Alleluia! (Revelation 19)

Now begins the rejoicing. The good news for a grieving world is near. Revelation 19 begins with praise for God and joy that this world’s corrupt ways, symbolically referred to as Babylon and the beast, have finally ended.

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

What a shout of joy! The evils of this world are finally ending. Humanity has tried every variety of political, religious and scientific method, and none brought the salvation available only in God. Rather than a polluted world caused by human mismanagement, we have glory. Rather than the honor of scoundrels and dishonor of the weak, true honor is given to God, who only has the power to bring salvation to the world.

Revelation 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

No longer will there be the miscarriage of justice, but God’s righteous judgments. Fair punishment will come to a corrupt Babylonian system, apostate religion, blood-guilty oppression and one-sided injustice.

Revelation 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Babylon’s smoke “rises” up forever, similar to a prophecy of the destruction of Edom (Isaiah 34:9-10), which was understood by Jews as symbolic of their oppressors, pagan Rome and its eventual destruction.

Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

God “sits” on the throne, present tense. The angels at God’s throne join in this anthem of praise.

Revelation 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

A voice invites the church to a time of praise.

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

All heaven and all saints join in praise of our God. This is a time of great joy for all, humanity and angels alike.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

The marriage of Christ to His bride the church is consummated. This metaphor of a marriage covenant between Savior and church, seems to be pictured in various stages throughout history and this is the final culmination.

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

As white symbolizes purity in many cultures, so too does it symbolize the righteousness of the church, through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22; Romans 4:5; Romans 4:9; Romans 4:13; Romans 10:6; Romans 10:10; Galatians 3:6; Galatians 5:5; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 11:7).

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The Lord’s Supper is a small picture of this great marriage supper. Recall the parable of the wedding feast, whereby many were invited but refused to come (Matthew 22:1-14).

Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This is a wonderful example of loyalty to God set by an angel, a fellow servant! Angels and men work together as servants of God. The spirit or purpose of prophecy is to make God’s will known, and it is most fully known in Jesus.

The White Horse

Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

No longer riding on the foal of a donkey (Matthew 21:1-7), but a white horse, Jesus comes to finally vanquish all evil, symbolized in the beast of antichristian governments, corrupt trade and the whore of counterfeit religion.

Revelation 19:12-13 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

This is obviously Jesus. The phrase the Word of God means many things, the spoken Word, the written Word, the Gospel, but when personalized, it refers to Jesus (John 1:1-3, 14)

Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Are there animals in heaven? Interesting! It seems that resurrected saints are part of that victorious army.

Revelation 19:15-16 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

World peace can come by no other means than to put down all evil with strong rule (Psalm 2:9). This will not be a democracy, where the worldly will of the people decides what is right or wrong. On the other hand, by our actions, we do vote for or against Jesus’ reign in our lives.

The reign of heaven will not be a self-serving kind of monarchy, where kings take from a peasant class and make them landless serfs. It will not be communism whereby party bosses become billionaires and ordinary people suffer in poverty. It will be divine rule by the only one qualified, with righteous justice for all.

Revelation 19:17-18 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

This is the end of all corrupt wordly systems symbolized by Babylon, whereby the powerful prey on the weak, and men seek only personal gain without love of neighbor. Instead, the birds will symbolically feed on them.

Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

The antichristian instinct of those caught up in a worldly, Babylonian system of selfishness and greed, is to fight against God in one last ditch, futile effort to prevent the reign of Christ.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Antichristian politics, wealth gained through exploitation, abominations of the earth, and counterfeit religion will cease permanently, symbolized by them being cast into a volcanic lake of burning sulphur.

Revelation 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The sword is the Word of God, and symbolizes the criterion whereby their lives are judged. The word “remnant” is a hopeful description that at least some of them may finally repent and be converted (Romans 9:27; Romans 11:5).

For those suffering around the world under oppressive governments, employers antagonistic to people of faith, abandonment by relatives, abuse from spouses and courts, and maltreatment in apostate churches, this gives hope of final justice. It requires a hope that endures. It requires a faith that stands strong. Those on the side of Christ will win, and a wonderful eternity awaits.

Jesus Indicts the World

Prelude: Have we been walking right past Jesus without recognizing Him?

