Revelation 18 exposes how mankind is affected by the spirit of this world and how it helps set one's mind and heart in opposition to God's authority. Join us as Steve Gallagher discusses how we can either be filled with the Lord and His Spirit or the enemy and the spirit of this world. Also, Steve breaks down the joy and hope we have in the coming of the Lord's Kingdom and the destruction of the spirit of this world, (the spirit of Babylon) in these last days.

Host: Steve Gallagher has joined us in the studio. Steve is the founder of Pure Life Ministries. Steve, thanks for coming in. It's good to see you again as always.

Steve: Yes, this will be a blessing today, I hope.

Host: I hope so, too. Well, all of our discussions in the Book of Revelation have been a blessing. They've been a challenge. As we've said a number of times, it's certainly a warning to us to prepare our hearts, to know where our hearts stand with God. We're going to be looking at chapter 18 today, Steve, and just to start off, tell us what the main focus of this chapter is.

Steve: Just like chapter 17, the main focus here is Babylon, the spirit of the world that's set against the authority of God in this world. And in this chapter, the commercial aspect of Babylon is what's being emphasized.

Host: So, there are different aspects of Babylon?

Steve: The Book of Revelation really shows different aspects of Babylon. But let me put it to you this way. Babylon is the spirit of the world, and it is affecting different aspects of earth life. You could think of it as a human being who has this sinful fallen nature, and that sin nature affects different functions of his inner world. So, in other words, he has an imagination, but his imagination has been corrupted by sin and can take him into fantasizing about all kinds of evil things. He has the power of perception, but it's been distorted by sin. So, it changes and alters and corrupts the way he sees things.

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      Think of the world in the same way. The world in and of itself is neutral, and then the spirit of the world comes in and affects mankind. It affects the functions and the capacities and so on. What the Book of Revelation is bringing out are these different aspects of this thing called Babylon, or the spirit of the world. So, like in chapter 13, it's affecting the government or the way that mankind reacts to God's law. In chapter 17, it's affecting the religious system, or in other words, the relationship between man and God. And then in this chapter, we're seeing the commercial aspect of mankind being affected by the spirit of Babylon.

Host: Well, in verse 2, it says that Babylon has become a “dwelling place of demons.” What does that mean?

Steve: You know, what's really interesting about the Greek term for “dwelling place” is that it’s only used one other time in the New Testament, and that's in Ephesians 2:22 where it's used to describe the believer who is a “dwelling place for God.” So, the picture here is that a believer is an entity that has the capacity for God to indwell him. And in the same respect, or along those same lines, mankind has the capacity to be inhabited by spiritual beings – God or the enemy. And that's what we're seeing here, is that the enemy is entrenched in mankind and mankind has become the dwelling place of the enemy.

      So, if we keep with that line of thought and take it down to the level of the individual, by the time we get to this point, people will have taken the mark of the beast and will be demon-possessed. That is an amazing thing to consider. Every single human being who isn't following Jesus Christ will become demon possessed. I mean, think about it. Think about the demon-possessed man on the other side of the Sea of Galilee who had a legion of demons. He was cutting himself and he was crazy. People couldn't go around him because he was so unpredictable and violent. Can you imagine 7 billion people being controlled in that way by the enemy? What kind of hell is going to be unleashed on this earth? But at the same time, I do believe that by that point, God's people will have come into the spirit of the living God in a way that we have never seen before. So, we are not going to be required to go through this hell in our current spiritual condition. We are going to be full of the Holy Ghost and fire and that is going to be an amazing thing.

Host: Wow, yeah. Amen. Well, Steve, in the second half of this chapter, John is shown three different groups of people. What can you tell us about these people?

Steve: Well, he labels them the “kings of the earth,” the “merchants of the earth,” and the “sea captains.” And I think for his limited understanding in his world at that time, he was just using people groups that made sense to him. He couldn't comprehend the world in which we live today. It is so complex and enormous. But when you look at these groups, they represent those people who are profiting the most from the commercial aspect of this world system. So, you have the field of politics, which he's calling the “kings of the earth.” You have the entire manufacturing world, which he's calling the “merchants of the earth.” And you have the entire transportation system, which he's calling the “sea captains.”

