Morning Sermon

March 16, 2008

A Woman and a Beast

Text

It's not exactly beauty and the beast because there is not beautiful at all about this woman. Oh, she dresses herself up in an outward appearance of beauty perhaps, but it is only the false and offensive beauty of a great harlot, prostitute. We've seen the picture so unmistakably in our national news this past week, the allure of a scarlet woman, the immoral beauty of a great harlot. Or, as the original King James Version puts it, "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters."

So who is she? This woman of Revelation 17. And who is the great beast, this client number 9 who himself falls for her illicit affections and is consequently destroyed. The image is a bit uncomfortable for us, the language a bit more graphic than we might want it to be, to the point of being crude and offensive. Even obscene. But that is how God has revealed this truth to us by inspiration of his Holy Spirit. And we begin with,

I. THE MYSTERY OF THE SCARLET WOMAN. The great harlot. v.1

This is the continuation of the vision of the judgment of bowls we studied last week, the bowls of God's wrath poured out Israel, a judgment so vividly enacted in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. And yet a judgment that pictures for us the complete and total destruction of the whole world at the end of the age.

The judgment is, first of all, focused upon this woman. So consider carefully,

A. The description of the scarlet woman. She is "the great harlot who sits on many waters." As much as it might make us uncomfortable, the harlot is a frequent image in Scripture for a city or nation that has rejected God and turned toward false gods. And with only two exceptions, it is used to describe unfaithful Israel. For example,

Is. 1:21 "How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers."

With more detail, Jer. 2:20 "For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, 'I will not transgress,' When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot. 21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? 22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord GOD. 23 "How can you say, 'I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals'? See your way in the valley; Know what you have done: You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways, 24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness, That sniffs at the wind in her desire; In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; In her month they will find her."

She's nothing but a wild animal in heat! Even more descriptively we read,

Ezek. 16:25 "You built your high places at the head of every road, and made your beauty to be abhorred. You [spread your legs] to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your acts of harlotry. 26 "You also committed harlotry with the Egyptians, your very fleshly neighbors, and increased your acts of harlotry to provoke Me to anger...31 "You erected your shrine at the head of every road, and built your high place in every street. Yet you were not like a harlot, because you scorned payment. 32 "You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband. 33 "Men make payment to all harlots, but you made your payments to all your lovers, and hired them to come to you from all around for your harlotry. 34 "You are the opposite of other women in your harlotry, because no one solicited you to be a harlot. In that you gave payment but no payment was given you, therefore you are the opposite."

That's the scarlet woman. A woman pictured as crude as could possibly be, with such a graphic and explicit description as could be, but nonetheless a "faithful description of how offensive they were to God." As one commentator continues, "In the view of the all-holy God who spoke through Ezekiel, nothing could be more obscene than the Bride's apostasy from her divine Husband." v.3-4

We'll come back to the beast in a minute, but just look at this woman. Purple and scarlet. Normal descriptions of a queen. Bedecked with precious jewels, gold and pearls. Ordinarily, the epitome of a dignified, beautiful woman. But she doesn't drink the precious wine of purity and godliness. Rather she had "in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication."

And just look at her actions.

B. The actions of the scarlet woman. v.2

And who joined in? All the inhabitants of the land, they were all made drunk with her immorality. But still the question, who is she? Whom does she represent? And I've made that clear by implication thus far, emphasizing this crude language to demonstrate that the Bible consistently uses such language to describe unfaithful Israel. I don't believe this woman represents the nation of Babylon but rather the nation of Israel. The judgment here in Revelation is upon the unfaithfulness of God's Old Testament covenant people, a judgment that brings God's own justice to be inflicted upon the nation of Israel. So I believe that faithless Israel, Old Covenant Israel is,

C. The identification of the scarlet woman. She assumes to herself the image of Babylon, a nation representative of the worst of idolators, the epitome of rebellion against God. The woman is not the literal city of Babylon, nor the worldly cities represented by Babylon, but in the very worst possible way, all that is true of unbelieving and immoral Babylon has become true of Israel. She has become "the mother of harlots." She has become the ultimate Jezebel.

