The Grand Finale of God’s Word
Revelation 17 -19:10
Lesson 8
The Wicked Woman Falls and the Righteous Woman Rises
What do you think about weddings? When I performed the wedding for my son and his bride, weddings took on a new meaning to me. There I stood, a father joining his only son and his beautiful bride in marriage. It all hit me later. This lovely bride of my son is about to enter my family.
At the wedding, the father of the son becomes the new father of the bride . She wears my name, just as my son does.
When Tim and Stephanie made their promises and stated their vows and gave their rings, the greatest blessing was knowing that she is a faithful Christian and a young lady of great character and spiritual dedication. Twenty years of prayers for the wife of my son were answered that day. And Stephanie took on my name when she took the name of my son. She became part of our family. Her life will either honor or dishonor our family name.
Woe to the man who marries a faithless woman that practices wickedness. She can never bring honor to the family or the name she receives. (Woe to the woman who takes the name of a faithless, wicked man. She and her children will pay a terrible price).
In this week’s lesson, Revelation describes a woman who is powerful because of her association with evil. She is decked with wealth and filled with immorality. She kills the saints and rides the beast of hell. She is the prostitute who gives herself to the rulers of the earth, and her wild living and party spirit knows no boundaries. Her life is filled with the cheap thrills of wickedness. Whose wife is this harlot? Whose name does she bear? She is filled with adulteries. She is drunk from the blood of the saints. Finally she falls, never to recover. Only her shame endures. The very evil that empowers her devours her as her lovers and those that used her cry over their personal losses at her demise. God’s hand is clearly in her fall.
Then, in marked contrast, from above comes a shout of joy. A loud resounding, four-fold, “Hallelujah!” is shouted from a multitude of celebrating saints, the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures and all the servants of God both small and great. The wicked woman is fallen, gone. Now another woman rises before us. Who is this beautiful woman dressed as a bride? She has received her garments from God. Instead of Babylon, she is the new Jerusalem!
Now the wedding announcement of the Lamb to His bride is declared. Jesus, the Son of God, takes a bride who has prepared herself in righteousness and splendor.
Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!!!
May we be among the celebrating saints that gather in this glorious feast!
Day 1
Read chapter 17-18
Take some time here, dear student, and look carefully at each one of these. Do not become too concerned with the explanation of who these are, but just think about what God’s word is revealing about the evil ones here and their friends and what happens to them.
Who do you see in these chapters? Find and list the characters that you see and make a brief note to sum up who they are and what they are doing:
(As an example of what I want you to do, here’s the first one):
1. One of the 7 angels who had the 7 bowls, he shows John the harlot and explains what John sees.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
12.
Notice that the angel tells John an explanation of the mystery. He makes it very clear that the woman and the beast represent certain rulers and places. The woman is “the great city.” The beast’s heads and horns are hills and kings. The waters are nations, languages, and peoples. What are all of these doing?
How would you describe their relationship with God?
Dear student, whether or not we can ever pinpoint the exact places and rulers this is speaking of, we can clearly tell how they stand before God and what happens to them.
Look at the three announcements from heaven that you hear in chapter 18. What is each heavenly announcement about?
1. (verses 1-3)
2. (verses 4-8)
3. (verses 21-24)
Dear student, what do you think about all this? What message is in this for you and me today that seems to come to the forefront? Write what you hear God saying about the consequence of a person who involves himself in evil. What warnings come out of this passage about the way evil works against itself?
Day 2
Read chapter 18:9-19 and chapter 19:1-9.
Notice the difference in attitude toward the fall of Babylon depicted in these two sections.
What are the kings of the earth mourning over in 18:9-10?
Describe why they are so upset:
Is there any indication that they do anything to help the one they are sad about?
What are the merchants of the earth saying? (18:11-17)
Describe why they are so upset:
What losses are they sorry about?
What about the sailors in 18:18-19... What are they saying?
Why do they weep for the great city?
Notice the words, “in one hour.” How long does evil stand when God’s judgment comes?
What does this tell us about the nature of evil and those that practice it? Read Psalm 73 and notice the attitude of the author of that Psalm. He struggles with this idea: what good is it to do what is right when those who are evil seem to have it so easy and those who are striving to be godly have it so difficult. Read carefully how he comes to understand God’s plan in it all. How does this apply to what we are reading here in Revelation 18?