Purpose: Let’s find Jesus.

Plan: Let’s look at the Judgment of the Nations in Matthew 25:31-46.

Story: Disaster Response

A fellow pastor helped after a national disaster. Some crews repaired church buildings, packed up and left, a woeful example. His crew stayed to repair people’s lives, not just buildings. Matthew 25 prioritizes the needy over buildings. The street is also a holy place, where Christians truly live the Gospel.

Sheep and Goats

Matthew 25:31-34 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

The judgment seat is here called the Throne of His Glory. It is judgment of all the nations, not just the Church. The judgment is: how all nations handled human suffering. Do we see suffering people as brothers and sisters like Jesus does? Jesus Christ is Savior of the world.

Sheep are gentle and quiet. Goats are not as easily herded, they stink, and bully the sheep. They are not predators, so may flock with the sheep for separation later. That’s what Jesus will do at the judgment. So, selfish and stinking people can stay in the church until then.

The Needy

Matthew 25:35-36 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Do we see Jesus in the poor and needy, the suffering of Jesus in the hungry and thirsty, being rejected as a stranger, and naked on the cross? Do we see Jesus in the suffering, anxiety, pain, rejection, loneliness and depression of a prisoner? Jesus suffers with all who suffer.

Matthew 25:37-40 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

We are not saved BY good works (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5), but FOR good works (Ephesians 2:10). A living faith is accompanied by good works (James 2). Dead faith is just a show, not accompanied by good works. Faith that saves shows love to our neighbor.

Depart

Matthew 25:41-43 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20, John 14:30, 2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:17). We sit with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:5-6). Jesus came to the poor and needy and served them. Identifying with them He said, “I was” the needy.

Social Gospel

Matthew 25:44-46 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The terms “social gospel” and “social justice” are an indictment of Christian extremes, those who “love” their neighbors but disobey God and those who claim to love God but neglect the needy. Good deeds light up the world (Matthew 5:13-16) and we ought to love God AND our neighbor.

Research: Causes of Poverty[1]

Overpopulation, deficient distribution methods, rising costs, poor education, unemployment, underemployment, environmental degradation, individual responsibilities, medical costs, sickness, greed, the cost and devastation of war, natural disasters, industrial changes, recessions, discrimination, pregnancy out of wedlock, disability, crime and unjust incarceration, immigrant status, and gang presence cause poverty. People without a high school diploma are 3-5 times more likely to be poor. Fatherless families are 3-4 times more likely to be poor. Two thirds of disabled people are unemployed. Domestic abuse victims are twice as likely to be unemployed. Women, minorities, children, immigrants, the disabled and female-headed households face far greater poverty rates. Christians ought not to just blame the victim, but do something!

Righteous National Leadership

Psalm 72:4, 12-14 … He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor… For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight…

Is caring for the needy an individual or national responsibility? The Messiah’s reign is a standard for all national leaders.

Ezekiel 34:4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

Ezekiel condemns evil national leaders. What is our society’s collective responsibility towards the needy? What kind of a barbaric society refuses to defend the poor, the life of a helpless unborn baby, or distressed and homeless immigrants? Do we see in the needy an inconvenience or do we see Jesus?

Amos 2:7; 4:1; 5:12; 8:4 They trample helpless people in the dust and shove the oppressed out of the way … Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!” … oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts … rob the poor and trample down the needy

Amos gives a dire warning to any nation which would trample and shove the oppressed, making excuses for greed and selfishness while the poor suffer, taking bribes and depriving the poor of justice in the courts, robbing the poor and trampling down the needy. Such nations are cursed by God.

We are disappointed with human governments. Monarchs became rich and made people serfs. Democracies are hijacked by monopolies. Atheistic Communist predators become billionaires. The ideologies may be different, but human systems have one thing in common: the strong bully the weak. Jesus says He will come back and bring justice.

Postlude: Jesus identifies with the poor and marginalized. Do we identify with the needy as Jesus does? When we do, we have found Christ.

Most Bible quotes: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

*Amos quotes: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[1]Rynell, Amy. CAUSES OF POVERTY: Findings from Recent Research. The Heartland Alliance. Mid-America Institute on Poverty. 2008.

