Week 11 Revelation 17 - 19:10
REVELATION 17-19:10
THE POINT
Everyone worships
something, but not everything is worthy of worship.
This passage is
made up of three major images: a woman, a beast, and a city. John writes about
these three events in succession and as being shown to him by one angel. These
three things are symbolic of one overarching truth that John wants to express
about the end times: the woman, the beast, and Babylon are all conquered by the
wrath of God.
There is much
debate about the identity of these three images. It isn’t altogether clear from
the text itself what specific people or places this vision has in mind, or if
there are any at all. Instead, these three symbols represent mankind apart from
God. God’s wrath is being poured out on mankind for some specific reasons and
we don’t want to miss that; what can the pictures painted here show us about
who will receive God’s ultimate punishment and judgment in the last days?
These three are
being punished for sexual immorality, idolatry, abuse of power, and obsession
with material things. God’s wrath will be poured out on all human civilization ultimately
because man has rebelled against God. Like the woman, we have given ourselves
away to other desires. Like the beast, we have found ourselves opposing God. Like
Babylon, we’ve built our systems and kingdoms apart from God.
Praise God: the
story doesn’t end there! Almost all of mankind is represented in these three
images, but not all. There is yet a great multitude. They see this world and
its riches pass away, and they cry out Hallelujah. They are invited into a
great marriage feast that will never end. Because they did not give themselves
to the things of this world in this life, they will feed on the things of God
in the presence of God for all eternity.
Revelation
17
The Great
Prostitute and the Beast
Then one of the
seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show
you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with
whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine
of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he
carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and
ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold
and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations
and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written
a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s
abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 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. 8 The beast
that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and
go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the
beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with
wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 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. 11 As for
the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and
it goes to destruction. 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.
13 These are of one
mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will
make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords
and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” 15 And
the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated,
are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that
you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her
desolate and naked and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God
has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and
handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are
fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion
over the kings of the earth.”
Revelation
18
The Fall of Babylon
After this I saw
another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth
was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen,
fallen is Babylon the great! She
has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a
haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3
For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the
merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest
you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are
heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as
she herself has paid back others and repay her double for her deeds; mix a
double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and
lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in
her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall
never see.’ 8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and
mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the
Lord God who has judged her.” 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed
sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her
when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of
her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon!
For in a single hour your judgment has come.” 11 And the merchants of the earth
weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of
gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth,
all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of
articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense,
myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and
chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14 “The fruit for which your soul
longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost
to you, never to be found again!” 15 The merchants of these wares, who gained
wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and
mourning aloud, 16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine
linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all
shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood
far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was
like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and
mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by
her wealth! For in a single hour, she has been laid waste. 20 Rejoice over her,
O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment
for you against her!” 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great
millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be
thrown down with violence, and will be
found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and
trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be
found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of
bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the
great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. and all
nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of
prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
Revelation
19
Rejoicing in Heaven
After this I heard
what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his
judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” 4 And the
twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God
who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne
came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him,
small and great.” The Marriage Supper of the Lamb 6 Then I heard what seemed to
be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the
sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of
the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her
to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” — for the fine linen is the
righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed
are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to
me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to
worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant
with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Revelation
17-19:10.
Wrong ways to
Worship:
1.
Worship Desire
2.
Worship Power
3.
Worship Wealth
Only one Right Way
to Worship: Bow before the Throne.
