The Fall Of Babylon

The Seven Bowl Judgments (3)

Revelation 17:1-19:4                                                                                              Lesson 17

Key vs. 18: 4                                                                                                                Kevin E. Jesmer 11/14/10

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say:   ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;’”

     Today we are carrying on with our study of the seven bowl judgments of God. In our last study we examined what the seven different bowl judgments were. They were the complete judgment of God. The stubbornness of an unrepentant humanity was the last straw. Now was the time for God to bring forth his justice for the sins people perpetrated towards God and each other. The extent of God’s wrath was immense. There were painful, incurable sores; there was the turning of the waters to blood; there was scorching from the sun’s radiation; the deception of the worldly kingdoms; and the fall of Babylon. Today’s study will focus in on the last bowl judgment, the fall of Babylon. As you already surmised, this is very difficult passage to understand. But we will try our best to bring out the main characters as well as learn more about who God is and what our Christian response must be when we face evil in our world today.

In this passage we will meet two beings, the harlot named Babylon and the beast. The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (18). She represents all evil world systems that control people and nations and perpetrate injustice. The scarlet beast is the devil. He has seven heads and ten horns. He will make war against the Lamb, Jesus and Jesus’ followers. But there is good news. Those who follow Jesus will overcome, for he is King of kings. Babylon will be destroyed. Those who live separate lives from the world and whose treasure is in heaven will gain everything. The saints, apostles and prophets will rejoice. Through a study of this passage may repent of compromising with the world and live as God’s holy people. May we be set free from all deception and decide to be a faithful followers of the Lamb, Jesus. And finally may you all live victorious, overcoming lives of faith for the glory of God as you stand with Jesus.

Part l: The Great Prostitute (17:1-6)

The first character in our passage is the prostitute. Look at verses 17:1-6. What do these verses have to say about her?First, she controlled and influenced people. Look at verse 17:1b, “…Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.”  The Bible says that this prostitute sits on many waters. (17:1b)The waters, on which she sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. (17:15) Obviously she is some kind of political and social entity that governs over different kinds of people. There have been many kinds of kingdoms like this over time. All world empires fit this description. What about Rome? In our century the Soviet Union was like this. The Nazi’s wanted to make an Empire like this. There was also the Hellenism. Our western culture is like this, though it is not a political body. But it sure controls peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.

     The woman was also very rich. Look at verse 17:4a, “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls…”  Purple is the color of royalty. She was glittering with the riches that the world had to offer. We can also see more of her glory as we see the lament in chapter 18. She felt like she was a Queen. She thought that she was not a widow and would never mourn. This refers to military victory and not having any young men die in battle.  Her economy boasted of the luxuries of the world, gold, silver, precious stones, spices and so forth. People became rich on account of the woman. (18:19) In her, life seemed to prosper. Her streets were filled with the sound of musicians. There were skilled craftsmen building her glorious cities. There was lots of food in her storehouses. People enjoyed a happy life, not only getting rich, but also married. She was so awesome and powerful that when people gazed upon her they stood in awe thinking, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” ( 18:18b) When she finally came to her destruction, people couldn’t believe that it could ever happen. They felt that she was indestructible. But all of this greatness was not without a price. Let’s see.

First, she was a very bad influence on the people around her…to say the least. Look at verse 2, “With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”  She achieved great power and influence in the world. But look at the affect she has others that were involved with her. World leaders gave their hearts to this harlot. Adultery in the Bible, on a national level, meant that they were engaging in idol worship. They were worshipping her. They lusted over her. They became intoxicated. I don’t know if any of you have been intoxicated. I sure hope not. But when people get intoxicated they loose all inhibitions and are left with an insatiable lust for more. They totally let go of any restraint.

