The Judgment of the Great Harlot – Part 2
Revelation 17:1-18 (7-18)
April 2, 2017
Last time we met we began this parenthetical section that deals with God’s final judgment of Babylon.
Throughout history, God’s people
Have cried for the destruction of this evil system.
Perhaps you are familiar with the imprecatory psalms.
The psalms where God’s redeemed cry for vengeance on their persecutors.
Psalms 35:1-8 “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me. Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the LORD driving them on. Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the LORD pursuing them. For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul. Let destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.”
These have also been the prayers of those martyred saints
Who were below the altar of God.
Well, at the pouring out of the 7th bowl
WE FOUND THAT GOD REMEMBERED BABYLON.
That is to say that God finally dealt out vengeance
On the evil world system which has so mercilessly persecuted His people.
Chapters 17 and 18 are a greater explanation of that judgment.
Chapter 17 deals with the destruction of the evil world religious system,
Chapter 18 deals with the destruction of the evil world political/economic system.
We started looking at chapter 17 last week,
And the POINT OF THE CHAPTER IS CLEAR.
Revelation 17:1-2 “Then 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 harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
Not to rehash it too much, but the “great harlot”
Is symbolic of false religion.
The world has loved her because of the immorality she offers
And the way in which she satisfies the flesh.
THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT HER DESTRUCTION.
Chapter 17 is about the destruction of all false religion.
And we began to look at this chapter last time.
#1 THE EXALTED HARLOT
Revelation 17:1-2
We simply saw that this harlot was one who “sits on many waters.”
Verse 15 says:
“And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.”
That is to say that the world exalts this harlot.
• The world loves false religion.
• We saw how it started at Babel and has flourished ever since.
• We even looked at that story in Zechariah about the wicked woman in the basket and how the world sought to rescue her from the judgment of the Lord and build her a temple for worship.
The world loves the sensual fulfillments of false religion.
In fact we learned that “those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
#2 THE EXAMINED HARLOT
Revelation 7:3-6
After introducing this harlot,
John was then carried in a vision to have her explained.
We saw that she is riding that 7-headed, 10-horned beast,
Indicating that it is Satan who supports her.
All false religion is a lie and it is that which is propagated by the father of lies.
We saw that she was ADORNED “in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls”
Because after all, a prostitute tempts by the way she dresses.
And we saw what she OFFERS people, namely “a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality.”
What she offers doesn’t edify, it defiles.
It appeals to the flesh, and appeals to the senses, but there is No Benefit found there.
When God spoke through Jeremiah about the false prophets of his day, He said:
Jeremiah 23:32 “Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.”
There is no benefit to false religion.
• I don’t care if it is the sacrificial service commitments of Mormonism
• The self-abasement commitments of Catholicism,
• The zealous missionary efforts of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
There is nothing good in false religion.
There is nothing valuable.
There is nothing to offer.
It only defiles.
We also learned of this woman’s UNASHAMED ARROGANCE, for she had plastered on her forehead the name “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
It is one thing to be a prostitute
It is another thing to be proud of it.
It is still another thing to be boast about being the best prostitute ever
And it is even worse to brag about the fact
That you led your children into it as well.
This woman not only brags about being a great harlot,
But also that she is a mother of harlots.
False religion has no shame in its gaudy Mormon temples,
Or golden domed Mosques, or lavish TV cathedrals.
It is shameful, but it is in fact false religion.
And then we learned about the TRUE DIFFICULTY of this false religion which is that she was “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.”
This woman was responsible for the faithful who had been martyred.
She didn’t just kill a few, she craved it. She was drunk on it.
And we heard John say, “When I saw her, I wondered greatly.”
That is to say that John was horrified at what he saw.
And I might just add, that if you were able to peel back the façade
And see the true motives of false religion you’d be horrified too.
John just got a good look at the true nature of all false religions
And it was nasty and vile and corrupt and deadly.
You may think Mormonism is fine, but if you could peel back the layers you’d see just how filthy and corrupt and vile it actually is.
You may think Islam is fine, but if you could peel back the layers you’d see just how filthy and corrupt and vile it actually is.
You may think Catholicism is fine, but if you could peel back the layers you’d see just how filthy and corrupt and vile it actually is.
You may think the false prophets of Christianity are fine, but again if you could see behind the scenes, you’d see just how corrupt and vile they really are.
John just had his eyes opened to the fact.
So we’ve seen The Exalted Harlot, The Examined Harlot
#3 THE EXPLAINED HARLOT
Revelation 17:7-14
Well, John saw her true colors,
But he still rather confused as to exactly what he saw,
SO NOW THE LORD SETS OUT TO FULLY EXPLAIN HER TO HIM.
And it begins with the beast which she rode.
(7-8) “And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”
The beast is simply described as.
“The beast you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction.”
When we studied chapter 13 we talked quite a bit about this “beast”.
He is none other than the Antichrist.
He is a Satan-possessed world ruler, who is used by the enemy
As a means of deceiving the world.