Study
Notes
This is a very
lengthy text whose interpretation has been widely debated throughout church
history. Many commentaries, scholars, and pastors have spent the majority of
their work on this text in trying to determine the identity of the Woman, the
Beast, and the City. If you feel that some specific ideas on these symbols
would be helpful to you, we hope the resources at the link in this document
will provide what you need. More generally, we can say with confidence that the
Woman represents sexual immorality and the world’s obsession with the physical. The Beast represents abuse of authority and the world’s greed for power. The City
represents material wealth and the
world’s obsession with acclaim and attention. These pictures were painted by the author
because he wanted to point out the reasons for which God’s wrath was being
poured out. They are meant to represent for us the reality of mankind’s
rebellion against God. Even at the end of all things, God is saying “this is
what your sin looks like.” Chapter 19 might seem disconnected at first, but we
cannot rightly understand our first two chapters without it. We might think
that the reaction to such wrath, punishment, and devastation would be weeping
and grief, and for the sinner it certainly is. However, the great multitude in
heaven cries out hallelujah at seeing God tear down the images of idolatry and
rebellion. These believers know how lust, greed, power, and pride have
corrupted the human heart. They know how these images have destroyed mankind. So,
in seeing them destroyed, they rejoice and praise God. Man tried in so many
ways to gain for himself but ended up empty in the end. Followers of Jesus know
that in giving away all that this world has to offer, one can feast for all of
eternity.
Recognize this:
1) Sin has
Broken Everything
While this text
gives us some major categories for what sin has done to us and to our world, it
also shows where sin leads. Sin breaks everything. As Jesus said in Matthew
7:13, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.” Sin leads to destruction. This passage shows us
what our sin looks like and where it leads us.
2) Jesus
Alone Can Satisfy
John intentionally juxtapose
great destruction and great celebration. How could we not celebrate at the
death of death? When sin and rebellion are destroyed, God’s people give Him the
praise He deserves. In the marriage supper of the Lamb, Jesus is showing us
that in denying the riches of this world, we have ensured we can enjoy the
riches of His kingdom for all of eternity.
Questions
for Discussion
How do the images
in Revelation 17 and 18 highlight the reality of our sin? Where do you see some
of these same sinful tendencies in your own heart? How have you participated in
this rebellion?
How does it shape
our view of the end times to know that destruction and celebration are so
closely tied? Does it change the way you feel about Revelation to see such
celebration and feasting?
Does this passage
make you want to turn more completely to Jesus? To be able to see the end so
plainly — does this help clarify anything for us?
How can seeing
where our sin leads guide us into a deeper desire to turn away from it? How can
this text make sin bitter to the taste?
What is the most
encouraging thing to you about Revelation 17:119:10?
Quotes
“Satan promises you
the world but leaves you with worms.”
Dallas Wilson
“Will I worship before
the throne that brings life or the world that brings death.”
Corey Watson
“You cannot truly
worship God by standing on self as king. You must bow down and submit to the one
true King.”
Dustin Dozier
“When selfish
desire is a man’s primary pursuit, he will only find emptiness and a profound
lack of satisfaction.”
Wayne Bray
“Satisfaction is
not found in the fulfillment of your desires. Satisfaction is found in the
presence of your Savior.”
Will Bray
END
Teacher Notes:
The Seventh Bowl –
Revelation 16:17-21
The seventh angel
poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from
the throne, saying, “It is done!” And
there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake
such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that
earthquake. The great city was split into three parts,
and the cities of the nation’s fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to
make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains
were to be found. And great hailstones,
about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God
for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
The destruction of
Babylon mentioned in Revelation 16 is now described in greater detail in
chapter 17.
Chapter 17
What does it
describe?
The original
readers probably identified Babylon with Rome, but Babylon also symbolizes any
system that is hostile to God.
Chapter 18
What does it
describe?
Why isn’t the
United States of America mentioned in the end times?
The biblical
prophecies concerning the fall of Babylon, as found in the books of Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation have never been fulfilled in history.
So, we look for
another Babylon. A nation which will fit the biblical description and exist
during the correct period.
What does this
biblical description look like?
Some identifying
descriptions of this other Babylon are:
- This nation will exist at the same time as the restoration of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel – date 1948.
- The national symbol will be an EAGLE.
- She is the greatest economic (wealthy) nation in the world.
- She is the world’s largest consumer nation, purchasing the world’s manufactured goods.
- She is the world’s most powerful military nation.
