Babylon The Great … The Center Of Rebellion Against The Lord
Rev 17:5 KJV – “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “upon her forehead was a name written,… BABYLON THE GREAT ”
Rev 17:5 KJV –
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
In this week’s series of devotions we will be concentrating on the false religions (and their false messengers) that are sent into this world. They are symbolized by the character that John had seen … “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” (otherwise described as “the Great Whore”).
Our devotions for this week will concentrate on the 5 different titles given to this character….
- “The Great Whore”; 2. “Mystery”; 3. “Babylon The Great”; 4. “The Mother Of Harlots”; 5. “The Mother Of… Abominations Of The Earth”
In our devotion for this morning, we will be looking at the title “Babylon The Great”.
Throughout the Bible, the city of Babylon represents opposition and rebellion against the Lord. Babylon traces its beginning back to the Tower of Babel. It was there at the Tower of Babel that we see the first ORGANIZED attempt by mankind to oppose God and find their security and peace within themselves. (Gen 11:1-9)
The false religious activities in this world are centered around these principles as well. Beginning at Eden, Satan has been continually seeking to pervert the Word of God as an act of rebellion against the Lord.
Satan set the pattern for this abuse in Eden when he attempted to pervert God’s Word in three ways:
- Taking the Word out of context by ignoring a portion of it
God said…“Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (2:16-17a)
Satan took this out of context and said…“Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (3:1)
- Adding to The Word
God said… “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (2:16-17)
Satan added to this quote and said… “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” (3:3)
- Contradicting The Word
God said… “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (2:17)
Satan contradicted it and said… “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”
Folks these are the three ways that Satan perverted the Word in Eden and it is the way he continues to pervert God’s Word within the realm of false religious teachings today…
- Taking things out of context (by ignoring/deleting portions of it)
- Adding to it
- Contradicting it
These three methods successfully brought sin into the world and led Adam and Eve to rebel against the Lord So, too, throughout the ages Satan has successfully used these methods to create every false doctrine that exists.
May we all be on guard against allowing these errors to influence our understanding of truth. For those of us who are given the responsibility to teach His Word, may we all be on guard against allowing these errors to slip into our teachings.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The False Religions of This World… Are They A Mystery To You?
Rev 17:5 KJV – “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY”
Rev 17:5 KJV –
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
In this week’s series of devotions we will be concentrating on the false religions (and their false messengers) that are sent into this world. They are symbolized by the character that John had seen … “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” (otherwise described as “the Great Whore”).
Our devotions for this week will concentrate on the 5 different titles given to this character….
1. “The Great Whore”; 2. “Mystery”; 3. “Babylon The Great”; 4. “The Mother Of Harlots”; 5. “The Mother Of… Abominations Of The Earth”
In our last devotion we studied the title “The Great Whore”. In our devotion for this morning, we will be looking at the title “Mystery”.
The word translated “Mystery” here does not simply describe something that is unknown. It actually means something that is “known to the initiated, but unknown to all others”. In other words, the character, motivations, abilities and workings of this woman sitting upon the beast is unknown by many, however, known by some people.
If this is the case, the next questions we should ask are … who are the people that are “in the know?” And “who are the people that are ignorant of these truths about her?” The Bible gives us the answer to these questions.
In 2 Corinthians 2:11, we are told that Christians “are not ignorant of his (Satan’s) devices”.
Whereas, lost mankind in 2 Corinthians 4:4, are said to be “blinded” by “the god of this world” (Satan). This blinding involves a blindness towards Christ, His work and His truth, as well as towards Satan, His devices, and His teachings of error.
As Christians we all should understand how Satan uses his earthly religious kingdom of error to mislead and ensnare lost mankind. Also, we all should understand the need to:
1. RECOGNIZE her teachings
1Jn 4:1-3 KJV –
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
2. SEPARATE ourselves from it
2Jn 1:9-11 KJV –
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
Rom 16:17-18 KJV –
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
3. and ACTIVELY REVEAL AND OPPOSE them using the truths of God’s Word….
Eph 4:14-15 KJV –
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
May we all firmly stand against the workings of Satan, as he uses the false teachings and religious systems of this world to oppose the work of Christ.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
“The Choice Has Been Made” (What the Supreme Court Decision on Homosexual Marriage Proves to Us All)
Note: For an in depth study of the Biblical teaching on same-sex marriage, please see my posting: http://wp.me/pU88A-nE
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On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States in a 5 to 4 ruling that, in effect, rules that states can no longer prohibit same sex marriages. Over the past 50 years, we have seen our country ban school-sponsored Bible reading in schools; it has prohibited state-sponsored prayer in school; it has legalized the taking of unborn life; and now, it has mandated the allowance of gay marriage in all 50 states.
In this sequence of events, we can see our country’s gradual rejection of honoring, respecting and obeying our Lord Jehovah, replacing these with an exaltation and submission to the gods of this world (including man himself).
No longer are God’s desires what is important… they have been replaced with the desires and sinful lusts of man.
No longer is our Creator Jehovah looked upon as our Lord and King… now, mankind sees themselves as the one to whom we owe our allegiance.
