The Second Coming: Revelation 19:1-21

In Revelation 19:1-21, John recorded a vision of celebration and a vision of judgment in order to hold out the hope of vindication for God’s people.  Hope of vindication should be a major motivator in a Christian’s life.  As followers of Jesus, we too must keep the hope of our vindication before us in order to properly persevere.  My prayer today is that God would use this passage to teach us to hope in His faithfulness to vindicate His people in His time. 

[19:1] After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, [2] for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” [3] Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” [4] And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” [5] And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”

[6] Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. [7] Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; [8] it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. [9] And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” [10] Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

[11] Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. [12] His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. [13] He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. [14] And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. [15] From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. [16] On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

[17] Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, [18] to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” [19] And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. [20] And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. [21] And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Revelation 19:1-21 ESV) How does this passage hold out truth of God’s vindication of His people?

I.              Contemplating the Joy to Come (19:1-10)

In Revelation 18, we saw the response of the world to the destruction of Babylon, and here we see the response of heaven (see 18:20).  The vindication of God’s people is celebrated with five “hallelujah” songs.  In these songs, we first see celebration over God’s righteous judgments (19:1-5).  A “great multitude” (probably the same great multitude from 7:9-17) praises God for the fact that His “judgments” are “true and just,” citing as an example of the truth and justice of God’s judgments the judgment of “the great prostitute,” Babylon the great.  These praises are affirmed by “the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures” and “a voice” from the throne (4-5).  In judging her, God has (1) judged someone who “corrupted the earth with her immorality” (2) avenged the “blood of his servants.”  We must never forget that these are serious crimes.  Otherwise we may be somewhat taken back by the strange notion of celebrating another’s destruction.  Babylon has enslaved God’s image bearers, ensuring their destruction and she has slaughtered God’s people.  

In this section, we also see celebration over the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (19:6-10).  John again hears the voice of “a great multitude,” praising God for two things: (1) the truth of His Sovereignty: “the Lord our God the Almighty reigns,” and (2) the fact that the “marriage of the Lamb” has come: “Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, FOR the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.”  God’s people are called His bride in both the Old and New Testament (Is. 54:4-5, 61:10, 2 Cor. 11:2).  Notice however, that God’s people here are both the bride and guests at this wedding feast: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (9).  Isaiah 25:6-9 speaks of a messianic banquet that will take place when God swallows up death forever.

Notice that it says that it was “granted” to the Bride to clothe herself in “fine linen, bright and pure,” WHICH IS “the righteous deeds of the saints.”  If we compare this statement with Revelation 7:14 and 12:11, a tension is resolved.  The saint’s garments are white in Revelation 7:14 because they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.  In Revelation 12:11, however, we learn that believers “conquer” the dragon by both the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (that they endured to the death).  So here is the tension that leaves: how can we say we are saved by grace if believers are said to conquer through the Lamb’s blood and their faithful endurance?  Doesn’t that sound like Jesus’ blood and our enduring to the end save us?  As I said, this passage resolves that tension: these “righteous deeds,” which are white garments of the saints, are “granted” to the Lamb’s bride.  In other words, “Her gown of righteous deeds is her groom’s gift of grace.”[1]

We’ll see this again before we finish Revelation, but it is important to see that the strongest metaphors possible are used to describe the joy that God’s people will experience in the world to come.  It will be like the joy of a wedding feast.  Just as the absence of a wedding portrayed the utter desolation of Babylon (18:23), the presence of a wedding feast now portrays the indescribable joy of those who will dwell in New Jerusalem as the Lamb’s bride. 

Contemplation of this joy can serve as potent motivation to persevere in the face of persecution and temptation to sin.  It holds out the hope of the indescribable reward to come and the prospect of what will be lost if we do not persevere.  This joy is offered to all who fear God, both “small and great,” without distinction. 

II.            Contemplating the Judgment to Come (19:11-21)

We now see the vindication of God’s people executed as we move from a scene of joyous celebration to one of gruesome judgment in Revelation 19:11-21.  First, the King appears (19:11-16).  John sees “heaven opened” and Jesus sitting on a white horse.  One of the most important things to notice about this description is how it parallels the description of the Son of Man vision in Revelation 1:9-20.  The description of Jesus there was more priestly; this one is more kingly. Jesus is portrayed here as a great warrior King. 

