The Great Harlot: Beauty on the Beast

SLIDE: Scripture

Revelation 17:17 (NLT)

17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.

SLIDE: Welcome Home

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Once upon a time, a really cool young man bought one of the best cars around: a Ferrari GTO. He took it out for a spin and stopped at a red light.

An old man on a moped pulled up next to him. The old man looked over at the sleek, shiny car and asked, “What kind of car ya' got there, sonny?”

“A Ferrari GTO. It cost half a million dollars.”

“That's a lot of money,” said the old man. “Why does it cost so much?”

“Because this car can do up to 320 miles an hour!” stated the young man proudly.

The moped driver asked, “Mind if I take a look inside?”

“No problem,” replied the owner.

So the old man poked his head in the window and looked around. Sitting back on his moped, the old man said, “That's a pretty nice car, all right!”

Just then the light changed, and the driver decided to show the old man just what his car could do. He floored it, and within 30 seconds the speedometer read 160 miles per hour. Suddenly he noticed a dot in his rear view mirror. It was getting closer! He slowed down to see what it could be, and – Whoosh – something whipped by him going much faster.

“What on earth could be going faster than my Ferrari?” the young man said to himself. Then, ahead of him, he saw a dot coming toward him. Whoosh! It went by again, heading the opposite direction – and it looked like the old man on the moped.

Couldn't be, he thought, how could a moped outrun a Ferrari?

Once more, though, he saw the dot in his rear view mirror, followed by a bang as the speeding object crashed into the back of his car.

The young man jumped out and saw the old man lying on the pavement. He ran to him and asked, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

The old man whispered, “Unhook… my suspenders… from your side-view mirror.”

(Brett Kays, Brownstown, Michigan)

SLIDE: Be Careful

Be careful what you get attached to. It could destroy you in the end. That’s the way it is with the things of this world. That’s the way it is with possessions, pleasure and power. It is not wrong to have some of these things, but when they have you, you’re in trouble.

The worldly man boasts, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But the truth is, “He who dies with the most toys… dies!” 1 John 2:17 says, “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Open your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Revelation 17, where we see what happens to those who choose to pursue this world’s pleasures.

Revelation 17:1–3 (NLT)

1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. 2 The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.” 3 So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it.

This beast is the revived roman empire, headed up by the antichrist, according to Revelation 13. There, we learned that the Roman Empire itself will rise again out of the ash heap of history in the form of a 7-headed, 10-horned beast. Here, in Revelation 17, we see a woman riding that beast.

Revelation 17:4–6 (NLT)

4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” 6 I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

This is a wealthy, wicked woman, long known for her persecution of God’s people. She is identified as Babylon, the city of man that has always opposed the city of God.

In the opening pages of the Bible, we see all mankind gathered together in one place. God had told them to “fill the earth.” Instead, Genesis 11 tells us that they choose to band together and build a great tower which would reach heaven itself. They thought they could reach heaven’s glories through their own efforts, so they called their tower, “Babel,” which means “gate of God.” They were pursuing their own glory rather than the will of God, so God gave the Tower of Babel a different meaning. He confused their language so that their talk was only so much “babble,” and he scattered them all over the world. That’s how Babylon got its start in Genesis 11.

In the middle of the Bible, Babylon again rears its ugly head in opposition to God’s holy city of Jerusalem. The king of Babylon boasts that his gods are greater than Israel’s God, and he destroys the City of God in a vain attempt to prove it. But just a few decades later, the Medo-Persian Empire overruns the Babylonian Empire, and Babylon no longer dominates the world.

Then we come to the end of the Bible, right here in Revelation 17, and we see Babylon again, this time as a wealthy, wicked woman riding a beast. That’s the vision.

IT IS BEAUTY ON THE BEAST.

Babylon rides the revived Roman Empire. Or to put it in terms of today’s geography, Iraq is a burden to the European community. You see, the European Community comprises much of the ancient Roman Empire, and Iraq is the site of the ancient Babylonian Empire. So if this scenario were to play itself out today, the European Community would support Iraq, and at the same time be burdened by Iraq.

I believe God is setting the world stage right now for the end-time events He describes right here in Revelation. I don’t believe we have much longer. Jesus could come for his church today, and the events of the Tribulation could take place tomorrow. Are you ready?

Revelation 17:7 (NLT)

7 “Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.

In vs.1-6, we saw a vision of beauty on the beast. Now, in vs.7-18, an angel explains that vision.

Revelation 17:8 (NLT)

8 The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.

ROME WILL RISE AGAIN only to be completely and utterly destroyed.

That’s why everybody marvels. Rome is the empire that “once was.” Now, it “is not,” but soon it “will come” again. It’s unbelievable!

Revelation 17:9 (NLT)

9 “This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings.

The angel is explaining just what this 7-headed beast is – It is seven hills. Check any standard history book. Rome has always been known as “the city of seven hills.” This is an unmistakable reference to the Roman Empire.

Revelation 17:10 (ESV)

10 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.

Over the centuries, Israel has been dominated by 6 world-powers.

1st, Egypt enslaved her, about 1500 years before Christ.

Then 2nd, about 800 years later, in 722 B.C., Assyria overran the 10 northern tribes of Israel.

