I want to begin this by re-reading Revelation 17:3-5, the vision that the angel had shown John, in order to re-familiarize ourselves with it, because we are going to explain the remainder of it. Beginning in verse 3, it states, “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. 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. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”
My aim this morning is to let you know that the global apostate church that will arise soon after the church is raptured will also be destroyed. In addition, I aim to show you how it will be destroyed. And I aim to show you who the likely global apostate church is; or, at least, through whom it will come by which is a religious system that is currently in the world as we speak.
I want to begin by reading through our text, verses 15-18. Beginning at verse 15 we read, “And the angel said to me, ‘The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 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, 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. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” From here I want to make 5 observations.
Observation 1: In verse 15 we read about the prostitute being seated on many waters.
This is actually a reference back to verse 1 where John witnesses “the great prostitute…seated on many waters”. Who is this “great prostitute”? Answer: “the great prostitute” represents Babylon.
However, what you need to understand, and what I have not mentioned yet until now, is that Scripture talks about two Babylons, if you will. On one hand, we have the commercial Babylon. That is the New Babylon that is currently being rebuilt and shall one day become the headquarters for the Antichrist.
On the other hand, we have what scholars call Mystery Babylon. That Babylon represents a false or apostate religious system, and that’s what we’ve talking about here in Revelation 17. So the great prostitute we are speaking of is what is called Mystery Babylon, which is an apostate religious system.
Why does John see “the prostitute…seated on many waters”? The angel explains that the “many waters” is not a reference to the ocean. It’s actually a reference to a large group of people from differing nations and languages across the globe.
But who are these people? These people represent the global apostate church that rises up during the first half of the tribulation, which we discussed two Sundays ago, who have been deceived by “the prostitute”. While I don’t wish to dive deep again into what an apostate church is, I do desire to remind you that an apostate church is a body of people who have accepted and embraced false doctrines. These will be people who believe in God, but they will believe in God wrongly. What I mean is that their understanding of God will be wrong and that’s because they will be deceived by false teachings from “the prostitute.”
Now, what’s the overall meaning behind verse 15? Understand that the angel is not showing John events that are to come, but things that have already happened. The angel is showing him past events that concern a global apostate church that will rise up once Jesus has called the church to join him in the air. So again, just to be clear: after Jesus raptures his church, there will arise a global apostate religious system, and that system is being represented here by “the prostitute”.
And you have to wonder why the angel would show John that? Why show John events that have taken place towards the beginning of the Tribulation period, especially now that we are nearing its end? The reason is because the angel wants to show John what is to come of the apostate church.
Observation 2: Notice in verse 16 the angel says to John that “the ten horns that (he) saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute.”
Who are these ten horns? In times past we spoke of an empire that will rise up shortly after the rapture of the church that scholars call revised Rome, which is more like a generic term used to describe the one world geo-political and economic government that is to come during the first half of the tribulation. Well, these ten horns are ten united kings, and therefore are ten nations that will exist simultaneously, and make up that seventh empire we call revised Rome, which again, is a geo-political and economic empire, that will rise up not long after Jesus raptures his church.
What is the relation between the beast and the ten horns or nations? The beast is the Antichrist. Remember from last Sunday that after the church is raptured, a geo-political system will very quickly rise to power that is made of ten nations; that is revised Rome. But not long after it does, a beast, who is also a man, who is also the Antichrist, who is influenced by the Devil, who comes from the abyss or bottomless pit, will rise up from among those ten nations, those nations will pledge their allegiance and power and authority to the Antichrist, and the Antichrist will take over the geo-political system we call revised Rome to rule the world, which will be an evil empire like the world has never seen. And it’s this empire that will rule through most of the Tribulation.
But now notice that the ten horns or ten nations and the Antichrist, “hate the prostitute”; and remember that the prostitue represents the apostate church that also rises quickly after Jesus raptures the true church. What does this tell us? It tells us that for a time the Antichrist will, at the very least, be willing to share his moment of glory with the global apostate church. It tells us that for a time he will have a relationship with the global apostate church. But it also tells us that one day the Antichrist, along with the ten nations that are under his rule, will rise to hate the global apostate church.
You’re probably wondering why? Why will the Antichrist and the ten nations under his rule hate this apostate religious system? To answer this question, you need to look back to verse 3, and notice the woman, who is this prostitute, who represents this apostate religious system, is seated on top of the beast, who is the Antichrist. That suggests that for a time – for the first half of the Tribulation – this global apostate religious system will have more political influence and power and control in the world than the Antichrist will. Some scholars even suggest that although this apostate religious system wrongly believes in God in regards to doctrine, and will mislead many to accept false doctrines, and will lead them away from Jesus even, it will not recognize the Antichrist as God. That means that for a time this global apostate religious system, as evil as it will be, will rival the Antichrist and even prevent what the Antichrist aims to accomplish. And for a time, the Antichrist will make do with that; but eventually, the Antichrist and the ten nations under his rule will grow to hate that, and that hatred will lead to action.
Observation 3: Notice back in verse 16 that the angel says to John the Antichrist and the ten nations under his rule “will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire.”
