Studies In Revelation Chapter 17

Note: I used many sources to study this book, one of my favorites is Revelation: God’s Word for the Biblically-Inept by Daymond Duck and some out of different study bibles.

Title: The Rise and Fall of Babylon

Text: Revelation 17

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Why do you think this is called a great whore? What is it? someone who enjoys manipulating and controlling someone else by a particular means. Why does it work? deception and promises, temporal pleasures are seen but eternal consequences are ignored

Waters are represented as people and the fact that she is sitting upon them seem to mean that they will support her.

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

“Kings of the earth” the rulers will join in on the ploy to make a one world religion that will deceive the majority of the earth’s population

Do you remember somewhere else in revelation where it is spoken of a relationship that people have as adulteress?

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. (Revelation 2:20-22 AV)

Jezebel the wife of Ahab who has had her name used for years as an adulteress fornicator representing sin at its evilest degree. Even we know Elijah ran from here she was so evil.

Here we see that she indulged others in sin.

Church of Thyatira represents three different ideals:

1) the church of the day

2) a particular age in church history (Dark Ages 590 to 1000 AD)

3) personal individual lives.

It represents the Catholic system. The universal church. Pope John Paul II is a great proponent of this one world religion.

Israel spoken of as being with a harlot

And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. (Jeremiah 3:9)

But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. Ez 16:14-18

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye 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. (James 4:4 )

Concerning the false religion:

1) the harlot will reject the gospel of Christ and the apostles, the power of godliness, and the basic doctrines of Christianity (Mt 24:24; 2 Tim 3:5; 4:3)

2) She will enter into partnership with the powers and philosophy of "Babylon" vs. 5 the world system. Main objective is to take spiritual control vs. 18

3) Her leaders will persecute the true followers of Christ vs. 6. She will be as a coming together of all religions. "habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit" (18;2; Is 47:12-13)

4) All true believers are commanded to come out of her or they will be condemned with her (18:4)

5) God will cause the antichrist to destroy her (vs. 16)

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

He is carried away in the spirit into the wilderness. This could be literal as to the location of this religious system or maybe spiritual as it is a mess.

beast here is the political system of Babylon. We will talk more of the "seven heads" and "ten horns" in future verses.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: