The Same Participant by a Different Name
Various verses in the book of Revelation expressly state that certain participants are identified with multiple names. So, a particular person may be mentioned in one place by a particular name and in another verse by different name. These equivalents are revealed here, that you may understand who is whom.
Without knowing who is whom, you can not understand what the book of Revelation is saying. You can't put two and two together. Equivalents will be presented first. Then the other participants.
Equivalents
7 Golden Lampstands
7 Golden Lampstands = 7 Churches (Revelation 1:20)
7 Stars
7 Stars = Angels of the 7 Churches (1:20)
Scarlet Beast (666)
Scarlet Beast = Beast with seven heads, ten horns and blasphemous names (17:3) = the Beast (17:7,8) = Beast with seven heads, ten horns and blasphemous names (13:1)
The Beast above is also mentioned in 11:7 (abyss), 17:8 (abyss),13:1, 2, 3, 4, 12 (first beast), 13:14, 15, 17, 18 (666).
The great harlot sits on the scarlet beast (17:1,3). The beast will die and rise again and is associated with four great ancient empires. Revelation 13:2-3 says that the beast had 10 horns, was like a leopard, bear and a lion… A very direct connection with the four beasts of Daniel 7:1-8, representing representing Babylon, Media Persia, Greece and Rome. Revelation 17:8 tells us that The beast "was, and is not, and is about to come". Revelation 13:3 tells us that the beast was "wounded fatally". In other words, the beast dies and comes back to life. Revelation 13:18 seems to establish a clear connection with Nero since the number of his name is 666. So, the Nero of the first century could come back to life in our future as the beast of Revelation.
In conclusion, we see that the beast can be associated with a resurrected Nero but also will reflect Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome in some way. Its existence spans thousands of years.
To learn more about the beast, click here to read "The Beast of Revelation 13:18: Who is 666?
Great Red Dragon
Great Red Dragon (12:3) = Dragon (12:4) = Dragon (12:7) = Great
Dragon (12:9) = Dragon (12:13) =
Serpent (12:14) =
Serpent (12:15) =
Dragon (12:16) = Dragon (12:17) = Dragon (13:2) = Dragon (13:4) = Dragon (16:13) = Dragon (20:2) =
the Old Serpent (20:2) =
devil (20:2) =
Satan (20:2) = Satan (20:7) = Devil (20:10)
If you will read the text from 12:3 through 20:10, you will see that the following all describe the same individual: Great Red Dragon, Great Dragon, Dragon, Serpent, Old Serpent, Devil, Satan.
The Great Red Dragon has 7 heads and 10 horns (12:3). He gives his power and throne to the Beast (13:2). That is probably why the Beast also has 7 heads and 10 horns (13:2). But the Beast and the Great Red Dragon are different, even though they both have 7 heads and 10 horns.
7 Spirits of God
7 Spirits Before His Throne (1:4) = 7 Lamps (4:5) = 7 Spirits of God (4:5) = 7 Spirits of God sent into all the earth (5:6) = 7 Eyes of the Lamb (Christ) (5:6) = 7 Angels who stand before God and blow the 7 trumpets (8:2) = 7 Angels of the 7 Churches who receive the 7 letters from Christ (2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14) = 7 Spirits who send the 7 Letters to the 7 Churches (1:4).
The seven Spirits of God in 1:4 are fellow senders of grace and peace through the book of Revelation, with Jesus. See 1:4.
In 5:6 the Lamb is "in the middle of the throne" and "in the middle of the elders". In 5:7, the Lamb came to the throne to take the scroll out of the hand of the Father, who was sitting on the throne. This is certainly the equivalent of being "before his throne" as in 1:4. So, the lamb is before the throne. Therefore, the seven eyes of the lamb are before the throne and are the same as the seven spirits of 1:4, 5:6 and 4:5, who are "before the throne".
For an in depth study of the seven Spirits of God, and to see that the seven angels who blow the seven trumpets are the same as the seven Spirits of God, click here.
The Almighty
Lord God (1:8, 4:8) = Alpha and Omega (1:8, 4:8) = The Almighty (1:8, 4:8) = Who is, was and is to come (1:8, 4:8) = He who sits on the throne (21:5-6) = The Father*
A distinction is made between the Almighty and the Lamb in 21:22, between the one who sits on the throne and the Lamb (6:16).
