SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 17
IMPORTANT VERSE:
“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.” (Revelation 17:17)
THE WOMAN ON THE BEAST (vs. 1-18)
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 a Spirit into a dessert. 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 god, 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 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 had 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.”
THOUGHTS: （From Life Application Study Bible)
The “great prostitute” called Babylon represents the early Roman Empire with its many gods and the blood of Christian martyrs on its hands. The water stands for either sea commerce or a well-watered city. The great prostitute represents the seductiveness of the governmental system that uses immoral means to gain its own pleasure, prosperity and advantage. In contrast to the prostitute, Christ’s bride, the church, is pure and obedient. The wicked city of Babylon contrasts with the heavenly city of Jerusalem. The original readers identified Babylon with Rome, but Babylon also symbolizes any system that is hostile to God.
The scarlet beast is either the dragon or the beast out of the sea.
Throughout history, many Christians have been killed by oppressive governments. The woman’s drunkenness shows her pleasure in her evil accomplishments and her false feeling of triumph over the church. But every martyr who has fallen before her sword has only served to strengthen the faith of the church.
The beast was alive, died, and then came back to life. The beast’s resurrection symbolizes the persistence of evil. This resurgence of evil power will convince many to join forces with the beast, but those who choose the side of evil condemn themselves to the Devil’s fate – eternal torment.
The city of Rome is famous for its seven hills. The view of the seven hills and seven kings indicates the climax of Satan’s struggle against God. Evil power is limited and its destruction is on the horizon.
The 10 horns represent kings of nations yet to arise. Rome will be followed by other powers. Rome is a good example of how the Antichrist’s system will work, demanding complete allegiance and ruling by power, oppression and slavery. Whoever the 10 kings are, they will give their power to the Antichrist and make war against the Lamb.
There is a dramatic turn of events. The prostitute’s allies turn on her and destroy her. This is how evil operates. Destructive by its very nature, it discards its own adherents when they cease to serve its purpose. An unholy alliance is an uneasy alliance because each partner puts its own interests first.
No matter what happens, we must trust that God is still in charge. God will overrule all the plans and intrigues of the evil one. He can even use people opposed to him as tools to execute his will. Although he allows evil to permeate this present world, but the new earth will be without sin. .