TEACHING NOTES Part 18: The Great Prostitute & The Dragon Introduction In this session, we will begin the third vision of Revelation. This vision begins with two chapters (Rev. 17-18) that are all about God’s judgment of “the great prostitute” who’s mysterious name is “Babylon the Great.” Many popular books and study Bibles take the view that Babylon is the symbolic name for Rome. However, there are several things from the text of Revelation and the Old Testament that indicate that “Babylon the Great” in Revelation cannot be Rome. The most obvious indication is Rev. 17:16 where the beast (Rome) will hate the prostitute and kill her. So, if the beast is Rome and will kill the prostitute, who is the great prostitute? Old Testament Context: Israel as the Great Prostitute A Few OT Passages about Israel’s Unfaithfulness: Ezek. 16 — Jerusalem is a whore full of abominations. Jerusalem has become like Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon. Isa. 1:10-21 — Jerusalem is a whore full of injustice and murder. Jerusalem compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. Jer. 3; 13:27 — Jerusalem is so full of abominations and adulteries that God decides to divorce Israel (Jer. 3:8). Hosea 9:1 — Israel has forsaken God and played the whore. Ezekiel 16 is likely the most vivid passage about Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness to God. Jerusalem is called a prostitute who whores after the gods of other nations. Jerusalem is compared to the Gentile nations: Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, Chaldeans (Babylon), and Sodom. Rev. 11:8 “and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.” Jerusalem is a great prostitute that has become like Sodom, Egypt, and now Babylon. Therefore, God will judge (divorce) Jerusalem and take a new bride. ​ Revelation 17:1–2 ESV 1 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, 2 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.” The judgment of the great prostitute = Whoever this prostitute is, she is clearly under the judgment of God. So far in Revelation, we have seen that Jerusalem is the one under judgment. A famous criticism of God for Jerusalem (Israel) in the Old Testament is that she is a prostitute who is cheating on Yahweh with other gods (see Ezek. 16; Isa. 1:21; Jer. 3, 13:27; Hosea 9:1). Seated on many waters = In the Hebrew mind, the waters or the sea is often a symbol of the Gentiles or Gentile nations. The angel will explain this image in Rev. 17:15 to John as “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.” This prostitute is somehow involved with Gentiles, perhaps sleeping around with Gentiles. ​ Revelation 17:3 ESV 3 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. Carried me away in the Spirit = This is an indication that a new vision has begun. This passage is the beginning of the 3rd vision. A woman sitting on a scarlet beast in the wilderness = In the Hebrew mind, evil spirits like to live in the dry wilderness/desert. The scarlet (red) beast is obviously connected to the red dragon from Rev. 12:3, which also has seven heads and ten horns. The woman in Rev. 17 is set as a contrast to the woman in Rev. 12:1-2, 13-17. The woman in Rev. 12 represents faithful Israel. The woman in Rev. 17 represents unfaithful Israel. ​ Revelation 17:4 ESV 4 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. The woman was arrayed like a priest = Many modern readers think that the prostitute represents Rome, but they often miss how she is dressed. An outfit of purple, scarlet, gold, and jewels is the outfit of Israel’s priests (see Ex. 28). Why would Rome be describes as wearing the outfit of a Jewish priest? Because this prostitute is a symbol of adulterous Israel, not Rome. Cup full of abominations and immorality = This is the exact language used in Ezek. 16:2; Jer. 13:27 to describe Jerusalem. This is also connected to the message of the third angel in Rev. 14:9-10 where those who follow the beast will drink from the “cup” of God’s wrath. This also tells us that the “fall of the great city” (Rev. 18) is the first harvest of the land (Rev. 14:14-20). ​ Revelation 17:5–6 ESV 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 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. A name of mystery = If “Babylon the great” was literally the city of Babylon, there would be no mystery here. This name must be symbolic for some other city. Babylon the great = John has already told us that Jerusalem is “the great city” and is “symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified” in Rev. 11:8. Sodom is the first enemy of God’s people in Gen. 19. Egypt is the second great enemy of God’s people (Exodus). Later in the Old Testament, the third great enemy of God’s people is Babylon (Jer. 29). Jerusalem is the great city that is now symbolically called Babylon. Drunk with blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus = This language is never used to describe Babylon, but is always used to describe Jerusalem. Even Jesus said this about Jerusalem in Matt. 23:29-36. Jerusalem was known for centuries as the city that kills its own saints and prophets. ​ Revelation 17:7 ESV 7 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. I will tell you the mystery = The angel is about to explain what John is seeing. ​ Revelation 17:8 ESV 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. The beast that was, is not, about to rise = This connects back to Rev. 13 where the beast seemed to have a mortal wound but lived. The beast represents Rome and its emperor. ​ Revelation 17:9–11 ESV 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. This calls for a mind with wisdom = Meaning, you can figure this is out if have wisdom and try really hard. This “mystery” is meant to be understood. Seven heads are seven mountains/kings = Refer back to our study of Rev. 13 for more detail. This is a reference to Rome and its emperor Nero. ​ Revelation 17:12–14 ESV 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” Ten horns are ten kings = This likely represents the ten Jewish leaders/generals during the Jewish war with Rome. They were all captured by Rome and had to surrender their authority to Rome (the beast). They will make war on the Lamb = In Acts we find that the first enemy of the church was Jerusalem. The Jews were the first to persecute the followers of Jesus. Later on, Rome begins to persecute Christians. The Lamb will conquer them = This does not mean that the Lamb destroyed them. We’ve already been told that “they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Rev. 12:11). Trusting in the sacrifice of Christ and spreading the Gospel is how we overcome the evil one. In Revelation, the saints win by giving their lives—just like Jesus won by giving His life. ​ Revelation 17:15–16 ESV 15 And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, The waters = A symbol of the Gentile nations. The ten horns and the beast will hate the prostitute = In the Jewish war, both the Jews and Rome were responsible for destroying the city and committing gruesome acts in the process (like rape and cannibalism). The Jews had already defiled the city and temple before Rome ever arrived. Rome merely finished the job. They will make her desolate, naked, devour her flesh, burn her with fire = The prostitute (the great city) will be made desolate, naked, eaten, and burned by the Jews and the Romans. This is exactly what happened in Jerusalem during the Jewish War in AD 66-70. Jesus prophesied that this would occur (Matt. 23:37-38; Matt. 24:1-28, 34). The last thing Rome did before they left Jerusalem was burn the temple and city. ​ Revelation 17:17–18 ESV 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose = Why would God do such a thing? Because Jerusalem, who was supposed to be a light to all nations, has become like a prostitute who killed the Messiah and many of His saints. God is judging Jerusalem as “those who pierced him” (Rev. 1:7). Until the words of God are fulfilled = We’ve already heard this phrase in Rev. 10:7. The mystery of God refers to His judgment of Jerusalem. The woman is the great city = So far in Revelation, the great city is always speaking of Jerusalem (Rev. 11:8; 16:19). There is no reason to think that the rules of interpretation change at the end of the book. The “great city” is Jerusalem and another city will appear later in Rev. 21 that is called “the holy city” and “the New Jerusalem.” Out with the old, in with the new. Important Contrasts in Revelation Followers of the Lamb vs Followers of the Beast The Woman vs The Prostitute The Prostitute vs The Bride The Great City vs The New Jerusalem The Old Earth vs The New Earth Main Idea of Rev. 17-18 God divorced Jerusalem and allowed her to be destroyed to make way for the marriage of the Lamb.