This prostitute also gave birth to others like herself. Look at verse 5. “The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT  THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” There were other world systems that behaved as she did. Out of her came so many abominations. An abomination is something that is disrespectful to God and is worshipped besides God, in the hearts of the people. After Jesus’ death, the Romans sacrificed pork on the altar and placed a statue of Augustus Caesar on the altar. This was the abomination that causes desolation standing in the place that it should not be. (Matt 24:18) There are many abominations that cause desolation around us. Can you think of some? An atheistic based science, that rejects God and mocks faith, can be an abomination. Stephen Hawking said that the Laws of Physics were his God. That is an abomination to the one who created the Laws of Physics in the first place. Hedonism, that says, “Eat and drink for tomorrow you die” is an abomination. It rejects and mocks God’s purpose for humanity and blocks the way of salvation for billions of people. Such philosophies are all the children of the prostitute in Revelation 17. Jesus warns all those who are bad influences to others in Matthew 18:6-7, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!”  And that is what happened to this harlot. Look at 18:21, “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.’” Let’s decide to live as salt and light of the earth, good influences on others.

This harlot made many compromises to achieve power and glory. First she gave up her morality. All through this passage it is repeated that the kings of the earth committed adultery with her. People became intoxicated around her.  He also traded with the bodies and souls of men. (18:13) This means slavery. She grew rich off of the backs of slaves and the exploitation of the poor. She also harbored and nurtured godless philosophies that set themselves up against Jesus. (17:5b-6) To top it off she persecuted Christians to death. She compromised so much to make it to the top. This reminds us of the devil’s temptation of Jesus. Matthew 4:8-10 says, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’”  ¹⁰ And how did Jesus overcome him? Look at verse 10 of the same passage. “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” This is self explanatory.  

There is a principle here. We all want to make it in this world. We all want to be at the top of our game and achieve some glory, authority, prestige, wealth and security in this world. It is not wrong to find your place and have a career so that you can take care of your family, support your church and be blessing to others. There is nothing wrong with that. But are we willing to compromise the truth to get it? Are you will to commit adultery to improve your social standing? Are you willing to ignore Jesus and your Christian mission in order to achieve something for yourselves? Are you willing to withhold offerings to God in order to gain wealth for yourselves? We are actually robbing God when we do that. (Malachi 3:7-9). How much are you willing to compromise to make it in this world? Jesus says in Mark 8:35-37, “For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Let’s never follow the way of the harlot, compromising the truth to get ahead, but rather remain true to Jesus.

The harlot also tried to eliminate the voice of truth.  Look at verse 6. “I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.”  Christians were not buying into all the decadence. They were speaking out against the exploitation and the injustices. They were preaching the gospel and showing the world that there is another path to follow other than the path that the great prostitute was pointing to. The harlot did not want to hear what Christians were saying. She was hostile to them. They were a threat to her power and so she put them to death. She did not want to hear God’s call to repentance. May God protect our hearts so that this may never happen to us.

Part ll: The Scarlet Beast (17:7-18)

Next, we are going to look at the beast. Who is he? Let’s read verse 7, “Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.” We have already been introduced to several beasts in Revelation. There was the dragon in Revelation 12:3 and the beast that came out of the sea in Revelation 13:1. This beast is the devil. It had power to survive. Verse 8a reads, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.”  At one point it seemed to be on its last legs and then it came to life again. This amazed people. And they gave their hearts to it.

The beast supported the harlot. She sat on its back and both of them sat over the multitudes of the people and nations. In this way, the beast also held political, social and spiritual sway over the people. It co-worked with the harlot or even worked through the harlot. Like the contents of the harlot’s golden cup, the beast was covered with blasphemous names, names that were extremely disrespectful to Jesus and offensive to him.

People were also deceived by the beast. They were astonished. Why were they so easily astonished?  First they were intoxicated and so lost all their senses. There was also a powerful spiritual force involved. Look verse 18:23b, “… By your magic spell all the nations were led astray”We are no match to contend with the power of these evil spirits for they can lead nations astray. The bottom line, as to why they were deceived is revealed in verse 17:8b which reads, “… The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast…” It is so true. If you are not one of God’s people and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will be deceived by the devil’s schemes. Jesus tells us to watch out the last days that no one deceives us. (Mark 13:5) You can become one of God’s people today and come out of all deception. John 1:12-13 reads, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”  Let’s receive Jesus now and believe in the name of Jesus and become one of God’s clear minded people.