Indeed, Israel as a nation who rejected the Messiah Jesus, became just that woman. They killed the prophets, and they killed Jesus. v.6

Just listen to Jesus lamenting for Jerusalem,

Mat. 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 "See! Your house is left to you desolate."

This was Stephen's witness to the Jews even as he was being stoned to death,

Acts 7:51 "You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 "who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."

Revelation 17 is but the final result of that rebellion and rejection of God. Jerusalem herself becomes the mother of all harlots, she becomes Babylon the great.

What, then, of,

II. THE MYSTERY OF THE GREAT BEAST. Who is he, and how does he fit into all of this? What is,

A. The identification of the great beast. v.3

He is scarlet, too, with seven heads and ten horns. Again, v.7

Then, v.8

So he is the king of the Abyss, which we studied in, Rev. 9:11 "And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon."

This is the same beast as the one who killed the faithful Old Testament witnesses, as we read in,

Rev. 11:7 "When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them."

This is ultimately Satan himself, the serpent of old. The dragon himself. Rev. 12:3 "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads."

So who is he, more personally? Or perhaps more accurately, in whom does Satan manifest himself in his wicked and evil opposition to the plans and purposes of God? For further explanation, please skip down to, v.9

That seems to be a clear reference to Rome, well-known as the city of seven hills. But as we studied earlier with reference to the beast, there is also the reference to the seven kings. v.10

If you understand this book to be written prior to the actual destruction of Rome in AD 70, as I have presented in throughout our study, then this, too, becomes an obvious reference to the seven kings in the line of Caesar. Five of them have fallen, Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, Caligula Caesar, and Claudius Caesar. And the sixth Caesar is reigning, Nero Caesar, the Roman Emperor when John wrote the Revelation. The seventh, the one "not yet come," continued only a short while. The seventh and final Caesar, Galba Caesar, reigned for less than seven months in AD 68-69.

But the end of the line of the Caesars wasn't the end of trouble for Christians in the first century. There is an eighth king. Historically, a new dynasty in Rome. The Emperor Titus Vespasian, who ruled from AD 69 to AD 79. He would be the fullest and most complete incarnation of the beast. So we read, v.11

David Chilton makes this very useful comment, speaking of this great beast: "He is also an eighth king, yet is of the seven: the antichristian brutality of succeeding tyrants will mark them as being of the same stripe as their predecessors. Eight is the number of resurrection in the Bible; St. John is warning that even though the Empire will seem to disintegrate after the rule of the seven kings, it will be "resurrected' again, to live on in other persecutors of the Church. Yet the Empire's comeback will not result in victory for the Beast, for even the eighth, the resurrected Beast, goes to destruction. The Church will have to exercise patience during the period of the Beast"s ascendancy, but she has the assurance that her enemies will not succeed. Their King will be victorious; His servants have been predestined to share in His triumph."

Those comments, of course enable us to consider,

B. The future of the great beast. From the beast's perspective, that future is very grim. v.8

Now, those words seem strange. Let me use the well framed words of another commentator, Milton Terry, to try to give you an explanation: "In his explanation the angel seems to point our attention particularly to the spirit which actuated the dragon, the beast from the sea, and the false prophet alike; and so what is here affirmed of the beast has a special reference to the different and successive manifestations of Satan himself. . . . Hence we understand by the beast that was and is not an enigmatical portraiture of the great red dragon of 12:3. He is the king of the Abyss in 9:11, and the beast that killed the witnesses in 11:7. He appears for a time in the person of some great persecutor, or in the form of some huge iniquity, but is after a while cast out. Then he again finds some other organ for his operations and enters it with all the malice of the unclean spirit who wandered through dry places, seeking rest and finding none until he discovered his old house, empty, swept, and garnished as if to invite his return."

So this beast is the one "who is and who was and who is to come." The likely reference is then Emperor Vespasian, who was first favored by Nero and then fell from Nero's favor, yet he returned as the eighth king after Nero's death. But what of his future?

v.8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition."

