FBC Daily Devotions

Chapter 17 is a very full chapter! Much of the content in the first half of the chapter is explained in the second half. Consequently, it is difficult to break up this chapter into bite-sized pieces… but I’ll give it a try!

Granted, this is a long reading for the day, take the time and read this chapter in its entirety: Revelation 17.

Let’s begin our discussion by looking at the Great Prostitute. In the chapter she is referred to as “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (v. 3), “the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth” (v. 5), and “the great city” (v. 18). I will state simply upfront (and humbly), she represents the underlying power of all things opposed to God. She is the spiritual world-order opposed to Christ and often likened to Babylon, the great city credited with the final destruction of the nation of Israel. She is seen as an underlying power for evil early in the chapter, but then we see a shift to a physical entity in the latter part of the chapter (e.g. the beast and rulers of the earth will destroy her). She is responsible for the atrocities committed by the kings of the earth and ultimately for the actions of the Antichrist (i.e. the scarlet beast wtih 7 heads & 10 horns – see Rev. 13). She represents all things worldly — the enticement of riches, the filth of adultries, the killing of God’s people (vv. 4-6).

As I read the first six verses again in this chapter, the picture of the great prostitute becomes more apparent. One characteristic that stands out to me is this picture of her as a prostitute or harlot (NAS) through whom the world commits adultery. What is adultery? In a very specific sense, it is an unfaithful act committed against a marriage partner, namely sexual intercourse with someone other than one’s spouse. In a broader sense, it is an act of unfaithfulness against anyone or anything that we have made a commitment to. When applied to God, adultery is an act of unfaithfulness that says to the world, “my commitment lies elsewhere”. The Great Prostitute is the tempter, and the world will fall to her temptations giving rise to adulterous acts everywhere. The world will be committed to her rather than to God.

But unlike the apostate religion of that day, we are of the true faith. Our hearts remain true to God rather than to the sinful enticements of the world (Matt. 5:28). Our actions should tell the world of our commitment to God. When people see our lives, they should know who our “wife” or “husband” is. There should be no question as to our faithfulness. Let me encourage you to live up to your relationship with Christ. Let there be no question of your loyalty to God. Some may judge you incorrectly, and that may be unavoidable. But let that be an exception rather than the norm. Let our hearts be melded with His so that we might never be guilty of adultery before God. We are His, and He bought us with a great price (1Cor. 6:20). Let us say as His followers, “my commitment lies with Him.”

-Mike