And the MAIN DECEPTIVE WORK which he will demonstrate
Is a supposed death and resurrection.
Revelation 13:3 “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;”
Revelation 13:12 “He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.”
This beast is this Antichrist.
And this beast certainly will go “to destruction”,
HOWEVER: Before his destruction, “those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”
The world will swoon over him after that great supposed miracle.
Now, one thing important to notice is that CURRENTLY John learns that the beast “was, and is not, and is about to come up”
This indicates that at the present time of this vision,
It would be the time when the Antichrist is supposedly dead.
This world ruler had emerged, but currently he is dead,
And soon he will come again, which will cause the world to follow him.
So in effect, as we look at this vision
We are dealing with the early part of the reign of Antichrist (the beast).
And this teaches us that in the beginning of his reign,
The Antichrist supported the harlot.
The beast promoted all false religion.
One thing we are learning in our world is that being exclusive or dogmatic
Is not the way to win over the masses.
Our post-modern world loves uncertainty and rejects absolutes.
• They love the idea of tolerance and just coexisting with any and everyone.
The only way for this figure to ascend to world power
Is if he is a man of universalism and tolerance.
He will in fact support all religions early on.
So the first thing John learns about this woman is that
In the beginning of the tribulation false religion will thrive
Under the leadership of this man known as Antichrist.
And then John gets even more explanation.
(9-12) “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.”
Well, that’s about as gumbled a description as you’re going to get,
But it’s really not that hard to unpack once you realize what is going on.
FIRST we deal with “the seven heads”
We are told they are “seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.”
We have talked about this before, but there were 5 major kingdoms
Which persecuted Israel in her past.
Certainly many kingdoms threatened Israel and warred against her, but there were 5 world powers which specifically threatened her with annihilation.
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece.
These were the “five” who “have fallen”
John also said, “one is” which was the current kingdom in John’s day, namely Rome.
“the other has not yet come” and this will be the kingdom of the Antichrist. And John learns that “he must remain a little while.”
God has appointed his reign.
Which we also saw in chapter 13 as a 42 month reign.
Linking all of these kingdoms together as 7 HEADS OF THE SAME BEAST
Indicates that all of these kingdoms were fueled by the same evil force.
Satan was working behind them all.
• Behind Pharaoh who was drowning Hebrew babies
• Behind Sennacherib who exiled Israel
• Behind Nebuchadnezzar who exiled Judah
• Behind Haman who sought the annihilation of the Jews
• Behind Antiochus Epiphanes who sought to destroy Israel
Satan was behind them all, just as he was behind Rome
And will be behind the kingdom of the Antichrist.
Which also indicates that
Satan is the one who has been supporting false religion all along,
Since the woman rides the beast.
Based on this information we can then emphatically say that:
• Islam is Satanic
• Mormonism is Satanic
• Buddhism is Satanic
• Hinduism is Satanic
• Catholicism is Satanic
They are all “isms” that will one day be “wasms”
From there the angel describes the beast himself.
(11) “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Well, the 7th kingdom mentioned is that of the Antichrist.
However, we just spoke of his supposed death and then resurrection.
What we are learning is that the guy who supposedly dies
And the guy who then rises
Are going to be two drastically different guys.
If you remember it all hinges around Satan being kicked out of heaven,
Which we studied in chapter 12.
IN ONE INSTANCE THIS GUY
Goes from being the proponent of peace to a proponent of war,
So much so that it’s almost like he is an entirely different person.
That’s why it can be said that he is “himself also an eight and is one of the seven”
And the point here being that the demon who works through him
Is the same one who has worked through all of those wicked world rulers throughout history.
It’s all Satan.
Then we find out about “the ten horns”
(12) “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.”
• We have talked about the 10 king European confederation
• It is in fact a revamped Roman empire.
But none of these kings will reign long,
For they will all sign over full control to the beast,
In fact that is why God appointed their reign.
(13) “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.”
So John wondered greatly
When he saw this harlot drunk with the blood of the saints.
Perhaps John wondered who she was
That had unleased so much persecution on God’s people.
Here we find that she is all the Satan inspired false religions of all time.
Past, present, and even future.
God’s people haven’t been persecuted by many different peoples, God’s people have been persecuted by Satan over and over.
Remember what Paul said?
Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
It has always been the same enemy pushing the attacks.
And then comes the explanation to the SOLE REASON for his work.
(14) “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Listen to me very carefully.
EVERY FALSE RELIGION WHICH HAS EVER BEEN INVENTED
ONLY HAS ONE PURPOSE.
“These will wage war against the Lamb”
That is their only purpose.
• Some false religions are violent and seek to threaten and persecute and physically destroy.
• Some false religions are deceptive and cunning and threaten merely to corrupt the gospel and misrepresent Jesus.
But all of them only have one goal and that is to war against Christ.
• They seek to distort His person
• They seek to distort His gospel
• They seek to deceive His listeners
• They seek to discourage His children
• They seek to destroy His plan
That is the only reason they exist.