Perdition. The judgment of God. Hell itself. Destruction. Apollyon. The Abyss. "John is pointing out that although the Beast is allowed, for a time, to ascend out of the abyss, he is just as certain to return there. His destiny is utter destruction, and he cannot succeed in destroying the Church." (Chilton)

Yet we continue to read, v.8 "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."

They marveled. Those who were rebellious in their unbelief, "whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world," marveled in this beast, looking for their deliverance and salvation in him. Thus it was the hope of the unbelieving Jewish nation of Israel that Rome would be their protector and their deliverer. The beast would be their messiah. And thus we see,

C. The rebellion of the great beast. Here we come to a further reference to Rome, with the ten horns of the beast. v.12

Rome actually had ten imperial provinces, and whether those provinces are the explicit focus of the ten horns or simply represent the fullness of all the kings allied together with Rome in her wars against Judaism and Christianity, the obvious point is that the great harlot of unbelieving Israel has plied her trade, so to speak, with those kings. Going back to, v.1-2

Such a great rebellion, and such a vast conspiracy. v.13

So the ten kings join with the beast in rebellion to persecute the church of Jesus Christ. With one purpose in mind above all others, v.14 "These will make war with the Lamb."

You ought to immediately be reminded of the great cry of, Ps. 2:1 "Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."

So there is more to this story that merely a rebellion and a battle. There is much more, for this is the story of God's providence. God's purpose. What we have described for us in these chapters of Revelation is nothing less than,

III. THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPOSE OF GOD. The revelation of that mystery. And so we must maintain that perspective as we study,

A. The great battle. This is the fulfillment of God's own eternal purpose and foreordained plan. And so in the very declaration of this battle, we read of the sure and certain outcome. v.14

Just the opposite was the description of the followers of the beast, remember.

v.8 "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."

Those are the only two groups of people who have ever existed, those "whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world," and those who are-those who "are called, chosen, and faithful."

Those who are called, called by God. The called, the elect of God, and the next word is in English, chosen. Those whom God has elected, a Greek word explicitly referring to those whom God chose us in Christ Jesus "before the foundation of the world," those "predestined ... to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

So these battle lines were determined when god wrote the Book of Life! And the scope of that battle is worldwide. v.15-16

The beast even turned upon the harlot. His purpose was clear. The beast thought he could kill the harlot and the bride in one broad stroke. But the actual outcome? That's where we always ought to focus. The outcome of this battle. That's what the book of Revelation is all about. The outcome is clear, and clearly stated. It is,

B. The victory of the lamb. Or as the title of one some commentary I have on this book puts it, "The Lamb Wins." We've seen that before, haven't we. What is the book of Revelation all about? "The Lamb Wins."

v.14 "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

Jesus Lord of all Lords. He is King of all Kings. Remember, he alone was worthy to open these seals of judgment and doom.

Rev. 5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." 6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!" 14 Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever." That's what this book is all about, a song of praise to the Lamb, the Lamb who fulfills the eternal purpose of a sovereign God. And so I'll end our study of this chapter with the reminders of,

C. The sovereignty of God. Look at what John writes next. v.17-18

God did it. Oh, you have to be careful exactly how you say that. But clearly, the words mean what they say.

v.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."

And this is the fulfillment the great city, this great Babylon who has rejected and rebelled against Jesus the Messiah, will be judged. She is fallen. She who is joined with the ungodly and unbelieving kings of the world shall be utterly and completely cut off. God's words will be fulfilled. That will be our study of chapter 18.

So it is that God uses even the sinful actions of sinful men to accomplish his own sovereign purpose. When it was all said and done, Job understood that perfectly. Job 42:1 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."

And that is the God whom we love and serve, the God who accomplishes completely his own purpose. For those who rebel against Jesus, that purpose is his judgment. And yet for us who believe, his purpose is life. Life in Jesus Christ.

Eph. 1:11 "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."

Rev. 5:9 "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Fully Searchable
Bible