No longer is what the Lord says that is important, now all that is important is that we all are politically correct, never condemning any action of others, but being accepting and aiding in the commission of sin.
Obviously, in the eyes of our society, it is more important that man be allowed to have his way than to be restricted by a Lord who only desires what is for our good and His glory. Paul addressed this very issue in Romans 1:21-32. In this text Paul addressed the gradual decline of the Gentile world as they rejected the witness of God they had received and turn instead to the ruler ship of another…
Romans 1:21-32
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Sounds like our country, does it not?
Folks, our Lord has graced us with the truth of His Word and we have willfully turned from these principles. We have chosen to follow the desires of the creature instead of the desires of our God. According to the above passage of Scripture, we have now entered the last stages of this rebellion against the Lord. What we saw take place with the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage is the official, public declaration of our nation’s condition, just as rebellious gentiles of Paul’s day, who turned from God and then steadily lost the truths of His Word that they once possessed. We have now, officially, publically, arrived at this place.
God has turned us over to our own lusts, taking His Word out from among us, which is now clearly seen by the immorality that is taking place around us.
At the founding of our nation we were given a choice by Jehovah, much like the choice given to the Israelites by Moses… the choice was to choose between good and evil which would be, in essence, a choice between the life and death of the nation. If the Israelites chose the path of obedience to God, following the good, they would be insuring the future life and health of their nation, as it would be surrounded by the blessings of God.
If, however, they chose the path of evil, it would be laying a foundation of wickedness that would result in their eventual death as a nation….
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 KJV
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”
Folks, we have made this choice, the path of evil has been now interwoven in our society. Our Lord has been rejected by our government, our future now is headed on the path of continued departure from the Lord, wickedness on every hand, and eventual ruin. I truly believe that now, it is simply a matter of time.
Is there no hope? With each passing day our hope grows more dim. Of course, the Lord could always graciously, mercifully intervene and work a true miracle of repentance and restoration in our nation. At this point in time is there any indication He will do this? Absolutely not. He can, but based upon the last 50 years, I am hard pressed to say that He will work such a miracle; especially, for a people who have willfully turned away from Him, and continue to do so in our government, churches, and families with no sign of repentance in sight.
Why am I writing this posting? To accomplish three basic ends. I desire to remind us, as the people of God:
- We should not be surprised if we see things decline at a faster rate. It seems as if the more truth we turn from, the more quickly truth is taken from us. We have seen in over the past 50 years and I have no reason to believe this will decelerate in anyway. I believe it is very possible that a greater persecution of God’s people (those who attempt to continue to stand in the truths of God) is on its way.
- We should recognize that we are living in the last days and that the Lord’s coming is close at hand, closer than it has ever been before. There is a great need for us to seek to meet the spiritual needs of those around us because our time of service may be drawing to a close.
- We should seek the riches of the Lord that is found in His Word and His promises, prayer, and service to Him . We should be constantly guarding our hearts to make sure that our affections are not turned from our Lord and His Word. May we never allow this attitude we see in our nation rub off on us.
Folks, it is just as Paul says, “we are dead and our life is hid with Christ”. If our nation continues on this path of decline, let’s not be discouraged our Lord is still on the throne, we are hid in Him, and soon, we will be home with Him!!!
Colossians 3:1-4 KJV
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
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Email: rob.barkman@settledinheaven.org
The Seductive Powers Of Satan’s Teachers…
Rev 17:1, 3 KJV – “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:….”
“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
For the SIH devotional that covers this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “the Great Whore… I saw a woman sit upon the scarlet colored beast”
Rev 17:1, 3 KJV –
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:….”
“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
In this week’s series of devotions we will be concentrating on the false religions (and their false messengers) that are sent into this world. They are symbolized by the character that John had seen … “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” (otherwise described as “the Great Whore”).
Our devotions for this week will concentrate on the 5 different titles given to this character…. “The Great Whore”, “Mystery”, “Babylon The Great”, “The Mother of Harlots”, and, finally, “The Mother Of Abominations Of The Earth”
The first title we find is “The Great Whore” in other words…. “the Exceedingly Fearful Prostitute”. What a very powerful, expressive name for the false teachers that exist among us.
When we think about a prostitute we think about:
1 a person who seduces others, appealing to their carnal natures, to commit unclean acts.
2. a person who, for purely personal benefit, dirties that which is pure and good (relations within a martial union).
3. a person who publically displays their sinfulness without shame or remorse.
What can we learn about false religious ministries through this vivid imagery?
1. False teachers and religions rely upon seducing others to become their followers. They take the truths of God and pervert them in an effort to lead men away from the true God and become followers of false gods. They are inspired and empowered by Satan making them very dangerous adversaries to the cause of Christ.
Mat 23:15 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
2. False teachers and religions are based entirely upon selfishness. Their message and practices will only lead to the destruction of their followers. Their only motives are to dishonor the Lord, oppose His work and message, and gain wealth and authority through the possession of multitudes of followers.
