The story so far …
Revelation 16 records the seven bowls of God’s wrath, the final and most severe series of judgments, poured out on the earth.
- First bowl: painful sores on those who bear the mark of the beast and worship his image.
- Second bowl: the sea turns to blood, and every living thing in it dies.
- Third bowl: the rivers and springs become blood.
- Fourth bowl: the sun scorches people with fire, yet they curse God rather than repent.
- Fifth bowl: darkness falls on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom is in anguish.
- Sixth bowl: the Euphrates dries up, preparing the way for the kings of the east, and the nations gather at Armageddon.
- Seventh bowl: a voice declares “It is done!” with a great earthquake and hail, and great Babylon is remembered before God (16:19).
That last phrase leads straight into chapters 17 and 18, which explain who Babylon is and why she falls.
Transitional chapters. Revelation 7, Revelation 10-15, and Revelation 17-18 are transitional chapters. They pause the sequence of judgments to show what is happening behind the scenes: the people of God, the rise of the beast, and the nature and fall of Babylon.
- Revelation 17 is “spiritual Babylon,” the world religious system.
- Revelation 18 is “commercial Babylon,” the world economic system.
SECTION 1: HARLOT EXPOSED (REV 17:1-7)
Where does Revelation 17-18 fit in the timeline? These chapters sit within the Tribulation period, after the Church has been taken up. This matters because of a simple question: what happens when the light is removed? When the Church, the light of the world, is taken up, the result is utter darkness. With no restraining, truth-bearing presence left on earth, false religion is free to flourish on a global scale. The harlot of Revelation 17 is what fills that vacuum.
What is harlotry? In the Old Testament, harlotry is the picture of Israel turning away from God to worship other gods. Here the imagery is applied on a worldwide scale: the ecumenical and ecclesiastical system, the world religious system. As the mother of harlots, she is a federation of false religions.
The woman represents a false world religion that rises on the back of the Antichrist and seduces the nations.
- 17:1: She “sits on many waters” (see 17:15). Global influence.
- 17:2: “With her the kings of the earth committed adultery.” False religion, which is spiritual adultery.
- 17:3: She is “sitting on a scarlet beast.” She rode to prominence with the Antichrist.
- 17:4: She is “dressed in purple and scarlet…glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.” Associated with wealth and royalty.
- 17:5: Her title: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The scarlet beast. Compare Rev 13:1, where the beast rises with the power of the dragon. The scarlet colour ties back to Satan, who stands behind this entire system and empowers it.
The Roots of Babylon: Genesis 10-11
Gen 10:8-10 – Nimrod.
- Great-grandson of Noah (Noah → Ham → Cush → Nimrod).
- The starter of all pagan religious systems.
- A “mighty hunter before the LORD,” understood here as one who showed a fist to God, defying Him rather than serving Him.
- His kingdom began at Babel.
Gen 11:1-11 – The tower of Babel.
- “Let us make a name for ourselves”: humanity seeking glory and unity apart from God.
- God’s response: “Let us confuse them,” scattering the languages and the people.
- Babylon is the birthplace and the deathplace of false religion. It begins in Genesis 11 and is destroyed in Revelation 17-18.
Babylon in its several forms
- The city of Babylon
- The empire of Babylon
- The system of Babylon, which is both religious (Rev 17) and commercial (Rev 18)
SECTION 2: HARLOT EXPLAINED (REV 17:8-15)
In this section the angel interprets the vision for John. The beast “was, and is not, and will come up out of the abyss” (v. 8), a figure the world will marvel at and follow. The seven heads (vv. 9-11) and ten horns (vv. 12-14) represent successive powers and a final coalition of rulers who give their authority to the beast and wage war against the Lamb, who overcomes them.
Rev 17:10 – the seven kings. The verse divides the seven world powers into three groups:
- “Five have fallen”: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
- “One is”: Rome, the power ruling in John’s day.
- “The other has not yet come“: a ten-nation confederation that includes the Antichrist. It rules for “a little while,” until the ten give the Antichrist full control (see vv. 12-13, 17).
Verse 15 is the key to the scope of her influence. The waters on which the harlot sits are “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Her reach is global. This is not one denomination or one nation; it is a worldwide religious system that gathers people of every culture under a single umbrella.
How Satan works. Billy Graham put the danger plainly:
“Satan does not build a church and call it the First Church of Satan—he is far too clever for that. Instead, he tries to infiltrate the theological seminary and the pulpit, invading the church under the cover of an orthodox vocabulary—but emptying sacred terms of their true biblical meaning or denying their truth.”
The harlot will not look obviously evil. She will sound religious, speak in familiar terms, and appeal to unity, while denying the truth of the gospel.
Key points to remember
- The system is ecumenical: many faiths merged into one.
- It is empowered by the beast and ultimately by Satan.
- It is global in scope (v. 15).
- It rises in a world where the Church’s presence is no longer there to expose it.
SECTION 3: HARLOT EXTINGUISHED (REV 17:16-18)
The end of the harlot is startling. The beast and the ten horns, her former partners, turn on her: they hate her, make her desolate and naked, and burn her with fire (v. 16). The system that rode the beast is consumed by the beast.
Verse 17 reveals who is truly in control: God put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, until His words are fulfilled. Even the destruction of false religion serves the sovereign plan of God. The beast no longer needs a rival religion, since he will demand worship for himself.
Verse 18 identifies the woman as “that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” The city, empire, and system of Babylon have one end: judgment. Revelation 18 then describes the fall of Babylon’s commercial side. What began at Babel with a name for ourselves ends in ruin.
IN CONCLUSION
Jude 3: we must “earnestly contend for the faith.” In a world of counterfeit religion, believers hold firmly to what is true:
- Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
- There is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
The best defence against deception is knowing God’s Word well enough to recognise the counterfeit.
The harlot will not announce herself, so the church must be ready now. Applied to daily life, that means:
- Know the Word. Read Scripture regularly, so that doctrine is tested against it rather than against opinion or tradition.
- Hold to Christ alone. Do not blend Jesus with other ways to God. He is the only way, and His is the only saving name.
- Watch the pulpit. Test every teacher and teaching by Scripture, especially when familiar words are given new meanings.
- Contend with love. Defend the faith with truth and grace, and point people to the true Saviour.
Read the passage prayerfully a few times over and then answer the questions: Revelation 17
Questions:
- Harlot Exposed (Rev 17:1-7): Describe the harlot.Why is Babylon, from Nimrod to the tower of Babel, a fitting picture of false religion?
- Harlot Explained (Rev 17:8-15): What makes a harlot with global reach (v. 15) so dangerous, and how does she gain it?
- Harlot Extinguished (Rev 17:16-18): What does the beast turning on the harlot teach us about the end of false religion?
Application
- Jude 3 says we must “earnestly contend for the faith.” Is it reasonable in light of these two verses below for your faith journey to thrive, be sharp, shine, without compromise?
- Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
- There is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