      So, what's really interesting about these different groups as you go through this chapter is that there are certain common denominators amongst all of them. Each one stands at a distance, for instance. Each one weeps and laments at the fall of the Babylonian system. And none of these groups mourns over its sin against God. Their mourning is because they are losing that which they've given their hearts to, which is this Babylonian system.

Host: And maybe that is the most significant point of who these people are.

Steve: That really shows where their hearts are. And so-called Christians who go to church on Sunday, who read all the right books and all that stuff, but whose hearts are given over to this world, they better take these as warnings to wake up and begin to disentangle themselves from the things of this world.

Host: So, Steve, we have kind of a dark picture here. They're mourning over the loss of all that has been near and dear to them, all that their hearts have been given over to, and then in verse 20, there seems to be a sudden change in tone. It reads, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” (Revelation 18:20, NASB 1995) What's the significance of this verse and why this change of tone?

Steve: Let me put it to you this way. When I read the headlines in the news, my heart grieves. Every time I look at CNN or Fox News, the stories of what people are into and what they're doing are grievous to me. It hurts me. And to think that this Babylonian, devil-infested system is going to come crashing down is just so marvelous. And these people here on earth are going to be witnessing it. The saints, the apostles, and the prophets who are alive, and those who are in heaven, along with the angels, are going to be shouting with joy and rejoicing when Babylon comes down. It is going to shake the universe, because for 6,000 years, the spirit of Babylon has usurped God on this planet and has caused untold misery and pain and suffering. And now we're seeing it come to an end. What a blessing.

When Brian was growing up, he wholeheartedly pursued sex, drugs, a musical career; ANYTHING that would bring him fulfillment. But then, God began to draw Brian—through a drumming gig at a church, through a girlfriend who was fed up with his porn addiction, and then through his time in the Residential Program at Pure Life Ministries. Little by little, God was calling Brian to become a dedicated follower of Jesus.

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Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Residential Program
• Stories of Hope (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

In Revelation 17, the Apostle John warned of the mystery of Babylon, the great mother of harlots. Join us as Steve Gallagher unpacks this profound chapter and warns us of how if we do not separate ourselves from the lawlessness of this world that has even crept into church culture, we will be seduced into the spirit of Babylon.

Host: Steve, we are going to continue our discussions in the Book of Revelation and we are looking at chapter 17 today. Why don't we start off with you giving us sort of a summary of how this chapter fits in with the rest of the book.

Steve: Well, the Book of Revelation is really a storyline and it goes along pretty much chronologically. Then suddenly, chapter 17, chapter 18, and the first few verses of chapter 19 are almost like a parentheses. It's an interlude where we are taken out of the storyline as it's flowing along and given a deeper more profound look into what's happening in the spiritual realm as the judgments from God begin all the way through to the end. We also get a look into what the spirit of Babylon is and what happens to Babylon and the world forces set against God as well as what happens as this godless civilization on earth begins to unravel.

Host: Steve, in the first verse of this chapter, it reads, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,” (Revelation 17:1, NASB 1995) What's the significance of what's happening there?

Steve: In my mind, this is one of the most important statements in Revelation. There is a definite contrast throughout the entire book of Revelation between the bride of Christ and this harlot that is being spoken of here. And it's like a mystery there hidden in this book that one of the big things that is going to really come out in the last period of mankind is this harlot church and the true church of the living God.

Host: Steve, you mentioned Babylon, and for those who have not read your excellent book, Intoxicated with Babylon, I would encourage people to read it. But talk to us a little bit about what Babylon represents.

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Steve: You have to go back to the early days of mankind's history in Genesis, where Nimrod began a civilization gathered in a place called Babel. They built a tower and it was all in rebellion to God's authority and out of that tower is where all the world religions began. So, when John calls Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, what he's saying is that this world system is what spawned all these false religions throughout the history of mankind. But primarily when it comes to the Book of Revelation, the great harlot being talked about here is really, as we already said, this false Christianity that becomes a faithless bride to Jesus Christ.

