International House of Prayer University – Mike Bickle
Allegiance to Jesus: Exposing the Harlot Babylon Religion (Rev. 17) Page 4
Allegiance to Jesus: Exposing the Harlot Babylon Religion (Rev. 17)
I. The falling away from the faith at the end of the age
A. The Holy Spirit is calling the Church to a fierce allegiance to Jesus in our outreach and works of justice as we expose the false justice movement that is emerging in the earth today. In my opinion, we may be in the early days of the generation in which Jesus returns to earth. There may be people alive today who will see the return of Jesus. (It may not be my generation, but possibly the generation of my grandchildren?) I do not know with certainty. My opinions on this are based on observation of the biblical signs of the times, not on personal revelation.
B. Revelation 17 is one of the most significant end-time prophecies because it gives us insight into Satan’s end-time strategy to deceive the Church so that many fall away from the faith. Therefore, this prophecy deserves careful attention, because the deceived will be cast into the lake of fire.
C. Paul prophesied of a falling away from the faith in the end times. This is a great challenge facing the Church today (Mt. 24:9-13; 2 Thes. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:3-5; 2 Pet. 2:1-3).
1Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3forbidding to marry… (1 Tim. 4:1-3)
D. The falling away and the revealing of the Antichrist are two of Paul’s most significant signs that will reveal the nearness of Jesus’ second coming. Loving the truth includes boldly standing for it.
3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [Jesus’ second coming] will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin [Antichrist] is revealed…9The coming of the lawless one [Antichrist] is…with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10and unrighteous deception…because they did not receive the love of the truth. (2 Thes. 2:3, 9-10)
II. the Antichrist’s end-time worship movement
A. A significant part of Satan’s end-time plan is that he would be worshiped by all nations. He will raise up a worldwide “Antichrist worship movement.” This satanic worship movement will find expression in every nation as a counterfeit of Jesus’ end-time worship movement and revival.
4They worshiped the dragon [Satan]…and the beast [Antichrist], saying, “Who is like the beast?”…8All who dwell on the earth will worship him [Antichrist]... (Rev. 13:4-8)
B. There are two stages in Satan’s plan to be worshiped by all nations. He knows that it is too big a step for those with a religious heritage (Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, etc.) to suddenly become Satan worshipers. He will first deceive them into joining a worldwide harlot religion of moral “tolerance,” without absolutes, that teaches that all religions lead to God and salvation. By joining this harlot religion, their conscience will be greatly defiled. This will make it easy for people to break their affiliation with their religious heritage (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc).
5BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS… (Rev. 17:5)
C. The voluntary, harlot religion will be replaced by a mandatory, Antichrist religion. First, people will voluntarily join the harlot Babylon one-world religion of tolerance (Rev. 17). Second, all will be forced to worship Satan in the Antichrist religion (Rev. 13:4, 8, 15).
D. The harlot religion will prepare the nations to receive the Antichrist. This counterfeit justice movement will feed the poor and be involved in humanitarian projects, and will appear to be filled with compassion. It will include religious (Rev. 17) and economic (Rev. 18) networks.
E. The nations will rejoice in the unity and world peace that this religion will seem to bring. Since many military and economic conflicts are linked to religious differences, many are looking for a “religious solution” that will set the stage to accomplish world peace and prosperity.
3When they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them. (1 Thes. 5:3)
F. Today, many want to bring the three great monotheistic religions together (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). They seek to unify liberal, so-called Christianity with Islam and Judaism, as well as Hinduism, Buddhism, New Age, etc., in the name of moral and religious tolerance and unity.
G. The harlot will deceive the nations by sorcery, which is a combination of drugs and demonic power (witchcraft). Her dark, supernatural power will fascinate people and appear to be good.
23For by your [harlot Babylon’s] sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Rev. 18:23)
III. Harlot Babylon: A Coming One-World Religion (Rev. 17)
1“Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication”…4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold…having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
5On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. 6I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints…15He said to me, “The waters…where the harlot sits, are peoples…nations, and tongues.” (Rev. 17:1-6, 15)
A. John gives us details about the emergence and destruction of the harlot religion. He describes her evil seductions and cruel persecutions (v. 2-6). This religion will be totally destroyed (v. 1). The harlot will sit on many nations (v. 1, 15), i.e. will have authority over the nations. She will successfully seduce and deceive the most powerful leaders on earth, including the kings and great merchants of the earth (Rev. 17:2; 18:23).
B. The nations will become drunk, or intoxicated (v. 2), with her seductive promise to benefit the nations, including compassionate humanitarian aid, a unified religion (minimizing wars), and a prosperous world economy. They will also embrace her deceptive theology of tolerance. The harlot religion will have great prominence. She will be arrayed in purple (royal status), being respected by the elite financial leaders of the earth who will give their allegiance to her (v. 4).
4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet [royalty], and adorned with gold…having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. (Rev. 17:4)
C. The harlot will be adorned with gold. She will be the wealthiest religious network in all history. She will have a golden cup in which she “serves” the nations. Her humanitarian service will appear golden, or as being of great value as she helps the poor. In reality, her cup, or service, will be full of abomination and filth. In the Old Testament, abominations refer to idolatrous or demonic activities. Filthiness points to being filled with moral perversions.
D. The harlot Babylon will inspire the nations to new heights of sin and demonic activity. Sin will be allowed to reach its fullness—to become ripe—in the end times (Rev. 9:21; 14:18).
23In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king [Antichrist] shall arise…who understands sinister schemes. (Dan. 8:23)
E. This harlot is the mother of harlots, the source of false religion. Her offspring are the false religions through history, as well as the primary source of false religion in the end times. The original mother, or false religion, occurred at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11), where man’s first organized religion, or rebellion, against God began. This is where the city of Babylon was built.
5Babylon…the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. (Rev. 17:5)
F. The primary enemy of the harlot will be the saints, who will expose her for who she really is, and proclaim her judgment. The saints will be hated by all nations for this (Mt. 24:9-11). The harlot will have a murderous heart, despite her humanitarian appearance. She will be drunk, or intoxicated, with killing the saints (v. 6). The more she kills, the bolder she will become.
6I saw the woman [Harlot Babylon], drunk with the blood of the saints… (Rev. 17:6)
G. The harlot will depend on the Antichrist, who will carry her (provide resources and protection).
3I saw a woman sitting on a Beast [Antichrist] which was full of names of blasphemy…7I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her… (Rev. 17:3, 7)
H. The harlot religion will be destroyed by the jealousy of the ten primary kings who serve the Antichrist. They are referred to as ten horns (Rev. 17:12, 16) which will destroy the harlot in the middle of the final seven years of this age. The Antichrist will replace the harlot religion with Antichrist worship. This religion will be strict and intolerant (Rev. 13:4-18).
12The ten horns which you saw are ten kings… 16The ten horns…on the beast will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. (Rev. 17:12, 16)
I. Israel’s spiritual harlotry consisted of worshiping idols. When Israel turned to idols, God called it “playing the harlot with other gods” (1 Chr. 5:25; Ezek. 23:37; Hos. 4:12-13). To be guilty of harlotry requires that the harlot’s followers claim to have once had a relationship with the true God (this applies both to the Church and Israel). There are 90 passages in the OT that refer to Israel’s national harlotry. In each passage, harlotry is a religion based on idolatry.
1This people will…play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land… (Deut. 31:16)
9…their adulter...
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