Why Do You Marvel? | Revelation 17:7-18 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Sunday Service (5/17/26) // Revelation 17:7-18 (ESV) // The Great Prostitute and the Beast // 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit[a] and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” 15 And the angel[b] said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” Footnotes a. Revelation 17:8 Greek the abyss b. Revelation 17:15 Greek he 00:04 - Introduction and Scripture Reading: Reading Revelation 17:7 and addressing the "marveling" or bewilderment John felt when seeing the vision. 01:57 - 1. The Mystery of the Beast: An exploration of the Antichrist's apparent death and "resurrection" (the beast that "was, and is not, and is to come") and how it imitates Christ to deceive the world. 04:05 - The Beast's Origin and Global Delusion: Explaining the difference between the beast rising from the sea (human origin) and the bottomless pit (satanic empowerment). 12:12 - Application: What Should Cause Us to Marvel? A contrast between the world's fascination with celebrities and ideas versus the believer's awe of Jesus Christ. 16:13 - 2. The Seven Heads (Seven Mountains/Kings): Decoding the symbolism of the seven mountains as seven successive world empires (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the future kingdom). 25:28 - The Beast as the Eighth King: Explaining the complex relationship between the seventh and eighth kings and the Antichrist's shift in leadership style after his "resurrection." 28:16 - 3. The Ten Horns (Ten Future Kings): Identifying the ten horns as a future confederacy of ten rulers who will simultaneously hand over their power to the Antichrist. 30:33 - The War Against the Lamb: The certainty of Christ's victory over the unified forces of the Antichrist, emphasizing the title "Lord of Lords and King of Kings." 35:15 - 4. The Demise of the Prostitute (Babylon): Discussing the dramatic and graphic destruction of the Babylonian religious system by the very beast it once supported. 38:09 - Sovereignty: God’s Hand in Judgment: How God uses even wicked agents to fulfill His purposes and bring about the downfall of evil systems. 42:38 - Final Encouragement: God's Power Over the Heart: A closing call to bring our hearts before God, asking Him to direct our affections toward His love and the steadfastness of Christ. #Revelation #BookofRevelation #BibleStudy #BibleExplained #BiblicalStudies #BibleTeacher #WordOfGod #BiblicalLessons #BibleJournal #BibleReading #BibleStudyCommunity #BibleVerse #prophecy #prophetic #jerusalem Website: https://mbchicago.org FOLLOW US Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others TO SUPPORT US Zelle to: [email protected] Web: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal/Credit: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but...