Saturday, 17 September 2022

Revelation 17

 Revelation 17:1-18

Beauty and the Beast

(Symbols of the One-World Church)

 

The Great Prostitute

1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. 

The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. 

The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewellery made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 

A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” 

I could see that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.”

 

This book is not all in chronological order. In chapters 17-18:  we go back in time a bit earlier in the tribulation (one world church/government). These two sights are both referred to as “Babylon.” Both religious and political. This is not the first time this has happened. Once the early church came under Roman rule, it soon formed the Church of Rome, which had a lot of power. May I say not Holy Spirit power, but political power.

This chapter is rich in symbolism: let us look at some of them:

 

The woman (called a whore/prostitute).

The strange creature with 7 heads and 10 horns.

          So, we have beauty and the beast!

Looking beyond the make-up, we should call it ugly and the beast!

 

1.    The Great Prostitute.

 

This woman is symbolic of the one world church which will exist during the tribulation, as all religions of the world will come together under one banner/umbrella, every ism/cult/religion, etc.

Every Buddhist/Muslim/Hindu/Roman catholic/Mormon etc. who not true believers are, (There are true believers in Christ among them, who will be caught up with Christ), but we are warned by God to come out from them. What has Darkness and Light had in common?

Not all religions lead to the God of the Bible. More so when many religious groups even deny the Word of God. Having their own faith, heaven and no hell and no judgement by God.

Many have walked down the aisle, filled out a response card, prayed a prayer or been baptized, but not all have been born again! Some church ministers are not born again, so where are they leading the flocks in their care? Many so call Christian leaders are denying that hell exists, and if it does, one will only suffer for a brief time only.

This “one world church” will be a vast distortion of religion. Even as I write, we have through political correctness many religious groups worshipping together under one roof.

 

Verse 1.                

1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters.” 

 

Verse 15.    

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.”

         

Will be worldwide! So, the great whore is symbolic of the one world church. Here are some more symbolism (pictures/illustrations) associated with her:

 

Verse 2.                

The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

 

Throughout the Bible, worldliness and false religion are both referred to often as spiritual adultery, to embrace either is whoredom/Prostitution. Just as a prostitute attempts to steal away the affection of a man, false religion will try to steal away our affection from God!

And the great prostitute will succeed in this in the tribulation. To embrace it is whoredom, and God equates such actions to sleeping with the enemy!

 

James 4:4

“You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Isaiah 1:21 “How has the faithful city (Jerusalem) become a harlot!”

Jeremiah 3:1 “…You (Nation of Israel) have played the harlot with many lovers. yet return to me, said the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 31:16

“And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers: and this people (Israel) will rise, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, and will forsake me, and break the covenant which I have made with them.”

 

God told Israel not to make agreement or have anything to do with others who do not believe like them (some interpret as inter-racial, but it is truly inter-faith!). Remember Pagan offered up their children to their gods, later in Roman times, prostitutes are part of worship in their temples. God wants pure worship.

          God takes adultery seriously, which is the only Biblical grounds for divorce, it is the ultimate hurt/heartache/insult to the spouse. Remember that God pleased couples together in marriage right from the start. Some may ask “How do you know that Adam and Eve were married?”

          In the marriage vows, the minster asks the question. “Who gives this woman.” The father of the bride says, “I do.” Well God Himself said it was not good for man to be alone, so God Himself give Eve to Adam, and He is our Father God. And to who God joined together (in Marriage) let no man put aside.

          And spiritual adultery is even worse with God! And in the tribulation, most of the world will convert to wholesale apostasy!

It is hard to align with those who would ordain and perform ceremonies for homosexuals/or teaches people to pray to Mary, light candles for the dead, pay indulgences to the coffers! /Refer to a man as father, though scripture forbids it/baptize babies, giving false assurance they are saved/deny trinity, resurrection etc.

Who teach 10 commandments as basis for salvation, and that mark of the beast is worshipping on Sunday/Bible based churches who interpret salvation as by works! “Leave your doctrine at home” they say and go with the flow.

Romans 16:17 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”

I Timothy 1:3 “I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that your mightiest charge some that they teach no other doctrine.”

I Timothy 4:13 “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”

1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this you shall both save yourself, and them that hear you.”

Titus 2:1 “But speak you the things which become sound doctrine.”

 

We are not the only church preaching the gospel, we are not for everyone. There is several around who have sound doctrine, even if our preferences differ a bit. But whether the Bible is inspired is not an outlying issue! Is salvation by works or grace? If not by grace, Christ death on the cross was a mistake!

