten Kings and the harlot?
I take the "little horn" of Daniel 7:8 to be a reference to the Antichrist, who rises as an 11th horn among (at the time of) the contemporaneous 10 horns (kings). So yes, he will arise at the time of an earlier 10-king confederacy of some sort. As for the Harlot, she represents the city of Babylon at the time of the end, but also its religious, moral, and economic influence all through history, beginning at Babel. See the section in my commentary titled, The Great Harlotd.
Because I know he supposedly will experience some type of resurrection, but the occurrence will it happen at the start of the middle of the week?
It is my view that he is resurrected from a truly fatal wound at the mid-point of the week (when his deadly wound is healed, Revelation 13:3). It is this fantastic event which empowers his global worship (Rev. 13:4). Regarding the timing of related events, see my charts concerning events in the first half, middle, and second halfe of the 70th week of Daniel.
Chapter 12, when Satan is defeated and kicked out of heaven. Is this the middle of the week?
Yes. It appears his access to heaven is lost at the mid-point of the week, resulting in his initiating his final schemes, which include resurrecting/empowering the beast (Antichrist) and persecuting Jewish believers for 1260 days (the final half of the week) described in Revelation 12:6.
Lastly, when the four horseman are let loose at the beginning of the week, are these things all happening in the first part of week only or through the whole duration?
It is my view that the seals, trumpets, and bowls judgments of revelation describe sequential eventsf. It is my belief that all four horsemen ride forth prior to the middle of the week. As I mention in a endnote in my commentary,
The difficulty of establishing with certainty the timing of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments relative to other events of the Tribulation can be seen by the great amount of discussion concerning the subject. It is our belief that the judgments through the sixth trumpet could all occur within the first half of the week since the ascendancy of the beast is not seen in the judgments until the time of the first bowl under the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15 cf. Rev. 16:2). It seems the abomination of desolation must have occurred prior to the pouring out of the first bowl because it targets the Beast worshipers (Rev. 16:2)1
I hope that helps - Tony
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