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Sermon preached on Revelation 17 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Worship Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 05/04/2025 in Petaluma, CA.
Sermon Manuscript
Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
We begin today the next major section in the book of Revelation. This transitions from the seven bowls with verse 1 saying that one of the angels with those bowl judgments comes to show John this next vision. This section goes from here through 19:10 and records the downfall of Babylon and the victory of the Lamb. Babylon is presented here as a woman, this great prostitute, connected with the beast. This section ends in chapter 19 with the marriage supper of the Lamb, introducing us to the Bride of the Lamb, the church, a contrast developed later in chapter 21. Today’s passage announces the judgment against Babylon and next chapter will sing of its downfall. We’ll begin in our first point to consider verses 1-6 where this woman with the beast and the waters are first presented. Our second point will consider the interpretation that is given starting in verse 7. Our third point will consider the two wars described here with the ten kings in verses 13-17.
Let us begin in verses 1-6, taking in all the imagery here of this woman. Remember, this is apocalyptic imagery to symbolize what this woman represents. So then, we notice she is a great prostitute, someone who immorally sells her body to be used by others. She is not some chaste woman but sexually promiscuous. She is filthy from her sin and is ready to make others unclean with her.
We then see the conflicting imagery that she is seated on many waters, yet John is taken out into the wilderness to see her. The wilderness is a dry and desert-like place, not something you normally think of as full of water. Jeremiah 51 used this same conflicting imagery about the ancient city of Babylon, with the waters representing its wealth, but predicting that God would make it a dry desert. That tension of the present prosperity versus a coming downfall is highly relevant here.
We observe that she is also seated on a scarlet beast. This beast has the same description of the beast from the sea in chapter 13 that we’ve been talking about, a seven-headed beast with 10 horns and blasphemous names on it. This surely must be same beast we’ve been talking about the last several chapters. Now we are also told that the beast is colored scarlet, which matches the red of that dragon behind the beast. So then, this woman is in league with this devilish beast. We’ve already seen that the beast is a false Christ figure. The true Christ has a Bride called the church, made pure by his blood. The beast doesn’t have a bride but a whore that he will exploit.
Her outward appearance is described in verse 4, adorned with purple and scarlet clothing, both expensive fabrics, with the purple color reflecting royalty, and the scarlet matching her devilish beast. She has all this valuable jewelry on, gold, jewels, peals, etc. The picture emphasizes external beauty, something to attract, even seduce, many men. In addition to being a seductress and a harlot, we also see her drunkenness. Verse 6 calls her a drunk woman, with verse 4 showing her holding that golden cup, in contrast to God’s golden bowls of wrath we just saw. This temptation of a woman is the kind your mother hopefully warned you about.
The last physical detail seen in this vision of the woman is in verse 6, that she has a name written on her forehead. We’ve seen the saints with the name of God and Jesus sealed on their foreheads. We’ve seen deceived followers of the beast marked with his name on their heads. Now, this woman also has a name and it is described as a mystery, before being said that it is Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.
That language of mystery becomes an important transition point in the text. In the Bible, a mystery is something that is unknown until God reveals it. We just saw a picture of this great prostitute and the beast and the waters, and it’s a mystery to us what all it symbolically represents. But starting in verse 7, the angels tells John that he will explain him the mystery of what this all means. So, the passage presents this as a mystery only to then reveal the mystery to us. To be sure, after the explanation, some mystery still remains. But the angels gives a high-level interpretation of the imagery here. So then, we turn now in our second point to consider the angelic explanation of such mystery.
I will work in reverse of how the angel interprets things. So, start at the end of the chapter in verse 18. There, in simple terms, the angel says what the woman represents. “The woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” Now, I know that doesn’t clear up everything, but it begins to point us in the right direction. This woman is named Babylon the “great”, as in the “great” city. The first time in the Bible where we learn of Babylon is back in Genesis 11 where all the peoples of the world made that tower of Babel. In blasphemous, arrogance, humans looked to defiantly exalt themselves above God with that tower of Babylon. They tried in their unity to make a grand name for themselves over God. God’s judgment against them then was to confuse their languages resulting in their being scattered all over the earth. That is what resulted in there eventually being kingdoms and thus kings all over the earth. Yet, the idea of Babylon didn’t end there. The sinful pride of godless humanity sought to subjugate all nations under one flag in exaltation of themselves. That is literally what Old Testament Babylon later sought when it conquered nations like Assyria, Syria, Phoenicia, Philistia, Ammon, Moab, Edom, Judah, and more. Yet, while I speak there literally, Revelation here is not being so simplistic. This woman doesn’t represent simply that one historical city of Babylon. Rather, she represents what that ancient Babylon represented and what so many cities have become over the millennia. Remember, back in chapter 11, it used this same language of the “great city” to describe where the beast was operating, and it gave that city other names, symbolically calling it Sodom, Egypt, and even old Jerusalem which became apostate when they crucified Jesus. At the time, Rome would be the current “great city”. There have been various such cities down through the ages, imperialistically powerful and tyrannical, economically prosperous lovers of money, hedonistic in gratifying sinful pleasures, practitioners of various false religions, and generally pagan, godless societies. This woman represents all such manifestations down through the centuries, which we’ve continued to see between the first and second comings of Christ Jesus.