We don’t have time fore every detail, but let me point out a few.  Notice first the Warrior King’s titles. He is called “Faithful and True” (11).  Jesus was the “faithful and true witness” earlier in Revelation (1:5,3:14), now He is seen as the faithful and true Judge.  He also has “a name…no one knows but Himself” (12).  Thirdly, Jesus is called “The Word of God” (13).  This echoes the prologue to John’s gospel (John 1:1-18) and reminds us that Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation (Heb. 1:1-2).  Finally, Jesus is called the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (16).  As we said in Revelation 17:14, this is an Old Testament title for Yahweh (Deut. 10:17, Ps. 136:2-3, Dan. 2:47, 4:37 LXX) being given to Jesus. 

Next, notice the Warrior King’s triumph.  He “judges and makes war” in “righteousness” (11).  In other words, He always does what is right.  His clothing has been soaked in “blood,” but remember that we learned in Revelation 14:20 that this blood is the blood of Jesus’ enemies, not His own.  “The armies of heaven” follow this bloody king and they too arrayed in “fine linen, white and pure,” indicating that His bride is also His army.  This army, however, never lifts a finger because their King destroys the enemy forces with a word!  Three portraits of how this warrior King will execute justice wrap up this description.  First, He will “strike down the nations” with the sharp sword that come out of His mouth.  This is an allusion to Isaiah 11:4 and Isaiah 49:2.  Second, He will rule, or shepherd, the nations “with a rod of iron.”  This is an allusion to Psalm 2:8-9.  Thirdly, He will “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”  This allusion is to Isaiah 63:1-6. 

After the King appears, the King executes judgment (19:17-21).  What we read about here is what was described as the battle of “Armageddon” in the sixth and seventh bowl judgments (16:12-21), and the irony here is unmistakable.  This great and final war begins with a dinner invitation to the birds of the air to attend the “great supper” of God’s wrath.  While the world marches to the drums of war, God rings the dinner bell!  This invitation to the birds is an allusion to God’s judgment upon Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39. 

Notice that God’s enemies are the ones on the menu of this great supper.  The birds are invited to eat “the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both slave and free, both small and great” (18). The great supper itself begins with “the beast” and the “false prophet” being “captured” and “thrown alive into the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (20).  The rest of their followers are “slain by the sword that came from the mouth” of the warrior King.  Note the power of God’s word here.  He doesn’t need to fight, He only needs to speak!  God’s Word creates, redeems, and brings judgment.  Finally, dinner is served and “all the birds were gorged with their flesh” (21). 

Contemplating the justice and the severity of the judgment to come also helps us to persevere in the face of persecution and temptation in two ways.  First, it calls us to trust God and leave vengeance to Him (Rom. 12:19).  The justice highlighted here reminds us that one day justice will be served against every crime committed in God’s universe.  His judgments are “just and true.”  In the end, every lie will be exposed and every wrong will be made right.  There will be an absolute fairness about God’s judgment.  This should comfort any believer who has ever been concerned about injustice in the world or been a victim of injustice.  It should also remind believers that God considers the suffering of His people to be a very big deal in which He is keeping score.  The severity highlighted here reminds us that His judgment will be sufficient.  When we take it upon ourselves to avenge ourselves, we are playing God and attempting to add to either what may be coming for someone or what Christ has already paid for on behalf of someone. 

Second, the severity of God’s coming judgment also should serve as an ample reason to repent of sin in our lives.  The choice before every person who reads this text is between eating at the marriage supper of the Lamb and being eaten by birds at the great supper of God’s wrath.  You can either enjoy the feast or you can be on the menu!  Notice that there will be no distinction in the judgment to come either.  All who defy the Lamb, both “small and great,” will face His wrath. 