What this suggests is that the Antichrist and the ten nations under his rule will rise to one day totally destroy this apostate religious system. You may hear that and wonder why the Antichrist would want to do this? For the following reasons. First, it means total control and influence over the world. Secondly, by completely destroying this global apostate religious system, the road is now paved for worship of the Antichrist – the prince of Satan – which will then be advocated by the false prophet who we discussed in Revelation 13.
Observation 4: What’s even more interesting is that while the Antichrist and the ten nations think they are accomplishing their own purpose, they are actually accomplishing God’s purpose, according to verse 17, which says, “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.”
What does this verse tell us? It tells us that God is truly in sovereign control over the events that are to take place during the Tribulation. It tells us that God truly does have a plan. It tells us that the destruction of this global apostate religious system was not so much the plan of the Antichrist as much as it was God’s. It tells us that God can and will use anyone, including the worst of His enemies, to fulfill His purposes; think about this: God used the Antichrist, the prince of Satan, and the ten nations under the Antichrist’s rule as agents or instruments, to accomplish His sovereign purpose and plan – the destruction of the global apostate religious system. But it also tells us that God truly is sovereign over the human heart, even that of the Antichrist’s, and can direct the heart as He pleases to accomplish what He wants to do. And it shows that God will use evil to destroy evil. So understand, it’s not so much the Antichrist destroying the apostate religious system, as much as he will want to take credit for it, it is actually God.
Before we move on, notice the words in verse 17 – “until the words of God are fulfilled.” What you also must understand is that even though one of the two major systems of evil are destroyed, this actually marks what will one day be one of the darkest times our world will ever know, especially in regards to religion. That’s because with this apostate religious system out of the way, people across the globe will turn to the worship of Satan, as they continue to be deceived by the false prophet, who will convince them the Antichrist is God, which we studied about back in Revelation 13. But this is only for a time that has already been predetermined by God. That’s what those words – “until the words of God are fulfilled” – mean. And so now, the countdown clock for the empire of the Antichrist is clicking down for his time to come to an end; and that will be at the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Observation 5: Now we come to discover the potential identity of who the prostitute is in verse 18, which says, “And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
Notice that the angel refers to the prostitute as a “great city”. As I have already told you, this city is what scholars call “Mystery Babylon.” But there is another name by which this “great city” or “Mystery Babylon” goes by – Rome. This being true, this also means, of course, that the headquarters for this apostate religious system will be stationed in Rome and not New Babylon in Iraq, where the headquarters for the Antichrist will be.
But how do we know this “great city” or what scholars call “Mystery Babylon” is Rome? To answer this question we need to look back at verses 3 & 4. Notice in verse 3 the woman is seated on the beast who has seven heads, many scholars relate those seven heads to the seven mountains for which Rome is famous for. Then, in verse 4, the woman is “arrayed in purple and scarlet”. According to scholars this parallels the description that would have been given to ancient Rome in John’s day and even today. The purple and scarlet that this woman is wearing is actually the same colors that would dominate the colors of the Roman government.
But if this is Rome, what is the apostate religious system that will come from there? While we cannot say for certain, scholars suggest the apostate religious system will rise up from the Roman Catholic Church. Here’s why scholars suggest this: first, because the Roman Catholic Church is headquartered in Rome we can safely assume this apostate system will arise from there. But also because while purple would be the color of political Rome, scarlet, which we see the woman wearing in verse 4, is the color that was once adopted by the Roman Catholic church, and is the color that popes and cardinals wear even today. And again, the fact that John is seeing this woman, wearing purple and scarlet, while seated on top of the beast, suggests that the apostate religious system that will come out of the Roman Catholic church, headquartered in Rome, will have great political powers for a time, even power and influence over the Antichrist, after Jesus raptures his church.
In addition, according to scholars, such as Dr. Herbert Carter, the fact that this woman is also “adorned with gold and jewels and pearls…” is suggestive of how great and powerful and influential, from a political standpoint, the city of Rome and the apostate religious system that will rise from the Roman Catholic Church will be. And the “golden cup” which is “full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality” that we see in verse 4, is suggestive that the apostate religisous system that will come out of Rome, to quote Dr. Herbert Carter, will be “a pseudo-religion, a counterfeit Christianity, a false gospel full of things displeasing to God, and will rob men of their spiritual senses and degrade them as they commit spiritual fornication.” But to say that differently, perhaps more simply: the apostate religious system that will come out of the Roman Catholic church will cause men to accept false doctrines, which will cause men to accept a false gospel, and will inevitably lead many away from a right and true relationship with God, which can come only by faith alone and in Christ alone.
But that raises another question: if this prostitute is actually a great city, and this great city is Rome, why is she also called “Babylon the great” in verse 5? If this great city is Rome, why is it referred to as Mystery Babylon by scholars? If this prostitute is actually the great city Rome, why use the name Babylon at all? Remember the title given her in verse 5: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” What that tells us is that this apostate religious system that will come out of the great city Rome and arise from the Roman Catholic Church, will spread through the world, seducing and attracting and tempting and drawing people away from a right relationship with God through false doctrine, which can also be referred to as idols, because typically false doctrines are made up of what people want to hear, which appeals to the desires of their idolatrous heart, which is deceitful above all things.