Php 3:18-19 KJV – “(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
3. False teachers and religions are shameless publically appearing to be spiritual while, in truth, are ungodly, spiritually dead, servants of Satan.
Mat 23:27-29 KJV – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,”
Folks, this is why we will be looking at the false teachers and religions around us this week. Just from this set of descriptions we can see how tremendously dangerous their ministry is to lost mankind, the cause of Christ and the people of God.
As Christians may we remember two important principles as we enter our study this week…
1. We have the responsibility to recognize them and avoid them…
Rom 16:17-18 KJV – “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
2. The Lord WILL BE the ultimate victor over all who oppose Him. He has already won the victory on the cross and is not simply waiting to manifest that victory at His second coming…
Col 2:13-15 KJV – “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Rev 20:10 KJV – “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
May we all strive to oppose the false teaching around us and a void their deceitful seductions… after all, we can be absolutely certain that there is coming a day they will fall at the hands of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ!
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
http://wp.me/pU88A-4aT
Where Will You Run When God’s Wrath Falls?
Rev 16:20 KJV – And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Revelation 17:1-6 “The Woman and The Scarlet Colored Beast”
THE TEXT:
Rev 17:1-6 KJV
(1) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
(2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
(3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
(4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
(5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
(6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
THE INTRODUCTION:
In the previous chapter, we have seen the contents of trumpet 7, in other words bowls 1-7, which spoke of God’s wrath being poured out upon Satan’s kingdoms at the second coming of Christ. As bowl seven was poured out, we saw the wrath of God being brought to completion and the kingdoms of Satan totally destroyed.
Now, in chapters 17: and 18:, we see a detailed look at this kingdom that has just been destroyed…
1. In chapter 17: we take a step back and review the identity and characteristics of Satan’s kingdom. In this text, we have the two aspects of Satan’s kingdom symbolized by the two main characters being presented to us… “the Great Whore” (the religious aspects of Satan’s kingdom) and “the Scarlet Colored Beast” (the political aspects of Satan’s kingdom).
[Please note Revelation 13: where the “Great Whore” in this passage symbolized as the “Beast from the Earth”, while the “Scarlet Beast” is symbolized as the “Beast from the Sea”. This description also links these to a description of Satan as the scarlet dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns in Rev 12:]
2. In chapter 19: we will see warnings that are given to mankind living now to depart from these kingdoms that are destined to fall under the hand of Almighty God.
A brief outline of the coming chapters:
Chapter 17: The Identity and Characteristics of Satan’s Kingdom
17:1-6 – The Woman and The Scarlet Beast Introduced
17:7-17 – The Scarlet Beast In Detail
17:18 – The Woman In Detail
Chapter 18: The Warnings To Depart From Satan’s Kingdom
18:1-3 – Announcement Of Babylon’s Fall
18:4-8 – Warning To God’s People
18:9-10 – Warning To Kings
18:11-17a – Warning To Merchants
18:17b-20 – Warning To Mariners
18:21-24 – Angel With The Millstone
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
Rev 17:1-6 KJV
The Woman and the Beast Introduced:
(1) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,
One of the seven angels that had just delivered the seven vials of God’s wrath, comes to John and reveals details about the target of the vials of wrath, Satan’s kingdom…
Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore
Remember, the judgment of the great whore, has just been fulfilled. The angel now wants to review what John has just seen taking place. He is doing this to clarify in John’s mind the wicked character of Satan’s kingdom (chapter 17) and the need for mankind to separate themselves from that kingdom before it is too late (chapter 18)
Who is this “great whore”?
We will see that she is a picture of the religious kingdoms of Satan…
- She is unfaithful to the Lord,
- she is guilty of seducing men away from the truth to error,
- she is guilty of committing spiritual fornication (spiritual unclean unions with the world)
- she is guilty of spiritual adultery (spiritual unfaithfulness to those she has been united)
- she is shameless and publically seeking others to join her in sinfulness
- etc etc etc
This is why she is symbolized as a “whore”.
These descriptions will be taken from Isa 23:15-17, Jere 3:1-10, 4:30, 5:6-7, 51:6-8, Ezek 16:15-34, Zechariah 5: etc.
that sitteth upon many waters:
Satan’s religious powers are said to be sitting on many waters which symbolizes her great influence and sway over masses of unsettled humanity. The lost are her “throne”. although rejected and opposed by God, in these vast numbers of lost humanity that she receives authority and strength. She is both exalted over and in control of lost mankind.
Think of all the false religions of the world and the amount of lost humanity that are under their authority. These lost people are like a sea tossed to and fro with untrue teachings , ungrounded, and constantly wavering in error.
(Please keep in mind that when the Bible pictures false religions these include not only those groups who lead men to worship a false god, but also humanism, atheism, mammonism, and other belief structures that lead to worship/submission of men or other idols found in this fallen world).
(2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
The political authorities of the world create unlawful unions with the religious kingdoms of Satan. We see this all the time with national religions. They then work together hand in hand. The national religion encourages its followers to submit to the laws of the land, while the political powers threaten punishment to those who teach in opposition to the national religion.