One argument leveled against Christianity is how God seems to be overly harsh in the Old Testament and then becomes soft in the New Testament.  Anyone who makes such an objection has obviously never read this text!  Anyone who makes such an argument has also obviously never seriously considered the cross of Jesus Christ.  God is not softer on sin in the New Testament.  He pours out the fullness of His wrath upon it by having His own Son crucified and those who will not repent pay for it forever.  Every sin gets paid for in God’s universe.  This is an aspect of the gospel that believers must never forget: our sins were not swept under the rug when we came to faith in Jesus; they were nailed to His cross.  I think that’s why one preacher called the cross of Jesus Christ the “blazing center of God’s glory,”[2] because there we see perfect love displayed and perfect justice served. 

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[1] Dennis Johnson, ESV Study Bible, 2491

[2] John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, 49

The Funeral of the World: Revelation 18:1-24

How many of you have ever been to a funeral?  I ask you that because Revelation 18 is much like a funeral service where the prostitute Babylon is mourned and remembered through song.  This is a tactic that Old Testament prophets would sometimes employ to foretell the destruction of an enemy.  In Revelation 18:1-24, John recorded the funeral of the world to call God’s people to be separate from the world.  As we said last week, this is such a relevant message for the church because the world is as seductive today as it ever was and in some ways the church looks like it loves the world as much as it ever has.  God’s people must answer the call to be set apart from the world.  It’s my prayer for each of us today to become as desperate for God as we ever have been to set us free from the love of this world. 

[18:1] After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. [2] And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. [3] For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.” [4] Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; [5] for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. [6] Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. [7] As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ [8] For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

[9] And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. [10] They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” [11] And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, [12] cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, [13] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. [14] “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” [15] The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, [16] “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! [17] For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off [18] and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” [19] And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. [20] Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

[21] Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; [22] and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, [23] and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. [24] And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”  (Revelation 18:1-24 ESV)

Review & Overview of Passage:

I’d like to being by reminding you that Revelation 17-20 expands the seventh bowl judgment (16:17-21), with chapters 17-18 giving greater detail about God’s “judgment” of “the great prostitute,” “Babylon the great” (17:1,5).  “Babylon the great” is a symbol in Revelation for the expression of the world system that Satan rules over.  In Daniel’s day, it was Babylon.  In John’s day, Rome was the “new Babylon.” 

What we see here in Revelation 18 follows 17:16-17, where God put it into the heart of the beast and kings of the earth to destroy this prostitute. Follow her destruction comes this funeral service of sorts, which neatly divides into three parts.  First, there is an announcement of her destruction (18:1-8).  This is sort of like her obituary.  Here we learn that the sins and arrogance of this great city have made it a ghost town.  Next, there is a lament of her destruction (18:9-20), in which three groups, the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, and the merchants of the sea weep and mourn over Babylon.  All three of these groups “stand far off” in terror of the swiftness and power of her judgment.  Also, all three groups of her “lovers” mourn her loss ultimately in terms of their own self-interest.  In other words, they mourn her loss in terms of what it will cost them, not out of genuine concern for her.  Finally, there is an illustration of her destruction (18:21-24) with explanation.  I believe the point of this passage is summarized in verse 4: to call God’s people to be set apart from this world and I want to give you four reasons here why we must. 

I.              God’s People are Called to Be Holy

The first reason God’s people should be separate from the world is simply because God says to!  God calls His people to come out of Babylon: “Come out of her, my people” (4).  He is calling His people here to be separate, or set apart, from the world.  This is the essence of what it means to be holy: to be set apart from the world and for God.  From cover to cover in the Bible, God calls His people to be holy because He is holy.  People aren’t supposed to look at our lives and be confused as to which side we belong to.  “For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45 ESV) [12:1] I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. [2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 ESV) [13] Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [14] As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, [15] but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, [16] since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16 ESV)

II.            God Promises That Those Who Partake in the Sins of the World will Also Partake in the Judgment of the World

There is a very real danger that is stated in verse 4 as reason God’s people must “come out” of Babylon.  People who refuse to come out of Babylon will end up (1) partaking in “her sins” and consequently (2) partaking in her judgment.  What is terrifying about this warning is that it is given to a group of people that God calls “my people.”  I take that to mean that if you are truly a part of God’s people you will heed this warning and come out of Babylon and if you are not truly part of God’s people that you will continue seeking to acquire and maintain the cargo and luxury of Babylon and as a consequence will take part in the sins of Babylon and eventually the judgment of Babylon.  Do not be mistaken or deceived.  God will not be mocked, even by people who claim to be His own.  You will reap what you sow.  If you sow a life that seeks to be separate from the world, you will avoid the fate of Babylon the great.  But if you sow a life that seeks to love God and the world, you will reap the sins and the judgment of the great prostitute.  Her judgment is swift and violent as a giant millstone crashing into the ocean and sinking to the bottom (21-24). 

