We are looking into the small book of Revelation from the prescriptive of our having a renewed mind, a mind of humanity's origin or as it has been put, having the mind of Christ as our origin. Our next character on the stage of discovery is the harlot, whore of humanity's design Religion or is she political in nature or how about finance, or here's another one, how about plagues or harmful diseases that spread around the world rapidly, as a good deceiver, beginning in chapter 17. Did you notice that each listed affliction of humanity began in mans imagination?
Revelation 17:1-7 "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, "Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, "Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." (KJV)
Revelation 17:1-7 "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 prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." And 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. The woman was arrayed 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 sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, "Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her." (ESV)
Revelation 17:1-7 "And one of the seven Messengers with the seven golden temple vessels approached me and called me to come and see the judgment of the notorious prostitute who sat enthroned upon the many trade routes of the waters - both the rivers and seas. (Same language repeated in Rev. 21:9 with the seven last wounds, came to me and spoke with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife!" The Prostitute Society of Babylon [the "Old Jerusalem" is set up against the Bride-society-the New Jerusalem.) She engaged the kings of the earth with her harlotry, intoxicating the earth dwellers with the wine of her passion and fornication. The Messenger then carried me into a desert place [in total contrast to the hustle and bustle of the busy trade routes of the oceans and the rivers] I saw transported there in spirit and saw a woman seated upon a [1] scarlet colored Beast; With [2] blasphemous, insulting names written all over them like a label revealing the content of their [3] cargo. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. (For reference to the same Beast, Rev. 13:1-10 and its second Partner in verse 11, 12, the Lamb with the Dragon's voice, later called the False Prophet and here, the Harlot. Together in their alliance with the Dragon they form the Counterfeit Trinity. Also Rev. 17:12.
The word [2, G2847 from G2848] kokkinos refers to the crimson or scarlet color which was produced from the berry of the "ilex coccifers;" these "berries" are the clusters of the eggs of a female insect, the "kermes" [resembling the cochineal] and when collected and pulverized produces a red which was used in dyeing scarlet cloth. The color is so steadfast that it was one of the most difficult dyes to remove from clothing. So when Isaiah compares our sins leaving its stubborn stain upon our consciences, he says in Isaiah 1:18, "'Come now, let us reason together,' says the LORD: 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.'"
Again the [2] blasphemy and insults against the Name is emphasized. See the comments on Rev. 13:1.
Rev. 15:7, These golden fire-pan were loaded with the entire meaning of the sacrifice! Filled, (G1073) gemo, to be full, from [3] gomos, load, cargo.) The woman was draped in purple and scarlet fabric, festooned and sprinkled with golden glitter and ornaments. She was elaborately decorated with gold, precious stones and pearls, holding a golden [1] cup in her hand which was brimming with defiling obscenities and the stench of her impurities. (Again the surface, make-belief beauty and apparent splendor cannot hide her true filthy character - like the white washed tombs Jesus compared the religious systems to. "'Hypocrities! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the [1] cup [poterion] and the dish, but inside you are filthy-full of greed and self-indulgences! You are like beautifully decorated tombs on the outside, desperately trying to hide the stench of decaying corpses within.'" Mat. 23:25, 27. [2] bdelugma derivative of bdeo - to stink.
The harlot represents the counterfeit [1] cup [poterion] of covenant to the cup of the LORD.
1Corinthians 10:21, "You cannot drink the cup [poterion] of the Lord, and the cup [poterion] of devils: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."
1Corinthians 11:25, "After the same manner also the cup, [poterion] when He had supped, saying, 'This cup [poterion] is the new testament in My blood: this do, as often as you drink in remembrance of Me.'"
The covenant cup of the Lord communicates the redeemed life of our design incarnate in our person and fellowship and celebrated in our every meal!) The words written upon her forehead exposed her mystery identity: 'Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whores and the filth of the earth.' (Romans harlots wore a label with their names on their brows - Seneca, Rhet. 1, 2, 7; Juvenal VI. 122f.) The woman I saw was intoxicated with the blood of the [1] Saints and the blood of [2] those who bore the testimony of Jesus. This left me mesmerized, pondering what I saw, desiring understanding the content of it all. (The cup she drank represented her opposition to everything that the blood of Jesus communicates. She was intoxicated with the thought that accused, sinful humanity could be reckoned blameless Saints by the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:9, 13&14. Also Rev. 12:11, Mikael and his Shepherd-Messengers [representing the entire Host of heaven - including all the multitudes previously mentioned in revelation] conquered the Dragon because of the blood of the little Lamb and the word of their testimony!
Also rev. 16:19, And the great city split into three portions and the cities of the nations fell and Babylon the great was remembered in the cup of GOD'S [1] great passion and [2] desire to bring everything to conclusion. (The word [1] thumos, passion and [2] orge are from oregomai, to stretch one's self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after with intense desire.) And the Shepherd-Messenger said to me, "Why were you so perplexed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and the Beast carrying her; Also the meaning of his seven heads and ten horns." (The Mirror, with editing.)
With more to come in our investigation of the mystery Babylon, our next visit the LORD willing we shall pick it back up at verse 8. Until then may the LORD increased our comprehension of all that is of Him.
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