- She is a nation of mingled people. People from many nations woven together.
- She is a golden cup in the Lord’s hand. A nation used to bless the rest of the world.
- A nation where the Jewish people will immigrate and prosper.
https://truthonlybible.com/2021/07/29/the-case-for-identifying-babylon-the-great-with-the-united-states-of-america/
1.
Who else fits this
biblical description of Babylon the great but America?
………………………………………………
The history of
world powers like Babylon, Greece, and Rome suggests that the greatest threats
to America’s future lie within. Previous empires have followed a lifecycle
something like this: they move out of bondage to spiritual faith; from faith to
courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to
complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; and from
dependence back to bondage.
- Herbert C.
Hoover, Current History (Philadelphia Events Publishing Company, October 1951),
256.
Revelation 17 & 18 are made up of three major images: a woman, a beast, and a city.
- Like the woman, haven’t we given ourselves away to other desires?
- Like the beast, haven’t we found ourselves opposing God?
- Like Babylon, haven’t we built our systems and kingdoms apart from God.
There is much
debate about the identity of these three images. It isn’t clear from the text
itself what specific people or places this vision has in mind, or if there are
any at all. Instead, these three symbols represent mankind apart from God.
God’s wrath is
being poured out on mankind for some specific reasons and we don’t want to miss
this.
The woman, the
beast, and Babylon are being punished for sexual immorality, idolatry, abuse of
power, and obsession with material things.
Merchants
in the Roman Empire grew rich by exploiting the sinful pleasures of their society.
Businesspeople today do the same thing. Even governments are based on greed,
money, and power. People are tempted to take advantage of an evil system to
enrich themselves.
Christians
are warned
to stay free from the lure of money, status, and the good life. We are to live
according to the values Christ exemplified: service, giving, self-sacrifice,
obedience, and truth.
- People must always be more important than products.
- Keep away from pride in your own programs, plans, and successes.
- Remember that God’s will and Word must never be compromised.
- People must always be considered above making money.
- Do what is right, no matter what the cost.
- Be involved in businesses that provide worthwhile products or services – not just things that feed the world’s desires.
John’s overarching
truth about the end times explanation of chapter 17 and 18 is this:
the woman, the
beast, and Babylon are all conquered by the wrath of God.
Chapter 19
Celebration
Revelation 19:1-5
After this I heard
what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgments
are true and just; for He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth
with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of His servants.” Once
more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and
worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And
from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants, you
who fear him, small and great.”
Praise is the
heartfelt response to God by those who love Him. The more you get to know God
and realize what He has done, the more you will respond with praise.
Praise is at the
heart of true worship. Let your praise of God flow out of your realization of
who He is and how much He loves you.
Revelation 19:6-10
Then I heard what
seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and
like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the
Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the
glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself
ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” —
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to
me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of
the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell
down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am
a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Everyone worships
something, but not everything is worthy of worship.
There are several
Wrong ways to Worship:
Desire
Power
Wealth
There is Only one
Right way to Worship: Bow before the Throne of God
“Will I worship
before the throne that brings life or the world that brings death.” - Corey
Watson
Finally, the great
choir of heaven once again praises God – the wedding of the Lamb has come. See
Matthew 25:1-13 where Christ compares the coming of His kingdom to a wedding
for which we must be prepared.
This is the
culmination of human history – the judgment of the wicked and the wedding of
the Lamb and His bride, the church. The church consists of all faithful
believers from all time.
How does it shape
our view of the end times to know that destruction and celebration are so
closely tied?
Does it change the
way you feel about Revelation to see such celebration and feasting?
RONALD REAGAN AND
“THE SHINING CITY UPON A HILL”
Ronald Reagan
Farewell Address
In 1989, President
Ronald Reagan gave his Farewell Address to the Nation. In doing so, he defined
his vision of “the shining city upon a hill.”
“[I]n my mind it
was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept,
God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace;
a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there
had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone
with the will and the heart to get here.”
