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Home , Revelation 17, Revelation 7

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Screen 2 “The Scarlet Woman And ” :1-18 June 20, 2021

Today is Father’s Day – thank God for Dads. I am wearing my dad’s suit that he married my mom in on Father’s Day, 1965, exactly 56 years ago today (Father’s Day 1965 also June 20). My parents were married in Clarksdale Baptist Church with “Pastor Billy” officiating. Yes, it is true! My parents only got to be married for eleven and a half years before daddy died in January 1977. They had two boys – and me. Over the years I sure have needed a father’s advice and influence and since May 1981 I have had it in my step-dad, Allen Pace (over 40 years he has been a constant presence in my life). I am so blessed to have had him in my life . . Ask all dads to stand and pray for them.

PRAY

Last week, we discussed the seven-bowl judgment in (rated R chapter).

Revelation 17:1 “Then one of the seven angels who had the came Screen 3 and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,”

I view this as an actual part of the judgment of the seventh angel’s bowl and, it also is a further explanation of as well. We shall see in a minute

“the great prostitute” – here we are introduced to the central villain of Chapter 17. In the , the key to interpretation is always proper identification.

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The author actually provides ten distinguishing marks in this chapter, and this is the first one.

“prostitute” – (porneia) denotes general sexual licentiousness. It refers to reckless and immoral behavior in the sexual realm. In the history of Israel, idolatry and general unfaithfulness to God are always presented in terms of spiritual adultery, and here this unfaithfulness is profound. This “woman” has established a way of life, which is the path of rebellion against God.

Who might John have in mind for his First Century A.D. audience, here? and Cleopatra have both been proposed. Caird believes that Valeria Messalina (wife of the emperor Claudius) was in the seers mind when he described the great prostitute. However, we do not know because it does not say.

“who is seated upon many waters” – This is the second distinguishing characteristic as to her identity. We will see in verse 15 what exactly the “waters” upon which she sits represent (many nations). She has a universal intentional character.

Revelation 17:2 “with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual Screen 4 immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

“the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk” – This is the third distinguishing characteristic as to her identity and this comes from:

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Jeremiah 51:7 was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad.

The union that the political leaders and population have with her have made them drunk (incredibly vivid language, here).

Revelation 17:3 "And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I Screen 5 saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.”

“a woman”/“scarlet woman”/“prostitute” – is to be contrasted with “the woman” of (Judaism/Israel) who gives birth to () and whom “fled into the wilderness” (Revelation 12:6). The woman of Revelation 12 is fleeing away from “the great red dragon” (Revelation 12:3) while this woman is setting upon “a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names,” with “seven heads and ten horns” – this beast of course is the one rising from the sea in Revelation 13, the . This is the fourth distinguishing characteristic as to her identity. This beast represents the political entity of the last days. It is “scarlet” in color to denote its attachment to its master, the great red dragon (Satan himself). The Antichrist is a political leader like the Roman Emperors were.

“full of blasphemous names” – Roman Emperors employed titles such as “divine,” “savior,” and “lord.”

Revelation 17:4 “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned Screen 6 with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.”

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“ The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet” – she is dressed in extravagant royal colors and is adorned with “gold, jewels and pearls” – this is the fifth insight of her identity – she has unspeakable wealth.

“a golden cup” –

“sexual immorality” – the sexual immorality of Rome was even by today’s standards unspeakable. This is the sixth insight as to her identity.

By Tacitus: Tacitus described Rome as the place “where all the horrible and shameful things in the world congregate and find a home.”

Perhaps today in the United States that would be either New York or Los Angles. Seneca called Rome a filthy sewer.

Revelation 17:5 “And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: Screen 7 “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.”

“on her forehead was written a name of mystery” – this is the seventh identification. There are seven other reference in Revelation to the marking of the forehead. In Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4 it is the mark of the beast. In :3; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4 it is the seal or name of God. It denotes that the person is the property (slave) of someone else.

“mystery” – refers not to a crime scene or an unresolved occurrence but rather to a fact that could not have been discerned by human ingenuity and had to be revealed by God.

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Matthew 13:11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

Ephesians 5:32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

And also, this word referred to the mystery religions in the First Century A.D.

“Babylon” – the eighth identification, Babylon is mentioned 287 times total in the ( and ), more than any other city except .

A. It was a literal city just after the flood in Genesis 11:1-10 that “was the seat of the civilization that expressed organized hostility to God.” B. Later, it was the capital of the empire that cruelly conquered . “Babylon to them (the Jews) was the essence of all evil, the embodiment of cruelty, the foe of God’s people, and the lasting type of sin, carnality, lust and greed.” C. The name Babylon is associated with organized idolatry, blasphemy, and the persecution of God’s people.

