The Beast and the Harlot

Develop

What is the situation of the text? (What's the story?)

Introduction of the harlot.

The kings of the hearth committed immorality with her.

She was sitting on a beast

The first beast that represents the vile things—the things that happen in the shadows.

The woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (17:6)

Source of persecution and suffering.

John is confused so the angel explains the mystery.

7 heads are 7 mountains (high places for worship of blasphemous gods)

10 horns are 10 kings of the earth (cf. 2 weeks ago, the 10 kings of this world vs. the 1 King {Jesus} of the 11th Kingdom—the eternal Kingdom of God).

The kings have one purpose, to wage war against the lamb. (17:13-14)

The woman rules over the Kings (17:18).

PLOT TWIST: God puts it into the hearts of the kings to devour the harlot who rules over them and give power to the beast.

The Harlot is Babylon (18)

The great ancient empire fell at the hands of the kings of the earth.

And yet, in a twist of irony, the kings mourn the loss of Babylon, because Babylon stood for everything the valued.

They wanted what the Harlot had and thus did not want to be ruled by her.

The destruction is so great that an angel comes to proclaim the finality of the demise of Babylon by throwing a huge milling stone into the sea where it would never be seen again (18:21).

19:2, her smoke ascends forever and ever.

At the fall of Babylon all of the heavens worshipped and grave praise to the Lamb, because he had conquered Babylon.

cf. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1).

Then another angel shows up with a chain and binds the dragon, throwing him into the abyss with the Beast and the false prophet.

The very odd promise.

READ: (20:3) “He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.”

Timescale: Remember the Beasts (2nd beast here called the false prophet) and the Dragon all work together and that’s why all 3 are mentioned here, being cast into the pit.

This happened when they lost their authority on the earth.

Chain language is binding language just like crown language is authority.

When Jesus took the crown, he gave the beasts and the dragon chains.

But, they also get out at some point before the final end comes.

The beast was, and is not, and is to come.

Play on Re 1:8, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”’

The beast only was and will be again. But, he currently is not. How so?

In the OT up until the great war that is mentioned in this passage, the dragon and the beasts (and the harlot until she was destroyed) had authority on the earth.

Jesus came to earth and conquered death when he died on the cross and rose from the grave.

He robbed the keys of death and hades and locked the beasts and the dragon in the abyss.

He now has authority over all the earth—‘all authority has been given to me’ (Matthew 28:18).

How is our situation the same? Different? (What's our story?)

Differences

In OT times and for a short time at the end of days, Satan and the two beasts have authority on the earth.

Right now they do not.

Presence? Yes.

The devil prowls around speaking lies and deceiving, but he cannot command you or anyone else. He is bound.

The first beast tempts with all sorts immorality, but he cannot command you to sin. He is bound.

The second beast, like the devil, deceives with eloquent words, but he cannot command you. He is bound.

But, one day they will be freed.

The BIG IDEA:

This story should cause us to look back and remember that when evil was rampant on the earth:

1) Evil was happy to destroy itself (God put it into the hearts of the kings to destroy the harlot, Babylon)

2) God’s word conquers the world (Rider on the white horse)

Although Satan and the Beasts do not rule over us, we can remember the truth of the Word and deny the lies we hear in the world—the beasts and the dragon a present in the ideologies of the world.

And we do well to remember that sin always and ultimately destroys. Therefore, you will always have power to overcome evil with the Word.

Discern

What challenges will people have with the text?

1) DND style dragons and beasts—just too fantastic to believe.

2) Tradition. The timeline—you were taught this was future and thus you lose the benefit of understanding how this applies to you today.

3) Spiritual figures. (the way to read it) The Bible teaches a literal Satan. But, the book of Revelation speaks of Satan using figures.

IOW, we aren’t waiting for dragons and beasts to show up. They are present realities that in the days of old ruled the hearts and minds of men, and which today can be overcome by the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual realities that infect the hearts and minds of men, not physical beings (Zoomorphism).

Isn’t that what everyone means when they say spiritual or mystical?

How does believing the text challenge their worldview?

3 options for how we think about evil in the world today.

Most people are more comfortable thinking:

1) All people are good at heart (sin is excusable because you have good intentions)

2) All people are evil at heart (sin is excusable because you can’t help it)

Biblical reality

3) God has bound the power of evil and he has given you his Spirit so that you can choose good in spite of your evil heart.

How might believing the text be beneficial in application?

3 ways we conquer.

WORD: Through the Word (the rider on the white horse).

WAITING: Through endurance/waiting: God defeats evil by allowing (or provoking) evil to destroy itself.

PROCLAIMING: Through evangelism (19:9): “Blessed are those invited to the marriage feat of the Lamb!”

Disrupt

What if we were to throw out everything that we think church is, everything we think church is supposed to be, everything that has been engrained in our minds for so long? What if we were to define the church based on these three mechanisms: Word, Waiting, and Proclaiming?

Word—taking every opportunity to be taught by the Word, the one who is faithful and true.

Waiting

Gathering in anticipation of the end, strengthening each other through the fellowship, song, word, and prayer.

Equipping each other for the trials that lay ahead.

Caring for each other so that as one begins to doubt, we can stand them back up on two feet so that they see the grace of God at work through His church.

Proclaiming—It’s demonology 101; "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17).

We are protected from evil by the Spirit of God.

When we share Jesus with others, we give them the same protection against evil that we have.