III.         We Often Love the World More than We Think We Do

Here I want to simply state a given truth in the Bible and then show you how that truth even plays out in how we read through this very passage in Revelation.  The given truth is eloquently stated in Jeremiah 17:9, that the human heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  In other words, because our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked beyond our own comprehension, we can in reality be very worldly and not realize it.  As we pointed out last week, the parallelism verses 3 and 9 make it clear that pursuing luxury and the good life is crawling into bed with the great prostitute.  Take a close look at the items listed in verses 12-13: [12] cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, [13] cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.  Listed here are precious stones and metals, expensive fabrics (designer clothes), expensive wood and building materials, spices and perfumes, expensive food (14: delicacies), livestock, transportation, and human lives.  Do you realize that almost all of those items are items that moths and rust corrupt, items that thieves break into and steal, the very things that Jesus told us not to invest our money in (Matthew 6:19-20).  Sadly, they are all things that we spend most of our time and money seeking to acquire and maintain.  If you were to lose the things mentioned in this passage, would you mourn like the pagans here or rejoice like the saints?        

We automatically read this passage and assume we don’t love money and luxury, but we soon forget that for the majority of the world that lives on less than a dollar or two a day, a happy meal is a luxury.  Or what about our attitude towards possessions and children?  We adamantly oppose abortion, but in the same breath claim that we can’t “afford” to have more than a couple children, all while riding around in vehicles that cost as much as it would cost to adopt a couple children.  Or when was the last time you passed on designer clothes in order to buy cheaper clothes so that you could buy and twice as many and give half of them to people who can’t afford decent clothes?  This is not meant to be a guilt trip; it is simply meant to point out that for most of us that never crosses our minds.  We only think of ourselves.  But that is the point: according to this passage, self-interest is the essence of the world’s message.  Again, these kings and merchants mourn Babylon’s loss because of what it will cost them. 

How often have we prayed the prayer of Proverbs 30:7-9? [7] Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: [8] Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, [9] lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9 ESV) How often do we read passages like Mark 10:17-31, and pray that God would keep us from being rich?  We pray for God to make us rich and help us not to love money in the process.  We ask for God and money, forgetting that Jesus said that was an impossible situation (Matthew 6:24).  No man can serve two masters. 

IV.          The Love Story of the World is a Sad, Pathetic One

Consider just how sad and pathetic this funeral service is.  The “kings” and “great ones” of the earth are weeping and mourning over a prostitute!  How sad is it that all these people ever knew was the love of a prostitute?  What’s more is that this prostitute didn’t care about them and they didn’t care about her.  Both her and her customers viewed people as property, and yet is seems these people were not only content to be her property but are also now devastated that she is gone.  Much like a woman who stays in an abusive, manipulative relationship, it is a sad, pathetic love story.

The story of Lot & his family is also a sad and pathetic story and a vivid illustration of where loving the world can take you.  When he and Abraham split, his life begins moving closer and closer the city of Sodom, until he is not only living there, but also is a prominent leader of the city.  He ends up with morals that are warped by the sins of Sodom, loses his wife, and ends up living in a cave where both of his daughters get him drunk and sleep with him in order to get pregnant.  What a testimony, huh?  That’s exactly the kind of sad and pathetic testimony that people will have who refuse to come out of Babylon.

Over against this sad, pathetic and very costly love story, stands the covenant love of Jesus Christ.  In Him, we have, not a pimp (beast) who treats His people like a prostitute, not a prostitute who cares nothing for her customers, but a King who lives for, dies for, and fights for His people.  Will you forsake the empty treasures of Babylon and surrender to Him today?  