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As a religious system, Babylon came into being long before Christianity, but in Satanic imitation it anticipated the coming true Messiah. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother, Semiramis, holding the savior-infant Tammuz which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz. (from Guzik). (Ezekiel 8:14; Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19).

The Tower of Babel was not some cute fairy tale like story akin to Jack and the Beanstalk, whereby a tower enables humans to climb into Heaven. The ancients were far more sophisticated than that! It represented the establishment of a religion with a central temple and that religion in contradistinction to the revealed faith of God. “Babylon” is the mother of fornication and rebellion against God.

Revelation 17:6 “And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the Screen 8 blood of the martyrs of .”

(Gory and vivid verse) – This verse is the ninth mark of identification. Whomever she is she has persecuted the saints/martyrs of Jesus.

Isaiah 49:26 “I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know

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that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

There was a great number of believers killed during Nero (Eperor from 54-68 A.D.) and Domitian (Emperor from 81-96 A.D.). The historian Pliny called Domitian “the beast from hell who sat in its den, licking blood.” Domitian killed (most notably) Flavius Clemens, counsul in 95 A.D., and his wife Flavia Domitilla. Many historians believe these two were Christians and this was why Domitian had them killed. Later, an ex-slave of Clemens, Stephanus, was mobolized by some of Domitins enemies and murdered him.

“when I saw her, I marveled greatly” – John is asonished by the sight of her. This is interesting after everything else he has seen in the book of the Revelation already. We are never told exactly why this sight shocked him/amazed him/ marvelled him. (She is a psuedo church, thirsty for the blood of the sanits?) This astonishment does result in an explanation from the angel, though. Screen 9 Revelation 17:7 “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.’”

Just like in Revelation 7:13-14 where an elder gives an explanation of what John has seen to him, an angel gives this explanation.

“I will tell you the mystry of the woman” – only God (though His angel) can reveal who she is.

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Revelation 17:8 “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise Screen 10 from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.”

“was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit”

Revelation 13:3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.

The Antichrist was killed and then came back to life (in a mock resurrection). The “abyss” is a prison house of departed wicked spirits.

“Destruction” means totally useless.

(Verse 7 says she rides the beast. It appears that the prostitute ruled [code] by riding the Antichrist’s system, but he is the dynamic factor, using her as tyrants have always used religion – as a mere tool to accomplish their purposes.)

Most of the world will be duped by this “new world order” that will have very strong ties to a single world-wide religion. *Optional – the current Pope is already “all in” when it comes to a blending of Roman Catholilcism, Buddhism, Islam and whatever else he can lump together . . . (especially Catholicism and Buddhism since Pope John Paul II).

Revelation 17:9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven Screen 11 mountains on which the woman is seated;”

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“the seven heads are seven mountains” – There is little doubt that a first century reader would understand this reference in any way other than a reference to Rome, the city built upon seven hills. Rome began as a network of seven hill settlements on the left bank of the Tiber River. The reference is common place among Roman authors. *E.G. Virgil, Cicero, etc.) (But, what does the seven hill “Rome” represent?)

Revelation 17:10 “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.”

The plot thickens.

“seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come” – VERY DIFFICULT PASSAGE. John had to be extremely careful when he wrote about Rome. (He was imprisoned on by Rome.) Some interpret the seven kings as a series of seven Emperors → (1) Augustes, (2) Tiberius, (3) Calegala, (4) Claudius, (5) Nero [the one who “is”] (6) Vespasian and then the one to come would be (7) Titus. This does not work unless you leave several emperors out! I am taking another route/interpretation. I see the five as five fallen kings of kingdoms as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo Persia and Greece. The sixth kingdom (who “is”) is Rome in John’s day. The seventh kingdom (“the other has not yet come”) is a revived form of the Roman Empire first in its diversified form of ten kingdoms, eventually yielding to the eighth and final form in the beast (W. A. Criswell)

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These original five kingdoms of the past are the ones who have persecuted God’s people:

• Egypt – Ezekiel 29:30 • Nineveh or Assyria – Nahum 3 • Babylon – ; Jeremiah 50:51 • Persia – Daniel 10 and 11 • Greece – Daniel 11

“he must remain only but a little while” – speaking about the final seven years, Great Tribulation – this is opposed to the long years of the previous kingdoms – world-dominating power.

