September 22nd, 2016
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

PROSTITUTE AT LARGE

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Strengthening Lord, be beside me to give me courage, above me to protect me, within me to empower me.

Read REVELATION 17:1–18

[1] One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. [2] With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” [3] Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. [4] The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. [5] The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. [6] I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. [7] Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. [8] The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. [9] “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. [10] They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. [11] The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. [12] “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. [13] They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. [14] They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings-and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” [15] Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. [16] The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. [17] For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. [18] The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“With persuasive words she (the prostitute) led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk” (Prov. 7:21).

Think Further

John is given another view of what has taken place. There is the attack on the church in persecution, but there are other ways in which Satan seeks to seduce the people of God. The bombastic, power-hungry beast will be unattractive to the people of God, but it can be another story when we are confronted by the attractive prostitute who has arrayed herself to entice lovers. The luxuries of Rome could be a very attractive proposition for first-century Christians. There was so much beauty in her, just as there is for us in the world today. From his vantage point in the desert, however, John sees her in her true colors. In contrast with the other woman in the desert (Rev. 12), she is Babylon, the persecutor of the church.

 

G. B. Caird writes: “The magic is broken; the fairy godmother, who has put her spell on the whole world through the brilliance of her appearance and the munificence of her presents, is revealed as the old witch, old in sorcery before ever Rome grew to be her latest and most powerful incarnation, mother of whores and of all the obscenity on earth.” John wants us to be disgusted at the whore, so that we are always suspicious of anything that entices us away from God. Her image is drawn from the warnings in Proverbs of the enticements of prostitutes and from the cult of the Mother Goddess that was so prevalent in Asia Minor.

 

John says this prostitute rides on the beast that he has identified in other chapters. Let the believer avoid all that leads to sin, however attractive it may be, for it entices to what leads to death and it will be destroyed.

Apply

Examine your life. Are there any attractive things in the world that draw you away from God?

Closing prayer

Lord, I know Satan can come across as an angel of light. May I be alert to the subtleties of his temptation and be empowered to resist.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store