We can expand further on the woman’s description by pulling in what was interpreted for us as went through the details of the vision. In verse 2, it explained that as a prostitute, she committed acts of sexual immorality and drunkenness with the kings of the earth. In other words, even though verse 18 says she exercises dominion over the kings of the earth, this wasn’t just through outright conquest. She has also used her Jezebel-like influences to seduce the kings and their kingdoms into following her lead. Sadly, I think of in our day how we’ve seen the United States lead the world into certain forms of immorality. I remember when the Supreme Court years back approved same-sex marriage, I had to explain to people that we sadly live in Babylon yet today.
Likewise, verse 4 said her golden cup was full of abominations and impurities. This, along with her description that she’s the mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations, tells us of her agenda. Figuratively, she engages in harlotry and immorality and bears children who engage in harlotry and immorality. Compare this to the woman back in chapter 12 that gave birth to the Messiah. That women’s offspring were those who went on to confess Jesus and live righteously. But this woman’s offspring follow in her wicked footsteps. The point is that Babylon begets Babylonians. Pagan society breeds pagans. Immorality is uncannily infectious and too easily passed on to others.
The last thing we learn about Babylon here is that it persecutes Christians, verse 6. The woman gets drunk on the blood of the saints, meaning that she enjoys killing us. The pagan world today enjoys taking down Christians.
So that is some of the mystery of the woman explained. Next, we see the angel interprets the waters that the woman was seated on. Verse 15, “The waters… are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.” In other words, they are the peoples and cultures and societies of the entire world. This is helpful, because it we think literally, Babylon is just a city. Yet, it is a city with wide-reaching influence. And that influence is intimately connected with the peoples and culture and societies of the world. Babylon is nothing if it were just a bare city. No, Babylon is a godless, pagan force that runs through and influences all the world, all the peoples and places in it. Babylon, and the people, are intimately connected. A similar connection will be seen with the Bride of the Lamb, where at one point it identifies the Bride as Christians and at another point it identifies the Bride as the New Jerusalem. The city is the people, and the people is the city. The idea of this great city Babylon is not so much about an actual city but a global paganism and anti-God spirit among all those who do not acknowledge the Lord. Babylon seeks to coerce and impose this evil ideology on all the world.
That is the mystery of the waters. Then we come to the mystery of the beast. There are multiple components to this, as the angels explains both its heads and its horns. The idea that the beast is a false-Christ figure comes out again here, because in verses 8 and 11 the angel describes the beast in a way that shows how he falls short of Jesus. Jesus, is the one who is, and was, and is to come, Revelation 1:4. Instead, this beast is one who is not, yet is about to be, and is to be destroyed. We are reminded in verse 8 how the beast somehow appears to rise from the dead like Jesus, but the elect are not fooled, only the reprobate will marvel at it. We can see the beast as coming and going in its power and influence, but ultimately it is Satan’s failed attempts to defeat Jesus.
So, the explanation of the heads helps us understand that the beast is not just a single king but symbolic of various kingdoms that would come before Christ’s return. For, in verses 9-10, the angel explains that the seven heads are both mountains and kings. Kingdoms in the Bible are described as mountains in places like Isaiah 2 and Jeremiah 51. Verse 10 explains five of these kingdoms have already come, one is presently here, and one is yet in the future. That adds up to seven, and speaks to the complete onslaught of this beastly kingdoms over time. Then there is an eighth, one more coming up after the seventh, which also parodies Jesus who rose from the dead on the eighth day. But this seven plus one beast will also fall.