Revelation 17:11 “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it Screen 12 belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.”

“the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven” – (say this with me out loud three times– Ha! Ha!) This speaks of the revived Roman Empire that is connected to the seventh original Roman Empire.

“and it goes to destruction” – no weapon formed against God’s people shall prosper – in the end!

Revelation 17:12 “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.”

The ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but who will for a short period of time along wih the beast. They are apparently part of a final

10 confederation of kingdoms, whom we don’t know yet. (Their identities are not given.)

Revelation 17:13 “These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and Screen 13 authority to the beast.”

These ten nations/kingdoms hand over their power to the beast (Antichrist).

Verses 7-13 identify the prostitute with a great city that rules over all the kings of the earth. Tenth point of identification.

Revelation 17:14 “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer Screen 14 them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Read it three times – Hallelujah!!!

Revelation 17:15 “And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where Screen 15 the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.’”

“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” – the explanation is given of verse 1. She seduces all the world into believing her religious syncratism false religion.

Revelation 17:16 “And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate Screen 16 18 the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire,”

A serious turn of events! Ultimately, the Antichrist will not tolerate any woship except of himself.

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2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

So, once his power has been consolidated, the Antichrist no longer needs the help of religious Babylon. (I really wonder if this means the Antichrist will “dispose” of the false prophet. The prostitute of this chapter, while presented as Rome, seems to me to point to the false prophet – from a different angle.)

“hate the prostitute” – this has always been the goal of tyrants - and most politicians – to use religion for their purposes, then descard it! Also, Satan can’t even really keep his people united – not for long at least. The greatest politician the world has ever seen – the Antichrist – in his heart, will hate the religious aspects of the world union.

“they will make her desolate and naked, and deour her flesh and burn her up with fire (cremate her)” – the fate of the prostitute is now related in phrases reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vivid allegory of Oholibah in Ezekiel 23:11-35.

Ezekiel 23:17-29 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land

12 of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed your young breasts.”

22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. 25 And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26 They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.

28 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, 29 and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit

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of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring

Every revelutionary power contains within itself the seed of self-destruction. It describes the self-destroying power of evil. The wicked are not a happy band of brothers, but precisely because they are wicked they give way to jealousy and hatred so that “at the climax of history their mutual hatred will result in mutual destruction.” (Morris)

• The woman that was once beautifully arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with jewelry (Revelaiton 17:4) is now stripped bare. • The devouring of her flesh sounds like Jezebel in 2 Kings 9:30-37. She is burned up with fire as precribed as a punishment for the prostitute in Leviticus 21:9

Revelation 17:17 “for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose Screen 17 by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the 18 words of God are fulfilled.”

God has actually directed the judgment against religious Babylon. God will sometimes use a wicked group (here, the ten kings) to be an instrument of His judgment against another wicket group (here, religious Babylon). God has ordained the political support of these ten kings for the Antichrist. In doing so, God gives the world exactly what it wants: godless religion and godless rulers.

Revelation 17:18 “And the woman that you saw is the great city that has Screen 18 dominion over the kings of the earth.”

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“the great city” – is Rome, in John’s days. It was the political, economic, and religious center of the world in First Century A.D.

Conclusion: From the 1500’s to the present, protestants, suffering from persecution generated by the church at Rome, have identified the scarlet woman of Chapter 17 as the church at Rome.

Please copy page 317 of New American Commentary, by Patterson, and place here in notes.

However, the scarlet woman is much bigger than First Century Roman Empire with its false religion attached to it or the Roman Catholic Church since the time of the Reformation or even the “new world order” coming underneath the Antichrist and his false religion puppet leader (the false prophet/here in these verses, the great prostitute). Babylon the Great is the source of universal harlotry and abomination (verse 5) and speaks to every great power that has prostituted its wealth and influence.

*A great horrible, sinking feeling came over me last week as I wrote this sermon. What if I have been interpreting the Revelation too literally (let’s play with this)? What if the USA is the modern Babylon the Great? What if we have a totally corrupt political and religious system that is all in bed with each other? What if all of this were concocted by Satan to destroy this nation and turn it into ruble before Jesus returns? I pray I am wrong here, but what if???

Beloved, you can avoid all this mahem by making sure that your name is written “in the book of life from the foundation of the world” (verse 8) by repenting of your sins and placing your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior right now.

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Optional close: On the back of a Eurodollar coin today is a woman riding a multi- headed beast. Screen 19 INVITATION

Salvation prayer Ask for wisdom to understand the “mysteries” yet to come of final things.

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