Host: You mentioned in verse 5 where she is called “Babylon, the great mother of harlots,” that this name is called a mystery. But why is it a mystery?

Steve: It's interesting. The word mysterion in the Greek is used a number of times in the New Testament. But the only other occurrence that it's used regarding the end times is in 2 Thessalonians, where Paul said, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8a, NASB 1995) Now, what we're seeing here is a picture of the harlot on the back of the Antichrist beast. What is being expressed here is that these two have something in common.
      This false church has something in common with this pagan devil worshiper. What they have in common is they are not willing to submit to God's authority. And that is the mystery here, that John cannot reconcile in his mind. How can Christians who are ostensibly following and obeying God be in the same spirit of lawlessness that the Antichrist is in? He can't comprehend that. So, it's a mystery to him. And mystery in the way it's used in the New Testament means that it's something that's buried that has not yet been revealed for what it is. And that's what we're going to see. And actually, if you look around in the church today, you see it right now, the lawlessness that is in the middle of God's church.

Host: Yeah. Man, how we need the Holy Spirit in our hearts today. Because really, the spirit of this world comes naturally to us. It's rooted in our sinful nature, which is what we don't understand. We need God to protect and keep us from that. Steve, verse 6 says that she is drunk with the blood of saints. How does this fit in with the scenario of The Great Tribulation?

Steve: You know, when I was thinking about this, it reminds me a lot of Germany in the late 30s, where Hitler and his henchmen created an environment in that nation where it was acceptable to turn against one particular group of people. And that is what we're going to see in the end times. The Antichrist is going to create a culture that will make it acceptable to hate Christians. And all these worldly-minded Christians who have not really surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ and who have given their hearts to the spirit of the world are going to fit right in with that cultural mindset. And they are going to be the ones to turn against the people who are really sold out for the Lord and who look out of place with our culture.

Host: You know, we talk about this as if it's something that's going to happen in the future. But if we look at our culture in America today, it's already there. We are the fanatics and we're the last group on earth that people are allowed to hate.

Steve: Yeah, the seeds are definitely there. It's germinating. It's happening right now in the church and in the culture. But by the time we get to this point, it's going to break out into open hostility and violent persecution.

Host: Well, just another warning of so many, Steve, that we've got to have our hearts right. We've got to know where we stand with the Lord.

Steve: Yeah, because you don't want to be on the wrong side of this war, that's for sure.

God is able to do great things for us—including delivering us from sexual sin. But we also have our part to play in our deliverance as well—responding to Him in repentance and faith. Failure to overcome is not the result of God’s indifference, but our failure to respond to His involvement in our lives rightly.

At the end of our “Wholly Devoted” Conference, Zion Faith Homes minister, Dave Leopold, used the book of Ephesians to explain why we need to respond, and how we should respond.

Revelation 13 confronts people with a point of decision, will you follow Satan or will you follow Jesus? Many people speak of taking the mark of the beast by accident or someone forcing you to put a chip in your arm. This chapter of Revelation paints the picture that people will make a willing decision to join in worship to Satan and hatred of God or to choose to worship Jesus even in the face of death.

Host: Steve, we want to continue our discussions in the wonderful book of Revelation and we're in chapter 13 for today's segment. This is one of those chapters that most people, if they've read Revelation, would think of as the chapter about the Antichrist. What will we find in this chapter?

Steve: Well, chapter 13 really is a continuation of what we saw in chapter 12, which was a vision that encompassed all of mankind's history and the great war over mankind. And when we get to the last verse of chapter 12, it says, “So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children.” (Revelation 12:17a, NASB 1995) And then it starts off chapter 13, “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.” (Revelation 13:1a, NASB 1995)
      It's unfortunate that they put that chapter break there because there is definitely a flow there. This has been describing a war that has been going on in the spiritual realm for 6,000 years and now it's coming to the climax of that war. And what has happened is Satan is taking his stand. He hates God's people, so he finds a man who he can embody completely and utterly. He uses that man and the people under that man to attack and persecute God's people. And the most important part of the persecution is every single human being on this earth coming to the point of decision, completely, utterly, one way or the other, will you follow Jesus Christ or will you follow Satan?

