MPC 9th May 2004.Revelation 17-18 - "The End of the Scarlet Harlot"
Phil Campbell MPC 9th May 2004.
If you thought the Canberra bushfires in January last year were bad, they were nothing compared with California in October. In the Canberra fires four people died. Lives In California, twenty four. In Canberra 200 homes. California, 1100. The flames were tearing through Southern California faster than people could run away.
And yet so many of the people who died didn't have to.
Police Sgt Conrad Grayson says, "We were begging people to leave... and they didn't take us seriously. They wanted to pack some clothes. Or fight off the fire in their backyards with a garden hose. They just didn't seem to understand that this was unlike any fire we'd ever seen." If people didn't move fast, he said, they were going to become charcoal briquettes.
Jon Smalldridge says he was frantically warning his neighbours. He says, they were casual. He says, people died tried to save their televisions. He says, "They looked like they were packing for a trip. The ones who listened to me and left the area, lived. The ones who didn't... died."
Sometimes, if you're smart, timely words of warning are the best words you can ever hear. Sometimes, if you're smart, the sound of sirens can be music to your ears. Which is very much the tone of Revelation 17 and 18. Words of warning. Which need to be heeded. Before it's too late.
Take a look at chapter 18 verse 4 and 5 and you'll catch the tone.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes."
Get out. While the going's good. Don't go back for your TV set. Don't be casual. Come out of there. So you don't face the fire of the justice of God.
In a nutshell, that's what Revelation 17 and 18 are all about. And the fact that all the arrogance in the world, all the wealth in the world, all the power in the world... hasn't got a hope against the judgement of God.
I want you to hold that thought. Because it's absolutely clear that's what the passage is saying. And it may be, if you're anything like me, that's the last clear thought you're going to have all morning!
Because you'll be aware there's real debate over some of the key details of the picture being painted. And particularly over the identity of a key player in John's vision. the Scarlet woman. As she sits on the back of the seven headed beast.
And it's confusing. Because there are clues that lead you one way. And then clues that seem to lead another way. And there are Old Testament parallels and allusions in almost every sentence and phrase.
Which doesn't mean it's impossible to understand. Especially if you were one of the original readers. But does mean it's very hard to understand. Especially if you're people like us who weren't there at the time.
And this morning, I'm not going to even try to argue every point or put different points of view. I've tried to narrow down to one. Which I'll spell out as clearly as I can.
But before we go into detail, let's stand back and get the picture. In its broad sweep. And this is the easy bit.
Picking up in verse 1, there's an invitation to come and take a look. Come for a drive through Fortitude Valley. Come and I'll show you, says one of the judgement angels we saw last week, come and I'll show you the punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters.
And there she is. Verse 3. She's in the desert, she's sitting on the scarlet beast we've met before with seven heads and ten horns. And she's dressed in matching scarlet with purple as well. She's crusted with gold and with jewels and pearls. And she's absolutely gorgeous. Shining in the sun. And in her hand a cup. Full, John notices... of filth. She's a prostitute. Enticing. Intoxicating. And disgusting.
And in verse 5 a label on her head. Which makes me to some extent feel better about finding this passage pretty tough. Because the label on her head says Mystery. This is confusing. This is a conundrum.
Keep reading. Babylon the great. The mother of prostitues and of the abominations of the earth. And he sees the woman is rolling drunk. With blood on her lips. She's drunk with the blood of the saints. And the blood of those faithful ones who bear testimony to Jesus.
And John says, when I saw her, I was astonished. I wonder why?
The angel says, why are you surprised. I'll explain for you.
Which unfortunately, he does. In a way that makes not a whole lot more sense. I'll explain for you, he says, the mystery of the woman and the beast she rides... which has the seven heads and ten horns.
And on he goes. With symbols that are layer upon layer of meaning. Symbols of symbols. The beast. That's ultimately going to go to destruction. The seven heads, in verse 9; somehow are both seven hills where the woman's sitting with the beast. And at the same time in verse 10, seven kings. The ten horns are ten other kings... in verse 12.
