Desolation and destruction: (chap. 17-18)
Destruction of false religion (chap.17)
This chapter gives the step by step victory of the lamb and the stages of destruction of false religion. The devil who deceived the people at Babel and launched a false religion over the entire world, will once again deceive the world. Then Satan will destroy the false religion and sets up his own worship.
The power of false religion (harlot): (17:1-6):
The term “harlot” is a metaphor for false religion, spiritual defection, idolatry and religious apostasy. The Apostle John sees in his vision that the harlot has his throne on the many waters (17:15), the waters are the peoples, multitudes and nations and tongues. In the ancient days every city is built on the banks of rivers or shores of seas. Some of the dominant features of this false religion (harlot) are:
- Her Authority (17:1b, 15): The false religion (harlot) will influence and dominate all the un-redeemed peoples and nations and languages of the earth.
- Her Alliance and control: (17:2-3): All those who dwell in the earth will be carried away by the final false religion. They will give their heart and soul to this false religions. They become fanatics. They are intoxicated with the world’s false religion.
Further when the Apostle John was carried away by Spirit into the wilderness (now a modern Babylon) he sees “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast,” whose description identifies him as Antichrist (13:1,4). The initial unifying and controlling factor of Antichrist’s kingdom will be the false religion. With the heavens and the earth being ravaged by God’s judgments and the world’s political, economic and military might crumbling, people will turn in desperation to the supernatural. Antichrist and harlot (false religion) will co-exist for a while. Religion will be separate from the kingdom of Antichrist at first. Eventually Satan will hate the harlot (false religion) and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire”(17:16). At that point that the false prophet will make the whole world worship Antichrist (13:11-14) and everything will be unified in the beast’s (Antichrist’) rule.
- Her appearance: (17:4) The appearance of Antichrist will be splendorous, royal, sinful, bloody beast, full of blasphemous names. In his arrogant self-deification, Antichrist will take for himself the names and titles that belong to God. This demonic scarlet beast is described as having 7-heads and 10-horns. “The 7-heads are 7-mountains on which the woman sits and they are 7-kings, 5-have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while” (17:9-10). All the mountains represent 7 kingdoms of past, present and future governments. The 10-horns represent 10 kings who will rule as subordinates to Antichrist. Prostitutes usually dress so as to attract attention to them and metaphorically the harlot Babylon will be no different.
- Her deeds: (17:4b-6): As was customary for prostitutes, the name Babylon was written on her forehead. The Babylon is not a particular place or geological description. The vision cannot be applied to any actual city. Since Babylon is the source of all the false, blasphemous worship, all the people who follow such things are called as the “harlot Babylon.” Her designation as “The mother of Harlots” is a perfect word since harlot symbolizes idolatry (Jud.2:17; Eze.16:30-31). Babylon is drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus Christ. The false religion represented by (harlot) gets drunk with the blood of God’s people and idolatry. The Apostle John wondered greatly in his vision at the sight of this ghostly woman who is full of deadly intentions.