“Beauty on the Beast“ Revelation 17:1-18 Pastor Dave Greenhood | September 5, 2021

Intro:

cr. Rev 14

“It has fallen, Babylon the Great...who made all the nations

drink the wine of her sexual immoralities which brings wrath.”

cr. Rev 16:19b with more details in Rev 17, 18

I. A Descriptive Metaphor for Babylon vs. 1-6

A. A Notorious Prostitute Seducing the World

v. 1 cr. Rev 15:1 … 16:1 … 16:17 … 16:19 “a loud voice from the sanctuary” …

“a woman” … prostitute … notorious

“sits on many waters” cr. Rev 17:15

v. 2 “sexual immorality” … through the ages turning humanity toward religious substitutes

Woman … Prostitute … “False religion”

B. An Expanded Description Identifying the Woman

v. 3 Beast … Scarlet… “World Government” cr. Rev 13:1

“to a desert” …

“woman sitting on a scarlet beast” … “seven heads, ten horns” …

v. 4 “dressed in purple, scarlet … adorned”

v. 5 “a cryptic name” … “Babylon the Great” ...

“mysterion” …

v. 6 Note the groups: “saints” of the Hebrew Scriptures; “witnesses to Jesus” from the Church era;

Joining into those “Jesus people” of the Tribulation era

II. A Detailed Meaning of Babylon vs. 6b-18

A. A Revived Empire

v. 6-7 John “astonished” Why?

“woman and the beast“ of v. 3

v. 8 Specifics: “come up from the abyss” ...

“those who live on the earth … astonished”

“names ...not written in the Book of Life”

Beauty

on the Beast

“Beauty on the Beast” - page 2

v. 9 “mind with wisdom”

“seven heads … seven mountains” …

v. 10 Seven World Empires … “five fallen” …

“one is …

“other not yet come” … “remains for a little while” cr. Rev 13:1-3

v. 11 Yet future 8th king …

v. 12 Yet future … a last reconstituted world empire … arises from the “10 horns” = “10 kings”

v. 13 “one purpose” …

v. 17 “For God has put it into their hearts” …

B. A Crumbling Alliance

v. 14 “will make war against the Lamb” …

[v. 15 cr. 17:1]

v. 16 “hate the prostitute” … the irony … cr. 17:4a

v. 18 “woman you saw” …

Wrap Up …

BABYLON THE GREAT

A Religious System … A Revived Empire

Take note:

cr. 17: 12 … brevity of limited time

cr. 17:14b … certainty of outcome … You are the called, chosen, faithful EKKLESIA!

cr. 17:17b … finality of God’s Words