Symbolic Description of Abaddon and His Kingdom
In symbolic language, Abaddon and the kingdom he will rule over are described in detail in the 13th and 17th chapters of Revelation. These chapters give us a great deal of information. Let's examine them, along with several other parallel Scriptures, to see what we can learn about this ruling fallen angel and his end-time kingdom.
REVELATION 13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. (NKJV)
The last half of verse 1 describes Abaddon in symbolic terms. To determine what this description means, we'll have to look at some related passages in Revelation 17, where an explanation of these heads and horns is given:
REVELATION 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (NKJV)
As you can see by comparing Revelation 17:3 to Revelation 13:1, the "scarlet beast" the "woman" rides looks very similar to the "beast" which arose from the sea.
REVELATION 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. 7 But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. (NKJV)
There are several opinions about the identity of the "woman" in this passage. We are told that this woman is riding (being supported by) the "beast" (Abaddon and his kingdom). Revelation 17:5 tells us that the woman is the "mother of harlots." Her harlot daughters are the ungodly governmental systems of this world. The "great harlot" is the sum total of all satanically-inspired religious/societal/governmental systems in existence since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
Revelation 17:5 tells us that the woman is "Babylon the Great." This fact is verified in Revelation 17:18. Revelation 18:24 tells us that in this woman "was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." This Scripture declares that this woman is responsible for the blood of everyone who has ever been slain on the earth. Obviously this cannot represent any one "human" system.
"Babylon the Great" is the false religious/societal/governmental system of Satan, who has been a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). The harlot is the "mother" of all angelic/human governmental systems that have ever existed apart from God. The original version of this system culminated in the Tower of Babel under Nimrod, the first type of the Antichrist. The end-time version of this system will be hated by the "beast" and the "ten horns," and will eventually be destroyed by them (Rev. 17:16), in fulfillment of God's will.
Now let's examine the scarlet beast ridden by the great harlot:
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