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Host: Okay, and we're going to get specifically to that point at the end of this chapter. But Steve, verse 4 of this chapter reads, “They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’” (Revelation 13:4, NASB 1995) Talk about the significance of that verse.

Steve: That is Satan's dream come true. This is what he has desired for 6,000 years. Ever since rebellion took root in his heart when he was still in Heaven, this is what he's been after. That all of mankind would worship him. That he would be able to displace God as the center of everyone's adoration and worship. And of course, it's going to come through this man who he inhabits, but this is his opportunity that he's been waiting for, for a long time.

Host: Steve, if we look just a little bit further down in verse 8, it seems to add to what you're saying, where it says, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him.” (Revelation 13:8a, NASB 1995)

Steve: This is very interesting when you think about it, because the way life is as we're accustomed to it, people are just doing life. You don't think of Joe Blow down the street as being a Satan worshiper, but that is where things are going to be before it's all over with. You are either going to be completely sold out and surrendered to Jesus Christ, or you are going to be completely sold out to the devil. There will be no more gray areas on this earth. Billions of people will be outright worshiping Satan and in hatred of God. It really is the final and absolute rejection of Jesus Christ by mankind.

Host: Yeah. You know, something that stood out to me about this, in the NASB, it reads, “All who dwell on the earth.” Another version says it this way, “All who belong to this world.” (NLT)

Steve: Wow.

Host: That really says it right there. Look at your heart. Where is your heart really? It doesn't matter if you're a churchgoer or not. Is your heart in love with the things of this world? And if it is, then you're at great risk of becoming one of those who will make the decision to worship Satan.

Steve: Yeah, and when we get to the final chapter, we're going to see that this book is a warning to people who read the Bible to make sure they know where their heart is.

Host: Yeah. Verse 10 also offers an interesting statement. It says, “If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.” (Revelation 13:10b, NIV 1984) What do you think that means?

Steve: There are three things that stand out to me about this statement. One is that believers are going to face harsh persecution in the end. Also, they are going to be required and called upon to persevere in their faith, even in the face of death. But, most importantly, God is going to be reigning sovereignly over their lives and over everything that is going on around them. He is going to hold their hand right through that whole frightening experience and He's going to take them across the line into His kingdom. Really, if you can get your mind around it in the right way, it's a pretty glorious thought.

Host: It really is. We're told, Steve, that the false prophet will be working signs and wonders that will amaze the people of the earth. And if you look at the church today, Steve, it seems like there are two dominant camps.  There are those who completely believe in the miraculous to the point that that's all they're looking for and another camp that is scared to death of anything miraculous happening.

Steve: Yeah. I think that maybe the second group is fearful because of the abuse that has been seen in the first group. But there's a balance to be found there and you can always find the balance in the Word of God. That's why it's so imperative that believers are grounded in God's Word during these days, because we're going to come into a time when you're not going to know what to believe.

Host: Yeah. Alright, Steve, as we close our discussion on this chapter, we really want to end by focusing on the part that most people are probably familiar with and that is the mark of the beast. There's this period of time when every man, woman, and child that's on the earth will have the opportunity to go left or right. To accept the mark or to reject the mark. Comment on what's going on there and what really is going to be our choice at that moment.

Steve: Well, one thing that is very clear to me throughout Scripture is that man has a free will. To me, that's what the whole story of mankind is all about is people deciding if they want to accept God's invitation into a relationship with Him or not. So, what we see is that the final, complete end of all the history of mankind comes down to this choice. That's very profound to think that it's brought down to a decision. No one's going to be dragging Christians down to the ground and forcing them to take a chip in their arm or something like that.
      It's not going to be like that. It's going to be a calm decision. You are either going to take the mark or you're going to die. It's that simple. God is going to allow every human being to have the opportunity to make the choice for Him. But in reality, most people have so far sold themselves into following Satan by that point that they no longer have the capacity to say yes to the Lord.

Host: The choice has already been made in the heart.

