We continue on our journey through Revelation. We are almost ready to see the New Heaven and the New Earth. Yet there is one more piece to work through. As I thought about ways to talk through this section of scripture where the woman, the harlot, the prostitute is the reminder of temptation for this world, I found a video I wanted to share from ?I Am Second.? It is a wonderful resource for videos and discussion. Before we watch the video, I want to explain a few things from chapter 17.? In this word picture, John pictures the society in which he lives as a harlot riding on the beast that we met last week. The harlot is obsessed with luxury and conspicuous consumption. She is violent and yet alluring. The imagery describes the seductive power of materialism and society’s fascination with violence. The picture is designed to startle people into seeing how the currents in society draw people into a web of relationships that are degrading.

Revelation 17:1-8

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ?Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.? 3So he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; 5and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ?Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth?s abominations.? 6And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly amazed.

7But the angel said to me, ?Why are you so amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

Seven bowls- wrath of God, judgment, just like seals with the catastrophes and woes

Babylon- Fall of Babylon parody and mirror image of the with Holy City; New Jerusalem=extensive image of salvation; Babylon=extensive image of judgment

Judgment before Salvation

Wilderness- place of refuge for the People of God

Woman- alluring prostitute; picturing a city was common in the prophetic Jewish tradition in which John lives and from which he draws: Jerusalem was pictured as a virgin (Isaiah 37:22, Lam 2:13), faithful wife and mother (Isaiah 66:7-14), a married woman who became unfaithful (Ezekiel 16), Nineveh and Tyre as harlot (Nahum 3:1-7, Isaiah 23).

More on Babylon- Rome is the great city; Babylon is Rome, enthroned upon her multinational commercial empire that spans the seas, but also sitting upon Leviathan, the sea monster representing the powers of chaos doomed finally to destruction by the Creator; It is Rome with whom the ?kings of the earth? have ?committed fornication,? in scriptural parlance, ?engaged in idolatry.?

7 heads=7 hills

7 kings=7 emperors

Why does John use the image of the whore? Because it is used throughout the bible!

whole book is about the relationship between Creator and creation, reaches its full glory in the coming together of the lamb and the bride-the best and most successful lies are those that are so like the truth that it only takes a little blink to be deceived.
one of the greatest images of Israel and YHWH in the OT. Sad when the relationship goes wrong. The book of Hosea, where the whore is going after idols
sexual images were part of society. Not only is it a metaphor for Rome?s idolatry and social and economic oppression, but illicit sex was a further symptom of the problem. This shows a sign of the corruption of the human heart, springs from the worshiping of idols, can only be cured by the heart changing operation which results from worshiping the true God.
Babylon?s oppression because there is something uncannily like prostitution going on when the rich empire lures others into its den. The great empire is luxury beyond your wildest dreams. Get so caught up in the excitement, and drinking from the golden cup, that it is to late when the truth is exposed.

As I read through this material, the question that came was ?Where are we in this story?? And although many of us have not led lives that took us down the path of prostitution, there are many things that we have given priority and where we have been led to a life of temptation instead of giving priority and focus on our relationship with God. I invite you to listen to Karen?s story. (VIDEO)

Karen shared the neglect she received as a child and how that led to men taking advantage of her, as well as her mother not standing up for her. She shared how she gave priority to a cycle of abuse, money, drugs, and sex-she didn?t know another way. She would pray to God to help and then take drugs. To me, this is what this part of the story from Revelation is talking about. We sometimes talk to God, pray, start down a good path, but yet we cannot let go of the world that keeps bringing us back in. We walk the line between fully worshiping God and devoting our lives to following the Lamb, and keeping up with the lures of culture, society, the promises of this world, where the parody is lived out instead of being present in the Holy City.

Revelation 19:11-16

??????????????????????? 11Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ?King of kings and Lord of lords.?

In 19:11-16 Revelation pictures Christ as a rider on the white horse, who overcomes the beast with the power of his word, which is pictured as the sword from his mouth. This scene is actually the battle of Armageddon (see 16:16). And in this battle there is no ordinary weaponry. Only the power of the word, the power of Christ’s truth, will defeat the evil and injustice in this world. ?As the beginning of these final events are shared that will come in history, John describes something about the character of the End as it could be, but not in any particular order. Here are some of the phrases to review:

White horse-reminds the hearers of the first white horse from chapter 6, yet this is a different white horse; not a horse for judgment, but one for salvation.

Rider- is Jesus. He has the same flaming eyes as in the vision of Christ from chapter 1:14, the same sword of the word of God proceeds from his mouth (1:16, 2:12), he is named by the same names as in his messages to the churches (3:14), he bears the name of the definitive self-revelation of God, ?Word of God.? We could name him ?Jesus the Conqueror?; He is the designated Messiah who will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Ps 2:9); he wears the bloody garments of the warrior god of Isaiah 63:1-3; on his head are the many diadems of his rightful sovereignty over the world; he properly bears the title claimed by the Caesars ?King of kings, Lord of lords.?

With this image of Jesus being a conqueror, yet he is also the Lion as the Lamb from Chapter 5. Here is the important piece- This conqueror, this Jesus, destroys his enemies, not with the literal sword, but with the sword of his mouth; his only weapon is his word, the Word of God which he himself is.

Blood- is his own, union of the martyred blood of his followers who have also suffered persecution at the hand of Rome.

Image of winning the great battle in which those who have resisted God are slaughtered. But John fills this idea with hew content. In the Christian confession, John reminds people that Christ, the triumphant military king, is Jesus, the crucified man of Nazareth, who was crucified not as preliminary to his victory but for his victory.

Armies of Heaven- angelic hosts, part of the tradition, but also evoke the image of the triumphant church in heaven; they are also conquerors, they have been faithful unto death as well

John knows that his visions do not and cannot reveal how things ultimately are, that his pictures are at least one remove from claiming to capture the divine mystery. Like the God of the exodus whom he represents, the returning Messiah not only has names that reveal his character and function (Faithful and True, Word of God, King of kings, Lord of Lords) he also has a name known only to himself.

Who is the enemy-dark power that stood behind Rome and all other pagan empires. The victory is over all pagan power, which means a victory over violence itself.

As I thought about Karen?s story, I was grateful that it wasn?t over when she turned herself in that day. Something amazing happened. The Word of God happened in her life. (VIDEO)

As we think about our lives and how we live them, I think we all need to acknowledge we walk a fine line between fully living our lives as God is calling us to live and surviving economically in the world in which we currently live. It is easy to get caught up in the needs and wants society throws at us. It is easy to get caught up with the woman. Yet, the victory is already won and we have nothing to win or prove. Karen learned that lesson while in jail, and many of us have learned aspects of that lesson in our lives. Yet, we are still waiting to see if there could be more. Today, I want to remind you that Jesus is enough. The Word made flesh is amazing, and when we truly allow for the Word to enter into our lives, heaven is made real. Remember as we prepare for the last week in our journey through Revelation these words: Only the power of the word, the power of Christ’s truth, will defeat the evil and injustice in this world. Who carries the power of the word? We do. We have the power to defeat the evil and injustice of this world with the power of the Word of God and Christ?s Truth. The Word completely changed Karen?s life and purpose?how are you allowing for the Word to completely change you? Is the Word governing your life, or are you allowing the world to govern your life? Pray through which you are doing and where you feel God is leading you in your life at this time. Amen.

?They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out.? ? C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

?The dream is ended- this is the morning.? ? C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

?I believe it all. If I seem not to, it is only that my joy is too great to let my belief settle itself.? ? C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle