subject: How to ensure the most effective Bible study on Revelations 17 [print this page] How to ensure the most effective Bible study on Revelations 17
The seventeenth chapter of the book of Revelations is one of the most straightforward symbolic prophecies in the Bible. If you are being introduced to Bible study on Revelation 17 for the first time you are going to be impressed by its relative simplicity for two reasons:
The interpretation of symbols in the passage, and
The manner in which it simplifies the parallel prophecy of Revelation 13
For any Bible study on Revelation 17 to be fruitful it must observe the above rules. When you look at Revelation 17:1, the first symbol that is introduced is the "great whore that sitteth upon many waters". The interpretation for that symbol is found in verse 18. There is also a Bible solution for the waters where the woman sits; it is found in verse 15.
The next symbol to be mentioned is found in verse 8, the beast with seven heads and ten horns. This particular symbol is interesting because the different elements that are connected to it (the seven heads and the ten horns) are actual symbols to be interpreted. The seven heads has dual interpretations, which are found in verses 9 and 10, while the interpretation for the ten horns is found in verse 12.
It must be noted that the beast himself is treated as a symbol to be interpreted. This interpretation was not given in chapter 13. In order for this interpretation to be found you must consult the seventeenth chapter. The only place where this interpretation is located is verse 11. This is a key interpretation because it leads to other important conclusions which can only be arrived at by an acceptance of the correct interpretation of the beast symbol.
Having identified the solutions to all the symbols in that chapter, you can apply them according to the narrative development of the passage. That's how easy, but effective, a Bible study on Revelation 17 can be; you can share this with a friend who might have some sort of mental block about the book of Revelation. I am sure he/she will find it interesting.
If you are a not yet a seasoned student of Bible prophecy but hope to conduct a group Bible study on Revelation, this might be the place to start. But I would advise you to study other prophecies in connection with this passage. You may even want to go to the book of Daniel. Because you may not get a perfect understanding of this passage on first attempt, whatever you can do to improve your understanding of the seventeenth chapter of the book of Revelation would be worth the effort. An advanced Bible study on Revelation that covers this and other critical end-time issues is now available for download.