Why do you suppose Jehovah’s Witnesses are so dedicated in their missionary efforts to present a false Jesus?
It’s because that is their mission from Satan, to distort the true Jesus.
Why do you suppose Islam is so militant and threatening?
Because that is their Satanic mission to discourage faith in Jesus.
• False religion is NOT for the purpose of ENLIGHTENMENT
• False religion is NOT for the purpose of FULFILLMENT
• False religion is NOT for the purpose of MORALITY
• False religion is NOT for the purpose of HOPE
• False religion is NOT for the purpose of RECONCILIATION WITH GOD
False religion only has one purpose and that is to war against Christ.
THAT IS WHY IT IS SO GRIEVOUS
TO HAVE SO MANY CALL FOR UNITY AND UNIVERSALISM.
To this thought Paul would undoubtedly say:
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”
People always quote that verse in relation to marriage,
But it is really an admonition against tolerance and pluralism.
How can you take a Satanic religion meant to destroy the truth of Christ and unify with them?
And I can tell you this much, CHRIST ISN’T TOLERATING THEM.
(14) “and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
I’ve heard of a growing notion today that Jesus will just save all religions.
You know if the Buddhist is sincere
If the Muslim is sincere
If the Hindu is sincere
BUT THAT ISN’T TRUE.
The Bible says Jesus will “overcome them”
Jesus will defeat them.
Why? “because He is Lord of lords and King of kings”
Isaiah put it this way.
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”
• Jesus will not share glory with Buddha
• Jesus will not share glory with Allah
• Jesus will not share glory with any of the 750 Hindu gods
Buddha isn’t Lord of lords
Allah isn’t King of kings
Those titles are exclusive to Jesus and so in the end,
He is not about to bring those along with Him.
And incidentally, He won’t save all people just because they are sincere.
John is told who Jesus will save.
“and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
There’s a verse for an Arminian!
Those who are saved are those whom Jesus has “called” and “chosen”
And who are “faithful” as a result of that selection.
The point being that Jesus isn’t universally saving all people,
He is specifically saving His people.
BUT YOU NOW SEE THE HARLOT EXPLAINED.
• This harlot who is drunk on the blood of the saints is so,
• Because she has been controlled by Satan
• And all he ever does is war against Jesus.
So if you really want to describe false religion, it is easy.
It seduces sinners, it hates Jesus, and the world loves it.
But as we said, this chapter is about “the judgment of the great harlot”
#4 THE EXECUTED HARLOT
Revelation 17:15-18
Again we recognize that verse which indicates to us how the world loved the harlot.
(15) “And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.”
But notice what John sees next.
(16) “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.”
DO WHAT?
• I thought Satan was the driving force behind her?
• I thought Satan promoted her?
• I thought Satan used her?
HE DID.
But do you remember what is going to happen after the Antichrist supposedly dies and rises from the dead?
Do you remember what he will do?
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
In the end, false religion will have served its purpose
And the Antichrist will exalt himself over every other religion.
It won’t just be Christianity that will be illegal,
It will also be Islam, and Mormonism, and Buddhism, etc.
Remember, the only mark acceptable in that day is Satan’s mark.
(not a cross, not a crescent, not chubby Buddha)
These false religions that are so loved and seem to flourish,
They are all going to end, and it is Satan who will destroy them.
WHY?
(17) “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”
Because God will cause it to happen.
God, the ultimate sovereign,
Will actually cause the enemy “to execute His purpose”
He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants.
Even false religion is no threat to Him.
And then the chapter concludes with: (18) “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
• She is Babylon
• She is World and the world’s religious system.
• And here we find that she will be destroyed.
SO WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT?
That’s easy.
We’re supposed to rejoice!
• This is what the saints have prayed for.
• This is what the martyrs have prayed for.
• This is what those below the altar were rejoicing over.
In fact, let me skip ahead a little.
Revelation 19:1-4 “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
Last Sunday night we talked about that parable of the prodigal son
And how the heart of the Pharisees was not in step with the heart of God.
Jesus said:
Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
God rejoices when a sinner repents, the Pharisees did not,
And therefore we find that their heart did not march in step with God.
Well, here we find that a repentant sinner
Isn’t the only thing that causes heaven to rejoice.
Heaven also rejoices at the destruction of false religion.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’M NOT SAYING you should go out and bomb a mosque, obviously not.
But understand that we are commanded to war against those deceptions.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
We don’t war with earthly weapons.
How do we war?
We destroy “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”
We fight against deceptions.
We fight against error.
We expose false religion
We most certainly don’t unify with it.
We “contend earnestly for the faith”
And friend that is not only the calling of believers,
That is the heart of heaven.
Because false religions distort and dishonor Christ.
Do you really suppose heaven rejoices when some false prophet misrepresents Jesus?
• We are not to overlook the existence of false religion
• We are not to mourn the death of false religion
• We are not to fear the threats of false religion
We are to rejoice that false religion will not survive
And are to war against it even today.
Let that encourage your faith.