The beast and his allies will try to crush and oppress God’s people and oppose the work of God. Let’s read verse 17:14, “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”  He will make war against the Lamb, Jesus and those who follow him. But they will not prevail for Jesus and his disciples will overcome, for Jesus is King of kings. Aren’t you glad you are on the winning side?

What are the seven heads and the ten horns of this beast? Let’s read verses 17:9-12, “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.”And Verse 12, “ ¹² “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.”  The early Christians would equate these seven hills to Rome, for Rome was founded by seven villages on seven hills next to the river Tiber in Italy in 700 B.C. These seen hills could also be a means to peg these events in history. The other 10 kings do not have a kingdom. They could be tribal leaders or they could be merchants who are the heads of companies that did business across the dominion of the harlot. There are some CEO’s today that have companies that have are richer than some countries.

These ten kings were united in their mission. Look at verse 13, “They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.” After reading the passage, I will give you one guess as to what their purpose was. 18:9-11 reads, “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. ¹⁰ Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:  ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’¹¹ “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore” Their purpose was to get rich and enjoy luxuries even it meant exploiting others. They gave into the devil’s temptation when he promised them all the kingdoms of the earth. They jumped in feet first like any intoxicated person.

We can see the true colors of the ten kings and the devil. Verse 17:16 reads, “The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”  They appear to co-operate with the harlot and support her, but their purpose was diabolical. Simply speaking they wanted to exploit her and extract from her all they could. And after they are done with her they will toss her aside and will set out to look for another. How true this is. The devil and unscrupulous merchants will extract all they can from the systems of men, serving their own purposes and then move on. After doing this to our western civilization where will they go next? There will be no, “next” for Jesus will come again. This should also teach us about making unholy alliances in the world, even if it seems to advance our mission in the short term. We also need to have eyes to see the spiritual forces at work in this world and respond by preaching the gospel.

Despite of all this political and spiritual intrigue, God’s people should take comfort in the fact that God is control.  Remember 17:14b, “…but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”  And look at verse 17:17, “For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.”  God is the sovereign Lord and he is in control, fulfilling his ultimate goal to bring all of his people, safe and sound, into the glorious kingdom of God.

The beast will have a fatal destiny. Look at verse 8a, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction….” And verse 11b, “…. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.”  It is clear that Babylon will be destroyed, and with her all those people who have persecuted God’s people, as well as those who share Babylon’s value system and have compromised with the world to live in luxury and material prosperity. God will pour out on her the full fury of his wrath. This should serve as warning not to have any part of it.  

Part lll: Come Out, My People – Rejoice You Saints (18:1-19:4)

What should be our response to a world gone mad? First, we need to come out of Babylon. Look at verse 18:4, “Then I heard another voice from heaven say:   ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.”  God wants all of his children to come out of the world and live separated lives. This does not mean to go and live in the forest. We need to be in this world, but not of it. This refers to being holy. Holy, literally means dedicated to God. We can not live as the world lives. We cannot have the same value systems, the same hopes, the same morals, the same purposes and lifestyles as people in the world. When people see us they should see clearly that we are God’s people….that we are Christians. How can we be such separated, Holy people? Come to Jesus, repent of your sins and accept his blood poured out for you. From that point on decide to live for the glory of Jesus. Then you will come out of Babylon and God’s word and Spirit will help you to continue be outside of Babylon. God tells us to do this because he loves us. Look at verse 4b, “….so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.”  God cares about our eternal destiny. He does not want anything to come between us and him. He loves us and does not want to see any of us perish.