3rd, a little more than a hundred years after that, in 586 B.C., Babylon destroys the city of Jerusalem and carries the remaining 2 tribes of Israel into captivity.

Then 4th, the Medo-Persian Empire arrives on the scene, which overtakes the Babylonians.

5th, The Greeks overtake the Medo-Persian Empire about 300 years before Christ,

and 6th, The Roman Empire snuffs out the Greek Empire just before the time of Christ.

Six empires dominated the nation of Israel throughout her history. “Five have fallen” – That’s Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. They no longer dominate. “One is” – That’s the one still dominating Israel at the time of this writing in the 1st century, the Roman Empire. “The other has not yet come” – This is an empire yet in the future, which will dominate Israel again.

Daniel 2, 7, & 9, as well as Matthew 24, all warn about a revived Roman Empire, which will overrun Jerusalem half way through the Tribulation. The antichrist, who heads up this revived Roman Empire, will set himself up as God in Jerusalem, and all the Jews will have to run for their lives.

Revelation 17:11 (NLT)

11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction.

This is the antichrist. He rules the revived Roman Empire, but not for long. Soon after he comes to power, he will be destroyed. Yet for a short time, he and 10 other kings will rule the world.

Revelation 17:12 (NLT)

12 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast.

Ten world rulers will unite under the antichrist.

Revelation 17:13–14 (NLT)

13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority. 14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

In the future, people will have to make a choice. They can side with the rulers of this world and lose, or they can side with the King of kings and win.

SLIDE: Choice

And that’s the choice for us today! – the way of the world, or the way of Christ. Which will it be for you?

Followers of Christ may seem like losers today, but in the end we win!

Tell me: Who’s side are you on today? Are you pursing the pleasures and powers of this world, which will ultimately be destroyed? Or are you pursuing the Lamb who will overcome, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings?

For you see, not only will Rome rise again to be destroyed…

BABYLON WILL RISE AGAIN, as well, to be utterly and completely destroyed, just like Rome.

Revelation 17:15 (NLT)

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.

Babylon will one day sit on top of the world again. What is current day Iraq will one day dominate peoples, multitudes and nations. You see, during the Tribulation, you have two world powers dominating the world – a revived Roman Empire and a revived Babylonian Empire. At first, they are together – one riding on top of the other, but then the Roman Empire will throw off the Babylonian Empire and completely destroy it.

Revelation 17:16–17 (NLT)

16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled.

God will revive the Roman Empire for one reason, and for one reason only. And that’s to keep His word in Isaiah 13:19-22 to completely destroy the Babylonian Empire (Isaiah 13:19-22). Like I said, Babylon still exists in the form of Iraq today. And she who was once great will be great again, only to be utterly and completely destroyed. Rome will destroy Babylon and Christ will destroy Rome. Two great world powers will rise again, but they will come to an utter and complete end.

By the way, we see this happening before our very eyes today. Just watch the news! The European Community and Iraq are both gaining in strength every day, both of them rising up out of the ash heap of history.

Revelation 17:18 (NLT)

18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

Babylon itself will rise again, and the whole world will be astonished. People will be amazed at the rise of both Rome and Babylon, and everyone will pursue the wealth and power they offer, each one wanting to get a piece of the action. The only problem is it will all come to nothing when Christ destroys both empires and sets up His Kingdom.

SLIDE: Before You Is A Choice

Before You Is A Choice:

Before you this morning is a choice. You can pursue gold or you can pursue God. You can pursue this world’s wealth or God’s will. You can pursue this world’s pleasures or God’s pleasure.

You say, “Henry, I want to do both.” No, you cannot do both. It’s either one or the other. Jesus himself said, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). And James 4 says, “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Which will it be for you?

Years ago there was a missionary in Africa by the name of Dan Crawford. He was returning from Africa to the United States, and to do so he had to leave the inner part of the country, where he worked, and travel to the coast to catch a ship. Four men walked with him all the way, so he would not have to make the trip alone. As they walked, Crawford told his friends about the glories of the coast. He told them about the light that did not have flame, about wagons that did not have animals, and about storing their food so that it would not spoil.

As he walked and talked, three of the men entered into the conversation. The fourth man, however, seemed strangely unimpressed. And after a few days, as they were sitting one evening, Crawford found it irritating that this one man did not seem at all excited about going to the city.

He said to him, “Aren't' you eager to get there? I mean, don't you want to see all these things?” That African brother responded with a word that I wish could be burned into the hearts of every American Christian in our wealthy, materialistic nation. He said, “Mr. Crawford, to be better off is not to be better.” (Haddon Robinson, “A Good Lesson from a Bad Example,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 56)

SLIDE: Think about it

Think about it: to be better off is not to be better.

To be better off is not to be better, so don’t prostitute your values for the almighty dollar. Don’t sacrifice your family for more money. Instead, choose to do God’s will no matter what.

SLIDE: Follow Christ Choose to follow resolutely after Christ, and let Him take care of the rest.

I like what Peter Maurin said in Leadership Journal several years ago, and with this I close. He said, “The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off. For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody becomes better off. But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off.

(Peter Maurin, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 4)

Think about it. Let’s pray…