The destruction of Babylon
February 28, 2022
Commentary
A detailed description of the judgment on Babylon is given in chapters 17-18. No student of the Bible doubts that in historic times there existed a literal city called Babylon. In fact, the Bible is full of information about this city that has a long history dating back to as early as 3,000 years before Christ. Babylon was important not only politically but also religiously. In the opening of this chapter John is invited by one of the seven angels, who had one of the seven bowls, to witness the punishment of the “great harlot,” the religious system of Babylon (v 1). So grievous were her acts of immorality that the results are likened to a drunken stupor (v. 2). It has been suggested that the meaning of her riding the scarlet beast (v. 3), having seven heads and ten horns is that the religious system is controlling the political power. You cannot mistake her identity as her name is written upon her forehead (v.5).
This harlot is the symbol of apostasy and idol-worship, but it is also drunk with the blood of the saints (v. 6). She represents the ultimate in godless world religion. In fact, she will attempt to kill all those who follow the true Church of Jesus Christ. The Angel informs John that the beast’s heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. Many writers identify these seven hills as the seven hills of Rome and teach that Rome will be the capital of the coming world empire. However, a close study of this passage does not necessarily support this conclusion. These seven mountains may refer to Kings and not literal mountains. It is stated that the woman “sits on many waters” and these waters are interpreted as peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages (v. 15). This indicates that there will be one ecumenical world religious system that embraces all nations.
Application
Lord, help me to remember that I’m not in charge and that God always has the final say. It is a relationship with Christ that I need and not a religion.
Revelation 17:1– 8 (NET)
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come.
Illustration: Religion is the opium of the people
There is a sense in which Karl Marx statement that ’’religion is the opium of the masses’’ is true, states John MacArthur. People are religious because God created them to be worshipers. If they will not worship the true God, they will worship someone or something else. We look around and we think America is getting less religious. Actually, she is becoming more religious; just less Christian. (Lou Nicholes – Author and Missionary).