The End of False Religion

Lesson 22 The End of False religion The oldest profession meets the oldest perversion

Revelation 17

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Tim 4:1-2

“There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.” G.K. Chesterton

Beware of a misty religion! Beware of that which is without form, for it is sure to be void! Beware of that which is undefined and undefinable, because there is nothing solid in it! C.H. Spurgeon

Introduction: Babel – Babylon – and the beginning of organized false religion Zechariah 5

“The subject of Babylon in the Scripture is one of the prominent themes of the Bible beginning in Genesis 10, where the city of Babel is first mentioned, with continued references throughout the Scriptures climaxing here in the book of Revelation. From these various passages, it becomes clear that Babylon in Scripture is the name for a great system of religious error. Babylon is actually a counterfeit or pseudo religion which plagued Israel in the Old Testament as well as the church in the New Testament, and which, subsequent to apostolic days, has had a tremendous influence in moving the church from biblical simplicity to apostate confusion. In keeping with the satanic principle of offering a poor substitute for God’s perfect plan, Babylon is the source of counterfeit religion sometimes in the form of pseudo Christianity, sometimes in the form of pagan religion. Its most confusing form, however, is found in Romanism.” John Walvoord

I. Discovery of the Harlot Rev 17:1-6a, 15, 18

A. An invitation to see the great prostitute 17:1-2 1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."

Jer 51:7 Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand; she made the whole earth drunk.

1 The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad.

B. The vision of the prostitute 17:3 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

Rev 13:1 And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

“sitting on” - supported by

“scarlet” - the color of wealth

2 Sam 1:24 O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

C. Her dominance 17:15 15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.

D. Her description 17:4, 18 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

The revived city of Babylon – destroyed:

Rev 18:2 "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. Rev 18:10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon , city of power! In one hour your doom has come!' Rev 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.

1. the destruction will take place in the time that the stars and sun are darkened (Is 13:1, 9-10) 2. The city will become as desolate as Sodom and Gomorrah, burned completely with no remains whatever (Is 13:19; Jer 50:40) 3. It shall become desolate forever, with neither man nor beast entering it anymore (Is 13:20; Jer 51:62) 4. It will be a time of judgment not only for Babylon but for all nations (Is 13:11-13; Jer 51:49) 5. Its destruction will be followed by universal rest and peace (Is14:7-8) 6. Its destruction is directly associated with the casting of Lucifer into Sheol (Is 14:12-15) 7. Babylon’s stones will never be used in future construction elsewhere, whereas the present-day ruins of Babylon have been frequently plundered and reused in later constructions (Jer 51:26) Henry Morris; The Revelation Record, 1983

E. Her title 17:5 5 This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

2 F. Her condition 17:6a 6a I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

II. Discernment of the Harlot Rev 17:6b-15

A. The promise of explanation 17:6b-7 6b When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 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.

B. The beast revisited 17:8; 13:1-18 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. 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, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

Rev 13:3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

C. The kings of the earth 17:9-11 9 "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 a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

D. The final coalition of kings 17:12-13 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. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.

E. The earthly conflict of good and evil 17:14 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."

III. Destruction of the Harlot Rev 17:16-17

A. deposition and destruction of the prostitute 17:16 16 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.

Dan 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

3 Dan 11:36-39 36 The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him.

Rev 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

B. true origin of her demise 17:17 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. TNBS Study Questions preparation for lesson 23 Revelation 18 What are some of the primary characteristics of false religion in western culture? ______

How will the antichrist use religion to facilitate his rise to power? Why will it work extremely well? ______

Read Revelation 18 and the attached New York Times article 1. Do you think the Babylon referred to in Revelation is a literal city, a worldwide system, or both? Explain. ______

2. What is the theme of Revelation 18? ______

3. Divide the verses of the chapter into three parts and label each one: A. ______B. ______C. ______

4. After a comparison of Revelation 18 with 16:17-21, when would you say the destruction of Babylon takes place? ______

5. What warning is given in Rev 18:4-5 and how might 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 say the same thing to us? ______

6. How do you reconcile these passages with 1 Corinthians 5:9-10? ______

4 7. From Rev 18:7, for what specific sins is Babylon judged? ______

8. How do you see these working out in our culture? ______

9. What warning does James 5:1-5 give to the early church and to us? ______

10. What does 18:22 teach us about art, music, and craftsmanship? ______

11. Select verses from chapter 18 that show the difference between the earthly and the heavenly perspective of Babylon’s judgment. ______