“fornication” comes from a Greek word for “uncleanness” and is the root of the title “whore” as well. Both of these emphasize to us that these unions are sinful unions, not made under the Lord’s approval and authority, just as physical fornication is a sexual union that takes place without the Lord’s approval or authority.
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Because of this unlawful union between the political and religious kingdoms of Satan, we see all of lost mankind seduced to take part in this illicit union as well. They come to these two great kingdoms and join with them, creating a union that displeases the Lord and commits heinous acts of uncleanness in the world.
Here, the sinful condition of the kingdoms, and those who participate in them, is pictured by being drunken with wine… uncontrolled behavior, the constant seeking to fulfill their fleshly lusts, being overcome with their own sins. This is symbolism being given to us to show these kingdoms, and their members, slavery to their carnal lusts.
These are the characters that the angel will now show John in greater detail…
(3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness:
John is said to be “carried away” only twice in Revelation. Here, he is taken away to see Satan’s kingdom, and also in Rev 21:10 when he is taken to see New Jerusalem, the eternal kingdom of God!
What does it mean that John was “in the Spirit”? He was totally surrounded by the Holy Spirit’s power which allowed him to see these wonderful visions.
John is said to be taken “into the wilderness”. The word translated “wilderness” means “desert” or “a place that is destitute of life”. What a statement to make. For John to be shown the kingdoms of Satan, he will have to be taken to the place where there is no life (spiritual life). He will be looking at Satan, his kingdoms, and lost mankind…. no evidence of spiritual life exists within any of this group of sinful beings.
and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast,
John is now shown the two aspects of this kingdom. The religious powers are symbolized by the woman, the political powers symbolized by the beast upon which she sits.
The woman sitting upon the beast symbolizes three things for us:
- she is associated to the beast – the nations of the world and the beast work together (forming of national religions)
- she is supported by the beast – citizens are forced to participate in the national religion
- the beasts is controlled by the woman – the false religions keep the citizenry in submission to the beast and hold great influence in the policy making of the beast
The beast is said to be scarlet colored. Compare the following description of the scarlet beast with the description of the beast from the sea in Rev 13: Clearly this is speaking of the same Satanic kingdom.
Scarlet symbolizes:
- shed blood (of Christ – Exo 25:-29:, Josh 2:18-21) –
- great authority (Gen 38:28-30, Dan 5:7,16,29)
- sinfulness (Isa 1:18)
Satan’s political power is guilty of martyrdom (shedding the blood of Christ’s people); holds great political authority over its citizens; and is characterized by sinful laws, deeds and motivations.
full of names of blasphemy,
Each of the nations of the world are overflowing with laws and works that speak evil of God, opposing His will and ways. Even the most Godly of nations (USA for example) can be seen gradually falling away from the truths of God and accepting the sinful ways of the world (abortions, homosexuality, taking Lord out of schools, silencing truth through politically correct speech etc.)
having seven heads and ten horns.
This beast is said to have seven heads, each of which symbolize one of the great world empires:
1. Egypt;
2. Assyria;
3. Babylon;
4. Medo-Persia;
5. Greece;
6. Rome;
7. The various, diverse kingdoms who became world powers following the Roman Empires fall … (some of these include Russia, China, Japan, USA, Italy, etc etc )
This beast is said to have 10 horns. The horns represent the power and authority held by the kingdoms. The number 10 symbolizes diverse, multiplicity, of these kingdoms. These horns, if located on the seventh head, reinforce the truth that the seventh head does not represent one world empire but many, various, world powers that never gained control the known world (as did the previous 6 world empires).
These quickly summarize the world kingdoms of Satan and their influence in the world over the centuries.
John’s attention is now turned to the “Great Whore” (religious kingdoms of Satan) who is seen riding the beast, once again, if we compare this description with Rev 13 we quickly see this is the same Satanic Kingdom that is described as the “beast from the earth”…
(4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
The color of purple is the color reserved for those held in high honor (royalty, those of beauty or wealth). The color scarlet pictures shed blood, martyrdom, authority, and sinfulness. The gold, precious stones and pearls that adorn her emphasize her perceived great earthly value. They beautify her clothing making her more desired by lost mankind.
Basically the clothing of this woman reveals her as being highly sought after. Due to her seductive ways and teachings, lost mankind is deceived into thinking that she is valuable, beautiful, exalted, and they want to be united with her. However, her clothing also reveals her true character one of abusive of God’s people, sinful and very deceptive and misleading.
This is the perfect representation of the religious kingdoms of Satan. Although these religions are sinful, harmful to the cause of Christ, because they are masters of deception, lost mankind values the false religions of this world. The lost see them as key to eternal happiness and self-fulfillment. They desire to become a part of them seeking to follow their teachings and practices. They are totally deceived and blinded to the true nature of these worldly religions.
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
The woman is seen as holding a golden cup, picturing a cup of great value which is great desired by the lost. This is a cup that is filled with her sins. Once again we see that, although her actions and teachings are sinful and to be rejected, lost men under her influence are totally deceived into seeing her deeds and words as highly valuable.
