She looks beautiful but she isn’t. Not all that glitters is gold.
She is counterfeit
She is not the bride (the Church). The bride gives but she takes.
She is Babylon, the city of the world. But it is not Jerusalem, the city of God.
She sits by many waters (v1) reigning over “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” (v15) In contrast to what John has seen in heaven of “every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (7:9)
She sits on the beast who empowers her (v3), the 2nd member of the evil trinity comprising of Satan the dragon and the 3rd beast of the earth who is the false prophet. This 2nd member is the political and economic power of the world.
The mother
Her name is the mother of prostitutes, (v5). There is more to come. Under Nero there were many martyrs, less under Domitian. However in the years to come up to 2022 there have been colossal numbers of martyrs of whom she drank their blood. According to Open Doors 16 Christians are murdered every day now. This is not about AD 90 only. This is timeless. This is every generation. She is a spirit of the world throughout time. She lives today. She whores herself today. We see her every day. She impacts every generation in every culture. She is Babylon which originated as far back as the time of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11) with the mantra, “let us build a life without God.”
The weakness
She appears strong. She belongs to 7 heads, 7 hills, 7 kings, 10 horns and 10 kings. Seven and ten are numbers of completeness and of power. But not all that looks powerful is.
In AD 410 Rome fell to the Goths in one week! Superpowers do fall and they fall quickly. Economies crash in a heartbeat. This whore will fall and the trinity with it. They will rise in battle against the Lamb but in one hour they will crash down, v12.
So …!
Don’t be fooled, keep your eyes open, don’t be deceived, don’t let the whore have you.
Keep your prayers for the martyrs today and all who suffer for Jesus. Live for Christ as the other parts of the family do.
Don’t be afraid. Whatever comes against you today that intimidates you will fall. No weapon forged against you will prevail. The whore and the evil trinity will fall. Power belongs to the Lamb.
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 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. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
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.
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. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its 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 it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
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 only 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.
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. 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.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 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. 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. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17 v 3-18)
Missions Paul 