And all of them, verse 14, are intent on one thing. Making war against the Lamb. A war which the angel says they're not going to win. Because Jesus is King of kings. And Lord of lords.
Now I don't know if you're picturing this. You've got the scarlet harlot; on top of the scarlet seven headed beast. On the waters... which verse 15 says are somehow like the food-court at Indooroopily Shopping Centre. Seething with people from every nation and language.
And then suddenly, in verse 16... The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They'll bring her to ruin. And leave her naked. They will eat her flesh. And burn her with fire.
Because that, according to verse 17, is God's purpose. To use the beast. To destroy the scarlet woman.
Which brings us to verse 18 right at the end of the chapter. Which tells us very clearly... that the woman we're looking at... the harlot we're looking at... is actually not a woman at all. But a city. More specifically, the great city. Which as you look back at the sign on her forehead is something we knew already. The sign that said Mystery. Babylon the great.
The beast... is going to turn on the city and destroy it. And as chapter 18 unfolds, there's a vivid picture of destruction. And the woe that it brings.
The city that was so rich... that was so complacent... is going to crash and burn. So follow on in chapter 18. Another angel comes down from heaven, full of authority, shining like a beacon. And he says, in verse 2, fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great. Because of what she's become. Because of the way she's prostituted herself with the nations. Because of her excessive luxuries. Because of her unfaithful adultery.
Which is where you see those words again. Come out of her my people. And get a move on. Before it's too late. And this Babylon city is going to be paid back double for her injustice and her sin. Follow from verse 7. The angel speaking...
Give her as much torture and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
'I sit as queen; I am not a widow,
and I will never mourn.'
Full of confidence. Arrogant. Complacent.
And yet verse 8, the angel says, she'll be consumed by fire. Because mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
And the kings of the earth will say Woe O great city, verse 10. In one hour, your doom has come.
And the merchants of the earth, verse 16, they're saying Woe O great city. Dressed in your fine linen and purple and scarlet and glittering with gold and precious stones and pearls. No longer. In one hour... all brought to nothing.
And the sea captains and the sailors will see the smoke from the fire, and they'll say in verse 19, "Woe O great city... we used to grow rich from your wealth. But now in one hour, you've been brought to ruin."
And amid the woes of all the people who lose money on the deal, there's only one note of rejoicing. Verse 20. Rejoicing in heaven. Rejoicing from the saints and the apostles and the prophets. The faithful people of God. Because of the justice that's finally come.
And in the end there's something in us that longs for justice. Even if we don't want to be there when it's dished out.
Well, in the vision, there's justice being done. And it's there in verse 20. The heavens are rejoicing.
Rejoice over her, O heaven!
Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!
God has judged her for the way she treated you.
And then another angel picks up a rock like a millstone and throws it in the sea and says that's how the great city of Babylon is going to come down.
And there'll be no more musicians. No more happy songs.
No more grinding of grain, no more weddings.
It's over. It used to be so impressive. But it's over. Because in this Babylon... was found the blood of the prophets. And of the saints. In fact, she's carrying the guilt of the blood of all the faithful ones who have been killed on the earth.
So Babylon... comes crashing down.
Now the sixty four thousand dollar question of course is, what's it about? More to the point, who's the mystery harlot who's riding on the back of the beast?
If I can remind you of what we've seen the past few weeks, we've seen that the beast is a picture of the Roman Empire. And the heads of the beast are the line of caesars. And the horns are most likely the regional kings. Like Herod and Pilate in the time of Jesus. And behind it all, we've seen, is the power of the devil himself.
Who you might remember we saw back in chapter 12, thrown out of heaven; making war... on the people of God.
But the question remains, who's the harlot? She's labelled as Babylon, but that's where it gets confusing. Because the literal city of Babylon isn't the actual city he's talking about. Babylon was the city in the Old Testament that was the great enemy of the people of God. Babylon was the city in the Old Testament where Israel was dragged off to exile. Babylon was the city in the Old Testament that stood for the opposite of everything good. And now it's a label. For another city altogether.
