Witchy Woman (Rev. 17)
Call to Hear
Well good morning everybody! Pastor Mike and Mrs. Connie are on a much needed break for a couple weeks. I think they are going to be practicing what he’s been preaching about husbands and wives honoring and loving each other. So, please be in prayer for them during this time. Pray that they are refreshed and that God gives them revelation.
Speaking of revelation, that’s where we will be today. We are back in the book of Revelation. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open them to the 17th chapter and you can follow along on Youversion as well.
The last time that we were in this book we learned about the significance of the 7 Bowls of God’s complete wrath. Seven angels poured the contents of the bowls on all of humanity.
As each bowl was poured out by another angel, the devastation became worse and worse. Surprisingly, instead of coming to an understanding of God’s sovereignty and yielding to His authority, John notices that men cursed God and accused Him of some grave injustice because of what they suffered. And if we aren’t careful, we may be inclined to agree with those men. If we aren’t careful we may find ourselves spewing the same contempt toward God because of the many things that we suffer in this life. Sure, it is God’s wrath, as the apostle Paul argues that is “...revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...” (Rom. 1:18). It is God’s wrath, as he made the churches at Ephesus and Colosse aware of, that “comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6). This is what D.A. Carson calls
“...an entirely reasonable and willed response to offenses against His holiness.”[1]
The thing that leads to the reigning down of God’s wrath on the sin-filled world in the book of Revelation and in our day as well, it isn’t that God is just looking for someone to take His anger out on, rather it is the natural consequence of our own rebellion and disobedience. Let us never forget the patience of our God, who is “longsuffering toward us, not wiling that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pt. 3:9b).
“…God is never arbitrary, capricious, or vengeful in His judgment. He is always fair, just, and true.”[2]
This morning we will see His judgment unfold as we spend our time in the 17th chapter of what Jesus revealed to John in a message I’ve titled, Witchy Woman.
Babylon
Chapter 17 opens to us the downfall of Babylon. This is rather interesting when we consider that Babylon is no longer around during the time of John’s writing. However, the Bible has much to say about this, once great, nation.
Its history begins at the tower of Babel (Gen. 10–11). The name babel means “gate of god” and it later came to mean confusion, and as we will learn, this is a strategy of the enemy while at war with God for the souls of humanity.
Think about it, how much confusion is there today about the teachings of the Bible? How much confusion is there about the character and nature of God? How much confusion is there about their own identity? How much confusion is there about the truth of God and the Way of salvation? While Babylon may no longer be a physical city, it is still spiritually significant.
Babylon had many great leaders, beginning with its founder, Nimrod, “the mighty hunter before the Lord” (Gen. 10:8-12). Following him was Hammurabi. Maybe you’ve heard of the Code of Hammurabi.
“The Code of Hammurabi was one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes.... The Hammurabi code of laws, a collection of 282 rules, established standards for commercial interactions and set fines and punishments to meet the requirements of justice.”[3]
The Code of Hammurabi is credited with the creation of the idea that an alleged criminal is “innocent until proven guilty”. And then, about 600 years before the Incarnation of Jesus, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, elevated this nation to prominence again after a brief period of decline. Not only was Babylon important politically and culturally, it was hugely significant in terms of its religious influence on the world during its time.
This is where things get interesting when talking about the book of Revelation.
Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, supposedly gave birth to a son miraculously. Her son’s name was Tammuz. This would begin a recognition of mother and son as being divine and a new religion was born. Sound familiar?[4]
So, when Babylon fell to the Persians, they were not allowed to practice their religion which had begun with Nimrod’s wife and son. Therefore, in order to keep their religious identity, the Babylonian cultists fled to a city called Pergamum (Pergamos). Now, if that rings a bell, it should.
One of the seven churches in Asia Minor was located in Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-19). Listen to what Jesus wrote to that church.
Revelation 2:12–16 NKJV
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
The sacrificing to idols and the sexual immorality mentioned here, will come up again as we go through Revelation 17.
In chapter 14 when the 144,000 were sealed and the angel carrying the everlasting gospel preached to every nation, tongue, tribe and people, we were told about the demise of Babylon.
Revelation 14:8 NKJV
And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Even the OT prophets spoke of Babylon’s fall.
Jeremiah 51:8 NKJV
Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.
Isaiah 21:9 NKJV
And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”
Chapters 17-18 of the book of Revelation shows to us what that downfall will be like and then, as we come to the final chapters (19-22), we will see what a life without the sinful influences of Babylon will be like. We will see what a new heaven and new earth will mean for those faithful followers of the Lamb.