And in Scripture, the great city of Babylon in the Old Testament is the ultimate symbol of everything that attracts or draws people away from having a right relationship with God. It was ancient Babylon who influenced ancient Israel to worship God through idols in the Old Testament. So, the apostate religious system that will come out of Rome and arise from the Roman Catholic Church will live up to the reputation of ancient Babylon in attracting people away from having a right relationship with the one true God. Thus the name scholars give this “great city”, which is Rome, is Mystery Babylon.
And with that we come to the end of Revelation 17 and the close of this parenthetical passage. As I close, I want to make a couple clarifications. I also wish to address what all this means for us today.
Point 1: As we close this chapter out, I want to remind you Revelation 17, being a parenthetical passage, is describing details that have already happened.
Events that took place following the rapture of the church. Events that took place in the first half of the Tribulation and have now come to an end. These events account for the rise and now fall of the apostate religious system. A religious system that will be headquartered in Rome and therefore likely come from the Roman Catholic Church. And will conclude when it’s time for the Antichrist to rise to power; then the religious system will go from apostate to blasphemous.
Point 2: I want to be sure and clarify that just because the apostate religious system will arise from Rome and likely through the Roman Catholic Church, that does not mean every person who identifies themselves as Catholic is an unbeliever.
The reason I want to make this clarification is because, even though the Roman Catholic Church in a large part wrongly teaches salvation by works, there are many Catholics that are true believers who solely trust in Jesus rather than their good works to save them and will be raptured when that time comes, along with protestant believers. On the other hand, there are many Catholic unbelievers along with protestant unbelievers, who may attend church every Sunday, and yet will not be raptured. To reinforce that thought, I want to share a quote with you from a commentary that I read by Dr. Herbert Carter on this issue: “Many Catholics are true believers and many Protestants are unbelievers. Many Protestants are true believers and many Catholics are unbelievers. There will be an amalgamation( or combination) of all the unbelievers of the Christian church who miss the rapture. So, very simply, what he is saying is that there will be many Catholics and Protestants who are raptured, and there will be many Catholics and Protestants who will not be raptured. So again, don’t hear this sermon and think that every person who identifies as Catholic is a part of what will be an apostate religious system.
Point 3: The other point I want to make is that it’s not necessarily fair to say that the Roman Catholic Church of today is the apostate religious system that will be in the early parts of the Tribulation.
I don’t believe that Scripture intends for us to believe that the apostate religious system is Roman Catholicism. What I do think Scripture wants us to believe is that the headquarters for this apostate religious system will be based in Rome, and because Rome is also the headquarters of Roman Catholicism, we can rightly assume it will arise from the Roman Catholic Church. But again, it is not Roman Catholicism per se.
Here’s why I think that. I believe that when Jesus raptures his church you’ll see an entirely new apostate religious system that will be headquartered in Rome, arises from within the Roman Catholic Church, that will be made up of some of those protestant and catholic people who were not raptured from around the world, who again, will create a new one world, liberal, progressive, apostate religious system. And perhaps, as some scholars suggest, since it will be headquartered in Rome, a pope or a cardinal will lead this one world religious apostate system, at least for a time, until the Antichrist destroys it, according to the will of God.
Point 4: This also means that if you want to pay attention to the signs of the times, pay careful attention not just to Israel, not just to the rebuilding of New Babylon, but also to present day Rome, specifically, to what is happening among the world’s Christian churches.
As we approach the rapture of the church these days, you can know this apostate religious system is currently rising in your lifetime. Remember, this system will take over not long after the church is raptured, which means events must happen prior to the rapture to make way for this apostate religious system to rise up. That means, as we draw closer to the rapture, you can expect protestantism and other faith based groups to come under the influence and power of the church of Rome. You can expect entire ecumenical organizations like the National Council of Churches, based here in the United States, or World Council of Churches to fold under the headship of Rome. You can expect progressive and liberal Christianity to grow. You can expect Rome and Roman Catholicism to play bigger roles in the world’s politics. You can expect people to depart from faith in Christ and devote themselves to false teaching and doctrine, and follow their own lustful passions (1 Tim. 4:1). You can expect people to have less of a tolerance for hearing sound teaching based on God’s word in the Bible (2 Tim. 4:3). You cannot expect the protestant Christian church to become loveless and narcissistic and unholy (2 Tim. 4:3). These are things that will happen the closer we come to the rapture of the church.
Point 5: While all this may sound alarming, just remember, that God has already laid all of this out in His word.
Revelation 17 predicts the rise and fall of this apostate religious system. That tells us that all of what is happening in our lifetime, and will happen in the future, in the world’s Christian churches and other religions, is happening according to God’s foreknowledge. So if it’s happening according to His foreknowledge, then it is all happening according to His divine and predetermined and good plan. And that means that God is ultimately in control, and we don’t have to worry about a single thing, because God is good and His plan is good. All we must do is stay alert and not give up hope that Jesus is returning for his church one day.