And the main contender according to most of the Bible commentaries... is the city of Rome. Which seems to fit with a number of clues. The great enemy of the Kingdom of God.
Except that in the end, I don't think the clues quite stack up. For four reasons. And I think it's a much better bet that the Babylon he's talking about is actually the city of Jerusalem. And if we can move through them fast enough not to put everyone to sleep, let me mention the four reasons.
Can we start by turning back the clock a little. To the Old Testament. Because it's interesting... I mean, Jerusalem was always meant to be the great city of God. And in the middle East right now, that's why they're building a huge concrete wall. That's why they're firing missiles at Palestinians. Because the Jews are persuaded that Jerusalem is at the centre of God's promises for them.
So it's a shocking thought in a way that this mighty angel might be labelling Jerusalem a harlot. It's almost too much of a reversal to take in. That Jerusalem, the great city of God... has become a call girl. Or a tart, if you like to watch The Bill.
And yet if you're familiar with the Old Testament, it's not a new idea. And the fascinating thing is, if you read Ezekiel 23, you get almost exactly this same story... detail for detail. As you do here in Revelation. The time frame is different. But the story is exactly the same.
Ezekiel 23. Which is absolutely "R" rated reading and quite explicit. Because Ezekiel can't get over how sordid it is... to see how low Jerusalem has fallen.
He says Jerusalem has become a harlot. She lusted, he says, after foreign powers. Instead of being the people of God, instead of being different, Israel has made alliances with whoever comes along. The Assyrians. The Egyptians. Political compromises. Which in the end meant compromises with paganism as well. As they bowed down and worshiped the Gods of the nations as well.
And yet even though she prostituted herself, says Ezekiel, even though Jerusalem threw herself at the feet of her lovers, they're going to turn on her. And she'll be destroyed. As you can see from the verse behind me.
Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians, for whom she lusted. They stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her.
She'll be stripped. Her children killed with the sword. She'll be burned. And the cup of God's anger... these are Ezekiel's words... will be poured out on her. And all the elegance and the incense and the jewelery... gone.
They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewellery. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me.
Jerusalem. The great harlot city. Which was meant to be the people of God. Prostituted herself by making alliances with the powers of the world. Instead of trusting in the power of God.
Can I bring you very quickly forward to the gospels. And the words of Jesus. Words about Jerusalem. Matthew 23 for starters.
Jesus talking to the Scribes and the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law. Religious leaders. He says God sent you the prophets. and you killed them. Instead of listening to their warnings. You've flogged them in your synagogues and pursued them town to town.
Take a look at the words on the screen behind me. Matthew 23:35.
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem... you who kill the prophets. And stone those sent to you... I wanted to gather you under my wings. But you were not willing.
In fact... they killed him. Like they killed the prophets before him. And so their house is going to be left desolate.
That's his warning. And he means it.
Which is a thought that's picked up in an interesting way if you come back in your minds to Revelation again. To Revelation chapter 11. Where I want you to notice on the screen the words the great city. Because in chapter 16 and 17, the harlot is called the great city over and over again. Seven times. But the first time the phrase is used is here. In Revelation 11 verse 8. Jesus says God sends you wise men, you kill them. Well, Revelation 11 there was the vision. Of two faithful witnesses. Who testify about Jesus. And are struck down in the streets. Where their bodies lie. And will you notice the words.
Revelation 11 verse 8,
They will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
They lie in the streets of the great city. Which is also called Sodom and Egypt. Which is interesting. Because Sodom and Egypt were the two other Old Testament places famous for their opposition to God. And he says the great city is like Sodom and egypt. And the great city... is the city where the Lord Jesus... was crucified.
Which was of course Jerusalem. The great city of God... here's the irony. She's worse... than the cities of the world. Worse than Egypt. Worse than Sodom. Turn a few pages, she's even worse than Babylon. Jerusalem the harlot.
Finally, and this brings us back to Revelation 17... Jerusalem actually makes sense of verse 16 and 17. And fits perfectly with history.
