The religious system as described in Revelation 17

Notes from a sermon heard on 13 February 2011

Revelation chapter 17

The book of Revelation is a tremendous book from beginning to end. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ given to John on the isle of Patmos. He is there because of his stand for Jesus Christ. Sometimes our stand for the Lord sets us apart, singles us out. Sometimes we come under criticism and ridicule because of this stand. John took that stand because of the Roman Empire in that day. He was taken to the Isle of Patmos. God uses him immediately to write this book. God can use us in whatever situation we are in. In our weakness we seem to be of no value whatsoever. As we turn to this chapter we might well ask ourselves what is the significance of this to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We look at this woman in Revelation 17, a symbol of a system that the anti-Christ will take his seat. Raised up the great leader who everyone will look up to. By this stage the church of Jesus Christ will have been taken home to glory. Verse 3 John is here carried away in the spirit in the wilderness “I saw a woman sit”. She is mounted upon a beast. That is the image he has – a scarlet woman sitting on a beast. Then he takes up this image of the beast. He is full of names of blasphemy and had 7 heads and 10 horns – verse 12. Here's a woman sitting on a beast with 10 horns. These 10 horns are 10 kings ruling in an empire, ruling in our world today. Soon there will be a confederacy reigning in this world. This woman will come full of ideas and flattery. The 10 kings will give their allegiance to the beast. This kingdom will be run by the power of this woman. She is controlling the 10 king confederacy of the last days. She will only do that for 3½ of the 7 years. Those who have not been washed in the blood of the lamb will be left behind. When Jesus comes will you be left behind? After 3½ years the confederacy will have had enough and one of the kings will set up his own image – verse 16. It is a description of a woman but really it is of a religious system. This will be Satan's superchurch – all beliefs, all nations, all creeds will come under one umbrella of 10 kings confederacy. The roots of it are seen today. Look at your newspapers, your television screens and see where religious denominations are coming together. It might be viewed as a nice thing, great grace being shown on both sides. Seeing here the roots of the superchurch which the anti-Christ will use for his own means in the last days.

In verse 5 John sees this woman's foundation. She is given a name here – “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots, and abominations of the earth” I believe she is a religious all sorts. A harlot is one who is unfaithful, who will sell her body for gain or satisfaction. The picture here is of one who is unfaithful to God, an apostate system. It comes from the word “hornet” portraying purity for personal gain. Genesis 10 verse 9 shows the origin of the harlot. A man called Nimrod, a “mighty hunter before the Lord”. In the eyes of God he was not hunting for animals but rather for the souls of men and women. He built a kingdom called Babel in the land of Shinar. They didn't stop just with a city. In Genesis 11 they would build a “tower whose top may reach unto heaven.” (verse 4) They put around the top all sorts of images and stars. That was the beginning of idolatrous system that became the source of pagan worship. “A gateway to God” is what Babel means. He wanted a way back to God for himself – that is what he was trying to do. There are many man made gateways back to God but the Bible says there is only one way back to God and that is through the cross of Calvary. When the Lord sent his son into this world he took the sins of a lost mankind, they were placed on his body on the cross of Calvary. He made perfect atonement. Has he got your sin tonight? Are you born again of the Spirit of God? The foundation of this tower was built upon disobedience and rebellion to God. Desire would become the source of idolatry. The source, the beginning of all man made religions in the world today. The roots are in the world tonight. Drawing in from all parts every creed, nationality drawing them under one umbrella. The Roman Catholic system is wonderful depiction of it all. Nimrod's wife was called Semiramus. Nimrod died and his wife bore a son. She claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived. Not only was the child worshipped but the woman, the Mother was also worshipped as much or more than the son (Jeremiah 51 verse 7) Her son was called Tammuz. She was the origin of a religion of the mother and son. That is where the origin of that worship came from. That is why we see it today in the Roman Catholic church. The cleansing of sins by holy water – that idea came from her. Roots of worship of Mary. Not trying to knock this system of religion but desire to see people saved and won for the kingdom of God. In Jeremiah 44 she became the queen of heaven. Tammuz was killed and later in life apparently resurrected. She took over everything God has given in his word and twisted it around.

Notice her failure – verse 1 “that sitteth upon many waters.” Verse 15 “The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples, and multitudes and nations and tongues.” This woman influences people around the world. She has a finger in every nation in the world. She has her doctrines in every place tonight in the world. Verse 2 her control reaches into the government of the earth. The kings have given into this system. She is unfaithful and has no morals. You can be part of this system. You can be what you like. The inhabitants of this world have become drunk with the wine of her fornication. People don't mind religion as long as can be what they like, live whatever way they want to. This system has no morals or standards as long as we join this system. Jesus preached of 2 ways – a narrow way that leads to heaven which only a few enter in and a broad road that leads to destruction and damnation. Many go into this second way. Why is it created? Because we can do and live as we please. Revelation 17 shows there are no morals, no standards. This system beckons all to come, to live whatever way you wish. The Holy Spirit comes into your heart and life, dictates what way you should live. For many they see it as too narrow. It means disassociating myself with this or that, giving up so many things but this other system allows you to hold onto everything.

Her falsehood – verse 4. She is “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand” Gold speaks in the word of God of divine action. God's activity. Here's a woman who looks as if doing a service of God. Looks good when you look into the system. Look at your television screen and you will see there a man walking up the aisle, people crowd around him, they have crosses held high and are decked in necklaces around their necks. They have robes that hang to their feet, coloured regalia and hats. They work with incense at the altar, smoke is going up. It looks good – as if it is of God yet far away from God as any system could be. At the last visit of the Pope there was an interview with a Protestant Church leader. He was asked on 3 occasions if he thought the Pope was a Christian and 3 times he didn't want to answer the question. The interviewer pushed him again by asking “is he not a Christian then?” The Protestant church leader turned around and said “it is not for me to judge.” The Pope, when he takes office says he is “the vicar of Christ on earth”. What does this mean? When Christ is not on the earth the Pope is his representative. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is Christ's representative on earth so how could the Pope take on this title for himself? Revelation 18 verse 4 – God is saying of these last days “don't get involved with this system of religion.” Paul to the Corinthian church said in 2 Corinthians 6 verse 17 “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord ...” The roots of this system are working in our day. The cup in this woman's hand is beautiful to look at but it is “full of abominations”. This system is infiltrating the Protestant churches today. We need to be ready to take our stand – to do as Paul said “come out from among them and be separate”.
Her ferocity. She is attired in the splendour of the world system. Verse 6 here's a woman that has been made drunk. Where are those who have joined her? We can see today members of the government and even members of the Royal family who have joined this religious system. She takes them in with a welcome but when someone stands against her they suffer greatly – just read Foxe's book of Martyrs and stories of the Spanish Inquisition. You will read of people butchered, burned at the stake, stoned. Why? All because they were against this system of religion.

Her fate. Verse 16 – this woman at this stage is sitting on the beast controlling these 10 heads. She is organising governments through this religious system of all sorts of creeds, nationalities and peoples. At some point after 3½ years these 10 kings will turn against this system. It will be put down – verse 17 “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” It is God's sovereign plan, right down to the very days of the great tribulation. This woman is in control and then God steps in and brings her down. We can see the roots of this woman in our society today. John depicts her as woman but it is really a religious system. A deceptive, dangerous, disruptive system. Striving at great lengths to bring everyone under her banner. Be careful tonight if you are a child of God. Be not deceived by this system because God will judge this system. May God help us. The purpose of these meetings are to see men and women saved, to see you born again of the spirit of God.