THURSDAY
The beast pops up again in chapter 17, so we are fast forwarding to there today and tomorrow. This text is after the seventh bowl (the third set of 7 judgments) so John is here revisiting the theme of the judgment of Babylon that he mentions briefly in the judgments.
Revelation 14:8 (ESV) 8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
Revelation 16:19 (ESV) 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
Revelation 17:1-6 (ESV)
The Great Prostitute and the Beast
1 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.
This is not literally a prostitute. Sexual immorality here refers to idolatry and sin, generally, which checks out with what we talked about yesterday. As we will see tomorrow, the woman is a figure for the city of Rome. The other nations have participated in the idolatry of the imperial cult and the many other sins of Rome. The unbelievers (earth dwellers) are “drunk” on her sins as well. (v. 2)
The Spirit carries John to the wilderness, again reminding us of Ezekiel’s vision. The wilderness can be used as a few different symbols. Last week we saw it used as the place of provision and security. Here it is likely symbolizing the place of judgment and desolation. The context determines which connotation is in view.
The purple and the scarlet on the beast and the woman symbolize royalty and wealth. This is furthered by her adornment with jewels and pearls and a golden cup in her hand. Although the woman looks beautifully adorned on the outside, the cup is full of abominations and impurities. Again this is a symbol of her idolatries and many sins.
The name on her forehead is Babylon. This is said to be a mystery. The mystery isn’t that it isn’t known…it’s written on her forehead. The mystery is that the name is Babylon. You’ll remember from Monday that Babylon, or the idea of Babylon, lives on in the city of Rome and all other cities that fall prey to idolatry and rampant sin.
This woman, i.e. Rome, i.e. Babylon, is drunk on the blood of the martyred saints. She is indulging and reveling in killing Christians. This of course would remind his readers of Nero blaming the fire of Rome on the Christians and burning them alive to light the streets of Rome.
This reveals some of the aspects of Babylon, which we will expound more on next week. Here, Babylon is idolatrous and immoral. It is wealthy and its elegance is deceptive, hiding its abominations and impurities. Babylon persecutes the church and revels in it.