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CHRIST AND BABYLON
Lesson #29
Revelation 17:1-18
When John was carried away to see "the judgment of the great whore," he was carried away "in the spirit into the wilderness" (vv. 1, 3). Wherever false religion occupies the place of the true worship of God there is desolation and emptiness (Amos 8:11-12). There may be great worldly wealth and glory; there may be a fullness of power, influence, and approval; there may be purple and scarlet, gems and gold, pomp and luxury and everything to gratify the sensual desires of the heart; there may even be worldwide acceptance and dominion; yet, where the Word of God, the gospel of his grace, and the worship of Christ in all the fullness of his redemptive glory are despised and trampled under foot, there is a bleak, barren, empty, desolate wilderness. This great harlot, false religion, is called by the name, "Babylon the Great." We have seen this name twice already (14:8; 16:19). In both places the name is mentioned as the object of God’s great judgment. In Revelation 17, 18, and 19 John describes that judgment, assuring us of the fact that all false religion, here represented by Babylon, will be destroyed and the truth of God shall prevail to the glory of Christ.
WHO IS THIS WOMAN? Without question, there is in this vision a representation of Rome, its pagan culture, government, and worship. Certainly, Roman Catholicism, the superstitious, idolatrous religion of papacy, is also involved in the picture before us. But it would be a serious mistake to limit the picture to Rome and Romanism. This woman is called - "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters...And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth" (vv. 1, 5). This woman, Babylon, the great harlot represents all false religion in this world, no matter what name that religion bears.
There are only two religions in this world. All religions, when reduced to their essential elements, must be categorized under one of these two: Free-grace or free-will, the religion of God or the religion of man, the church of God or the synagogue of satan. These two religions are represented to us in the book of Revelation by two women. In chapter 12 we saw the Church of God, the religion of free-grace, which proclaims salvation by the blood and righteousness of Christ alone, who is the Man Child, represented by "a woman clothed with the sun." Here, in Revelation 17, we see the religion of satan, free-willism, man centered, works religion, represented by "The Great Whore...Babylon." The character of all false religion is described in John’s vision of the great harlot. Remember, the picture is a symbol of false religion. Do not try to get a literal picture in your mind. Try to grasp the spiritual meaning of the whole picture. Notice the features of this woman, by which we are instructed and warned, lest we be deceived by the great harlot, who "with her much fair speech" and "the flattering of her lips" has caused so many to follow her "as an ox goeth to the slaughter" (Prov. 7:21-22). The angel calls her "the great whore." Not only is she a harlot, she is the mother of all spiritual harlots and abominations in the world. This is the standing symbol in the Word of God for false religion. (See Jer. 3:6-9; Ezek. 16:28-37; Hosea 1-2; Rev. 2:22). This woman is called the great whore and the mother of harlots, because she is the embodiment and representative of all idolatry, false worship and false doctrine in the world. To give an indication of her age and her vileness, she is given the name, Babylon the Great (v. 5). This is not a prophecy that the ancient city of Babylon will be resurrected and rebuilt. God destroyed that ancient city in his wrath, and swore that it would never be inhabited again (Isa. 13:19-20). This Babylon is any and all religious systems that are opposed to God. Babylon is the religion of man. It is that religion which teaches salvation by the works of man’s hands and the power of man’s will. Though it is seen in the sacrifice of Cain, it began as an organized religion, an organized system of worship in opposition to God, in the fourth generation after Noah, with Nimrod, the cursed son of Noah’s cursed son, Ham (Gen. 10:8-11). The Bible tells us that Nimrod was "a mighty hunter before the Lord." That is a very poor translation of the text. Literally, it means, "Nimrod was a mighty rebel before the Lord, the mightiest rebel before the Lord in the earth." His name, Nimrod, means "a rebellious panther." It was this "rebellious panther," Nimrod, who built the city of Babel, or Babylon, and began the religion of confusion (Gen. 11:1-9).
Idolatry is not a gradual decline from truth by well-meaning, but unenlightened men. It began at Babel in intentional rebellion. It was the invention of a proud race who refused to come to God by faith in a Substitute and refused to trust God’s grace alone. Babylon was born in defiance of God and his Word. The men of Babel despised God’s sovereignty, blood atonement, and salvation by grace. They attempted to build a tower to heaven by the works of their hands, with no regard for the glory of God. God scattered those men and brought their religion to confusion. Yet, wherever these idolaters spread through the earth, their religion is essentially the same. All the pagan mythologies, idolatrous images, and religious rituals of the world, no matter how much they differ, have an underlying sameness, which proves that they are all from one original source. That source is Babel, or Babylon, Nimrod’s plan to defeat the purposes of the God of Noah. The one foundational tenet that is always the same in the worldwide religions of Babylon is this: Man’s salvation ultimately depends upon and is determined by man himself!
