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Psalms
116:1-19 I love the
LORD, because He has heard My voice and
my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains
of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble
and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I implore
You, deliver my soul!" Gracious is
the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is
merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk
before the LORD In the land of the living. I believed, therefore I spoke,
"I am greatly afflicted." I said in my haste, "All men are liars." What shall I render
to the LORD For all His
benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name
of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His
people. Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints. O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your
maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of
thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to
the LORD Now in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the LORD's
house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
Father God we praise you and ask that you bless us and
our loved ones during this Thanksgiving Holiday. Keep us all safe in our
travels to and fro. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 17:1-7 NKJV
Chapters
17 & 18 is all about the fall of Babylon the Great. Babylon is the
representation for the whole world system under the Antichrist, as dominated by
Satan and manifesting wickedness politically, religiously, and commercially.
Babylon will be completely destroyed during the last half of the Tribulation.
Religious Babylon (the harlot) will be destroyed by the Antichrist, while
political Babylon will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His second coming.
1 Then one
of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to
me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on
many waters,
Then
one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me; This is one of the angels that
carried and poured out one of the bowls, therefore making this a continuation
of the previous chapter.
Come,
I will show you the judgment of the great harlot; who sits on many waters; This harlot is referred to as a
prostitute or whore in other Bible translation, so don’t be confused. It is
referring to the many religions of the present day world. The judgment of this
great harlot pertains to all the false religions, mans doctrine, mans
ritualistic religion, etc. Bible prostitution and adultery, when used
figuratively, denote religious apostasy and unfaithfulness to God, and signify
people who profess to serve God while actually worshipping and praying to other
gods or goddesses. In other words they practice do as I say and not as I do.
There is a vast difference
in those that belong to the religions of the world and those of the Bride of
Christ meaning the Church, which represents all that are Born Again. Those that
follow and practice religion thinking they will go to Heaven are actually
following the great harlot’s ways. Religion is religion, and religion will not
save anyone. It is faith in Jesus Christ in what He did on the Cross for us. It
is believing in His death and resurrection and that He is presently seated at
the right hand of God Almighty. The harlot is subject to Satan and the chaste
bride is subject to Jesus. Satan clothes the harlot and her followers in
riches, material goods, pride, boastfulness, selfishness, foul language, dirty
stories, using God’s name as a way to express one’s self without meaning, same
sex marriage, drugs, alcohol, abortion, etc. God clothes his bride in white
linen and righteousness. Revelation
19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice and
give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made
herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine
linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the
saints. Eternal death
is the reward of the harlot; eternal glory the reward of the Bride.
Who
sits on many waters; “Who”
is referring to the harlot and “many waters” is referring to any religion that
permeates the four corners of the world along with many other religious
denominations around the world. There is no true religion in this world today,
religion is religion, only a true church the bride of Christ, Born Again
Saints. Religion these days consist of the practice of religious beliefs
and ritual observances of faith devised by man. When I say true religion, I’m
referring to a denomination following the New Testament, the book of Acts and Epistles
in particular, with every jot and tittle accounted for.
This religious system
under the harlots control will reject all basic belief of the Christian faith and
all those who are loyal to Jesus Christ and the Word of God. The religious
systems of the world will enter into a partnership with the political,
economic, and social ways of Babylon. The antichrist will unite religion with
the political system in order to take spiritual control over the nations. We
studied this in Chapter 13 and we have also heard our past presidents and
present President speak of one world order. The things being proposed and
supported by congress pertaining to partner-shipping with the United Nations
for the well being of the USA, is one of many of the first steps toward one
world order.
Religious leaders will
persecute all those who believe that Jesus is the one true way to God. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me. This
religious system of the harlot will be a melting pot for many religions and
will require acceptance and tolerance of each as being equally true. The principal
issue will be a worldwide unified religious system wedded to a unified
international political system. This diverse religion will become the hold of Satan
and his evil followers.
We have all heard the
phrase, “come out of her” which is referring to this religious system. All true
believers are commanded to come out of this religious alliance, or they will be
condemned with it. Revelation
18:4 And I heard another voice from
heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins,
and lest you receive of her plagues.
