“Revealing the Revelation”
Chapter 17 – “The Prostitute”
March 7, 2010
Revelation Chapter 17
“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 on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 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. This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY - BABYLON THE GREAT -THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES - AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.
"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
Last week our study in John’s Revelation took us to the seven angels who poured out their seven bowls of God’s wrath on the world. But it wasn’t really on the whole world. God’s wrath was poured out on those who took the mark of the beast and on the throne of the beast and on those who would not turn to Him. I believed God loves His creation so much that He is giving them every chance to turn to Him. His love compels Him to try every avenue to make them change their ways. Someone said it wasn’t nails that kept Jesus on the cross – it was love. I think that it is not so much God’s justice, though it is in part, that is the cause of these bowls of wrath – I think it is love. Sometimes if things get so bad – we will repent and turn to God. But the sad commentary, over and over, was “STILL they would not repent!”
Now, I know some of you have a hard time thinking about these things. The wrath of God and the terrible things that are going to happen, possibly in our future, are pretty scary – but I want to remind you when we started this study we read in the first chapter,
“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:3
God has been blessing us, hasn’t He? And we need to know and take to heart what we are learning – because the time IS near. We don’t want to be caught unaware. The man or woman of God needs to be knowledgeable of the Word of God.
Now one of the those angels comes to John, who is writing down his vision, takes him to a desert place, and shows him the punishment of the great prostitute. Where the prostitute is will always be spiritual desert.
As we begin this chapter, John is taken to see the punishment of the “Great Prostitute who sits on many waters”. The meaning of great waters is revealed to us in this same chapter. It says,
"The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.”
Revelation 17:15
In our visual you see a prostitute sitting on a seven headed beast, which stands on water. So we know the water represents many people of different nationalities. But who is this woman? Let’s take a little closer look at her.
This woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. Obviously she was very wealthy. Purple and scarlet were colors of splendor and magnificence. The dyes to make fabric these colors were rare and costly in John’s day. Purple and scarlet were the colors of rulers, whether economic or political. At one time it was against the law for just anyone to wear these colors. They were reserved for royalty or the Church hierarchy. So the colors indicate that the woman had power and influence.
This chapter reveals who the prostitute is. On the prostitutes forehead was a name. MYSTERY - BABYLON THE GREAT -THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES - AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The name on her forehead identifies her in more ways than one. Roman prostitutes frequently wore a headband with their name engraved upon it. Johnson comments, “In spite of all her glamour she is nothing but a prostitute.” But to understand who she is you need to do a little study; a little thinking. It is a mystery – but I think it is meant to be solved. Most Biblical scholars think the “Great Babylon” means the city, the church, or the ecclesiastical system of Roman. They suggest that the sudden fall of “Great Babylon” is simply the fall of Romanism – or the city or Roman. A few scholars think otherwise – me being one of them.
To get an idea of who the harlot is you need to compare her to another woman in Revelation. Do you remember the woman we studied in chapter 12? These two Women are similar in many ways and yet opposites and rivals. They need to be interpreted in the same way. J.A. Seiss says,
“As Antichrist corresponds to Christ as a rival and antagonist of Christ, so Great Babylon corresponds to the Woman that bears the Man-child, as her rival and antagonist.”
Characteristic Woman of Revelation 12 Harlot of Revelation 17
Mothers Of the Man-Child Mother of harlots
Notably dressed In heavenly glories In worldly splendor
Influential Moon under her feet Over earthly kings
Suffering Attacked by Satan Attacked by kings
Both these woman are mothers. The first brought forth a son who is to rule the nations. The second is the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. Both are splendidly dressed. The first is clothed with the sun and her raiment is light from heaven. The second is clothed in purple and scarlet and decked out in gold and pearls and precious stones. All her dress is made up of things that came out of the earth and the sea.
Both are very influential in their respective positions. The first has the moon, the night and the powers of darkness under her feet. The second rules the kings of the earth. Both are sufferers. The first woman has the dragon attacking her. He waits to devour her child. He persecutes and pursues her and chases her into the wilderness and then sends a river to overwhelm her. He is at war with her seed.
The second woman, the harlot, has ten kings against her. Ultimately, they turn on her and hate her and make her desolate and naked. They eat her flesh and burn her with fire. God judges her and sends plague, death, and utter destruction to her.
