Babylon the Blasphemous

vv.1-2:

With the reference to the seven Angels, we see that chapters 17-18 are linked to chapter 16.

Chapter 16 gave us a brief description of each of the seven bowl judgments, and those bowl judgments extend all the way to the return of Christ.

Chapters 17-18 focus on one part of the bowl judgments, which is the judgment of Babylon.

This is God's judgment on our wicked and corrupt world system.

Harlotry frequently symbolizes idolatry and/or apostasy, and that will certainly be the case here.

Harlotry frequently symbolizes idolatry and/or apostasy.

Jeremiah 3:6-9

Jeremiah 3:6–9 NKJV

The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

At this point, God will not be the object of worship, the antichrist will.

The political leaders of the day will be seduced by promises of power and wealth.

They will be absorbed into the kingdom of the antichrist, and will be drunk on the wine of their immorality.

This influence will, of course, extend to the population at large, and it will be an anything goes society.

The antichrist and the political leaders will use an apostate religion to control the masses.

This will likely be a strange hodgepodge of all the major world religions.

We should expect it to include aspects of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, the different eastern religions, along with major new age influences.

The result will be that you bring whatever you want into the religion, there are no absolutes.

There will be no sense of morality whatsoever. “If it feels good, do it” will be their creed.

No doubt, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual immorality will all run rampant.

Indeed, we see all too many signs pointing to this today. There can be no doubt that our current world is on this very path.

Not only are we steeped in substance abuse, violence, and sexual immorality, we also have those who are trying to unite religions.

There is that common mantra that all the different religions need to find some common ground.

There is this notion that if we do that, there will magically be peace.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The actual result of this is seen here.

A society who is drunk on revelry and idolatry is anything but peaceful.

You can never have a union between Christianity and any opposing faith, without abandoning the fundamental principles of our faith.

You can never have a union between Christianity and any other faith.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 NKJV

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

This should be a sober warning to us all, that the forsaking of God can lead to nothing but bitter judgment.

vv.3-5:

John goes on to describe his vision of the harlot Babylon, which will be explained later in this chapter.

v.6:

The harlot is a murderer. False religion has killed millions of believers over the centuries, and the final false religion will be far deadlier than any before it.

Throughout history, people have been killed for their faith.

Over the last century, millions of Christians have been killed by oppressive governments.

Not only oppressive governments, but false religions, particularly islam, kill Christians at an alarming rate today.

Christians in many parts of the world know that faith in Christ amounts to a death sentence.

Believers such as us, who aren't subject to such persecution must never forget our brothers and sisters in Christ, who live their faith at the point of a sword.

We certainly have an obligation to lift them up in prayer.

Believers in other parts of the world are being persecuted for their faith. Our prayers can make a difference.

Acts 12:1-12

Acts 12:1–12 NKJV

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

How much different might things be, if we spent more time in prayer for the persecuted Christians?

When John saw this vision, he "marveled with great amazement".

The NIV and HCSB say he was "greatly astonished". Given the context, I think that is the most appropriate translation.

John must have been greatly disturbed by this vision. The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs.

This persecution of God's children, gave her great pleasure.

If we look around the world today, we see a world who delights in destroying Christians.

There are places in the Middle East, among the Muslim nations, were they celebrate the torture and murder of Christians.

They are drunk on the blood of the saints and the martyrs. It happens in our world. . . Today!

Many of our own missionaries face this very thing, not to mention the native people who convert to Christianity.

But we are not disturbed, we are not astonished, we'd just as soon ignore it.

It's easy to see how the world is conforming to this very image we are shown in Revelation, when even our churches become complacent to the suffering of our fellow Christians.

If we would do something so simple as pray, it might save some from a martyr's death, leaving more witnesses for Christ on this earth. . . Now, when we need them most.