In the last devotion, we talked about the next of John’s visions. This devotional reading looks at the explanation of that vision and how the woman and the beast are used to forward God’s plan.
Nuggets
- At first, John admired the prostitute.
- The angel rebuked John.
- The angel informed John that belief in God is the foundation for the wisdom needed to understand the mystery.
- God allows all things that happen to happen.
In the last devotion, we talked about the world being depicted by a prostitute, who is given a seat of power. The prostitute is seated on the beast, the Antichrist.
The world is following and will follow the Antichrist.
In the verses in the rest of the chapter, we find out what more this all means.
Let's Put It into Context
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The Mystery Solved
“... When I saw her, I marveled greatly” (Rev. 17: 6 ESV)
At first, John admired the prostitute.
We have to cut John a little slack here. I doubt that he was transcribing what he saw as he saw it. He probably waited until the last Amen before he started the writing process.
So, when he says he marveled greatly at the prostitute, John hadn’t gotten the explanation yet.
Aren’t we like that? We see the bright and shiny, so we don’t dig down to see reality.
Edwards said that John had great admiration. God does not want us to have respect for sin. He doesn’t want us to be in awe of its trappings.
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God wants us to be in awe of Him.
Satan deceives us by presenting the nice and shiny for us to see. He “gives” us what we want.
But what Satan gives us really isn’t what we want. It will end up being the exact opposite.
John Rebuked
“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. 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” (Rev. 17: 6-8 ESV)
The angel rebuked John.
The angel had a come to Jesus meeting with John. He set the boy straight.
Why did the angel tell John the mystery of the woman and the beast?
Yes, God punishes us when we need it. If you don’t believe that, just look at the Wilderness Wanderers.
Mainly, God instructs us to sanctify us. He wants us to be holy as He is (I Pet. 1: 16).
There are many times that the rebuke and the sanctification go hand in hand. It is a prime example of God’s love and God’s wrath being connected.
The beast ended up having three states of existence. He was, then he won’t be, then he’ll come back.
This explains what will happen to the Antichrist.
- Life: “And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads” (Rev. 13: 1 ESV).
- Death: “One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound …” (Rev. 13: 3 ESV).
- Resurrection: “… but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast” (Rev. 13: 3 ESV).
- Defeat: “… and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20: 10 ESV).
What is going to be the response of mankind? Same as John’s – worldview people are going to marvel at the beast. Those that won’t be deceived will be those who have their names written in the Book of Life.
We’ve encountered the bottomless pit before. “And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth” (Rev. 9: 1-3 ESV).
Edwards gave a good description of what the bottomless pit is. He wrote, “… the fathomless abysses of impure lusts, ravenous greed, burning ambition, sensual yearnings, impious irreverences, blasphemous assumptions, etc.”
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When I first read that, I thought, we sometimes get what we hoped for and realize that it wasn’t in our best interests. If this does describe hell, that sure will be the case.
Vision Explained
“This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 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. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 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. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 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’” (Rev. 17: 9-14 ESV)
The angel informed John that belief in God is the foundation for the wisdom needed to understand the mystery.
The angel could explain what the vision meant because he was a holy man and a disciple. That what a mind of wisdom means.
- “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Ps. 25: 14 ESV).
- “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Prov. 9: 10 ESV).
Okay, so what are we supposed to learn from this vision?
- Benson was convinced that the seven mountains were referring to Rome.
- The seven kings are forms of government, five of which have come and gone. The sixth was then currently in power. Of course, Benson thought the seventh king was the Catholic Church.
- The ten horns were ten future kings.
- Having one minds means that all have given allegiance to the beast.
- Their goal is to persecute the Church.
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Edwards felt they would persecute the Church through the rise of crime, injustice, and heathenism.
The angel told John to take heart. The Lamb would overcome the chaos of the beast.
Edwards had an idea how the Lamb will overcome. He wrote, “By the preaching of His own truth and the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. Preaching is the appointment of heaven.”
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The gospel message overcomes the beast.
Isn’t that true? As each one of us ABCD, don’t we overcome Satan?
Do you think that the description of the lamb does not fit with the description of Lord of lords and King of kings? However, both to fit Jesus.
- “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (Jn. 1: 29 ESV).
- “Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’” (Jn. 1: 49 ESV).
Remember, John said that this is the Lamb, not a lamb. We get more from him than nice wool for a sweater.
The Lamb shall overcome the beast, the opposer, once and for all. While He overcomes daily as mankind repent of our sins, He will not permanently overcome until He defeats the beast (Rev. 19).
