07.12. Judgment of the great harlot (17:1-18)

Judgment of the great harlot (Rev 17:1-18) An immoral Woman sitting on a scarlet beast (blasphemous names, seven heads, ten horns) The woman is identified in Rev 17:18 as the great city, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth and as “Babylon the great” in Rev 17:5. We can then deduce that the woman also represents a false religion and all that is abominable and is contrary to all that is good according to God. It appears that the source will be the city of Babylon and this false religion and ideology will spread throughout the world. Rev 18:1-24 seems to affirm this. John MacArthur writes:

Some commentators deny that the great city is a literal city, preferring to see it as a symbol of the religious aspect of Antichrist’s empire. Some of those who view the great city as an actual city identify it as Rome, others as Jerusalem. But the angel quite clearly and repeatedly refers to Babylon on the Euphrates throughout Rev 17:1-18, Rev 18:1-24. Those allusions can be seen by comparing Rev 17:1 with Jer 51:13; Jer 17:2; Jer 17:4 with Jer 51:7; Jer 18:7 with Isa 47:5; Isa 18:2 with Isa 13:21 and Jer 51:8; Jer 18:4 with Jer 50:8; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:45; Jer 18:5 with Jer 51:9; Jer 18:6 with Jer 50:15; Jer 51:24; Jer 18:21 with Jer 51:63-64. The description of Babylon’s destruction (cf. Rev 18:10, Rev 18:18, Rev 18:21) also suggests that an actual city is in view.^xix John Walvoord sees the religious system of Babylon: This evil woman symbolizes the religious system of Babylon, and the waters symbolize “peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages” (Rev 17:15). The angel informed John that the kings of the earth had committed adultery with the woman; in other words, they had become a part of the religious system which she symbolized ^xx

• The name on her forehead is “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth”.

• She is drunk with the blood of the saints.

• The beast represents kingdoms and kings and will be defeated By Jesus.

• Another angel proclaims that Babylon the great is fallen, God’s people are to come out of her and not participate in her sins. There is rejoicing in heaven and a great multitude of believers in heaven appear.