Dear student, do not grow weary in doing good. God’s word encourages us to be strong and steadfast knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58.
Look at chapter 19:1-9.
Where do these four “hallelujahs” come from?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why are they shouting “Hallelujah?” Do you see the two main reasons?
What does hallelujah mean? ALLELUIA [al e LOO yuh] (praise the Lord) — a Greek form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, used to express joy, praise, and thanksgiving.
The words, “Praise the Lord,” found often in the Psalms, are a translation of the Hebrew Hallelujah (Ps. 104:35; 116:19; 147:1). The word was probably a standardized call to worship in the Temple, since it usually appears at the beginning or end of a psalm.#
HALLELUJAH
hallelouia (239) signifies “Praise ye Jah.” It occurs as a short doxology in the Psalms, usually at the beginning, e.g., 111, 112, or the end, e.g., 104, 105, or both, e.g., 106, 135 (where it is also used in v. 3), 146-150. In the NT it is found in Rev. 19:1, 3, 4, 6, as the keynote in the song of the great multitude in heaven. “Alleluia,” without the initial “H,” is a misspelling.¶ #
Day 3
What does Babylon stand for in Revelation? Look at Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 17:5, 18:2,10,21.
Notice this word “Babylon” occurs 6 times in this book.
How is the fall of Babylon so significant in the book?
To help you understand Babylon’s significance and how God has planned her fall, read Jeremiah 50 and 51. Look especially at Jer. 51:7-13, & 58-64 and notice the similarities in what Jeremiah says about the fall of Babylon and what Revelation says.
Babylon was the enemy of Judah that finally defeated them and took them into captivity. It was a horrifying experience for the people. They had hoped that God would not allow the temple to be destroyed and, in fact, they believed it to be impossible.
Jeremiah 7:3 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.
4 Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"
5 If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,
6 if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
7 then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.
8 But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
9 "’Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,
10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"--safe to do all these detestable things?
11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.
12 "’Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
13 While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.
14 Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers.
15 I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.’
Israel trusted in the physical temple in Jerusalem instead of the Lord. They were living in sin and thinking that God would not let his house of worship be destroyed. But they were wrong. Babylon came and destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God there.
Read Revelation 3:12, 21:2-10. What city is mentioned here?
How is this city described in relation to Christ?
In Revelation we read of two women, two cities, each having a different relationship with God. What are we to make of this? Which city do we belong to and are we longing to live in? When we look at the world around us and think about the values and activities and entertainments and attitudes, we see one of these two cities today too. One stands against the Lamb and his followers and one stands with Him. One enjoys and celebrates the lusts of the flesh and the other rejoices in and celebrates the righteousness of God. One is headed for eternal destruction and the other is on the way to eternal glory. We must chose where we live.
Dear student of God’s Word, let your heart and mind be set on the New Jerusalem in heaven. Set your hope fully on the grace that will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed! 1 Peter 1:13
Notice another verse in 1 Peter. Chapter 5:13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Question: What city is Peter calling Babylon in this text?
Day 4
Read chapter 17:1-7
Where is the great harlot in this scene?
Notice what she is doing, wearing and holding in her hand:
What do the kings of the earth and those who dwell on the earth do with this woman?
When John goes into the wilderness, he sees where her support comes from. Who is carrying this harlot?
Notice the name that is written on her forehead. John is able to see her true nature in this name. What is that nature?
What does she do with the saints, that is those who are Jesus’ witnesses?
Dear student, is this earth a safe place for followers of the Lamb of God? John wondered as he saw this. The fact that such can exist here on the earth is a wonder to any faithful follower of Jesus. We see the nature of evil around us and we often wonder at how it can be. When good people suffer and give their lives for the cause of Christ, while evil seems to celebrate and be glad at the struggles of the saints, it is difficult to understand why. We have been blessed with a time of great peace and freedom to walk with the Lamb of God. Yet the evil in this world is growing stronger and the power of those who stand against the truth of Christ and his word are gaining more ground all around us. When we wonder at the evil in the world, let the rest of this study give you understanding. The way of evil is brief. It is filled with noise and fury, but God brings it to an end. While God is in control and ultimately destroys all evil, we must accept that He has allowed it a period of time for purposes that are not clearly revealed. What we can know is that our God is faithful and worthy of our praise and obedience forever. He himself has endured this and we are able to know his heart better by doing the same.
