Beauty On The Beast

Summary of Revelation 17

John witnessed a woman dressed in a scarlet red and purple robe adorned in jewels and gold. The woman was presented as the mother of all prostitutes, as symbol for the false religion that many followed. She had a stamp across her brow stating her belief in Babylon. John also noticed that the blood of the faithful was upon her as she had tasted their gore for her own delight. John was astonished by the woman and he wondered what the significance of her image was about. He examined her ways and her characteristics. He also wondered why the prostitute was riding the beast. Her drunken behavior and her cup full of adulterous acts created a scene of great symbolism. An angel questioned his astonishment and explained to him who and what she represents so he could under-stand. The seductive woman represented the spoils of Rome. She drew everyone in with her beauty and glamour, but she was really only a harlot full of false promises. The beast on which the woman was riding represented the city of Rome and the antichrist. The seven heads were said to represent the seven hills in which the original city of Rome was built. An angel warned John that he would be given a call for wisdom in order to reward those that remained faithful. During the rapture, those that had declared God the most high would be saved while those that had not repented would perish during the wrath.

Takeaways

• Those who have chosen Jesus as their savior and have a personal relationship with Him, will not endure the wrath.
• The world will lead us astray and away from Jesus unless we are practicing our faith daily by reading God’s word, praying and leading a Christ-like life.
• There is going to be a deception that takes hold of the world. The only people who will escape this lure will be the people who have their eyes fixed on Jesus. There is no need to be surprised by what takes place, even in this day, if your eyes are fixed in His direction.
• Those that are with Him; if your eyes are fixed on Him; those people are considered the called, the chosen, and the faithful.
• Revelation is meant to shake the way we think. God sees things differently than us and that we can overcome anything for looking to Him. Our overcoming power is our faith. You cannot be the same when we see the Lamb of God and realize what He has given us.
• We need to be watchful for deadly traps that seem to promise security, peace and happiness without any necessity of God.
• In the end times, Satan will not be content with any vestiges of religion other than that which worships him (Revelation 13:11–12). The religious symbol of Babylon will lose her wealth and status and be torn apart by those who once supported her (Revelation 17:15–18).

One Couldn’t Help But Ask…

1. How did this service and chapter move you in a way that you have not thought of before? In other words, what did you hear or learn about God’s wrath that was new to you?
2. The beast is described using peculiar phrasing, suggesting that it used to exist, does not now exist, but will exist in the future. Is there some significance to this explanation? Do we need to understand its significance?
3. We tend to think of a prostitute as someone who has sex for money. ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute…’ Why is this example used to describe a world religion comingled with government?
4. What was there about this immoral woman who rides the beast that astonished John? Was John’s astonishment caused by the existence of the condition this image portrays, the prevalence of the condition throughout the world, the enormous level of blasphemy that is expressed by the condition, or is it something else?
5. Why do you think we human beings are continuously drawn to perversion and ungodly things? Other than dealing with this personally day by day or hour by hour, how are we supposed to combat this desire for ungodly things?