Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 17:1-4
May 9th, 2010
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

Outline

The System is Exposed.

The System is Explained.

The System is Extinguished.

1 - The System is Exposed.   Verses 1-6

We have the invitation, "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:"

John is going to view a future event. Perhaps it will help our understanding to say God has a time machine! God dwells in the ever present eternity now. Yesterday, today and tomorrow are all now in God's presence.

We have the residence of the great harlot, "That sitteth upon many waters". The many waters are the peoples and nations of the earth. This shows the wide scope of the harlot churches' influence. This world wide religion will sweep the entire earth. This super church is rapidly taking shape today. Liberals, conservatives, orthodox, catholics, evangelicals, emergent church, new age and other religions of the world, are all coming together to bring peace, prosperity and ecological deliverance to the world. The focus is to make a better world in cooperation with the governments of the world.

It may seem good, but the church of Jesus Christ is not to enter into a union with the world. The Lord calls that spiritual fornication.

"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." Verse 2. This church enters into a union with the world. Our Lord said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 Jn. 2:15. This harlot church is an unregenerate church. The true church is called to come out of the world and be separate from the world.

The attitude of this church toward the world and to government is; you help me get what I want and I will help you to get what you want. It is a church that is deceived, not knowing what the purpose of the church is.

Today we see that mind set in the purpose driven church. Whatever it takes to get the world into the church is fair game. They have been deceived into believing that union with the world is alright with the Lord of the church. In fact, He calls it spiritual fornication, and spews such a church out of His mouth.

The great State Churches and the Roman Catholic Church have practiced this very thing for years. During the tribulation period this apostasy will reach a climax. It is a grief to see evangelical churches caught up in this error, but the sad thing is to see those who have known the truth to fall away to this apostasy. Not everyone who seems to be a Christian is a Christian, the Lord knows them that are His.

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet beast, full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and seven horns." Verse 3.

"A woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast," The tribulation period begins with the woman, the church, in control of the beast.

The ten horns represents the Revived Roman Empire. The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period the leaders of the ten nations share power with the Antichrist. It is not until the midtribulation point that the ten kings or leaders give their power over to the Antichrist. At that time world wide kingdom of Antichrist will come into being. Notice the beast represents both the kingdom of antichrist and the person of Antichrist.

As he rises to power over the Revived Roman Empire the beast will use the harlot church to consolidate his control. Remember that Antichrist, indwelt by Satan, has a worship program of his own. He desires to turn the worship of Christ, even though it is a perverted worship, into the worship of himself. In the meantime he submits to the counterfeit religion of the harlot church.

The first half of the tribulation then is a marriage of religion and the government of the Revived Roman Empire. Today we see this apostate Christianity coming together in preparation for the beast to use. The unifying endeavour now centers around such things climate control, world peace and prosperity.

In verse 4, we catch a glimpse of the affluence of this counterfeit church. It is not hard to see the Roman Catholic Church in this verse. "purple and scarlet", what church comes to mind when you read this? You can see the pomp and display of the processions of the Bishops and Cardinals of the catholic church.

"Having a golden cup in her hand", there are perhaps thousands of golden chalices in Roman Catholic Churches around the world, no other church can match this fact.

"Full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:" For a thousand years the priesthood of the catholic church has been a source of sexual fornication of all kinds. That is a fair assessment, as all well know, and not a biased attack on the Roman Church. The unbiblical, unnatural concept of the celebacy of the priesthood is the root of the abominations and filthiness of the Church of Rome. We have previously stated that the harlot church is larger than the Church of Rome, but Rome is at the center of the harlot church. Today it is a common and true saying that all roads are leading home to Rome, the separated brethren are going home.