Heaven's Investment

Prelude: What does God expect us to do with what Heaven has given us? Why hasn’t God given to us all equally?

Purpose: Let’s see what God expects us to do with Heaven’s investment.

Plan: Let’s look at the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30.

Talents

Matthew 25:14-15 “[For the kingdom of heaven is] like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

Who is this given to? This investment is not given to everyone in the world, but to “his own servants.” Are these talents natural abilities? No, they are an investment given “according to” ability. Why does God not give to everyone equally? God gives heavenly investment capital according to ability.

What is a talent? It was a weight of gold or silver. The Athenian or Attic talent was once about 26 kilogram (57 pounds) weight of silver, or about fifteen year’s of their wages. Even the one talent guy was entrusted with great responsibility.

Profit

Matthew 25:16-17 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

What does God require? This is a loan from God, for good or evil. Heaven’s investment brings great responsibility. How much return on investment are we giving God? To whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:41-48). Spiritual and material investments given by heaven, have a godly purpose.

Non-Profit

Matthew 25:18-19 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

There are bad gambles with terrible odds, like lotteries, most Casino games and jumping into anything without preparation. There are good gambles, like preparing for a business, savings accounts or planting crops. Jesus took a calculated gamble in us. One man was afraid and buried the money entrusted to him.

Well Done

Matthew 25:20-23 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Is equal pay for lazy and diligent employees, productive and unproductive workers fair? God invests in us differently. Yet those who do well are all told, “Well done...” In any church some have less and some have more, whether in spiritual or material assets. How are we investing it for God?

Fear

Matthew 25:24-25 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

Jesus does not want us to take the safe route. It is a risk to share the Gospel. People may hate us, abandon us or believe and be saved. Jesus is not meant to be buried but shared. He wants us to take risks and grow Heaven’s investment in us.

Unprofitable

Matthew 25:26-30 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

We are not saved BY good works (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5), but FOR good works (Ephesians 2:10). Spiritual laziness is not okay. It is wickedness. Rather than to waste time and allow an evil, slothful heart to enter us, let us be about our Lord’s business.

Diverse Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all

Postlude: God has entrusted us with a heavenly investment. Let’s not bury it, but work diligently to increase its kingdom value.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Babylon's Fall (Revelation 18)

Let’s now take a look at the fall of Babylon, the end of a corrupt world political and religious system, in Revelation 18.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

This important event, the close of a chapter of mixed religious and political corruption, is delegated to another angel.

Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

The outward trappings of this corrupt system are gone and what is at the heart of it lies exposed for all to see.

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Politicians and merchants of all nations have partaken of the corruption of this horrid system.

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

“Come out of her” is a mandate to the church. Though we must live in this world, we do not partake of its corrupt politics and business practices.

Revelation 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The Holy Spirit has inspired the Holy Scriptures, which will teach any Christian who is submissive to God, what is right and wrong. In this manner, the Scriptures are self-correcting of all heresies and apostasies that may creep into our midst, bringing periodic Reformation to those who are willing.

Revelation 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

The ills that this Babylonian system have brought upon the world will be visited upon her double.

Revelation 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Christians who are in tune with the Holy Spirit will instantly recognize and reject such bragging and narcissistic self-glorification.

Revelation 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Jesus tells us not to judge or condemn, yet in the same chapter not to give what is holy to those who would only trample it down, and to beware of false prophets (Matthew 7). So, we must not judge wrongly but we must judge or discern between right and wrong. Here we see that God will ultimately judge all evil.

Revelation 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

When this world’s self-destructive and oppressive system ultimately ends, those who have profited from it will be very sad.

Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

They will be shocked that her destruction came about so suddenly and will stand back in case Babylon’s destruction also consumes them.

Revelation 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

God reveals in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) that there is a righteous form of capitalism, from whom much is given, much is expected. Babylon is a system of idolatrous greed, capitalism without any love of neighbor.

Revelation 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Babylon is a very wealthy system for those who profit from it, but a very oppressive system, especially hard on those who love God.

Revelation 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Slaves? We must not believe for a second that the days of slavery are over. It still exists and it will return.

Revelation 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Babylon is an empty shell. Her fancy delicacies are gone.

