What is the meaning of Revelation 17:17? God has put it into their hearts Revelation 17:17 begins by underscoring who is in control: “For God has put it into their hearts….” • God’s sovereignty extends even over unbelieving rulers. “The king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). • Acts 4:27-28 shows the same pattern: hostile leaders acted “to do what Your hand and Your purpose had predetermined.” • The passage reminds us that human rebellion never cancels divine authority; instead, God channels it for His larger plan. to carry out His purpose The next phrase clarifies why God moves their hearts: His own purpose. • Ephesians 1:11 says God “works out everything according to the counsel of His will.” • Isaiah 46:10-11 presents the Lord declaring “My purpose will stand, and I will accomplish all that I please.” • In Revelation 17, that purpose includes judging the end-time evil system symbolized by Babylon (vv. 16, 18). by uniting The kings do not act independently; they form a coalition. • Earlier, Revelation 17:13 notes, “These kings have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.” • Psalm 2:1-2 foretells nations gathering “against the LORD and against His Anointed,” a foreshadowing of this very unity. • Their alliance illustrates how political agreements can serve hidden divine intentions, even when the participants imagine they are serving only themselves. to give their kingdom to the beast Their unity results in a conscious transfer of authority: they “give their kingdom to the beast.” • Daniel 7:24-25 pictures ten kings rising and yielding to the little horn—widely understood as the Antichrist. • Revelation 13:4-7 shows the beast receiving global admiration and power: “They worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?’” • God allows this hand-over so that wickedness reaches full expression and can then be judged openly and finally. until the words of God are fulfilled The verse finishes with a time limit: the beast’s reign lasts only “until the words of God are fulfilled.” • Jesus promises, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35). • Isaiah 55:11 assures us God’s word “will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” • Revelation 19:19-21 records the moment those words come to completion: the beast and his allies fall at Christ’s return. summary Revelation 17:17 shows God steering even the darkest political maneuvers toward His prophesied conclusion. He plants resolve in earthly rulers, they unify, and they surrender authority to the beast—yet all of it moves on a leash held firmly by heaven. The verse reassures believers that every step of history, including the rise of the final world empire, unfolds right on schedule “until the words of God are fulfilled.” |
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