Read 17:8-18
How does the angel describe the beast? (vs. 8)
Who will wonder when they see the beast and what has happened to him?
What interesting thing does this say about their names? (See also 13:8)
Notice how each head and horn represents a place or a ruler. What is their purpose? (vs. 13).
When the beast goes to war against the Lamb with all his cohorts, what happens to them?
Notice that the harlot sits over many people. (vs. 15). Notice also, what happens to her.
What does the beast do to the woman and why?
Who is this woman, the harlot, according to verse 18?
When John wrote this revelation from Jesus, Rome was the most powerful city in the world. If you or I had lived in that time and read this verse, what city might we think of when we heard verse 18? If we had received this book today, what city might we think of?
Every generation has looked at this verse and applied it to themselves differently. Thankfully, the terrible struggles depicted here in Revelation do not happen everywhere in every generation. But when times of great struggle come, many people turn to the pages of Revelation for understanding. Think about what is helpful in this for your life. When you face trials and struggles and the evil around you looks big and mean, what does this say to help you?
Why not stop right here and offer a prayer to the Lord about how he helps us in our time of need. Reflect on the past when the waves of trouble were high and the pain was great and you sought the Lord. Then thank Him for his answer. Perhaps you are facing the beast right now. Tell it to the Lord and let Him supply you with strength and grace.
Day 5
Read chapter 18:1-3
We begin with an announcement against Babylon. Notice where the announcement comes from. What happens to Babylon here?
What has the harlot done for the nations, kings, and merchants?
Read 18:4-8
We hear a second announcement. Who is this announcement addressed to? (vs. 4)
What is the measure of her punishment? (vs. 6-7)
What will the punishment involve and how long will it take? (vs. 8)
Read 18:9-19
Notice again the three mourners. First the kings, second the merchants, third the sailing traders. What losses do these suffer and what are their concerns in regard to the fall of Babylon?
Read 18:20-24
Notice carefully verse 20. For whom was the judgment against Babylon pronounced?
Read 2 Thess. 1:3-10
What are the Christians in Thessalonica facing?
What will happen to those who persecute and afflict these Christians?
Read Romans 12:19-21
What does this tell us about how to handle spiritual bullies and what will happen to them?
Read Matthew 5:10-12
What instruction does Jesus give us regarding persecution and why?
Read Revelation 18:21-24
Here is the third announcement from heaven about the fall of Babylon. Notice the finality of Babylon’s destruction.
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth."
Dear student, when God’s final judgment comes it is final. We may wonder at the reasons for evil, but God will eventually deal with all evil and there will be no question about His fairness and justice. God allows evil to come to a head before He cuts it off.
Read Revelation 19:1-6
It is celebration time in heaven again! How often have we seen this?
Four times we hear the shout of “Hallelujah!”
Who is shouting this?
When God takes action against those who persecute the followers of the Lamb, all of heaven and every saint will rejoice in praise to God. When we see how many there are who are of the earth and who do not follow the Lamb, we might begin to think that only a handful of saints make it into glory. Yet notice here in verses 1 and 6 the number of those who are rejoicing in praise. What does this say about the victory of Jesus over evil? Read Romans 5:18-21. The Lamb’s book of life has the names of those who are there.
Read 19:7-9
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: ’Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
This is one of the climactic moments of this book! Our attention is turned from the harlot on the beast who is punished forever to this beautiful woman dressed in fine linen, bright and clean, prepared and glorious in righteousness before us. The final announcement in this section is a wedding invitation with great blessings attached. The Lamb of God goes to receive His bride and the time of the marriage of the Lamb is proclaimed.
Before this wedding can occur, all that is evil must be taken care of. Jesus will return a victorious warrior. He fights for the honor and holiness of His bride. He is the great protector and provider of this, His chosen one. What a wonderful scene to encourage us. Who is the bride of Christ? Eph. 5:25-32.
Well, you have seen the fall of the harlot and the presentation of the holy bride of the Lamb. Thanks be to God for the way the story ends. There is coming a happily ever after for those who are the church of Christ. One day we will see it! Lord, help us to prepare ourselves and stand ready, obedient and faithful before you!