This woman has made the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication (v. 2). The religion of old Babylon is not limited to one race, one time, one place, or even one religious order. It encompasses all. The kings and inhabitants of the earth, from one generation to another, commit fornication with her and drink from her cup until they are thoroughly drunk, beyond the reach of reason. The cup which she holds out is a golden cup (v. 4). To the carnal, sensual heart, the world’s religion is very appealing. It is bright, glittering, full of blessings, promising happiness, health, peace, and prosperity to all who drink from its cup. But the cup is full of abominations, filthiness and fornication. This is down as a fact that cannot be disputed - Wherever false religion gains popularity and acceptance, moral corruption follows. The doctrines of self-righteousness, free-willism, and works salvation always produce moral degradation. The cup is always the same. The old harlot has only one cup. It is always filled with the same, head-spinning wine of free-will, self-righteousness, and good works. The woman is also drunk (v. 6). She is drunk "with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." "In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth" (18:24). Throughout history, persecution and the murder of God’s saints and prophets have been the work of this great harlot. It is old Nimrod trying still to destroy the kingdom of God. Persecution is not the work of God’s church. It is the work of Babylon. This woman sits upon many waters (v. 1). The angel tells us plainly that these waters are not literal bodies of water. They are "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues"(v. 15). That is to say, "The false religion signified by this great harlot is universal in its acceptance." The prostitution of divine truth is supported and accepted by the fallen sons of Adam wherever they are found upon the earth. While the false religions of the world may fight among themselves, at times, they will always be found united in their opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of the grace of God revealed in him.
Then John describes this woman as one sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (v. 3). The beast is the same one we saw in chapter 13. It tells us that this woman, the religion of this world, is inspired by and empowered by satan himself (v. 8). (See II Cor. 11:1-5, 13-15). The seven heads of the beast are the kingdoms and empires of this world, by which false religion is both protected and advanced (vv. 9-10). The number seven may be merely a symbolical, figurative number, implying the complete, universal acceptance of false religion, all under the demonic influence of the beast (v. 11). William Hendriksen suggests that, the seventh head might be the collective title for all antichristian governments from the fall of Rome unto the second coming of Christ, existing in that short space of time we call "the Gospel Age" (Rev. 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5). The ten horns of the beast are kings, rulers of the world, raised up by satan for brief periods of time to make war with Christ and his church (vv. 12-14). They are not mighty emperors, just little presidents, senators, congressmen, governors, legislators, prime ministers, etc., to whom satan gives a brief time of power to oppose the cause of Christ. This woman, the great harlot is the religion of this world, which reigns over the kings, people, and nations of the earth in opposition to Christ and his church (vv. 14, 18).
WHAT SHALL BECOME OF THE WOMAN? When John saw this great harlot, this great antichristian religious system, ruling over the people and nations of the earth, making the kings of the earth drunk with her idolatry and will worship, he was astonished. He says, "When I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (v. 6). A better reading would be, "I was astonished with great terror." And well he might be! But he is comforted and encouraged by the realization that this great harlot shall be brought to destruction by the will of God, and that even she is under the dominion of our great God and Savior, and shall serve his purpose (vv. 16-17). Take courage, Christ shall prevail! And in him we shall prevail too. We are, in Christ Jesus, more than conquerors. This great harlot, with all her hellish power, shall have no influence over the church of God’s elect (vv. 8, 14). Though all the world is deceived by the charms of false religion, the mother of harlots cannot deceive or destroy any of God’s elect. Our names were written, immutably, in the book of life before the world began (Rev. 13:8). We are called of God; and the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (Rom. 11:29). We have been chosen as the objects of God’s mercy, love, and grace; and the purpose of God in election must stand. God makes his elect faithful to Christ by the power of his grace; and faithful men and women cannot be turned away from their Master. Our Redeemer and Savior is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who is the almighty Lord of lords and King of kings (II Tim. 1:12). In the end, by the will of God, this woman shall be destroyed (vv. 16-17). It seems at times that antichrist will prevail. But as our God sent confusion to the people of Babel and turned them against one another, as he overthrew Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and Rome, he will utterly destroy all false religion, and make the great harlot desolate in the end, so that even those who once carried her upon their shoulders shall despise her and devour her. In God’s time, Babylon shall fall. And even Babylon shall prove, in the last great day, to have been the servant of God to perform his will in the earth (I Cor. 11:19; II Thess. 2:1-14; Psa. 76:10).
WHAT ARE WE TO LEARN FROM THIS VISION? There are many, many things taught in this picture. But I want to give you just four things to remember for the comfort and strength of your soul. (1.) The Lord our God is sovereign over all things. He is in control. He is performing his will. (2.) Popularity is no indication of the will of God or the truth of God. If you would follow Christ, you must be prepared to swim against the tide, always be in the minority, and always face bitter opposition from the world. (3.) God’s elect are secure at all times, being kept by the power of His grace (Rom. 8:28-39). (4.) The religion of this world will prove to be empty, frustrating and loathsome in the end. Those who revel in it today will despise it at the last. But it will be too late! There will be nothing but hatred in that day, when the lost mother meets her lost son, the lost wife meets her lost husband, and the lost preacher meets his lost hearers in hell! In eternity, all who have served Babylon shall despise her and shall themselves be despised.