 |
| Earl Gillespie |
A Study of The Book of Revelation
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
In this chapter we will study Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots; and The Last Form of Gentile World-Power
To recap what we have been discussing in our series of lessons, the final series of 7's in the book of
Revelation (first the 7 seals, then the 7 trumpets) and now finally the 7 bowls
of God’s wrath. The bowls of wrath, symbolizing the pouring out of God’s
Judgement and the ultimate destruction of the world rulership, the Roman Empire. With the final paragraph of chapter 16 – we
saw huge 100 lb. Hailstones are falling upon the earth – signalizing its utter
decimation of the wicked.
The Bible begins with Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The simplicity of the Bible is that it
chronicles the history of man and God’s interaction with man from the creation
until the judgment of God is poured out upon the earth. In its purest state this is un-nerving to many because it is a prediction of doom. The Bible ends with Revelation 22:20-21
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen.
Man divided the Bible into chapters and verses to make for easy
reading, some printers even colored the words of Jesus in red. The writer of the Bible covered ages and
Dispensation. The Bible presents a story
line, sacred in nature that should not be tampered with. As with any book we should not attempt to misinterpret
or mislocate chapters or verses to make the story say what we want it to say. Many look upon the book of Revelation as a "dated" book whose prophecies has been fulfilled.
It is the belief of "The Bible Study Network" that the best way to
understand the Bible is to apply a verse by verse study of the book. In essence there is a lesson to be learned
from Adam’s fall that we ought to live by, but to say that God was talking to
us or the church when he said, “It is not good for man to be alone” is not an accurate presentation of what God said.
We will not spiritualize the
Word of God as many have, thus changing the message, but rather applying a
verse by verse approach as we strive to understand the symbology that unlock
the meaning of the whole. When Jesus said, "Go tell that fox...", the disciples understood the symbology and did not go searching the wood for a fox to testify to. Here again, to
understand the meaning of these prophecies the church must understand its place
in the overall plan of God. For the
church to claim that it is the spiritualized Israel and claim the blessings of
Abraham is destructive to the message of God. 1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor
to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
Revelation 17:1-7:
1. And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials,
and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and
the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
fornication.
3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw
a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked
with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full
of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6. And I saw the woman drunken with the Blood of the saints, and with
the Blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration.
7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will
tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which
hath the seven heads and ten horns.
The fall of Babylon was announced in Revelation chapter 14. Under the
seventh vial the judgment of that guilty system takes place. The events in
Revelation 14:8 through the remainder of the chapter take place AFTER the
pouring out of the seventh vial. This is an important help in proper
understanding of the various parts and visions of the book.
The character of Babylon, her relationship to the Beast and to the
kings of the earth in general, together with details of her judgment are then
unfolded in the two following chapters (17 and 18). It must not be supposed
that the subject matter of these chapters follows on from the seventh vial. The
account is not consecutive.
The subject of Babylon is of great importance and plays a prominent
part in Revelation. To understand who and what Babylon is, we will adhere
strictly to the Word of God, and pay no attention to what we have heard by way
of man. Join me here in earnest prayer that the Holy Spirit will be our guide
as we proceed. The devil is a “master
counterfeiter.” For everything God has that is good, the devil has a
counterfeit.
There is the Trinity of God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Satan has his
trinity: the Dragon, the Antichrist, the False Prophet. God calls and ordains
preachers . . . so does the devil (II Corinthians 11:13-15). There are two
women in Revelation: One righteous - the mother of righteousness and purity
(Revelation 12) -about whom we have already studied; the other unrighteous -
the mother of harlots and abominations (Revelation 17). One - of God; the other
- of Satan.
By making comparisons and by reasoning, we will find out who this
woman is, in Revelation 17: Both women mentioned above are mothers: The first
brought forth a Son, who is to rule all nations. The second is the mother of
harlots.
Both women are splendidly dressed: The first was wearing heavenly
garments, “clothed with the sun”; her clothing is “light” from Heaven. The
second woman is “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, decked with gold and
precious stones, and pearls.” Her clothes and jewels are all earthly, and from
the earth. The first woman has the moon (the power of darkness) under her feet.
The second woman “hath rule”Over the kings of the earth.
Both mothers suffer: The first battles with the dragon to save her
child from being devoured. The dragon pursues her and drives her into the
wilderness. The second woman suffers at the hands of the ten kings who supported
her, but who now make her naked, desolate, eat her flesh and burn her with
fire, while God in all His power and fury judges her and visits her with
plagues, death, and utter destruction.
Both women fill a great place in world affairs: One pure, the other a
harlot; one hated by earth’s powers, the other loved!
- One produces masculine nobility - the other produces feminine
impurity.
- One is helped by celestial wings - the other is carried by dragon
power.
- One has upon her head a crown of twelve stars - the other has upon
her head the name of the destroyer, and is drunk with the blood of saints and
prophets.
- One finally takes up her abode in the heavenly city surrounded by
all saints of all ages. Suddenly the other goes down to eternal ruin in the hot
wrath of Almighty God.
These two women are rivals in every respect, and are just as opposite
in character as day and night. The first woman we have already identified.
Chapter 12 gives the picture of Israel bringing forth the Man Child. “Salvation
is of the Jews.” Jesus came forth out of Israel.
We will now identify the second woman, “the mother of harlots”: The outstanding thing said about her is that
she is a harlot . . . “The Great Harlot.” She advertises her harlotry by
wearing on her head the name “Mother of Harlots”! In the Word of God, harlotry
stands for “debauched worship - idolatry - false devotion.” When people worship
as God that which is not God, but a god of their own making; when people give
their hearts to idols; when they set up systems, doctrines, rites and rituals
to replace what God has commanded and revealed in His Word, in Scripture, that
is called whoredom, adultery, fornication. Read carefully Jeremiah 3:6, 8, 9;
Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 1 and 2; Revelation 2:22.
When God’s divine laws and ordinances are broken down, the sacredness
of marriage and morals goes with it. Some religions on earth today are hotbeds
of immorality. The law of God, the first and greatest commandment, Jesus said,
is to “love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29,30). To bestow such honor on
a god of our own making is spiritual harlotry!
No comments:
Post a Comment