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Sermon

The Lamb Destroys the World’s Religious System, Part 1

Series
Revelation
Scripture
Revelation 17:1-8

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

This passage from Revelation 17:1-6 reveals the mystery of Babylon the Great — the mother of all false religious systems. We are shown that organized false religion has existed since the Tower of Babel and will culminate in a one-world religious system during the tribulation. The great harlot represents a corrupt, apostate religious system that intoxicates the nations, rides on political power, and persecutes true believers.

Key Lessons:

  1. Religion without salvation is Satan’s greatest deception — he makes people religious while keeping them lost, satisfied with their own works and righteousness.
  2. False religion originated at the Tower of Babel with Nimrod’s organized rebellion against God, and this same system has continued through history to the present day.
  3. The only true religion is a relationship with Jesus Christ through faith, not works — and this is the very group that every false system targets and persecutes.
  4. There are only two gospels: the gospel of works (man’s way) and the gospel of faith (God’s way) — salvation is not doing, it is done through Christ.

Application: We are called to examine ourselves honestly — are we merely religious or truly saved? We must not rest in our own goodness or works but trust solely in the finished work of Christ on the cross, standing firm on that foundation amid deception.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the difference between being religious and being saved, and how can we honestly evaluate which category we fall into?
  2. How does understanding the ancient roots of false religion at Babel help us recognize counterfeit spiritual systems in our world today?
  3. Why does every false religious and political system specifically target followers of Jesus, and how should that reality shape our faith and courage?

Scripture Focus: Revelation 17:1-6 describes the great harlot and the mystery of Babylon. Genesis 10-11 traces the origins of organized false religion to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. Jeremiah 44:15-25 illustrates how false religion pulled Israel away from God. Colossians 2:23 exposes self-made religion as powerless against sin.

Outline

Introduction

Okay, good morning. Let’s take our Bibles this morning and turn to Revelation 17.

This is the last book of the Bible if you’re new, handling God’s word, chapter 17.

Today we’re looking at the first part from verses 1-6. As you turn there, let me have a word of prayer.

Father, I thank you this morning for your kindness to us in bringing us together today. Be with those, Lord, who are under the weather today. I think of Sheranne and Arthur. I pray, Lord, you would comfort them this morning and be alongside them. I pray they would know your presence.

If there’s anyone else sick, I pray that you would also bring comfort to them and lift them up at the right time as only you can do, Lord. As we approach your word today, I pray that you would open our minds to understand it. Use me today as your servant to bring it forth so your name could be glorified and you can be honored in all respects.

Lord, you can be exalted as the only one who can save. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Context of Revelation 17-18

In chapters 17 and 18, we bring you up to speed. There’s another pause in Revelation. Revelation is not necessarily consistent in its chronology; it has pauses in it, as you’ve already gathered. This occurs between the seventh bowl judgment and before the victory of the Lamb at his coming in Revelation 19.

This is the apostle John’s third vision out of the four visions he receives in Revelation.

All the visions are signified by a certain phrase. In chapter one, it was, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” In chapter four, it was, “Immediately I was in the Spirit.” Today, in verse three of Revelation 17, it says, “He carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness.” This is the third vision.

This indicates that this is new revelation given to John. John is given this third vision as a description of spiritual Babylon and her judgment on spiritual harlotry.

The new revelation is about the first satanic mystery in Revelation, which is the mystery of Babylon. We’ll see that in a little bit. It deals with the religious system that occurs in the first part of the tribulation, which is the seven years, specifically the first three and a half years. Chapter 17 brings us back to the first three and a half years of Revelation and shows us things it hasn’t shown us before. It will bring that to our minds. In Revelation chapter 16, we saw the events through the end of the tribulation and all the way through the campaign of Armageddon and its consequences.

“John is given this third vision as a description of spiritual Babylon and her judgment on spiritual harlotry.”