Her sins are described as “abominations” (that which God greatly hates) and “fornication” (unclean, filthy). Her actions and messages are sinful, dirty, and rebellious, causing the Lord to hate them. Throughout the Bible, idolatry is one of the most commonly mentioned of all abominations. Idolatry is one of the main goals that lie behind Satan’s use of false religions. It is used to get lost mankind to worship any one, or anything, other than the true God.
(5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The Lord reveals this woman though a series of titles:
- Mystery – a secret that is known to the initiated, but unknown to the uninitiated – the true character of this woman is known to the saints of the Lord, but unknown to the lost who have been deceived
- Babylon the Great – Babylon comes from a root meaning “confusion”, “clamor”, or “noise”. The message of Satan’s false religions causes confusion. Spiritually, their teachings are of no greater value than un-orchestrated noise that holds no meaning.
- The Mother of Harlots – She produces great acts of sin by seducing lost men to join in her efforts joining into unlawful unions with her. They join up with her sharing in her sinful acts and teachings and actively seek her preservation.
- The Mother of … Abominations of the Earth – She also produces great abominations in the same way she produces fornications and harlotry. As she seduces lost men, they, in turn, begin committing great acts that God hates.
(6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:
John’s reaction to this vision. As a child of God, He sees her for who she is. He is not deceived by her beauty and seduction…
He sees her great opposition to the Lord and His people “blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus”.
He sees her uncontrolled sinfulness “drunken”.
and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
It is important to note that the root word for “admiration” means “to examine closely” or “to have eyes affixed” on something. It DOES NOT imply that John approved, respected, or in any way coveted her teachings, works, or being.
John is simply saying that after he had studied her, he was dumbfounded…. In other words, after seeing her for who she is, through an extremely careful examination, he then was amazed at how powerful, deceitful, and seductive she was.
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this passage of Scripture, we can see clearly what Christ IS NOT. Please remember, we have been looking at the two kingdoms (religious and political) of Satan. They stand in glaring contrast to the kingdoms of God.
What a wonderful comparison is set before us. Note the comparisons:
| Satan’s Kingdom (Both Aspects) Rev 17: | The Kingdom Of God Rev 21:-22: |
| Sinful | Sinless |
| Temporal | Eternal |
| Members are Lost Mankind | Members are Saved Mankind |
| Located on this Fallen Earth | Located on the New Earth |
| Satan Is King Over Them | God Is King Over Them |
| Headed For Destruction | Experiencing Eternal Glory |
| Deceitful and Seductive | Honest, Transparent, Truthful |
Folks, after we look at this comparison, may we stop and honor Christ today:
We could be serving a deceitful, unreliable king who only seeks his own welfare at the expense of his citizens…. But we don’t!
We could have only eternal judgment and destruction to look forward to… But we don’t!
We could always doubt his truthfulness and sincerity… But we don’t!
We serve a sinless, wonderful, gracious, kind Lord that works for our good as well as His Father’s glory. He keeps every promise, He never misleads us, He always is honest, transparent and speaks for our welfare!
As we think about Satan’s kingly rulership and work within his kingdoms, may we always have grateful hearts… we serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who wonderfully cares for His people and works according to His sinless, gracious will!
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
Folks, may we use this lesson to be a constant reminder of our need to be on guard against the activities of these Satanic kingdoms and see them for what they really are:
- 1 May we always recognize error when it is taught
- May we recognize sinful laws that should not be followed
- May we recognize temporal gain for what it is… short-lived and eternally vain.
- May we recognize no matter how great the earthly authority or power, it cannot stand up to the Lord’s sovereign rule
And may we all learn to separate ourselves from these Satanic kingdoms and live lives of holiness as citizens of the kingdom and family of God!
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found”
Rev 16:20 KJV
(20) And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Historically, islands and mountains were used as places of refuge and security by mankind. When nations were invaded, many of its inhabitants would seek to find shelter; by foot they would travel into the mountains; or they would go by boat to an isolated island to escape the invaders grasp.
In the context of our passage this morning, as God’s wrath falls upon mankind at Christ’s second coming, these much used places of refuge will be done away. In other words, there will be no hiding places or safe places for mankind during this time of wrath from Holy God.
This foreshadows a very important truth concerning the eternal wrath of God that falls against all lost mankind in the Lake of Fire. In the same way that lost mankind living on the earth will have no escape from God’s wrath at Christ’s coming.. so too, all of lost mankind that ever lived on the earth will have no escape from God’s eternal wrath.
Over the years, I have heard those who have rejected Christ say that they believed that they could find escape from God’s wrath in many different ways… same say that the love of God will not allow His wrath to fall upon anyone; others may say that they can find security in their good works of charity towards others; some believe that their practice of their religious ceremonies holds the key to escape punishment for their sins; or in some cases, their hope is placed upon their belief that God and/or the Lake of Fire simply do not exist. This list seems to be endless.