Steve: Yeah, they've been making that choice for years and years and this is where it has brought them. They willingly take the mark. But there are those believers who have resisted that flow and have tried to stand for the Lord and when that time comes, God is going to give them the strength inside to do the right thing. I believe that.

Jordan Yoshimine’s story is all too familiar. Raised in a church-going family. Introduced to sexual sin at an early age. Craved everything the world had to offer. A recipe that always ends in disaster and ruin.

But God.

Jordan’s testimony is a perfect example of how the hope and divine mercy that only comes from Jesus opens the way for ANY addict to return to the Lord. His story of victory can be your story, too.

Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Residential Program

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

Many believers feel trapped in hidden habits, cycling through failure and brief victories. Most have tried to find freedom produced by sheer effort or self-help. Real change begins with the understanding that it's not a matter of suppressing desires, but transforming them. Biblical counselor, Ken Holloway, joins the show to discuss how Christians can train their heart to desire what God desires for lasting, Christ-centered freedom.

Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Residential Program

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

When G came into the residential program, he was spinning his wheels. For a long time he tried in his own strength to please God. Ever patient, the Lord continually wooed G to Himself. Then one day, through divine revelation, he saw that all of his own effort proved he had no trust in God. Reflecting on God's faithfulness towards him, G felt Jesus asking him, "Will you trust Me?" He responded, "Jesus, I will trust You." Finally surrendering his self-effort, G began anchoring himself in the Lord's faithfulness leading to a radically changed life.

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (NLT)

Unlike many who come to Pure Life Ministries, I did not grow up in a Christian atmosphere. I was raised by my foreign grandmother and as a preteen, I was given a laptop. At that point, everything changed. I instantly found porn and began giving over non-stop. I kept all this hidden for years, but outwardly, I was striving to be the best version of myself. I excelled in school and lived for the praises and approval of others. Without realizing, I had created a false version of myself that everyone admired. The reality, however, was that I was reveling in darkness and harboring wickedness in my heart. I was a professional hypocrite.
      Eventually, I made it to college, where I connected with a campus ministry and learned about Jesus. I loved the community and did all the Christian activities, but I wasn't living for Jesus. I was constantly sad or irritable, and I hated serving the Lord. All of this led to me confessing my sin to my spiritual authority, who got me plugged into the Overcomers At-Home Program. Andres was my first counselor. And despite him leading me to the truth, I was still living for myself and reverting back to sin once the counseling session was over. We both agreed that I wasn't where I needed to be. He suggested that I come to the Residential Program. And after weeks of wrestling and tears, I arrived to PLM on May 2nd, 2025.
      During my time here, God was building a foundation of truth for me to stand on, but I looked past it in a self-righteous attempt to figure it out. My days were filled with constant overthinking and unbelief, which was rooted in trusting myself. My second counselor, James, was gracious in truth and helped reveal to me that I didn't see Jesus as my Savior. The Lord was trying to get my attention to turn to Him as my righteousness, but I continued to strive in my own strength. The Lord used many staff members to convey the same truths to me. They would tell me things like, “You're going around the mountain again.” “You're like a hamster on a wheel who keeps running and running, but he's getting nowhere.” “You're like a kid who tied his shoelaces together and keeps getting frustrated every time he trips and falls, but he refuses to allow his Father to help him.”
      This was true, but I struggled even harder to figure Jesus out. And then I came to a subtle, yet powerful realization. During the Easter Sunday service, a thought came to mind, “If I truly loved the Lord, then I would trust Him without question, because love believes all things.” I didn't truly believe that God loved me enough to be there for me and I was making Him out to be a liar. How could I not trust in Jesus, who had been so gracious and kind to me throughout my life? He was taking care of me by providing loving grandparents, keeping me from falling into harms such as addiction to drugs and alcohol. He allowed me to work at the Ark Encounter where I was constantly reminded of his faithfulness. He made it known that He was watching over me and guiding my steps.
      I was brought to a crossroads. The Lord was asking me, “Are you going to trust in me or are you not? There is no middle ground anymore.” And I told Him, “Jesus, I will trust you.” And the cross made His faithful love real to me.
      Now I choose to surrender myself to Him, for He is true and cares for me. Though I may be tempted to spiral and fall into unbelief, I will anchor myself in His Word and remember that He is the truth. Whenever I face condemnation, I will choose to rejoice in the reality that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
      Thank you to my family, who were so gracious in my decision to come here. Thank you to my three counselors, Andres, James, and Pastor Jordan, for being so patient with me and always guiding me to get out of myself and to see Jesus. Thank you to all the staff and students for fighting for me in prayer. And thank you, Jesus, for never giving up on me, for loving me everlasting, and for being so faithful and good to me. I love you, Jesus.