God does not make mistakes! On the Cross Jesus cried out “It is Finished” meaning “Paid in Full.” Salvation is the gift of God. So why would God support trying to earn your salvation by works after Calvary’s Cross? Calvary then would all be in vain. Take care dear reader you do not get caught up in a “good sounding message” and a “sound message.” They will go with itching hears to hear the latest doctrine in the last days.

This great whore is a symbol of how the entire world will decline in spiritual adultery during the Great Tribulation.

 

Four words to describe the one world church:

 

1.    Powerful.

 

Mental intoxication = people not thinking for themselves/mind control! (Like how dictators run their countries, the people accept all that is said.

          Why the Bible refers to us as sheep because we need a shepherd! We are directionless/defenseless, and in the absence of true shepherds the world will follow a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

 

2.    Perverted.

 

Verse 3.

So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. 

No less than the antichrist! And the great whore is riding upon this beast in Revelation 17:3.

The one world church and antichrist will work together in concert. He will be to that church what Jesus is to us! This one world church will be powerful, and perverted.

 

3.    Prosperous.

         

Verse 4-5.   

The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 

A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” 

 

This “whore” is decked out to the max, deceptive! Sounds more like a “call girl.” Where will all this prosperity come from? From this unholy union between church and state (Verse 2a The kings of the world have committed adultery with her”). Church and state, this has never been a happy marriage!

Throughout history you can see where political leaders have used the church for their own selfish purposes, it always turns out bad!

Since this false church will be willing to use its power for the purposes of the antichrist, the state will pour lots of money into their funds! Plus, the appeal of the church will be strong, saying things like, we are finally rid of those narrow-minded racists, the church will easily pull in great masses of people who will contribute to their cause.

Many more people would come to the church today, if we remove Christianity, God, sin etc. and just have a place to chat and drink coffee, or even something a bit stronger. If a church building is used for a choir, it would be full. If it were used for a concert, it would be full. It is when the church is used for spiritual things, that the people stay away. Money will not be a problem for that church!

 

Verse 4.

“In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.” 

 

Notice verse 4b, what is in the cup? Reminds me of what Jesus said to the Pharisees: “You remind me of a white-washed sepulcher, you look great on the outside but inside you are like dead men’s bones! You are like a pot that is clean and shiny outside but filthy within!”

We do well to remember that prosperity and purity do not necessarily go hand in hand! Even today people gather in great cathedrals and magnificent buildings with incredible stained glass/carvings/pipe organs, and yet God is nowhere near the place! Here we are to adore one another/compare/make jealous/talk about/play church!

We should thank God for the buildings He has given us, we should take pride and take care, something God would be pleased with! But let us be clear that if ever we must compromise the Word of God to have wonderful things, we are not willing to make that exchange!

We want to grow and the offerings to grow, but not at the expense of purity for prosperity! We need to focus on continuing to do what is right and let the numbers all add up however they may! Do not sell out God for a nice building and a great offering.

The one world church will be immensely powerful, perverted, and prosperous.

 

4. Persecuted.

Verse 6.      

I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

“Scarlet coloured” … descriptive of his blood-stained ascent to power.”

 

Meaning: admiration = astonishment/wonder.

          According to this verse, this church is drunk, not with wine, but with blood of saints! A reminder that in the Great Tribulation, those who will not follow the antichrist, but rather stand for Jesus Christ, will pay with their lives!

Elsewhere in Revelation, the old-fashioned guillotine will be used, or a modern way to remove a person’s head, the head is the intelligent part of man, the antichrist does not want anyone to know his identity, who willing bows the knee to the Devil/Satan/Lucifer?

There have been a lot of persecutions since Jesus’ time, more since 1900 than for 2k years previous combined! But there is coming a time of unequaled bloodshed! Though we (The Church) will go through the tribulation, those events may cast their shadow upon us before they are “fully come!” Are you prepared to die for Christ? Will you live for Him?

We need to get as many on the ark of salvation as we can before floods of judgment fall from the sky!

Here are three more details to consider about this church’s ruler/region/reversal at this point.

 

1.    The Ruler.

Verse 7.

“Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.” 

 

The antichrist. The marriage of church and state is in effect, the woman rides upon the beast!

 

Verse 8.

The beast you saw was once alive but is not now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.”

 

          He exists/goes away for a while/then returns to the scene, what does this all mean?

When Jesus came to earth, He did the same thing, He came, then died and was buried/left awhile, then arose/returned.

This is a prediction of an amazing event which will take place in the Great Tribulation in which the antichrist will try to imitate the very resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Matthew13 talks about counterfeit Christians.

2 Corinthians 11 talks about counterfeit ministers.

Galatians 1 talks about a counterfeit gospel.

Now a counterfeit resurrection!