Folks, the Bible is very plain on this issue. The ONLY WAY to escape God’s wrath is through His Son and His work on the cross…
1Th 5:9-10 KJV – “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
Act 4:10-12 KJV – “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
This is one of the clearest teachings found in God’s Word. The entire message of the Bible is centered upon presenting Christ and His work for mankind.,,,
Act 10:38-43 KJV – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
Christ’s is the main theme of God’s Word because of His central role in the history of mankind. He was the Only Son of Almighty God who came to the earth and died for the sins of His people. In doing so, He took upon Himself the punishment for those sins, redeeming His people from their sins and saving them from the wrath to come.
This is the Jesus of the Bible. This is the Only Redeemer of Sinners. This is the ONLY way of escape from the wrath that is to come. Without Christ, there is no island or mountain where sinful man can flee as he stands before Almighty God in judgment for his sins.
May we all come to a mental acknowledgement of this truth and, through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, may we come to see ourselves as sinners deserving of God’s coming wrath. Then as the Lord draws us to Himself, may we see our need of Jesus, turn from our sins and, by faith, turn to Him accepting Him as our Lord and our only hope of salvation from the wrath to come.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
When God Remembers You Will It Be For His Blessings, Or For His Wrath?
Rev 16:19 KJV – “And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “great Babylon came in remembrance before God”
Rev 16:19 KJV
(19) And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
We all want God to remember us, don’t we? Well, in actuality, only those who have been saved by His grace should look forward to His remembrances…
Heb 6:9-12 KJV – “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
What a wonderful promise to those who are His people! When we serve our Lord, He remembers our service, sees our sacrifices and recognizes our acts of praise. Because of this, at His second coming, we will be rewarded for our good works that we have done for Him.
But, what about those who have never trusted Him as their Savior?
In our text, we are told that “great Babylon” (Satan’s kingdom as the origin and home of rebellion, selfishness and humanism) came into God’s remembrance. This holds a very different end for the unsaved…
Jer 14:10 KJV – “Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.”
These words were spoken by the prophet Jeremiah to the lost citizens of Judah. These lost inhabitants of Judah stand as an example of God’s remembrance of the sins of those who rebel against Him refusing to submit to His Lordship and trust in Him as their Savior.
What will lost individuals face in eternity? The Lord wrath falling upon them based upon their sinful motives and deeds…
Rom 1:18 KJV – “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”
For those of us who have trusted in Christ as our Savior, may we all praise and honor Him with our speech and actions today. He loved us, redeemed us, saved us from the wrath to come…. and He will remember us!
For those who have never been saved, He will remember you also. However, His remembrance of you will include remembering your sin and spirit of rebellion against Him. Because of this you will be required to face God’s wrath. However if you turn to Jesus, submitting to His Lordship and trusting in Him as your Savior, He will save you from the punishment of your sins and remember your service to Him.
May we all take these truths to heart and mediate on the truth … He will remember us.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
Miracle Workers Empowered By Demons Speaking Satan’s Lies ….
Rev 16:14 KJV
“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “they are the spirits of devils, working miracles”
Rev 16:14 KJV
“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
The Satanic messages of this world are described here as being empowered by “spirits of devils, working miracles”. The power behind the messages that are presented by Satan’s political and religious kingdoms are inspired by devils (demons) and validated through the use of false miracles and signs.
False miracles and signs have been used throughout history in an attempt to prove that the Satanic messages of the world are divine in origin. Pharaoh’s magicians (Ex 7:11-22) and the false prophets of Israel (Deut 13:1-18) are two great Old Testament examples of Satan’s servants using false miracles to justify their messages and actions. In the New Testament, we find the need for Christians to be on guard against following those who are false miracle workers enabled by Satan in several scriptures (Matthew 24:24, 2 Peter 2:1 etc).
Matthew 7:22-23 is a very sobering passage. In this text, we see those who are relying upon their acts of service and their “miracles” to prove they are saved…
Mat 7:22-23 KJV – “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
However, we see Christ rejecting them because, in spite of their great acts of service, they are without Christ and condemned to eternal death. In this case, we find these false servants who sincerely believed they were right with God and were deceived about their own spiritual condition, based upon their service and false miracles that they performed.
What a horrible condition to be in. To sincerely believe you are saved, actively serving the Lord and performing miracles in His name and yet, He tells you “depart from me, I never knew you”.
How could this ever happen to someone?
This stands as a very strong reminder of the great ability to deceive that Satan holds over lost mankind.
We can learn at least three basic truths from this passage:
- May we never underestimate the great ability of Satan and his followers to perform counterfeit miracles in the name of Christ. Because of this, we should NEVER allow any miracle that is performed automatically cause us to become a follower of the miracle worker. We must always test their ministry testing their message, methods and motives to be certain they are Scriptural. (I John 4:1)
- May we never forget Satan’s ability to blind the spiritual eyes of the lost, requiring us to work with them with patience, kindness, love and seeking God’s gracious intervention in their lives. (Col 4:5-6)
- May we always “make our calling and election sure” realizing it is possible we have been given a false assurance of salvation by Satan working in our lives. (2 Peter 1:10)
May the Lord graciously equip us to do all these things!
