Lady In Blood Red

LADY IN BLOOD RED (REVELATION 17)

It’s been said:

“The most unpopular of Christian teachings: judgment.”

“The subject of death is unpopular enough, but judgement after death—we hate that.”

“The judgment of God is like a merry-go-round. They start slowly but get very fast, and where you are seated makes a VERY big difference in the ride.”

“The judgment of God is like the refiner's fire, used to remove impurities, and prepare us for the fullness of God's presence.”

“God’s judgment is like a double-edged sword! It blesses and it condemns!”

“The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men.” (John Owen)

“Better to confess Christ 1,000 times now and be despised by men, than be disowned by Christ before God on the day of judgment.” (J. C. Ryle)

The previous chapter, Revelation 16, was the scene of the outpouring of God’s wrath. The noun “man” occurs six times in chapter 16 (vv 2, 8, 9, 18, 21 twice) and none in chapter 17. Chapter 17 now is the straight punishment of the beast, followed by the great prostitute. Some see the Babylon’s description as “the great harlot” (v 5) is a reference to the spiritual prostitution and fornication of the apostate church of the Tribulation which is unfaithful and rejects the Lord Jesus Christ as her husband (2 Pet. 2:1-2).

What are the strengths, the setbacks and the struggles of the church and the saints in the last days? How are we victors and not victims in God’s triumph over evil and His enemies?

Be Sober Not Snared

1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

Dwight L. Moody once visited a man in Dundee, Scotland, who had fallen and broken his back when a boy of fifteen. He had lain on his bed for forty years and could not be moved without a good deal of pain. Probably not a day had passed in all those years without acute suffering.

When Mr. Moody saw him, he asked the man, “Doesn’t Satan ever tempt you to doubt God and to think that He is a hard master?” “Oh, yes,” he said, “he does try to tempt me. I lie here and see my old schoolmates driving along, and Satan says, ‘If God is so good, why has He kept you here all these years? You might have been a rich man, riding in your carriage.’ Then I see a man, who was young when I was, walk by in perfect health, and Satan whispers, ‘If God loved you, couldn’t He have kept you from breaking your back?’ “

“And what do you do when Satan tempts you?” “Ah, I just take him to Calvary, and I show him Christ, and I point out those wounds in His hands and feet and side, and say, ‘Doesn’t He love me?’ The fact is Satan got such a scare there nineteen hundred years ago that he cannot stand it; he leaves me every time.”

John had more talk with the angel with the seventh bowl (v 1, 10:9, 21:9) than other angels. Surprisingly, this is the first official “judgment” (krima) word to appear in the book (17:1), which is also translated as damnation (Mark 12:40), condemnation (Luke 23:40) and avenge (Rev 18:20). The first official, ominous and overdue judgment in Revelation is on the great prostitute or whore who sits on many waters. (v 1) While sitting on many waters might look cool, the only thing that counts is to “sit on the throne,” the phrase occurring nine times in the book, to change, conclude and climax with “sitting on the great white throne.” (Rev 20:11)

Who is Babylon, the mother of prostitutes (v 1)? She is otherwise known as the great whore (KJV), the great harlot (NASU, RSV), or the great city (v 18). Not only did