In chapter 18 of Revelation, we are given more information about the events of the second half of the tribulation period. Remember, this period has not happened yet. It is going to happen in the future.

It can happen pretty much at any time the Lord decides for it to happen. But there are many religious systems in the world today.

The World’s Religions and the Deception of Sincerity

A recent study conducted in 2024 found that the number of religions in the world is about 10,000, with most falling under a 12-classical religious umbrella. These religions account for a significant portion of the global population, and each one attracts a number of people. Some religions have a certain appeal to them.

The Bahai religion in Persia focuses on the spiritual unity of all humanity.

Buddhism focuses on achieving enlightenment.

Confucianism has a strong emphasis on morality and proper social conduct.

Jainism, an ancient Indian religion, emphasizes nonviolence and self-control.

Taoism from China focuses on living in harmony with Tao, or the way. Of those 12, I didn’t mention all, but of that category, we have three major religions: Christianity, which has many denominations; Islam; and Judaism. The oldest religion claimed is Hinduism, which is 2,300 years old.

However, according to the scripture this morning, that’s incorrect because we will see the oldest religion ever mentioned.

People remain outside of Christ because they think that as long as they are sincere in their beliefs or are part of some religion, they are safe and will be accepted on the day of judgment.

“People remain outside of Christ because they think as long as they are sincere in their beliefs, they are safe.”

They have in their mindset that ultimately all religions lead to God.

Religion vs. Salvation in Scripture

Well, in scripture, the meaning of religion is actually used five times, and the word “religious” is used two times, making seven times in total. In each case, it is associated with works, ceremonialism, and ritualism, and not with faith.

As the apostle Paul recorded in Colossians 2:23, these are matters which have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Colossians 2:23: “These are matters which have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion… but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

Self at the Center of All Religion

It’s really self that is at the center of all religions.

Self-made religion, self-imposed worship, self-willed observances.

The term religion actually comes from a Greek word that means to frighten, to wall or wail, to have trouble.

Religion, then, is a ceremonial service caused by fear and trouble. If that meaning is contrasted with the gospel message of salvation, which brings peace, joy, happiness, assurance, and hope to the heart, just ask any person who has religion, “Are you saved?”

They will answer, “I hope so.”

Ask any person who has salvation in Jesus Christ the same question, and he or she will answer, “Yes, thank God.”

They will say, “For I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”

“Ask any person who has salvation in Jesus Christ — they will answer yes, thank God.”

The certainty and confidence is not in self or in one’s righteousness, but in God alone, especially God our Savior.

There are two kinds of religion, if we want to call it that: a good one and a bad one.

Religion, which becomes fanaticism and bigotry, condemning and persecuting those who do not agree with it, is a bad religion.

The writer of the epistle of James mentions another religion, which is called pure and undefiled. This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God the Father: to visit the orphan and the widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

This good religion that James mentioned, and it’s the only time it’s mentioned in a good way, is associated with real salvation in Christ Jesus. The result of real faith is works.

It’s not works before salvation; it’s works after salvation. It’s the product of really being saved.

As I mentioned, it is the only place in Scripture spoken of in a good sense.

In all other places, religion is associated with hollow, empty formalism and ceremonialism.

Satan’s Strategy: Religious Without Salvation

And this is the big deception of Satan, who is the enemy of our souls.

His trick is to make people religious without salvation.

“Satan’s trick is to make people religious without salvation.”

He lures people to be satisfied with their own works and their own righteousness.

Then he blinds them to the truth of the real gospel, helping them to rest in their own goodness.

That means he aids people in rejecting the work of Christ because they see themselves as not as bad as others.

So they need no further help.

They never get to the point where they realize that the righteous judgment or standard is perfection.

If you measure yourself against God, we all fall short and we’re all under his condemnation.

The only thing that could rescue us from that is Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross.

“The only thing that could rescue us is Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross.”

Two Gospels: Works vs. Faith

There are also two kinds of gospel.

The two gospels in the world are the gospel of works and the gospel of faith.

