1-3-14. Revelation 17:1-18. THE WOMAN ON THE BEAST – my devotional

Revelation 17:1-18                                                                               Fri, Jan 3, 2014

Key verse 17:14                                                                                    Kevin E. Jesmer

“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.” (ESV)

    Dear Lord, thank you for helping us to be positive and hopeful even in the times of suffering. There are so many forces in life that bring a dark cloud over our heads. But we know that with faith in you and your power to save, we can have a true and living hope. We know that through suffering we can mature and grow in faith…actually in every way. With faith, we can consistently light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. With faith, the glass is half full instead of half empty. Lord, Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world. Light our paths, even in the moments of deep hardships. I pray all of these things in the very positive and hopeful name of Jesus. Lord, shine your light into my heart today through this passage. Amen!

First, The Great Prostitute (1-6).

Verses 1-6, “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.” (ESV)

The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (18). “Babylon” was a code name for Rome, with her pantheon of gods (5). Rome sat on seven hills (9). She was sitting on many nations (many waters—15), so she was wealthy. She had drunk the blood of so many martyrs. This great prostitute represents not only Rome, but all godless and evil systems that unjustly control people and nations and persecute God’s people. These systems can be very seductive to people, as this women was to many. The woman captured peoples’ heart and minds with her allure. But she is responsible for so much suffering.

People like to blame religion for all the suffering in the world. But it is not religion that is causing the suffering of people. It is the worldly cultures and systems that capture peoples’ hearts and entice them away from God with its many idols and false promises and only offer them suffering in exchange. Think of the many different aspects of cultures and subcultures that keep people from Christ. I see it in the young people of our nation. There are so many subcultures that steal young peoples’ hearts away from Jesus. They promise them many things, like freedom, happiness, meaning and hope. They give only momentary satisfaction and fail to deliver on so many levels. They leave them empty, without hope and life direction. They leave them devoid of the life skills to succeed and overcome this world. Some of these subcultures actually turn people against Christ and the gospel, even pitting them against God and God’s people. We have laws against violence against Christians. But in some countries, where there is weak law enforcement, Christians are being killed by adherents to some subcultures that have been allured by, “the great prostitute.”

Why is this prostitute, in this passage, more alluring than Jesus and his precious gospel? It is because they promise people things. They are like false messiahs. People think that returning to traditional ways, a certain political party or political system, or living for money and pleasure and self promotion will bring meaning to people’s lives. Some people if they become more sincerely devoted to their religious practices then their situation will change and their country will become better off. These are all false messiahs. They are enticing to people, but really offer no salvation. In fact they may even be destructive to people and nations. They are the devil’s ploy to keep people from the truth that truly gives life.

But I believe that Jesus is even more alluring and attractive than the great prostitute in this passage. Jesus, if presented purely and simply will attract all people to himself. The gospel truth will ring out and attract people. Don’t we believe that Jesus will draw all people to himself? Don’t we think that the gospel and Christian life is the best and the most attractive life around? Jesus is that attractive. The Gospel is that attractive. It is how we present it that is not so attractive. The fellowship we create is not that attractive. We hold back on revealing Jesus through his word. We don’t pray for others, nor serve others. We hold back in so many ways and we get in the way of Jesus, so people can not see the glory of God and the goodness of God. Then they see the allure of the systems of this world. May God help Christians reveal Jesus to the world in way that reveals his irresistible beauty and glory. I want to devote myself to revealing the beauty of Jesus and the allure of the Gospel to the world.

Second, The Scarlet Beast (7-18).

Verses 7-18, “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.”

People will marvel as the destruction of the woman and the beast. They will marvel because these evil forces seemed so powerful and wonderful. They gave people so much hope. They thought that nothing could ever bring the beast and the prostitute down to destruction, but that is what happened. The Roman culture lasted, if you include Byzantium, 1800 years or so. Who would have thought that it could fall? But it fell in the West and then in the East. It did not last forever. We may think that our own western society will never fall. But it will. Our American way of life will one day give way to something that we would never imagine it could become. The secular society will crumble and people will marvel at its downfall and the power and judgment of God. The Bible tells us the Kingdom of God, those that dwell in it, and the things done for Jesus will last.  Everything else will perish, spoil and fade away. But praise God that we are part of a Kingdom that is being renewed day by day.

What about this scarlet beast? The scarlet beast is the satanic incarnation of idolatrous power. His seven heads mean he has great authority. He has ten horns, so he is very powerful. The worldly powers who crush and oppress people and oppose the work of God are allied with the devil, and the woman rides on him. He will make war against Jesus the Lamb. Jesus and those who follow him will overcome, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. The destruction of the beast is assured. Knowing this, that Christ has already won the war, and that God is on our side, we must obey Jesus’ calling, remain as God’s people in this world, and be faithful regardless of the world and its conditions. Christians in the Middle East will be able to prevail though persecuted. Christians in the secular west, will mature and grow and the church will grow, despite of the numerous spiritually numbing forces. Jesus is the victor. The whole world will marvel at his power and marvel and the fact that the things of this world could not stand before his power and glory.

Lord, help me to be your called, chosen and faithful follower of the Lamb. You are my Lord of lords and King of kings. I will live by faith in you alone.

One Word: The Lamb will overcome