Revelation 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

This is the end of all unrighteous forms of capitalism, whereby men are made slaves, the environment is ruined and Christians are oppressed.

Revelation 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

When men say that God has blessed their land with wealth, we ought to ask if that wealth has been gotten with Babylonian systems, on the backs of oppressed people, in other lands or at home, because all countries refuse to face their own sins.

Revelation 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

When we thank God for the riches of our nation, let’s ask ourselves if we would willingly give it all up so that others may eat today, drink good water and have shelter.

Revelation 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

When we brag that ours is the greatest nation, the best of this or that, are we actually admitting that we are a part of this corrupt Babylonian system?

Revelation 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Let's never forget that this system will end in one hour.

Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

How many of us will rejoice when this world’s systems fall?

Revelation 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Using a rock as a demonstration, and with a large splash Babylon is gone.

Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

The sights and sounds of unethical world entertainment, manufacturing and agricultural practices will be no more.

Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Mixing of merchandising and witchcraft will no longer deceive the nations.

Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The real cost of a corrupt religious, political, manufacturing, and merchandising system is the high cost of human lives and especially those who dare preach the Word of God.

Heaven is not against righteous capitalism, the buying and selling of goods done in love for God and neighbor. However, that form of self-destructive capitalism inherited from ancient Babylon is often an excuse for idolatrous greed, mercilessly devouring the poor and suppressing the messengers of Divine truth. That system is about to die.

The Great Harlot (Revelation 17)

Let’s now look at the prophecy of the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth, the scarlet woman in Revelation 17.

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:

Spiritual adultery is betraying the true God (Hosea 1:2; Jeremiah 3:6-8). It’s too easy to point to another church and pretend that doing so makes us without sin. Yet, all who profess true religion, but are unfaithful to God and His Word, play the whore. When any of us prioritizes empty human traditions or sinful worldly values over the Word of God, we are committing spiritual adultery.

Revelation 17:2 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.

The church is pictured as a woman and Jerusalem above is the mother of us all. This woman may thus be a counterfeit church or even the tares among the wheat within the church. Fornication is another way of saying spiritual adultery. False religion is often used to legitimize corrupt world leaders and crowds become drunk with populist mass hysteria and false ideals.

Revelation 17:3 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.

This woman rides the beast that was earlier revealed as an antichristian government (Revelation 13). Now it looks a little different as more details emerge. It is crimson, the color of blood. Riding the beast indicates some kind of mutual relationship between false religion and evil government.

Revelation 17:4 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:

She is rich and royal and filthy with sin and carries what looks like a communion cup but full of abominations.

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

She is identified as associated with the corruption of ancient Babylon and its system of human exploitation and oppression. This is not the mystery of the wisdom of God or godliness (1 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16). It is the mystery of lawlessness or iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12).

Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

The woman of Revelation 12 is persecuted. This woman persecutes. Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world, most intensely in over sixty countries from north Africa to Asia. Tens of thousands are killed every year and thousands are imprisoned.

Revelation 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

An angel offers to reveal the mystery.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The tyrannical antichristian empire that was, and failed, will again rise. Most understand this to be a revival of a murderous, pagan Roman system, which was itself a revival of an even more ancient Babylonian system. Those who have never been written into the book of life will be easily deceived.

Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

The seven mountains may refer to the seven hills of ancient Rome or seven kings that rule.

Revelation 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Five previous world empires, one at the time of writing was Rome and the other is assumed to be a king not yet in existence.

Revelation 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The beast is described here as being “of” the same evil spirit as the seven preceding oppressive dictatorships.

Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

These kings in waiting join with the beast in a federation of ten states.

Revelation 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

These kings are subservient.

Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Christianity has always been engaged in spiritual warfare. However, this is more specifically the battle of the great day of the Lord.

Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Here is one of those keys to the prophecy.

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

In the end, the alliance between the whore of Babylon and these kings will fail.

Revelation 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

The alliance will only last as long as God wills.

Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

This is who Babylon really is, a descendant of that idolatrous system which has corrupted the whole world.

The whole world must choose between two ways, the way of Babylon and the way of God. Do we worship this antichristian world and its ways or is our allegiance to God and the kingdom of heaven?