God’s word says salvation is done. It has been completed by Christ. What we do is believe that, and then we are rescued by the Lord from his condemnation. Satan says salvation is not done; it’s doing.

“God’s word says salvation is done — it has been completed by Christ.”

Instead of people calling to God for mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, they seek salvation by the works of their own hands.

Humanity is incurably religious, blind, and dead in sin.

The Great Harlot Introduced

Now I say all that to come to Revelation 17 because if you notice in verse one what it says:

>Q 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.”

This is what the vision is about. In other words, the end of the vision is that Jesus has victory over this system.

But I believe the Lord wants us to understand what this system is and realize this system has been in place since after the flood.

I will show you the judgment of the great harlot.

Already in Revelation 14:8, Babylon has been called the harlot, and its judgment has already been pronounced.

God remembers that Babylon caused the world to commit spiritual adultery.

“God remembers that Babylon caused the world to commit spiritual adultery.”

What is the reason for God’s judgment on this spiritual religious system?

The world is led astray by the immorality and idolatry of a revived Roman Empire.

That is the final unholy empire of the Antichrist.

The nations are drinking the wine of her immorality, and the Bible refers to this religious system as a her, as a harlot.

In other words, the people of the world are participating in a lifestyle that is anti-God.

It is against God. Everything is against God.

She Sits on Many Waters

And now the Bible gives us a description. The first thing is the description of this great harlot, which is really important to understand as we move on. It says in verse number one that she sits on many waters.

If you look in your Bibles over to Revelation 17:15, you’ll see what that means. It says, “And he said to me, the waters which you saw, where the woman sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” In other words, this harlot has prominence over the world population. This is a global thing.

Revelation 17:15: “The waters where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.”

The second thing it says about her in verse number one is that it is told to John, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot.” This indicates that she is great.

This most likely means that she spreads her harlotry far and wide across the world. She assimilates all the other religious systems and makes them one system.

And who makes this pronouncement? Notice in verse number one, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls is the one announcing to John and introducing him to this great harlot.

Just for your information, in the Old Testament and prophetic language, prostitution or spiritual adultery was equal to idolatry and denoted spiritual apostasy.

The harlot denotes the corrupt apostate religious system headed by the false prophet during the first part of the tribulation.

The modern term for harlot is prostitute. As a verb, to prostitute means to take something that has proper use and use it in an improper way. Sex, for example, has a legitimate purpose within marriage.

But the prostitute takes that which is proper and makes it illegitimate. It uses it in an illegitimate way.

In this passage, the harlot does the same with religion. When religion is prostituted, it moves from a legitimate position of true worship of God and servanthood, as found in the Bible, to an illegitimate position of idolatry, false worship, and spiritual adultery.

She Intoxicates the Nations

She sits on many waters or has authority over the whole world. She is great, greater than any other religion that ever existed. In verse 2 of chapter 17, notice that she intoxicates the kings and peoples of the whole earth, with whom the kings of the earth commit acts of immorality. Those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.

This religious system has an alluring, controlling effect on the people of the earth. In other words, how does the antichrist gain control in the first half of the tribulation? It’s not by war, even though there will be wars; it’s by religion. It’s by bringing people under one umbrella.

Religion, by its very nature, has a controlling and even a corrupting charm to it. It seduces the kings of the nations. It intoxicates the people of the earth, both under the influence of idolatry and ultimately committing spiritual adultery.

“Religion by its very nature has a controlling and even a corrupting charm to it.”

As we know from scripture, Satan loves to blind people to the truth of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). Intoxicated people are very easily controlled.

Babylon is condemned by God for making the whole earth spiritually drunk. No longer is the earth able to see truth, beauty, and goodness found only in God and his salvation through the Lamb, Jesus Christ. They can’t see that anymore; they’re completely blinded by this system.

She Is Seated on a Scarlet Beast

But there’s another thing it says in the description about this great harlot in verse three. It says she is seated on a scarlet beast.