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Ugliness Of Satan’s Deceitful Teachings…
Rev 16:13 KJV – “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet”
Rev 16:13 KJV – And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
In our text, the messages of Satan, his political kingdoms of this world, and his religious kingdoms of this world are symbolized as “unclean spirits like frogs”. What a clear picture of the very nature of the false messages that Satan sends to each one of us.
Stop and visualize frogs jumping out of the mouths of those who seek to deceive us. Think of the frog’s appearance, think of the sound of their croaking. How fitting a symbol for the Satanic messages of this world.
The deceitfulness of Satan has played a gigantic role in the world events around us. Every time that a sin is committed, it is the indirect result of Satan’s deception. How can this be? It is because the fallen nature of this world has come into existence due to the influence of Satan’s lies in the lives of Adam and Eve…
2Co 11:3 KJV – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Not only that, but every man’s decision to perform any sin is based upon the deceptive temptations that entice our sin natures…
Jas 1:13-15 KJV – “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Even Christ, Himself, emphasized the deceitful nature of Satan’s workings…
Joh 8:44-45 KJV – “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.”
Folks, this is no small issue, the deceitfulness of Satan has brought sin, suffering, and death into this world and, for the lost, will extend into the world to come. May we come to an understand of the teachings of God’s Word and be forewarned of his deceitful ways…
2Th 2:9-11 KJV – “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
2Co 11:13-15 KJV – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
And as we enter our day, let us make sure that we do not allow Satan to work on our lives and use us as a deceitful tool in the lives of others…
Act 5:3 KJV – “But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?”
May the Lord help us for it is only through His grace we can stand firm against Satan’s deceit.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
Revelation 16: Summary
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER:
We continue looking at God’s wrath that will fall at His second coming by looking at the final stages of His wrath. The last part of His wrath is called the seventh trumpet. The contents of this trumpet will be shown to us in seven symbols. These symbols are vials (bowls) of wrath that are poured out upon the lost.
In chapter 16, we will see the contents of trumpet 7, in other words bowls 1-7, being poured out upon Satan’s kingdoms…
I. Revelation 16:1-21
A. Command To Pour Out Vials (16:1)
B. Vial One (16:2)
C. Vial Two (16:3)
D. Vial Three (16:4-7)
E. Vial Four (16:8-9)
F. Vial Five (16:10-11)
G. Vial Six (16:12-16)
H. Vial Seven (16:17-21)
SUMMARY OF EACH DIVISION OF CHAPTER:
- Revelation 16:1 – Command To Pour Out Vials
John hears God’s voice coming from the temple… “Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth”.
This was the command for His wrath to begin, teaching us that the wrath that falls at the second coming proceeds from God and is under His absolute control.
- Revelation 16:2 – Vial 1 Poured Out
This judgment caused sores to break out upon lost mankind. Sores symbolize direct punishment from God resulting in a state of great need.
This symbolizes that the wrath of God that falls at the second coming of Christ is being sent as a direct punishment for the sins. This also reminds us of lost mankind’s great need of Christ and the public disgrace for sin that they will face.
- Revelation 16:3 – Vial 2 Poured Out
The second vial results in the sea being changed to the blood of a corpse. This sinful earthly sea pictures the false philosophies, worldly wisdom and false scientific theories that are put forth by the powers of darkness in this world.
Although the world promises these as beneficial and truthful for all mankind, in actuality, they are sinful messages that only bring harm and suffering to man.
These will be clearly shown as false and harmful as those who originate and proclaim these messages feel the wrath of God fall upon them.
- Revelation 16:4-7 – Vial 3 Poured Out
This vial is poured out upon the fresh water sources, corrupting them and changing them to blood. The fresh water sources based on the fallen world are speaking of the false gospels found in Satan’s kingdom. When men follow these false teachings, they will only lead these men to their eternal spiritual death.
This death and destruction that comes upon those who are followers of Satan’s religious kingdom is brought upon them as a part of God’s judgment against their sin. The Lord receives praise from this judgment and the saved men who were abused and martyred for the true gospel message as their voices begin praising God for avenging their abuse at the hands of those who opposed their teachings of the truth.
- Revelation 16:8-9 – Vial 4 Poured Out
This vial is poured out upon the sun, causing lost mankind to be burned. The sun throughout the Bible was an object of false worship.
This is a picture of God’s judgment falling upon those who worship idols and those who propagate that false worship.
At the conclusion of this wrath, we see mankind refusing to repent of their wickedness, but simply hardening their hearts and continuing to stubbornly rebel against Him.
- Revelation 16:10-11 – Vial 5 Poured Out
This vial is poured out on the seat of the beast causing darkness and great pain to fall upon the members of Satan’s kingdoms. The pain of this judgment is so great they are seen chewing their tongues due to their suffering.
This helps us to understand that, as these vials continue to progress they will bring about the final, total, physical destruction of Satan’s political and religious kingdoms. His wrath will be brought to a completion during the Battle of Armageddon which will be covered in Vial 7. Both the darkness and pain reflect this utter defeat. The darkness represents the total desolation that follows this destruction, while the intense pain describes the painful process of being punished to death.
