The Judgment of the Great Harlot

1. Read: Revelation 17:1-2

2. About the Text:

1) Key verse: Revelation 16:15. Also remember 15:1 – complete wrath of God.

2) This verse tells us that the events that transpire next occur in the final judgment.

3) It is key to understanding everything that happens after chapter 16.

4) This isn’t a historical event; it is yet future.

5) From our perspective, final judgment has not yet happened.

6) The judgment of the Great Harlot is part of the final judgment.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. She sits on many waters.

1) See 17:15 – peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

2) See 18:23-24 – all nations deceived by her, also guilty of all slain of the earth.

2. She commits fornication with the kings of the earth and its inhabitants.

1) This is not literal, but spiritual.

2) See Isaiah 23:15-17 – same language speaking about interstate commerce.

3. She sat on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns.

1) See Revelation 12:3, 13:1 – which beast?

4. She was dressed in purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones, and pearls.

1) This indicates extravagance, opulence, and avarice.

2) The combination of this with sexual immorality tells us that she represents sinful desires.

5. She had a golden cup in her hand filled with the consequences of her fornication.

6. On her forehead was written a name: v.5.

1) She is represented as a city, Babylon.

2) Babylon was the enemy of God’s people at the end of the Old Covenant.

3) God’s people are also represented as a city, New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-27).

4) She is the antithesis to God’s people.

7. She was drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus.

1. Identified as the one who was, is not.

2. Will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition (Revelation 20:1-3).

3. Those not written in the book of life will marvel at this.

1) They don’t expect the beast to fail.

4. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

1) Mountain represent earthly power, kingdoms.

2) Seven means ordained by God for this to happen (v.17).

5. There are seven kings: five fallen, one is, one is yet to come – in process.

6. The beast himself is the eighth king – Satan’s rebellion was not ordained by God.

7. The ten horns are ten kings with no kingdom – ten is the number of human completion.

1) They have authority for one hour as kings with the beast.

2) They give their authority to the beast.

3) Worldly kingdoms use sinful desire to establish themselves.

8. They make war with the Lamb, but He will overcome them.

1) “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

2) “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

9. They will hate the harlot make her desolate, naked, eat her, and burn her (v.16).

1) Their purpose is just to use her to further the beast’s cause of rebellion against God.

2) There are layers of deception here that are being exposed.

10. God’s purpose is for this to happen (v.17).

11. The woman is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth.

1) Sinful desire is the great city; those not written in the book of life are citizens.

2) This great city reigns over all the kings of the earth because they all serve her.

3) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

1. Another angel with great authority comes from heaven.

2. He cried mightily, “Babylon the great is fallen” (v.2). She is a dwelling place of demons.

1) She fell because the nations drank of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

2) She fell because the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.

3) She fell because the merchants of the earth became rich through her luxury.

4) All sin ends in death (Romans 6:23).

3. Another voice from heaven said, “Come out of her my people….” (v.4).

1) God does not want His people to live in sin (Romans 6:1-2).

2) God has remembered her sins (v.5).

3) “Repay her double . . . torment, sorrow.” (v.6).

4) “Sin takes you farther than you want to go; keeps you longer than you want to stay; and cost you more than you want to pay.”

5) She denies it saying, “I sit as queen and am no widow and will not see sorrow” (v.7).

6) Galatians 6:7-8 – “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever . . . .”

7) Her plagues will come in one day – death, mourning, famine, burned with fire.

8) God, who is strong, judges her (v.8) – John 12:48.

1. The kings of the earth will weep over her.

2. They will say, “In one hour your judgment has come.”

3. The merchants mourn over her because she no longer has her riches (v.11-14).

4. They will say, “In one hour such great riches came to nothing” (v.17).

5. The shipmasters, sailors, passengers, and traders on the sea cry out weeping and wailing.

6. They will say, “In one hour she is made desolate.”

7. The saints will rejoice over her destruction (v.20).

8. Sinful desire will one day be destroyed in the hour of our death – Hebrews 9:27.

1. A mighty angel took up a mill stone and threw it in the sea.

2. He said, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon will be thrown down” (v.21).

3. No more musicians, craftsman, millers, lamps, bridegrooms or brides will be found in her (v.23).

4. Because she deceived the great men of the earth by sorcery (mixing drugs) (v.23).

5. In her the blood of prophets, saints, and all the slain on earth was found.

1. The Judgment of the Great Harlot

1) Her Evaluation

2) Her Escort

3) Her End

4) Her Eulogy

5) Her Elimination

2. Invitation