For now, let’s look at chapter 17.
Come and See (Rev. 17:1-2)
Revelation 17:1–2 NKJV
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,
with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
So let’s begin by looking at these verses in sections.
In Rev. 17:1-2, John is invited to witness a great event. The invitation, we are told, comes from one of the seven angels who had one of the seven bowls of God’s wrath which was poured out on the earth and all of its inhabitants. We learned about that in chapter 16.
Something fascinating about this invitation is that it parallels another invitation John receives later in the revelation.
In Rev. 21:9-11 we are told,
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The fact that these two events parallel each other is not by happenstance. As Robert Mounce points out in his commentary,
“When the great prostitute with all her seductive allurements is exposed and destroyed, then the Bride of Christ will be seen in all her beauty and true worth.”[5]
What the angel invites John to see is the “judgment of the great harlot”. This woman sits on many waters and fornicates with the kings and inhabitants of the earth; those who are inebriated with the “wine of her fornications” (v1).
The “many waters” mentioned in v1 are later revealed to us as being “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (v15), These are the ones who have prostituted themselves in this world. Those who have given themselves to
“...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...” (1 John 2:16).
This great prostitute, as the word is also translated, fornicates with the upper echelon of society and the common folk. Every class of people are wooed by her feminine wiles. But her judgment is on the horizon and John has been given a front row seat to witness her downfall.
Beauty & the Beast (Rev. 17:3-5)
John accepts the angel’s invitation and then he sees two incredible sights.
The first thing he sees is pointed out in Rev. 17:3-5.
Revelation 17:3–5 NKJV
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.
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.
And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Four times in the book of Revelation, we’re told that John is “carried away in the Spirit” (Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). Chapter 17 marks his third time being carried away. The fourth will come in chapter 21 when he is invited to see the Lamb’s Bride descending out of heaven from God. There, the Spirit brings him to a “great and high mountain” (Rev. 21:10). This may be the same Mt. Zion where the Lamb stands in Rev. 14:1. In chapter 17 though, John is carried away to “the wilderness” (v3), once a place of refuge and safety for the mother of the offspring of those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17) is now an encampment for evil.
The woman John sees is incredibly attractive. She is dressed lavishly, and those who have a yearning for what the world has to offer (Rev. 18:3, 9) are spellbound by her. She appeals to all of the senses of anyone obsessed with grabbing the next rung on the ladder of worldly accomplishments. She is dressed seductively, riding a scarlet beast, filled with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. This is the beast, which we first saw rising out of the sea in chapter 13.
Listen to the angel’s description of this beast. The language is mostly past -tense and used as a parody of how Jesus is described in the opening pages of this revelation.
The beast was, is not and will come out of the pit and go to perdition (v8). The apostle Paul encouraged us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 NKJV
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
This is the beast of Revelation 17 upon whom the Mother of Harlots is seated. J. Scott Duvall calls this a
“...political, military, and economic power used in the service of Satan to oppose God and [H]is people.”[6]
This is the Anti-Christ.
On the forehead of this temptress, this prostitute, is the name MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. This, most-certainly, is to serve as a contrast to the faithful followers of the Lamb who have been sealed for the day of their redemption by having the Name of the Lamb and His Father written on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1; 22:4).
Drunk & Disorderly (Rev. 17:6)
The second thing that John sees is described in Rev. 17:6.
Revelation 17:6 NKJV
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.
As John continues to watch, instead of seeing the judgment of this witchy woman, he notices that she is 3 sheets to the wind, drunk on the blood of Christians, and he marvels. He is completely blown away and astounded by what he is witnessing. In Rev. 13 we were told that the beast who comes out of the earth (False Prophet), exercising all of the authority of the first beast that came out of the sea (Anti-Christ), was granted power to kill anyone who would not worship the beast and his image (Rev. 13:11-17). In Rev. 6:9-10, when the fifth seal was broken, we saw the souls of those who had been slain for their testimony about the Lamb. A testimony by which they overcame the dragon (Rev. 12:11). When John accepts the angel’s invitation he expected to see punishment, but what he actually saw was prosperity. And he couldn’t believe his eyes.
What about you? Do you find yourself mesmerized by the seducing spirits of our world? When you see criminals getting away with lawlessness, when you see unbelievers living a “better” life than you are, does it cause you to think about the greener grass on the world’s side of the fence? I would hope not. I would hope that you would find comfort in the words of the psalmist.
