Verses 1-18
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There is much to understand about this chapter that is simply not yet revealed or many interpretations that we cannot yet be confident in.
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We know that the woman and the beast upon which she sits are representative of the Great Babylon, which likely refers to a society or kingdom of the antichrist, which is in power today and will remain so until the final events of the Tribulation.
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The kingdom of the antichrist will be the last kingdom to exist before the kingdom of Christ comes (Daniel 7:6-14). When Christ (the Lamb) comes, He will defeat and destroy the kingdom of the antichrist.
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This beast upon which the woman sits is from the bottomless pit, and yet it represents kings and rulers.
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Earlier in Revelation, a different beast from the bottomless pit is a literal monster that will kill the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7).
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However, this beast, in particular, which is different from the beast in Revelation 11, has several elements to it that make it both literal and non-literal.
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Understand that this bottomless pit has many layers to it, and it's not something that we can fully understand or conceptualize right now. There are powerful beings that come and go.
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The antichrist's kingdom is built with and influenced by certain beings from this bottomless pit.
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