The Judgment of the Great Prostitute: Revelation 17:1-18

In Revelation 17:1-18, John called believers to avoid the seduction of the world by revealing the identity and the judgment of Babylon the great.  This is such a relevant message for the church because the world is as seductive today as it ever was and in some ways the church looks like it loves the world as much as it ever has.  Believers today must avoid the seduction of the world, because Scripture seems to be clear that if we do not, we will face the judgment of the world and find out we were not believers at all.  My prayer today is that God will, through this message, give us eyes to see the lure of the world for what it is and also to see the promises of Christ as infinitely superior to those of the world. 

[17:1] Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, [2] with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” [3] And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. [4] The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. [5] And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” [6] And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. [7] But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. [8] The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. [9] This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; [10] they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. [11] As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. [12] And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. [13] These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. [14] They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

[15] And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. [16] And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, [17] for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. [18] And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”  (Revelation 17:1-18 ESV)

To really grasp what is going on in this chapter, we need to understand that it begins a new section (spanning from Revelation 17-20), which expands the seventh bowl judgment (16:17-21), giving greater detail about God’s “judgment” upon “Babylon the great” (17:1,5).  We have seen her judgment spoken of in Revelation 14:8 and 16:19, and here we get the details. “Babylon the great” is a symbol in Revelation for the expression of the world system that Satan rules over.  In Daniel’s day, it was Babylon.  In John’s day, Rome was the “new Babylon.” 

It is also important to understand her relationship to “the beast” that she rides upon (3).  This is the same “beast” that we saw in Revelation 13:1-10.  Using the clear reference to Daniel 7, I gave you a very similar description of the beast, saying that the “beast” is a symbol for the culmination of world empires that Satan uses and the individual(s) that lead them.  So up until this chapter, it seems like we are saying basically the same things about “Babylon the great” and “the beast.”  However, there is a distinction on some level because the “beast” devours “Babylon the great” at the end of this chapter.  So they are not the same thing.  The relationship they have in this chapter helps us understand their distinction.  The “beast” seems to symbolize more than just earthly powers in this chapter.  He seems to be the true empire of darkness behind the empires of this world. 

Several statements in this text affirm this.  This one beast from Revelation 13 and 17 is a combination of the four beasts in Daniel 7.  In Daniel 7, those four beasts represented world empires.  Here we learn that they were all part of one beast: Satan’s empire.  I think this is also the meaning of the statement that the beast “was, and is not, and is to come.”  It is a statement about how this empire has transcended history, appearing throughout.  The “seven heads” of the beast also point to this reality.  They are called “seven mountains” and “seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come” (9-10).  This description is either a reference to Rome or to empires throughout history and their leaders (either way, Rome would be in view for John’s readers).  Daniel’s four beasts in Daniel 7 also had a total of seven heads and there, “kings” and “kingdoms” are used interchangeably (Daniel 7:17,23).  In other words, the “heads” are the ways that the beast has raised his “head” throughout history.  Again, Rome and Babylon are good examples.  That the beast himself is an “eighth, but...belongs to the seven” is again, another way to say that this beast is the real empire behind the empires of history, and also that his empire will make a final appearance at the end of history and wage war upon God’s people.

So the “beast” is the true empire of darkness behind the empires of this world and “Babylon the great” is the expression of that empire.  In other words, “the beast” appears throughout history in various world powers and their leaders, using them as his “prostitute” to seduce the earth dwellers into allegiance to him.  So now that we understand their relationship, how does this passage urge God’s people to avoid the seduction of the world?

I.              See the Love of the World for What it Really Is

a.     To Love the World is to Love a Prostitute

The fallen world system is described here as a “great prostitute.”  Prostitution is a familiar and a profound metaphor.  It is familiar because God often uses this metaphor to describe the spiritual unfaithfulness of His people in the Old Testament.  God also used it to describe pagan nations who lead His people astray in the Old Testament (Is. 23:16-17, Nah. 3:4).

It is a profound metaphor because it vividly describes what takes place when someone loves the world.  Prostitution always involves an exchange.  A transaction takes place in which both parties give something and both parties get something.  The customers here are “the kings of the earth” and “the dwellers on earth” and Revelation 18:3,9 seems to indicate that what this prostitute offers them is economic prosperity and luxurious living.  Her “wine” symbolizes her influence, and this promise of the good life intoxicates people to commit immorality with her and partake in her abominations.  This word “abominations” (4,5) implies that idolatry is also involved in this transaction.  That’s what the prostitute gets out of the deal.  She and her pimp, “the beast,” get the worship, or allegiance, of those whom she offers her services to.