All addictions send a person in one direction and one direction only: down. Sexual sin, drugs, alcohol, and even entertainment all promise fulfillment. But as a soul continually heeds temptation’s voice, it becomes increasingly corrupted: crossing lines that once seemed too far away and growing attracted to things that once seemed repulsive. This is called the Spiral of Degradation. This dark path always leads to ruin. Yet through the power of God and His gift of repentance, that journey can be reversed. Luke Imperato explains the dynamics of this destructive direction and shows how to turn back.

Resources

• Check Out Our Overcomers At-Home Program
• Check Out Our Residential Program

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

Revelation 12 brings in great symbolism of the struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness dating way back to the fall of Satan and his angels in Heaven and occurring all the way up to what will transpire in the end times. Join us as Steve Gallagher discusses this profound chapter of Scripture and encourages us as believers on how we can walk victorious through whatever the forces of darkness may throw at us in the last days.

Host: Steve, we want to continue our discussions in the wonderful book of Revelation. We're in Revelation chapter 12 today. A very symbolic chapter. Talk to us about what the basic theme of this chapter is.

Steve: You know, if you get it right down to the nutshell, it's really showing the great struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. Most of the things mentioned are going to unfold in the last days, but also, it really goes all the way back to primordial times. So, it covers the whole history of God's dealing with man and with angels.

Host: Yeah, I thought it was very interesting that as I was reading along, all of a sudden I realized what you just said. I thought to myself, “Wow, this is giving us insight into what happened in the very beginning.”

Steve: It's an amazing thing when you sit and consider what happened in Heaven thousands of years ago.

Host: Yeah. It's an amazing drama that far surpasses what comes out of Hollywood today, because this stuff is all real. It really happened.

Steve: It is real. Most people don't really think through the reality that there really was an insurrection in Heaven. Imagine what that was like. There's this vast domain with millions, maybe billions of angelic beings. They all have different personalities. They all have different occupations. Let’s think of what it would look like for this to be the United States. You have San Francisco over on the West Coast. You have Boston up in the Northeast. You have mayors of cities. You have governors over regions.
      The president, of course, in Heaven would be Jesus Christ. And then there is His inner council. And there is a council of the holy ones of God spoken of in the Old Testament. And in one of those members of His elite council, something emerges in their heart. It's rebellion against authority. At that point, the angels were still in a probationary state, so they had the choice whether they were going to remain true to God and loyal to Him, or whether they were going to go their own way. And Lucifer was perfect. He was as innocent as a child. It's hard to imagine, but it's true. He was righteous. He was humble, lowly, full of God's love and he was innocent. And Scripture also says that he was glorious. But at some point, he started noticing his own glory and took his eyes off God's glory. And something dark began to grow within his heart. Once that happened, then he went out and started recruiting other angelic beings and managed to pull in one-third of the angelic population.

Host: Yeah. It's astonishing to imagine these things happening. There are verses in this chapter that talk about Satan being thrown down to earth and you've referred already to the insurrection that happened in Heaven. But you've brought out that there's actually more than one fall of Satan, and that was a surprise to me. I didn't know about those. Tell us a little bit about the other falls that are coming for him.

