The Coming World Religion
Notes
Transcript
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were 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 sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
“Babylon the Great” - The Coming World Religion
Depicted by the harlot.
Picture of the harlot here.
Our lesson today is divided into three parts:
The Identity of the “Harlot” - Babylon The Great.
2. The End Times Significance of Babylon the Great.
3. The Present-day significance of the “harlot” - Babylon the Great.
The Identity of the “Harlot” - Babylon The Great.
Some theories of what the Harlot of Revelation 17 would be:
a. An existing World Religion.
“who sits on many waters” -
15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
She has influence over many nations.
18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Islam
Roman Catholic Church
b. America
c. Revived Babylon
d. Secular World Order
The “harlot” will have great wealth.
We don’t exactly know what the Harlot - Babylon the Great is but what seems to be very clear is that there will be a coming world religion , a global religious system that goes hand in hand with the one world political system ruled by the Antichrist.
4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
Babylon the Great is the capital of sin and abomination against God.
5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
Mystery - hidden truth
Origins of Babylon
Founder - Nimrod - Genesis 5
The Tower of Babel - Genesis 11
Mother of harlots - historically the same spirit that has given birth to all false religions.
2. The End Times Significance of Babylon the Great
Scriptural Interpretation
The harlot, is a religious system that will martyr many saints.
Present-day martyrdoms, Islam
Picture of Isis murdering Christians on the beach.
Her association with the Antichrist
Antichrist - Represents a Future global political power
Harlot - Represents a Future global religious system
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
The Beast will work with the false religious system of Babylon the Great during the first three and a half years. Afterwards, He will turn against her.
9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 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.
Chart of the “five fallen kingdoms”, “one is”, “one that has not yet come” here.
“five have fallen”
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece.
“One is” - present day of John
Rome
One that has not yet come:
Revived Roman Empire
11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
At the end of the first three and a half years will follow the final 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation.
The beast (the Antichrist) will cut off the Harlot - Babylon the Great. What does this mean? He will assume even religious control over the world and demand worship of himself.
What is the ultimate fate of the harlot?
16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
Revelation 18 talks of the end of the harlot.
3. The Present-day significance of the “harlot”.
The vision that John saw is of a foretelling of events during the tribulation.
The church would be already raptured by this time - I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture.
The church will be gone and there will rise a false religious system.
The true church of Jesus is symbolized by a woman - the spotless bride of Christ.
Image of the bride of Christ here.
The counterfeit religion is symbolized also by a woman - the harlot of Revelation 17.
Image of the bride and the harlot here.
The Invitation.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
There is still a present-day invitation.
Image of invitation here.
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Babylon is representative of anything that stands between you and worshiping the One True God.
Idols. Unbiblical spiritual practices (Astrology)
Come out of her my people!
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.