Verses 2/16-17.    

The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.”

16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 

17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will conduct his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.” 

 

So, why will these leaders and peoples of the earth do all this? Because of this staged resurrection!

It will be a mortal wound to the head, Revelation 13:3, perhaps an assassin’s bullet, and he will seemingly die and rise again! Again, only God knows the true facts.

Now verse 8 makes more sense:

The beast you saw was once alive but is not now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.”

What ascends out of the pit is probably an incarnation of Satan himself! He will become what 2 Thessalians 2 says literally: “the son of perdition!”

Here is what we do not know about this Satanic miracle:

Actual or simulated? Wherever it is true or not, we know this: the world believes it is real and the antichrist gains the followship of the entire world!

 

2.    The Region

Verses 9-13.         

“This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. 

10 Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. 

12 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. 

13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority.”

 

The birthplace and headquarters of the one-world church will be Rome (built on 7 hills)/the revived Roman empire/the United States of Europe (very much in existence today!). Only God knows all the answers and facts, I am just trying to find answers for myself.

 

Verse 10.    

10 Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

 

Reference to revived Roman emperor. 5 emperors had fallen by the time John wrote this: Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

And 1 is: (sitting on the throne now, while this was being written, that was Domitian!), the other is not yet come: the antichrist! He is the 7th!

          But here is the mind-twister:

 

Verse 11.

11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. 

 

          But it is easy to understand when you think of the fact that 8th king is the 7th king resurrected/possessed, Satan incarnate? Lots of questions need to be answered!

 

Verse 12.    

12 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.” 

 

The “United States of Europe” will be 10 nations during the Great Tribulation period, the 10 toes in Daniel 9). These has been believed by the churches for an exceptionally long time. The “United Nations” came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, the Christian world awoke from its sleep, and cried the end is near!

Then in 1948 when Israel became a nation again (A sign Jesus said was “sign” to His second coming). The Christian world turned to the skies. Now we have the European union (27 members as I write), some Christian writers have pointed out that there are 10 in the Western EU?

This would be an interesting study. Which of the old Roman Empire states are in the EU today? Let me know if you find out. Many modern lands were once part of the “Roman Empire,” for example Britain, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Levant, Crimea, Switzerland, and the north coast of Africa.

“One brief moment to reign with the beast.” A brief period, their 15 minutes of spotlight and fame! Jesus’ reign is for all eternity!

 

Verse 13.    

13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority.”

 

They will believe the antichrist to be God, they will unite and bow the knee to Satan.

 

Verse 14.

14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because He is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

 

They make war with the Lamb! They believe the antichrist is (a) God, then they are willing to make war with the One and Only True God. That is the battle of Armageddon!

We need not fear, look, we win!

Jesus came TO His own: Bethlehem.

FOR His own: The Rapture.

WITH His own: Armageddon!

          But HE will do all the fighting, with one word they will be decimated, like in the Garden of Gethsemane, “I AM,” and they all fell!

 

3.    The Reversal

 

Verses 15-16a.

 

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. 

16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute.”

 

                     Now they hate the whore = hate the church! The woman was riding on the beast/there was a marriage of church and state, but now after 3.5 years, the antichrist turns to the church and says, I hate you, and want a divorce!

          So, common in history: political bodies using the church to advance themselves, but once they get what they want, they turn on the church, which is what the antichrist will do!

Then he will build upon himself: “the abomination of desolation” = setting himself up in the temple as God, that is what is described in verse 16b “They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire.” He does not need the church; so, he throws her away!

         

Be warned dear reader: that is how Satan feels about you, you are disposable, he will use you for his own selfish purposes, chew you up and spit you out! Now it is time to turn to Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Then share the message of God’s grace and mercy to those rounds about you.

 

         

 

Verse 17a.  

17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will conduct his purposes.”

 

I love that! Gods in control of it all, it is all foreordained of God! He is still being in charge! These people are in His hands, His will not be thwarted!

 

Verse 18.    

18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

 

A reminder of who the one-world church is, today: the only umbrella large enough for all religions to fit under, the Church at Rome, that great city of verse 9.

It did not take long for the “Pentecostal Church” of Acts 2, with their signs and wonders, with daily miracles. To move address to Rome, then grew rich and powerful. That soon persecuting fundament Christians. We need to learn from the past.

The year 1948 was an important year, when things happened. The world council of churches/European economic society/Israel became a nation, and a generation will not pass before Jesus returns.

Reading the newspaper of today is like reading Revelation, we should be surprised every time the sun sets without His return, we are to be busy, working, watching, waiting, can you see the handwriting on the wall?

 

End of Revelation chapter 17.