Psalm 37:7–9 NKJV
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.
David admitted that he was distracted by worldly things, until he took his eyes off of the world and laid hold of God.
Psalm 73:3 NKJV
For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Psalm 73:17 NKJV
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.
This is why it is important for you and me to remember the promises of God and the God of those promises. He is in complete and total control of the end times.
Call to Respond
I want to leave you with a charge and a challenge this morning.
As we’ve already learned, this woman who is drunk on the blood of Christians, is Babylon the Great. Obviously, this is meant to be taken symbolically. Babylon has been of no consequence since it fell to the Persians under the reign of Darius in 539 B.C.. So then, John, most-likely, has Rome in mind here. William Barclay writes that John's picture of Rome is rather tame when compared with how the Romans viewed themselves[7]. Whatever the case, we must be careful not to pigeon-hole this one city, or any other for that matter, into the mold of Babylon. This woman could be just about any nation, government or person in the world.
Daniel Akin warns use to be careful about who we attach this label to
“...because it is not hard to imagine that you and I will wake up [one] day and realize that we have all become Babylonians!”[8]
And this is the issue that we are faced with today, remaining faithful to our God by not prostituting our souls; by not fornicating with the world and committing spiritual adultery. This was the inspiration for the call to repent in Jesus’s letter to the church in Thyatira.
Revelation 2:18–23 NKJV
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
The relationship between God and His people has always been seen as that of a husband and wife. The prophets often spoke of Israel as God’s spouse. That’s the whole point of Hosea’s prophecy. Israel has become a whore. God still loves her, but He will not tolerate her promiscuity.
Isaiah 1:21 (NIV) says,
See how the faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
The prophet Jeremiah shares that God divorced Israel because of her adulteries with the gods of other nations (Jer. 3:8-11).
Ezekiel tells us that the jealousy of God burned against Israel because she prostituted herself with the idols of other nations (Ezek. 16:35ff).
And when we come to the pages of the NT, there are plenty of examples that follow these OT teachings.
For the past several weeks, Pastor Mike has been showing us how our marriages are a reflection of our relationship with Jesus.
Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus reminds us of this truth.
Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
He says that “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).
And in Revelation 19 & 21 the people of God are called the Bride of Christ.
Don’t, for a moment, underestimate the love that God has for you. He is jealous for you and He will fight for His marriage. He has loved you with an everlasting love and He has shown that love by letting Christ die in your place, even when you would not love Him back (Rom. 5:8). The sins that we commit against God are equivalent to the breach of a martial covenant. Leon Morris and William Barclay both make the very convincing argument that when we rebel against God by not honoring our vows to remain faithful to Him, it is more a sin against the love of God than it is a sin against the law of God.[9][10]
You see, that’s why sexual immorality mentioned in scripture is tantamount to idolatry which is spiritual adultery. There is no shacking up with God. And there is no shacking up with the gods of this world. You will either give yourself completely to Jesus or you will give yourself completely to the gods of this world.
1 Corinthians 6:15–17 NKJV
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
So here’s the challenge.
If you are a follower of Christ, but you have been prostituting yourself spiritually, I want to invite you to renew your commitment to Christ this morning. If you have allowed yourself to be distracted by what this world has to offer, I want to pray with you. That in your repentance you would remain faithful to Jesus.
Just over 16 years ago, as I stood at the front of this altar staring out at a room filled with people, I watched Alicia walk down the aisle, dressed more beautifully than I had ever seen before. I was blown away. And then, when the pastor asked who gives this woman to be married to this man, her dad said that he and her mother did, he placed her hand in mine and we began a new and beautiful relationship together. It hasn’t all been easy, but it’s all been great.
If you are not a follower of Christ, if you’re not a Christian, then I want to give you away to someone who will love you as you need to be loved. I want to invite you into a life-altering relationship with Jesus Christ. As you walk down this isle and give me your hand as you give Jesus your heart and begin a brand new, loving relationship with Him.
Works Cited
From D.A. Carson, “God’s Love and God’s Wrath,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156 (1999): 388–390.
Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), 256.
Code of Hammurabi: Laws & Facts | HISTORY.
John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 970.
Robert Mounce, Revelation, pp307-08.
J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, p233.
William Barclay, The Revelation of John, 2 vols. (Saint Andrew Press, 1960; Daily Study Bible
Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), 262.
Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 196.
William Barclay, The Revelation of John, 2 vols. (Saint Andrew Press, 1960; Daily Study Bible.