Remember, Jesus is the One who sacrificed Himself, not some fluffy little animal. He is not the week sister of the group.
Okay, this may be easy to miss. “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’” (Rev. 17: 14 ESV emphasis added).
If we are going to be with the Lamb, as He makes war and overcomes, then we will be His army.
I bet that scares some of us. I mean, when I was on the nominating committee at church, some didn’t think they knew enough to be a teacher. So, how can we be soldiers?
Well, the answer is always, “It isn’t about us. It is about the Commander.”
Jesus will be the one Who overcomes, not us.
We are there because we are called, chosen, and faithful. Roberts said we are called by grace and chosen through confidence. Those are both through God and Jesus’ doing.
We show they chose well by being faithful.
Continued Explanation
“And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 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, 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. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth’” (Rev. 17: 15-18 ESV)
God allows all things that happen to happen.
We can easily see the reach the prostitute is going to have. It is described as peoples, multitudes, and nations.
But then, Jesus told us that would be the case. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Mt. 7: 13 ESV).
But then we get an interesting tidbit — the beast’s true feelings. “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” (Rev. 17: 16 ESV emphasis added).
The beast — the Antichrist — hates the prostitute — the worldview people.
Satan doesn’t do what he does because he loves us. On the contrary, he hates us.
God, on the other hand, has an everlasting love for us. “The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jer. 31: 3 ESV).
God loves us, yet He can use those who do not believe in and live for Him. Case in point, verse 17.
Clarke explained what that looked like here. He wrote,
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled – Let no one imagine that these ten Latin kingdoms, because they support an idolatrous worship, have been raised up merely by the power of man or the chances of war. No kingdom or state can exist without the will of God; …”
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Nothing happens without God’s approval – good or bad.
The name of the city is not listed. It may be a city that was listed in God’s Word. It may be a current city. It may be one that is established in the end days.
We don’t know for sure. Saying we do means we are relying on our own understanding.
Making the Connections #1
Thomas had a great definition of moral principles. He wrote, “… those great moral principles which are the expressions of his own nature, the laws that control the destinies of moral mind, are of transcendent import.”
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That is one reason God wants us to be sanctified by Him. He wants us to replace the worldview morals with His.
If moral principles are expressions of our nature, we want them to reflect God’s nature. That is why we can’t have anything but a sincere conversion. Anything less does not control the destinies of our minds.
Anything less, our destiny is the bottomless pit.
Making the Connections #2
Are the dragon and the beasts really serving a purpose for our good. Remember, Romans 8: 28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).
So, what is God’s purpose. Edwards told us that. He wrote,
“God has a purpose, the world is to be converted, and all things are working to accomplish that end; but God’s way is in the sea, and His path in the mighty waters; He is the real, though invisible, ruler, both of matter and of mind. The laws of providence are just as Divine in their appointments and results as the laws of nature. All things work to usher in the day predicted by the angel’s song, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’”
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Yes, God wants all to gain salvation.
- “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2: 3-4 ESV).
- “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Pet.3: 9 ESV).
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16 ESV).
Making the Connections #3
Okay, Clarke gave some verses that he said was evidence that the woman/great city was Rome, specifically the Catholic Church. Specifically, he wrote, “It has already been shown that the woman sitting upon the seven-headed beast is a representation of the Latin Church; here we have the greatest assurance that it is so, because the woman is called a city, which is a much plainer emblem of a Church, as the word is used unequivocally in this sense in so many parts of Scripture that we cannot well mistake its meaning.”
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We have to be open to viewing opposing viewpoints to see if our beliefs are right or wrong. So, let’s view the evidence.
- “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Rev. 3: 12 ESV).
- “but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months” (Rev. 11: 2 ESV).
- “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High” (Ps. 46: 4 ESV).
- “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb. 12: 22-24 ESV).
Oh, seriously? Talking about the holy city automatically makes the woman/city the Roman Catholic Church?
Does the Catholic Church have everything figured out? No. Does any denomination? No.
Can a denomination have it so wrong that they are – in actuality – supporting Satan? Unfortunately, yes, in my opinion.
Satan is trying to tear the Church down from the inside. If he can get us to think we are following God but disobeying Him, he is going to be all for that.
We can’t be so set in what we think we know that we miss what God actually does leading up to and on the Day of the Lord.
How Do We Apply This?
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
- Be with Him when Jesus overcomes.
- Be known as faithful and true.
- Be innocent, mild, and pure.
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Father God. You allow everything that happens to happen so that it can be used for our good. Sanctify us, Lord, so that we can become as You are. Amen.
What do you think?
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