In the end God will cause the antichrist to destroy this religious harlot and
Jesus will destroy evil. Revelation
17:16 And the ten horns which you
saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat
her flesh and burn her with fire.
2 with whom
the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth
were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
With
whom the kings of the earth committed fornication; there will be compromise between the
rulers of the earth in accepting the harlot’s religious system being promoted
by the antichrist. All denominations will join together under the influence of
the harlot, in other words they will go to bed with the harlot.
The
inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication; Here to, not only kings, but the
inhabitants of the earth will follow this religious system because it will be
pleasing to human nature. It will be a religion of pleasing the flesh; it will
be one of worldly things; it will be one that will make humans drunk with the wine
of her fornication. God’s prescribed order of marriage will fall by the way
side, which it is presently, and Sodom and Gomorra will be re-established.
3 So he
carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on
a scarlet beast which was full
of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
So
he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting
on a scarlet beast; This
angel carries John away in the spirit meaning a vision and in this vision John
sees the woman sitting on a scarlet beast. The color scarlet represents the
blood of the persecuted and martyred.
Which was full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns; Names of blasphemy represents everything that goes
against God and His righteousness. This beast is the world government or can be
referred to the political Babylon. As discussed in earlier lessons the seven
heads on this scarlet beast represents seven kingdoms, six have ruled and one to
come in the future to rule. Five kingdoms have already fallen (Egypt, Assyria,
Babylonia, Medo-Persia and Greece). The “one that is” is the Roman Empire of
John’s day and the “one to come” is that of the coalition of the ten nations that
will come together in the future (tribulation time period) consisting of the
old Roman Empire territory. The ten horns are ten nations which is the seventh
head.
4 The woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the
filthiness of her fornication.
This verse describes the
woman arrayed in all glory. The finest jewelry, clothes, a golden cup to drink
from, all that one could ask for to satisfy the flesh of mankind. It is a
picture of the world and having worldly possessions. It is a picture of living
and satisfying self’s wants and desires no matter what anyone says. The common
thought of today’s society is; times have changed, and surely God has changed
with the times; the Bible is for ancient times. This woman portrays that
everything is grand and wonderful on the outside, but what she holds in the cup
represents every type of sin that God hates and will send people to Hell for, if
they go to bed with her in her filthiness.
5 And on
her forehead a name was
written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The “great harlot” of
verse one is the mother of harlots and the mother of all false religions. Religions
that man has devised or religion that man has changed and falsified to meet the
needs of changing times. The key word here is “mystery” and based on the use of the word in verse 7, this verse should probably read,
“on her forehead a mysterious name was written.” The title itself suggests that
all spiritual harlotry and abominable acts in history are somehow the offspring
of Babylon.
The name Babylon
originates from Babel, which symbolizes unified false religion, sorcery,
astrology, and rebellion against God. This type of religion will save no one. Isaiah 47:1-13
6 I saw the
woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
Drunk with the blood of the
Saints represents the persecution that Born Again children of God go through
when they try to tell people their testimony in what God has done for them in
saving them. The false religions and world systems don’t want to hear about
this type of salvation either, in fact there are religions that kill those that
won’t deny Jesus.
John marveled because it
was reveled to him who was responsible for the persecution and death of his
fellow believers in Jesus Christ. It wasn’t and isn’t man that comes up with
the trickery to turn mankind’s hearts from God, but it is Satan working behind
the scenes. It is that old sin nature we inherited from Adam that Satan uses to
drive a wedge between God and us.
7 But the
angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the
woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten
horns.
The angel asks John the
question, “Why did you marvel?” and next lesson we will embark on further
explanations concerning this mystery of the great harlot and the beast and why
John marveled. Although at this point I think you are starting to see and
understand the relationship.
Babylon
the Great
 |
Art used; by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992.
|
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him
and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God."
Bill
Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you
believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord
Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my
sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a
sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all
of my sins. I believe that only you can
forgive sin. I commit my life to you and
ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.” I believe this and have faith you will make a
new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead
me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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