These two women are counterparts – polar opposites. One is pure – the other a prostitute. The first is hated by the powers of the earth – the other is loved, flattered and caressed by them. When the first has sway, things are heavenly. When the other rules – it is wilderness. One produces masculine nobility, which eventually is caught away to God and His throne. The other produces effeminate impurity which causes God to pour out His wrath on her. The first woman is helped and sustained by angel wings – the other is supported and carried by Dragon power. The one has a crown of twelve stars, wearing the patriarchs and apostles as her royal diadem. The other has on her forehead the name of the greatest destroyer and oppressor of the holy people of God.
These two women, in God’s Word, are set one against the other and need to be interpreted in the same way. As the antichrist is a rival and the direct opposite of Christ, so Great Babylon is a rival, antagonist and direct opposite of the Woman who bears the Man-child.
So by understanding who and what is meant by the first woman, we will be able to understand who and what is meant by the second woman. If you were here when we studied chapter 12 you will remember that we saw the sun-clad woman to be God’s great symbol of the Church, the Bride of Christ – the Children of God. The prophets sometimes called her Jerusalem, at other times ‘the Bride’, Mount Zion, the Temple or Tabernacle of God. She is not the church of any one time or period but the universal Church of all time – from Adam and Eve to the victory over anti-Christ. This rival woman can not be anything other than the Antichurch, the Bride of Satan, the false believers and false worshipper of all time.
One of the chief features of the second woman is her harlotry. When people worship as God - what is not God, or give their hearts to idols and things that take the place of God - the Scriptures call it whoredom, adultery, and fornication. The reason is obvious. The essence of God’s law, or the essence of His divine will, is that we should love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We were created for this purpose. Whatever would seduce God’s people from this is a harlot or prostitute.
Simply put, as the pure woman is made up of the whole congregation of the faithful from the beginning of time. The Harlot is made up of all the faithless from the beginning to the end of time.
This Harlot is sitting on a strange looking beast. He is a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. This is the same beast (seven heads and ten horns) that was previously seen in Revelation 13:1. We learned that the Beast was the Antichrist and his dictatorship.
Walvoord says, “Her position, that of riding the beast, indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast, and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast.” Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and has the “faith” everybody wants.
What is the faith everyone wants? It started with Adam and Eve.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:15-17
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5
”You will NOT die! God is a liar! You can’t trust God! God wants to keep you from something GOOD! You can sin and it will be good!” That is what Satan is saying to Eve and that is what he has always tried to convince the church. The Harlot, who is the child of Satan, is anything that seduces and entices God’s people to rebel against Him. Doctrines, theologies, religions, anything that woes you from faithfulness to God is a spiritual prostitute. Don’t believe her lies.
In the days of the early church, the Gnostics believed and taught that sin was acceptable. 1 John was written in response to that false teaching. Augustine, fresh from a pagan cult, mixed paganism and Christianity and came up with such doctrines as the damnation of unbaptized infants, purgatory, prayers for the dead, the supreme authority of the Roman Church, and eternal security. Christianity, by and large, has rejected all of these things except “antinomianism” or eternal security. The word ‘antinomian’ is from a combination of two Greek words meaning “against law”.
Those who hold this doctrine teach that we as Christians are absolved from all law- even moral law, and since Jesus died for all sin – all are forgiven – even those we commit after we are saved. It is the same old lie. You can sin and get away with it. We read in Revelation 2 where God told the Ephesian Church they had lost their first love. He told them to repent or their candlestick would be removed. In Revelation 22:19 we read that some people’s name will be removed from the book of life. Only a stubborn determination to change the Bible to fit doctrine can change the Scriptures into believing “once saved – always saved”.
One commenter says, “Our world, with it’s “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe” philosophy, is ripe for the harlot’s seductions. We see the casual disregard for the truth crippling the church today.” (David Guzik)
Folks, we must form our doctrine from God’s Word. Believe it! Live it!
Let me conclude with these verses:
"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
Revelation 17:12-14
Does revelation scare you a little bit? It doesn’t have to. It should be an encouragement to us. Jesus is going to overcome all the tricks of Satan. With the rise and fall of these evil kingdoms and kings, with the rise and fall of false doctrines and false teachers – Truth is going to ultimate win out. Jesus is the Overcomer. We are to be overcomers as well. We, His called, chosen, and FAITHFUL, followers will overcome the enemy and reign with Christ. This is what you were created for. This is what you were called to. Are you with me? Faith is the victory!
Are you walking in faith? Are you following the Spirit or are you still following the flesh? Are you living in YOUR will – or have you surrender to God’s will? Let’s give Him complete control of our lives. You can do that with a prayer like this:
Dear Jesus,
I confess I have done my own thing and gone my own way. Please forgive me. Help me to trust You. Help me to do Your will – instead of doing my will. From this point on, with Your help, I promise to live as You want me to.