- Revelation 16:12-16 – Vial 6 Poured Out
In this vial we first see the Euphrates River dried up making a way for the “Kings of the East” to come. The Euphrates is a picture of the holding place for wicked powers and the fertile beginning point of God’s judgments of God.
The Euphrates is like a plowed field (the field that holds all the wicked powers of the world) awaiting seed (God’s judgments) to be sown. This symbolizes the wrath of God falling upon the wicked powers of this world. This then prepares the way for Christ and His people (who will rule and reign with Him) proceeding back to gain victory at Armageddon and then enter a purified earth to live eternally.
Also we see frog spirits coming out from Satan and his political and religious kingdoms. These represent the false message of the kingdoms of Satan that will mislead men into going to war against the Lord Almighty to fight in the Battle of Armageddon.
In the midst of this vial, we find a parenthetical insertion by Christ reminding us that He is coming as a thief and the need for His people to remain vigilant and faithful. The lost, on the other hand, will be brought to disgrace at His coming.
- Revelation 16:17-21 – Vial 7 Poured Out
Vial 7 presents a summary account of the Battle of Armageddon, the final stage of God’s wrath upon Satan, his kingdoms of the world, and lost mankind in general.
In verse 17, we find the command for the Battle to begin and then a declaration that this battle will mark the end of God’s wrath falling upon the lost. Next, we see a great display of God’s greatness (his strength, authority and faithfulness) presented in the “noises, thunderings, and lightnings” .
An earthquake is felt, resulting in the city of Babylon being divided into three parts. The three parts symbolize “manifestation”, or “a clear display”. This symbolizes for us that the great power and wrath of God will be clearly displayed as the kingdoms of the world come to utter destruction. Babylon, the seat of rebellion, pride and humanism, will totally fall along with all the other cities in the world. Also the isolated places (islands) and the strong immoveable places (mountains) of this fallen world will offer no refuge for the lost. They too will utterly fall. No one will escape this last stage of God’s wrath, nor will they find any place of comfort or refuge.
Babylon was forced to take her “medicine”, the cup of wrath and now she has fallen.
Finally, the completion of this wrath is symbolized by great hail stones (114 pounds in weight). Falling upon the lost bringing them to total destruction. This symbolizes the complete and devastating wrath that will fall upon the lost at Armageddon.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT IN THIS SERIES?:
In this chapter, we have seen this last portion of God’s wrath reveled in great detail. This portion of God’s wrath brings an end to the judgment of the lost on earth and brings physical destruction upon Satan and his kingdoms (political and religious) and those who partake of their sins.
Beginning in chapter 17: and concluding in chapter 18: we will be seeing a recounting of the fall of Babylon in great detail…
- Judgment of Babylon 17:1-18
- Judgment of Babylon 17:1-18
- Scarlet Beast (Satan’s Political Kingdom) 1-3
- Woman (Satan’s Religious Kingdom) 4-6
- The Mystery Of The Woman and The Beast Revealed – 7-18
- Judgment of Babylon 17:1-18
- The Results of Babylon’s Judgment 18:1-24
- Victory Announcement 1-3
- Invitation for God’s People To Separate Themselves 4-20
- Millstone Cast Upon Sea… the Final Destruction Of Babylon 21-24
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
Text Blog: http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com
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Email Contact: settledinheaven@gmail.com
The Desolation of Satan’s Kingdom Is Coming…
Rev 16:10 KJV
(10) And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “his kingdom was full of darkness”
Rev 16:10 KJV
(10) And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain
The fifth vial (bowl) of wrath is now revealed to John. It results in the kingdom of Satan being devastated and brought to an end. This is pictured by the phrase…”his kingdom was full of darkness”.
In the Bible, the term “darkness” pictures desolation, emptiness, barrenness, death, and void…
- From the very beginning of time when we read of the, as of yet, unformed and uninhabited world… “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Gen 1:2)
- To the condition of lost mankind void of spiritual life and peace “And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,” (Rom 2:19)
- Concluding with the eternal abode of the lost which is devoid of God’s presence and spiritual life “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mat 8:12)
Keeping this representation in mind, in our text, we can come to the understanding that Satan’s kingdoms (the political and religious kingdoms of this fallen world) will be stripped bare, drained of all life and value, deserted, and brought to utter destruction. This will be the full, absolute and total defeat of Satan and his kingdoms at the hand of our Lord and Savior at His second coming.
The prophet Daniel received a prophecy of this great event in Daniel 2, as the great stone that destroyed the image…
Dan 2:44-45 KJV –
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
“Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
… And promised by our Lord Himself…
Joh 16:33 KJV –
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Folks, may we all remember this wonderful promise of Christ that will find its total completion at His second coming. Our Lord has overcome the world and will make this fully manifest at His second coming. When He comes, He will bring to an end Satan’s and the powers of darkness’s activity in this world. The political and religious kingdoms of this world, which are under Satan’s influence, will be swiftly, fully, brought to an end making them empty and without power.
We have much reason to “be of good cheer”…. Truly, our Lord has overcome the world!
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
Do We Worship The Sun or The SON?
Rev 16:8 KJV – “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.”
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
Settled In Heaven Blog 