Second, we should fight a spiritual battle. Let’s read verse 6, “Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done.  Pour her a double portion from her own cup.”  This does not mean that we should do acts of violence against things we don’t agree with. No. It means that we should give our hearts all the more to the spiritual battle remembering that “^… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  We need to put on the full armor of God and fight our enemy the devil through prayer, faith, Bible study, Bible teaching and preaching, disciple raising and serving but mostly by loving our enemy with Christ’s love.  (Matt 5:44)

Third we should rejoice. Look at verse 20, “Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.”  When all of these terrible things are going on it is hard to rejoice. But God tells us to rejoice. Why? According to this passage it is because God has revealed his justice on those who persecuted God’s people. Revelation 19:1-4 reveals the rejoicing that was going on.In these times, we need to rejoice and praise God, even when the cause of evil seems to prosper.

The harlot and the beast all will be fall and be defeated and judged by God. God’s people will triumph because they have remained true to Jesus and the word of God. They did not get intoxicated by the things of the world, rather they gave their hearts to God and they sought first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. The merchants of the earth may have thought they were losers. But Jesus and his people are the true victors. The merchants of the earth will see all of their wealth vanish overnight. In the end they are the foolish ones for compromising their hearts and their faith to acquire a little glory in this world. Jesus tells us a parable in Luke 12. It about the rich ruler. He had lots of grain and wealth and thought that he could take it easy. But do you know what Jesus said to him? In Luke 12:20,  God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”  Don’t be deceived. Don’t be intoxicated and never stand on the wrong side of God’s judgment. Rather be God’s Holy, separated people. Stand alongside the victorious Lamb of God. Fight the good spiritual fight and rejoice and give thanks that we have been brought into a kingdom that can never perish spoil or fade kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Part l: The Great Prostitute (17:1-6)

1. Who is the Harlot? (5) Describe her? (17:1b, 4, 15, 18) What was she wearing? (4) What was she riding? What was her relationship with the world’s leaders and the people of the world? (2)  How was she a bad influence to others? (2,5) How were the people deceived? (6b-7a) Why is it wrong to stand in awe of the things of this world? (Mark 13:1)
2. What was the spiritual condition of the Harlot? (4b-6) What was in the cup she was holding?
3. This Harlot was rich, powerful and influential. What compromises did she make to rise to that stature? (5b-6) How is this related to Jesus’ temptation of Jesus? (Matt 4:8-10) How much are you willing to compromise to achieve riches and power and fame in this world?

Part ll: The Scarlet Beast (17:7-18)

1. Describe the beast. (7,8,15) What are the seven heads? (9,10) What are the ten horns? (12) What is their relationship with the harlot? (3b, 7b, 16) What is their relationship with the beast? (13,17) How did they give their hearts to the beast’s evil influence? What will they do? (16) What does this teach us about relationships and alliances in this world?
2. Why did the people marvel at the beast? (8a) Why were they so easily deceived? (8b) What is the destiny of the beast? (8a, 11b) How can we overcome the beast’s evil influence?

Part lll: Fallen Is Babylon The Great (18:1-

1. Who is Babylon the Great? What made her great? What is it’s spiritual condition?  (2b) What is it’s destiny?  (16:19a; 2) How did the nation’s compromise with her? (3) What is behind her deceptive power? (23b)

Part lll: Come Out, My People – Rejoice You Saints (18:1-19:4)

7. What do we learn about God? (8, 20b, 19:1-4) How should God’s people respond when faced with these temptations? (4) Why do Christians need to separate from the world? (4b) How can we live as a holy people dedicated to our mighty God?
8. What is another thing that Christians should do? (6) How should we fight back? (Eph  6:12-18;  Matt 5:44) What is another thing we must do? (20) Why should we rejoice? (20b, 24, 19:1-4)
9. What must Christians not be deceived by? (3b, 7b, 10a, 11b, 16) Why must we give our hearts to God and not to the things of the world? (14, 10b, 17a; Jn 15:5; Luke 12:20, 1 Peter 1:3-4)