Ezekiel says to Jerusalem, you've flirted with every nation you can think of. They're going to turn and tear you down.
Jesus says in Mark 13, this temple is going to be torn down stone by stone. He says in Matthew 23, you've killed the prophets. I've tried to warn you. But now, your house is going to be left to you desolate.
And now John in his vision, he sees Jerusalem riding around on the back of Rome, prostituting herself. And she did. A comfortable alliance. Particularly the priesthood; right in Rome's pocket.
There's been huge debate in the media recently about Mel Gibson's movie The Passion. And who gets the blame for the death of Jesus. Whether it's the Romans. Whether it's the Jews.
Well, it's been a cosy alliance. The harlot and the beast. The harlot, seating herself comfortably on the seven hills of Rome. And yet it isn't going to last.
Pick up in chapter 17 verse 16.
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Which is almost in the same words as Ezekiel 23. And is exactly what happens in 70AD. When the armies of Rome march down on Jerusalem and besiege the city and build towers higher than the city walls and rain down missiles, and batter the city gates with their battering rams until the city of Jerusalem finally falls. Which according to verse 17, is entirely in line with God's judgement. For the way Jerusalem has led the way in shedding the blood of the prophets and of the Lord Jesus and of the followers of Jesus. With the beast of Rome as a willing accomplice. But in 70AD it's over.
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled.
And the kings and the traders and the sea-merchants can lament all they like. But Jerusalem just wouldn't be warned.
Now I'm painfully aware this has been a long and complex talk. Too long. Too complex. And that some of you will have thought hard about the study through the week, and you're not entirely convinced. Which I'll have to leave you to chew on. And can I invite you to Latechurch tonight, where there'll be time for questions.
But if I'm reading it right, there are some implications. And applications. That we'll touch on briefly before we finish. So as not to leave it in the abstract. Here's the picture in a nutshell. A vision... of the end of Jerusalem. Which has tried to ride on the back of Rome. And ignored countless warnings from God. And that end came. In the horrific destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70AD.
It's hard not to draw some implications from that for the Middle East today. And take it from me, I'm no expert on World Politics. But it's interesting I think how much US Foreign Policy seems to be driven by what they call the religious right. Who seem convinced that Israel has to be supported... because of the Old Testament promises of God.
When the reality is, Jesus gave them a final warning. And they chose to ignore it. He said the fire is coming. And they decided to go back for the TV set. Time after time, they killed the prophets who came to warn them. Because they didn't want to listen. And they killed the son as well.
So the last word on their status as the people of God comes here in Revelation 17 and 18. Jerusalem is replaced... we'll see in the next few chapters. By a new Jerusalem. A heavenly Jerusalem. And the Jerusalem on earth is way past its use-by date. And of no further interest.
I guess if I was George W Bush's foreign policy advisor, I'd be saying, in God's eyes Israel today is just like any other nation. And they need to be told to do what's right and fair for everyone. Instead of clinging to some bygone boundaries that they forfeited in 70 AD.
But look, rather than trying to dictate foreign policy, it's best that we finish by looking at ourselves. Because the point is, Jerusalem was complacent. They thought they were safe. Because they called themselves the people of God. Trouble is, God looked at them and saw something very different to that. He looked at them and he saw over indulgence. Luxuries out of control. He looked at them and he saw complacency. I wonder what he sees in us? He looked at them and he saw empty religion. Going through the motions. Without the slightest interest in compassion. And honesty. And love. And on the outside it was impressive. As harlots often are. While on the inside it was rotten to the core.
Which could be you. Which could be us. Which could be 90 percent of the structure that the world looks at as the church. Absolutely compromised by a lack of integrity. Absolutely compromised by alliances that stop us being distinctive and faithful.
And ultimately, the last straw, they ignored his Son. The great city... where the Lord was ignored. Where the Lord was crucified. Time for their robes and their rituals and their religion. But no time at all for the Son of God.
And so the warning is ultimately sounding here for the people who claim to be the people of God. And yet aren't living like it. Which could be you. Which could be us. Come out. And be what you should be. Before it's too late.