Revelation 17:1-18 The alliance of the ungodly will inevitably turn on each other destroying themselves
Revelation 17:1-18
A. 17:1-6
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.
B. 17:7-11
And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
C. 17:12-18
The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” And he *said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Background
Following the destruction of Babylon by the celestial forces (16:17-21), one of the seven angels approached John to reveal the background of the Prostitute. The Prostitute symbolizes the collective leadership and elite figures of Babylon. They form alliances with some nations (the kings) to engage in immoral activities. Such activities encompass the reckless exploitation of natural resources, manipulation of financial systems, and the ruthless oppression of the innocent who obstruct their objectives. God’s intent is to destroy Babylon, but not the kings. However, their alliance with the Prostitute has embroiled them in a tangled mess of betrayal, vengeance and ultimate destruction. Today’s devotion teaches: The alliance of the ungodly will inevitably turn on each other and destroy themselves.
Observation
A. 17:1-6
As the angel carried John away in the Spirit, he saw the harlot sitting on a scarlet beast. This woman sees herself as a queen, but in reality, she is desolated, cruel and wicked. The harlot ravages the nations, murdering the innocent being referred to as martyrs of Jesus (17:6). To the harlot, no principle is sacred, as she often turns against her friends and allies.
B. 17:7-11
The beast that rose from the abyss is not a human being. It is likely an extra-terrestrial having the ability to manipulate financial markets to make money for the dwellers on the earth. Hence, they marvel at the beast and worshipped it. This beast having 7 heads and 10 horns is the one rising out of the sea (13:1). The harlot sitting on the scarlet beast does not imply that the beast is subservient to the woman. But rather, the beast is propping up the woman with ill gotten wealth and power. At the same time, the beast is using her to seduce and oppress the nations of the world. The 7 heads which represented 7 kings belonged to Apostle John’s era and 6 have appeared and died. The seventh king, a human being who has yet to appear is the second beast. He will replace the first beast after it dies and will be given support by the forces behind the first beast. However, second beast too will go into destruction together with the first beast.
C. 17:12-18
What about the 10 horns or kings? They are an alliance united by a shared hatred towards the harlot. After Babylon is crushed by the celestial forces, the ten kings sought the assistance of the Beast to go after the harlot. The Beast, recognizing that the harlot is no longer capable of opposing God, betrayed her by forming an alliance with the ten kings to ensure her total destruction. The ten kings will lend their support to the Beast and his forces to wage war against God. All in exchange for the Beast’s help to annihilate the harlot. Ultimately, God will prevail over them.
Truth
The alliance of the ungodly will inevitably turn on each other destroying themselves.
It is in the nature of the ungodly to betray and oppress even those who are their friends and allies. It is dangerous to be their enemy, but it is fatal to be their friend. The ungodly are akin to demons and can be viewed as such. Jesus said to His twelve disciples, “Haven’t I chosen you, and one of you is a demon.” Jesus was referring to Judas who was on the verge of betraying Him.
The ungodly are skilled in lies and manipulation. They entice you with false promises, only to ensnare you to further their own objectives. Once you are no longer useful to them, they will betray you without betting an eye.
The Beast and the harlot (representing the elites of Babylon) share a common agenda: to oppose God by waging war with Him. The Beast seeks to dominate the earth while the harlot attempts to protect herself from the plagues unleashed from the bowls. Although the kings lack a real motive to confront God, they gather in response to the signs of the Beast. God’s purpose is to annihilate both the Beast and Babylon, along with the harlot, but not the kings themselves. Unfortunately, these ten kings, being inherently ungodly, are swayed by the Beast’s signs. Consequently, they are entangled into a futile war with God, leading to their ultimate destruction.
Therefore, do not be discouraged by the alliance of the ungodly. It is inherent in their nature to be selfish, wicked and treacherous. And they will inevitably turn on each other and destroy themselves.
Application
Do not let the actions of the wicked discourage you, or be compelled to fight them in their game. Keep minding your own business, and persevere in doing good. Ultimately, justice will prevail.
Prayer
Dear Lord, I place my hope in you as the ultimate Judge. Save me from a world where might is right, where the righteous die without a cause. And I look to a world where justice and mercy thrive. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.