Steve: Actually, Scripture tells us of four separate falls of Satan. The first one is that insurrection in Heaven we already talked about. The second one is the one you're referring to here, when in the very end of time, he's going to be thrown out of the earth's atmosphere, down to the physical earth. Paul called Satan the prince of the power of the air. That doesn't mean oxygen. That means the atmosphere area around the earth. And that apparently is where these principalities and powers that he referred to in Ephesians 6 have set up their kingdoms. So, my belief is that at this point in the tribulation period, Michael and his angels cast Satan out of the earth's atmosphere down to actual earth. And then of course, we still have two other falls that'll come later when they are all thrown into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years and then come out for a period of time to lead mankind into another insurrection. Then they're cast into the lake of fire in the end.

Host: One of the symbols in this chapter talks about the great red dragon having 7 heads and 10 horns. Who is this dragon and what do the heads and the horns represent?

Steve: Well, this is interesting because I just said that at one point Lucifer was this innocent angel and now you see thousands of years later what he has become. A red dragon. The red represents blood. He's a murderer and has been a murderer from the beginning, Jesus said. This symbolism here is very enlightening. The 7 heads represent the great world powers down through the history of mankind that have opposed God's people. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and then the last one will be the Antichrist system. So that's what the 7 heads represent. The 10 horns are found in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17. Both passages tell us that those will be 10 political leaders who will align themselves with the Antichrist in the last days.

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Host: Steve, in verse 11 of this chapter, there's a statement that we've probably all heard preachers preach about, and I want you to 1st read the statement and explain the statement in light of the context of Revelation.

Steve: This statement is referring to the saints of God. It says, “They overcame him,” meaning Satan, “Because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:11, NASB 1995) The key word here is martyria in the Greek, and that's the word from which we get martyr. One of the important themes throughout the Book of Revelation is that of martyrdom. But what I mean by martyrdom isn't just that Christians are killed, it's that they are maintaining a vibrant testimony, even in the face of terrible persecution. Something has happened to God's people that has empowered them like never before to go through these dark days with a powerful testimony.

Host: Man, that really speaks to the need for us to be prepared spiritually for what's coming in these last days. Or I could say it this way, that we allow God to continue to purge our hearts of anything that would get in the way of what He wants to do in and through us. You think about that, what a tremendous privilege we have to be in these last days. Just to think that, man, God wants to use us in the midst of this battle.

Steve: Yeah, and it's hard for most Christians, beleaguered, beaten down by the world, surrounded by temptations and the constant pull of the world to imagine that kind of victorious living. But I'm telling you, at least for sincere believers, that day is coming.

Host: Yeah. Also in this chapter, there's a woman mentioned. It says that she will be provided a place in the wilderness by God. What do you make of that?

Steve: This is definitely talking about the people of God. It depends on your perspective. Dispensationalists tend to see everything in literal terms in the Book of Revelation. So, they see the people of God being taken out to the desert somewhere like Petra and being somehow miraculously protected from the forces of the Antichrist. Historical premillennialists, like myself, tend to see this as a little more symbolic.
      And when you look through Scripture, the wilderness represents something. You see it over and over in the lives of the great men of God who have been taken out into the wilderness to get alone with God and to be taught about the deep things of God and to receive their spiritual nourishment directly from the Lord. And I believe that's what's going to happen. It's representing the people of God in a connection with the Lord that we have never had before. When I talk to sincere believers, so many people seem to be going through the same types of processes with the Lord. And you know the Lord is doing a deep work in people, preparing them for something ahead that's going to be very dramatic and very exciting.

Within Jesus’ words in John 15 is a foundational truth for the victorious Christian life: abide.

Now, as beautiful as that word is, it’s actually not as easy as it sounds. As you’ll learn in today’s sermon, the path to abiding in Christ is quite difficult for our flesh nature. But as Ministry Outreach Director Patrick Hudson explains, the life you end up living makes the path completely worth it.

In this episode, Kathy, Rose, and Anne continue to answer more questions submitted by wives in part 2 of our latest Q&A for wives. They share personal stories of how they responded to their husband’s sin in a biblical way. They offer practical wisdom on finding good counsel when navigating sexual sin and guidance on intimacy during these trials. They even respond to a question from a husband unsure of what steps to take after confessing his pornography addiction to his wife.

Resources We Mentioned

• Check out our counseling program for hurting wives

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