SEVEN FINAL VISIONS (1-1) | MOTHER OF HARLOTS (REVELATION 17:1-6)
1. Revelation
a) John wrote Revelation while a prisoner on the Island of Patmos, approximately 85-95 A.D. Its purpose is to give encouragement and hope for all Christians to continue watching for the return and triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ. It also is to warn of the Final Judgment that nonbelievers will endure on that Last Day.
b) John wrote that Revelation is special because,“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
c) A brief view of the Book of Revelation. It gives you some basic understanding of the book of Revelation.
2. Mother Of Harlots
Revelation 17:1-6
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
3. The Woman Is The Harlot Of Earth’s Kings
Revelation 17:1-2
a) Judgment
i) The visions John is seeing in Revelation 12 to 20 are about judgment day. This vision in chapter 17 is the judgment of "the great harlot" (Revelation 17:1).
b) Sits on many waters
i) This atrocious woman "sits on many waters" (Revelation 17:1) This makes her a sign of the same kingdom represented by the beast from the sea, whom we met in chapter 13. The sea is described as "many waters" (Revelation 17:1) to indicate a dominion over many nations spreading accross the world from sea to sea.
c) Kings of the earth
i) John sees the kings of the earth committing acts of immorality with this harlot (Revelation 17:2). This again symbolizes that many nations are under the thrall and dominion of the wicked empire that she signifies.
4. The Woman Rides The Dragon
Revelation 17:3-5
a) Into a wilderness
i) John is now carried in the Spirit to a new scene. He is in a wilderness, signifying the spiritual realm of Satan.
b) Scarlet beast
i) And so now John is able to see the scarlet beast upon which the great harlot is riding. This beast is Satan the dragon. Notice that the scarlet beast has the same signs as the dragon. They both are red and have "seven heads and ten horns" (Revelation 17:3, Revelation 12:3). In a moment, we will have more to identify the scarlet beast as Satan the Dragon. The atrocious woman rides on the very beast from which the glorious woman had to flee with wings of an eagle (Revelation 12:13-16).
c) Adorned with gold and pearls
i) The antichristian world empire, which this harlot represents, is rich. It has financial dominion to support its political and military power.
d) Gold cup full of abominations
i) The harlot holds a gold cup filled with unclean things. Again, the gold cup represents wealth, but what is in the cup represents the corruption and injustice that often accompanies great wealth.
e) Name on her forehead... a mystery
i) In the visions of Revelation, it is common for those whom John sees to have a name on their foreheads, either the name of the Beast or the name of Christ. The name on the harlot’s forehead is a “mystery”. This doesn't mean you can't understand it. Rather, it means that the name Babylon is a sign or symbol signifying the antichristian kingdom and its capital city.
f) Mother of harlots
i) The harlot’s full name is "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH". (Revelation 17:5). Note that part of her name is “Mother of Harlots”. This is a warning to us that even after the antichristian kingdom falls, it will leave children behind just as evil as itself. Antichrist will live on in the world until judgment day.
5. The Woman Is Drunk With Blood
Revelation 17:6
a) Drunk with the blood of the saints
i) John sees that the harlot has got drunk with the abominable wine in her gold cup. One of those abominations is the killing of those who wear the name of Christ, and making them martyrs to his cause.
Revelation 17:1-6
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
3. The Woman Is The Harlot Of Earth’s Kings
Revelation 17:1-2
a) Judgment
i) The visions John is seeing in Revelation 12 to 20 are about judgment day. This vision in chapter 17 is the judgment of "the great harlot" (Revelation 17:1).
b) Sits on many waters
i) This atrocious woman "sits on many waters" (Revelation 17:1) This makes her a sign of the same kingdom represented by the beast from the sea, whom we met in chapter 13. The sea is described as "many waters" (Revelation 17:1) to indicate a dominion over many nations spreading accross the world from sea to sea.
c) Kings of the earth
i) John sees the kings of the earth committing acts of immorality with this harlot (Revelation 17:2). This again symbolizes that many nations are under the thrall and dominion of the wicked empire that she signifies.
4. The Woman Rides The Dragon
Revelation 17:3-5
a) Into a wilderness
i) John is now carried in the Spirit to a new scene. He is in a wilderness, signifying the spiritual realm of Satan.
b) Scarlet beast
i) And so now John is able to see the scarlet beast upon which the great harlot is riding. This beast is Satan the dragon. Notice that the scarlet beast has the same signs as the dragon. They both are red and have "seven heads and ten horns" (Revelation 17:3, Revelation 12:3). In a moment, we will have more to identify the scarlet beast as Satan the Dragon. The atrocious woman rides on the very beast from which the glorious woman had to flee with wings of an eagle (Revelation 12:13-16).
c) Adorned with gold and pearls
i) The antichristian world empire, which this harlot represents, is rich. It has financial dominion to support its political and military power.
d) Gold cup full of abominations
i) The harlot holds a gold cup filled with unclean things. Again, the gold cup represents wealth, but what is in the cup represents the corruption and injustice that often accompanies great wealth.
e) Name on her forehead... a mystery
i) In the visions of Revelation, it is common for those whom John sees to have a name on their foreheads, either the name of the Beast or the name of Christ. The name on the harlot’s forehead is a “mystery”. This doesn't mean you can't understand it. Rather, it means that the name Babylon is a sign or symbol signifying the antichristian kingdom and its capital city.
f) Mother of harlots
i) The harlot’s full name is "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH". (Revelation 17:5). Note that part of her name is “Mother of Harlots”. This is a warning to us that even after the antichristian kingdom falls, it will leave children behind just as evil as itself. Antichrist will live on in the world until judgment day.
5. The Woman Is Drunk With Blood
Revelation 17:6
a) Drunk with the blood of the saints
i) John sees that the harlot has got drunk with the abominable wine in her gold cup. One of those abominations is the killing of those who wear the name of Christ, and making them martyrs to his cause.
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