* This is how we know that the one who sits on the throne is the Father:
Chapters 4 and 5 reveal who is in the throne room. John was called up into the throne room in 4:1-2. John sees "one sitting on the throne" (4:2). We know that this is God the Father instead of Christ because Christ is also observed "standing" in the throne room in 5:6. Then in 5:7 Christ (the Lamb) "came and took" the scroll out of the hand of "Him who sat on the throne". So, Christ was not on the throne. But Christ, has been granted ALL authority (Matthew 28:18), and as such, Christ is also viewed as sitting with the Father on His throne (Revelation 3:21). We who overcomes also sit with them on their throne (Revelation 3:21). According to 1 John 5:5, the one who overcomes is "he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God".) See also Revelation 3:21; 2:26-27; 20:4-6; 5:9-10. So, in the eternal state of the New Jerusalem, all believers will sit with Christ and the Father on their throne and reign under them forever.
Jerusalem Above
Holy City (11:2) = New Jerusalem (21:2) = Jerusalem Above (21:2, Galatians 4:26) = Woman with 12 Stars (12:1, 17)
Revelation 12:17 tells us that the children of the woman with 12 stars hold the testimony of Jesus (Christians). Galatians 4:21-31, especially verses 24-26 states that the mother of Christians is the New Covenant, which identifies with the Jerusalem above. So, the woman with the crown of 12 stars in Revelation 12:1 is the New Covenant Jerusalem Above.
In contrast, the Galatians passage also states that the mother of the unbelieving Jews is the Old Covenant, which identifies with the present Jerusalem. The present Jerusalem is one of the equivalent identities presented below.
Present Jerusalem (The Great Harlot)
The Great Harlot (17:1) = Woman in Purple and Scarlet (17:3,4) = Babylon the Great (17:5) = The Great City (17:18) = Jerusalem (11:8) = Sodom (11:8) = Egypt (11:8)
Revelation 11:8 identifies the Great City as the city which crucified Christ. So it identifies the Great City as Jerusalem. It also identifies the Great City mystically with Sodom and Egypt. The Jerusalem of 11:8, which is the same as the Great Harlot of 17:1, is the present Jerusalem, not the New Jerusalem. If you read the description of the New Jerusalem from Revelation chapters 21 - 22, it will be obvious.
This Jerusalem "reigns over the kings of the earth" (17:18), engaged all nations in sexual immorality (18:3), made merchants rich (18:4), deceives all the nations with sorcery (18:23) and killed "all who have been slain on the earth" (18:24).
The present Jerusalem, aka the great harlot, sits on the scarlet beast (17:1,3).
So, the present Jerusalem and all its synonymous names do not refer to a geographical city of one specific time period, but a sovereignty that is guilty of all murders, beginning with Cain. See Psalm 2:2 and 89:27. Being guilty of all murders beginning with Cain points to the Generation of Satan (Matthew 23:29-36) who is Prince of this world (Ephesians 2:2, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19, Colossians 1:13). Click here to read about the generation of Satan.
As you saw above, the present Jerusalem is also called the Great Harlot. She is referred to as a Queen (18:7) and God's people are called to come out of her (18:4). She will be destroyed by plague, famine and fire (18:8). Also known as "the great city", she will be divided into three parts (16:19).
Being a sovereignty which spans all of human history, but which is also subject to plague, famine and fire... the present Jerusalem appears to be an immoral, deceptive, spiritual, demonic sovereignty whose rule is visible in earthly rulers of flesh and blood.
Your understanding of the book will be greatly enhanced if you look up the references to see the express statement of equivalence.
Waters
Many waters (17:1) = the waters (17:15) = peoples, multitudes, nations, and language (17:15) = and possibly also "waters" in 8:10, 8:11, 11:6, 12:15, 16:4, 16:5 and 16:12
"1 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 prostitute who sits on many waters... 15 He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages" (Revelation 17:15).
Other Participants
- 4 Creatures in the throne room (4:6-9)
- 24 Elders (4:4)
- Beast - 666 (13:1,18; 11:7) Click here for more information.
- Other Beast, the false prophet (13:11)
- 144,000 (7:1-8)
- 2 Witnesses (11:3-12)
- Great Red Dragon - Satan (12:3, 9)
- Angel over fire (14:18, see 8:8)
- Angel of the waters (16:5)
- Angel standing in the sun (19:17, see 8:12)
- Angels of the specific (or figurative) churches (2:1,8,12,18; 3;1,7,14)
- Angel ascending from the rising of the sun having the seal of God (7:2)
- Angels holding the wind (7:1)
- Angel at the altar holding the prayers of the saints (8:31)
- Angelic Demon King of the abyss (9:11) Satan is king of demons2.
- Angel with the Gospel (14:6, 1:1)
- Angel with the sickle to reap the wicked3 (14:17, 17-20)
- Angel with great authority (18:1)
- 7 Angels with 7 plagues (bowls) (15:6)
- 1 Angel for each tribe in Israel (21:12)
1) The incense in 8:3 is the prayers of the saints (5:8).
2) Satan has a kingdom and is prince of demons (Matthew 12:24-26)).
3) This occurs immediately after the rapture which occurred in 14:14-16.