Notice that prostitution also involves seduction.  This woman is very attractive, wearing expensive clothing and costly jewels (4).  God’s people must beware the attractiveness of this world.  This isn’t the point of the passage, but I do want to point out to women that it is noteworthy that this godless, immoral world is portrayed as a woman who dresses to draw attention to her outer beauty and seduce men.  This may be part of not loving the world for you: not selling or advertising your body to get the empty and temporary affection of men who are not attracted to the kind of beauty God admonishes, which is inner beauty (1 Pet. 3:1-6). 

This passage is revealing to us that loving the world is like loving a prostitute.  A man’s relationship with a prostitute is a lot different than a man’s relationship with a wife.  A prostitute doesn’t love her customers; she uses them to profit off of them.  Despite her promises, a prostitute only delivers temporary pleasure and counterfeit intimacy.  See this seduction for what it is: empty now and costly to you for eternity.

b.     To Love the World is to Love the Enemy

This passage reveals that loving the world is actually way more serious that loving a prostitute.  To love the world is to love the enemy of God and His people.  This “prostitute” is “drunk with the blood” of God’s people (6).  The “beast” uses her to lure the “kings of the earth” to align with Him in order to “make war” on the Lamb and the saints (14). 

The point here is simply that the beast and the prostitute are not friendly to the Lamb and His followers. This is why Scripture has such strong words for those who love the world: [4] You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  (James 4:4 ESV)  To love the world is to love the enemy and to become God’s enemy. 

c.     To Love the World is to Lose Everything

We also see the destiny of the attractive, intoxicating world system in this chapter: destruction.  It is both ironic and instructive how this “prostitute” meats her end.  It is ironic because the very beast that she rides upon and the customers she has seduced turn on her and destroy her.  Her judgment is graphically described with allusions to Ezekiel 23:11-35.  It is instructive because it reminds us of the self-destructive nature of evil.  How many times have you seen this played out in history?  Every world power contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction. 

Notice that the beast is also headed for “destruction” (8,11).  His time is short (10) and his destruction is certain.  The reason given in verse 14 that he and his alliance cannot defeat the Lamb is because the Lamb is “Lord of lords and King of kings” (14).  That is an Old Testament title for Yahweh (Deut. 10:17, Ps. 136:2-3, Dan. 2:47, 4:37 LXX).  In other words, the reason they cannot win is because they are fighting God!  Nobody fights God and wins. 

Notice also that this is ultimately God’s judgment upon the prostitute.  The reason give for why the beast and his allies turn upon the prostitute is because “God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose…until the words of God are fulfilled.”  This is also why you can be certain that the beast and his followers are headed for destruction as well, because God is absolutely in control of them.  Because God is sovereign, the powers of evil serve the purposes of God. 

The point here is simply that the world and those who love it are headed for destruction.  Loving this world will leave you just like this prostitute in the end: “desolate and naked,” devoured, and burned with fire.  It will cause you to lose everything forever.  [15] Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17 ESV)

II.            See the Love of Christ as the Superior Treasure (17:9,14)

There is an intentional contrast in these last chapters of Revelation.  They are in some regards a tale of two cities and a tale of two women.  The “great prostitute,” “Babylon the great” is contrasted against “the bride” of the Lamb, “New Jerusalem.”  In Revelation 21:9, the same angel seen in verse 1 takes John to seen the end of the Lamb’s bride: not judgment but eternal reward.  This contrast is meant to call you to wisdom by showing you which woman superior.  The prostitute and the beast use their followers and destroy them; the Lamb lives for, dies for, and fights for His followers.  Over against the phony intimacy of a prostitute stands the genuine and everlasting intimacy of knowing and loving God forever as His bride.  “In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see him and be satisfied in him and show him compellingly to a perishing world.”[1]

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[1] John Piper, Worldliness, 13 (Introduction)