12 Sep Reflections on Revelation #290
‘Day 290
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, holding in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? 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.” REV 1-7 (NASB)
The sixth plague causes the symbolic drying up of the Euphrates, as the disillusioned people of the world withdraw their popular support from end-time Babylon. As we saw in the plagues, the shattering of her power will be preceded by extensive demonic activities counterfeiting the work of God (Rev.16:13-14.) The demonic activity will be successful in uniting the wicked in preparation for the battle of Armageddon.
At the outset of the final battle, a great earthquake occurs as part of the seventh plague. The earthquake shatters the unity of Babylon and splits it into three parts (Rev.16:18-19). End-time Babylon is portrayed as a city, signifying the short-term union of political and religious powers of the world in opposition to God’s people. This unity is shattered, causing her to break up.
We must keep in mind that Rev.16:10 only announces the political collapse of end-time Babylon. Chapters 17 and 18 tell us how this collapse actually will happen. Before describing her demise and the reasons for its fall (Rev.17:12-18:24,) Revelation 17 describes this end-time apostate religious system, this time in terms of a harlot riding a scarlet beast. In association with her daughters, the harlot Babylon, riding the scarlet beast, seduces the world against God (Rev.17:1-11). This should remind us of satan’s original seduction of 1/3rd of the angels (Rev12) and the deception of Adam and Eve through his lying tongue. Remember he is called by Jesus the “father of lies” (John 8:44.)
Rev 13:1-8 had described the beast and its ‘healing’ in the time of the end. Now we are to see another and final, short-lived union of religion and politics as per the Middle Ages.
No Comments