This description of the beast complements what we already studied back in chapter 13 and also in Daniel 7 which comparably speaks of the same history with similar beast and horn imagery. But what is especially illuminating here is how closely related Babylon and the beast is. They are not identical. The beast as a false Christ figure represents the power of the state, politically and militarily. The beast also represents the state’s blasphemous religious interests, with its state-coerced religion, remember the false prophet required people to worship the image of the beast. So, the woman who is Babylon is seated upon such power in the beast. You could say that the pagan and depraved culture and society of Babylon is reliant upon the beast’s powers. It’s an evil alliance.
But then there are these ten kings. The angel interprets that for us in verse 12, “And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power.” Daniel 7 also saw ten horns on the final beast that would rise up at the very end. Like how the number seven suggested that the seven heads represented the complete amount of such beastly kingdom powers that would rise up in this age, so then then number ten is surely also symbolic. It describes this future sizeable coalition that will receive great power.
This leads us to the third point to talk specifically about what these ten kings, late in time, will bring. I want you to notice in verse 12 it says that this future coalition of ten kings will gain authority for just an hour. In other words, only for a little while, surely at the very end. This probably coincides with the time of verse 10 with the seventh head only lasting a little while before another eighth kingdom of the same sort comes. Our vision is turning here to look at the very end of this age. Just before Christ returns, there will be some final gathering of some coalition of kings that we see here will support the beast, oppose Christ, and even attack Babylon. So, we see here that the ten kings are instrumental in two key battles near the very end of this age.
Let’s talk first about the battle where they turn against Babylon, verses 16-17. Verse 16, “And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire.” Here, we see the evil alliance falters and turns against itself. This describes civil war between Babylon and these ten kings and when the dust clears Babylon is fallen and the ten kings give all their power over to the beast. When this civil war finishes, it is no longer the harlot riding the beast, but the beast alone in power and control while Babylon is in dust and ashes. This is not a surprising outcome for Babylon. Evil is ultimately self-destructive. Yet, verse 17 credits God for this, that God put it in the hearts of these ten kings to turn against Babylon and give their authority to the beast. What a masterful, divine plan. God first works things so that evil turns against itself, already beginning its destruction. God will then come in Christ to finish the job.
For we read of the other battle there in verse 14. It describes how these ten kings who serve the beast ultimately make war on the Lamb and lose. This is surely the same battle described before as Armageddon. It is also surely the same event that back in chapter 11 described the beast at the very end conquering the two witnesses only for them to resurrect and be saved. In other words, verse 14 is another description of that climactic Last Battle we’ve been talking about. There is some final battle where the nations turn in great might to try to finally conquer the church of Jesus Christ. Some of the descriptions sound like they do conquer the church only to find them somehow saved at the last moment. This description of the Last Battle puts it differently, with the beast’s ten kings waging war against the Lamb and losing. Indeed, the victory is credited to Jesus’ power but that with him are his saved elect.
So, these ten kings are an instrumental means for bringing destruction to these enemies of God. First, they will lead a successful insurrection against Babylon. We will poetically read about this total destruction of Babylon next chapter. Then in their arrogance they’ll, so to speak, pick a fight with the Lord that that can’t win. That will lead to their own final downfall. We will see in chapter 19 that it will also lead to the beast’s downfall. Today’s chapter sets up what we will learn more about soon.
Trinity Presbyterian Church, I would bring an application today from verse 6. After John saw this detailed vision of this alluring woman Babylon the Great, look at John’s initial reaction at the end of verse 6. “When I saw her, I marveled greatly.” In just two verses, it says the world will marvel at the beast, meaning they are impressed and have some sort of admiration for the beast. Unfortunately, I think that is what John momentarily fell into with the woman. For a moment, he was somehow taken with her spell and admired her. But look at how the angel immediately admonishes him. “Why do you marvel?” The angel goes on to explain why John shouldn’t admire her – because God’s judgment has come and her downfall is decreed. That’s in fact what today’s vision and interpretation is all about. Why admire this woman named Babylon who is going to fall so greatly because of her evil?
The application is to beware marveling at the wrong things. What are you marveling at that you shouldn’t be marveling at? The world is full of enticing and seductive temptations that are pursuing you. Filthy Babylon is doomed and she wants to drag you down with her. Don’t admire her. Lament of her depravity and flee from her. Likewise, don’t admire the beast and its power. The beast looks to deceive you, but have wisdom to see through the lies. Verse 8 says the elect won’t be deceived. Make your election sure by rejecting both the beast and Babylon. Keep your heart fixed on the Lamb, the church’s bridegroom, our Lord who washes us and readies us for the day of consummation.
Amen.
Copyright © 2025 Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
All Rights Reserved.