That means she’s being carried by and supported by a political system.

Notice in verse three, it says, “And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw the woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and 10 horns.”

Now, this scarlet beast is the political ruler, and the woman sitting upon it represents the blasphemous religious system.

The blasphemous names mean that she is in opposition to the true God. There’s probably nothing more lethal than government and religion getting together.

“There’s probably nothing more lethal than government and religion getting together.”

And yet that’s what happens in the tribulation.

Again, the scarlet beast is the organized system of a dominant world empire.

The Seven Heads and Ten Horns

Now, notice in the passage it says that it has seven heads and ten horns.

That would be the ten kings and the ten kingdoms. Look over to chapter 17. Look at verses nine through thirteen because it mentions more, which I will not get to today. It says in verse nine, “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.” In verse twelve, it says, “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they have received authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose. They give their power and authority to the beast.”

In other words, the beast is the one who has authority over the political part of the tribulation. This religious part gives all its power to that beast.

Revelation 17:9: “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings.”

So, saying that, we come to the history and the explanation in the history of the religious harlot or religious harlotry.

Decked with the Wealth of the World

If you notice in verse number four, there’s something else it starts explaining about her.

Number one, she is decked with the wealth of the world. In other words, she is royal and exceedingly wealthy. Verse number four says, “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 the abominations and of the unclean things in her immorality.” Coupled with this political ruler and the blasphemous religious system is this economic system that draws the nations into earthly luxury.

It is very real that the world is going to increase in wealth. The opportunities to become wealthy are going to increase.

Religion, politics, and wealth are some of the deadly instruments in the hands of a purely wicked one like the Antichrist. You can see why his allure is so enticing to a world craving power, craving prominence, and desiring wealth above anything else. In the end, that would be their desire for hedonistic pleasure.

“Religion, politics, and wealth are deadly instruments in the hands of a purely wicked one like the Antichrist.”

They just want to heap things and get things for themselves. Part of her wealth, though, is the gifts of her admirers. In other words, the world political system is going to be giving gifts to the religious system to keep it upheld. That’s why she’s sitting on this beast. The beast is the dragon, who is the head of the political system, which is Satan himself.

This means the woman is the harlot religious system, which is moving behind the political and national scene in the tribulation period. That’s when the ten-nation federation unites together. They think that they’re doing their own will when they do that, but in reality, they are accomplishing her will, the will of the religious system.

It professes to be a religious system, but in reality, it is a political religious system. It is a counterfeit system, and Christ calls it a harlot because it commits spiritual prostitution. In other words, it has forsaken God’s way totally.

It’s rejected God outright.

Drenched with the Filth of Hell: The Mystery of Babylon

But then in verse number five, notice she is also drenched with the filth of hell. This is where the satanic mystery comes in.

Here we see her real identity, and that is the real identity of the harlot religious system.

Notice what it says in verse five: “And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.”

Now remember, a mother is somebody who begets things, who gives birth to things.

Here in this first satanic mystery, what is the mystery? The mystery is that Babylon will develop into a one-world united religion, and it will rule the world religiously for the first half of the tribulation.

“Babylon will develop into a one-world united religion and rule the world religiously for the first half of the tribulation.”

If you notice, it says the abominations of the earth is the apostate church. There will be a church in the tribulation, and it will be apostate.

False religion is always the worst enemy of true religion.

A counterfeit faith, no matter how much it may seem in harmony with the culture or even attractive in its manifestations, is an enemy of God.

Babylon reproduces harlotry. She reproduces harlotry in others.

This means that Babylon begat and initiated this false religious system. This system is still in existence.

It has always been in existence up to this very day. This Babylonian religious system is as old as the hills because it has its origins in the Tower of Babel.

In other words, Babel is Babylon. It’s a confusion of things.

The Roots of False Religion: Genesis 10-11

Now, to back that up, I want you to take your Bibles and go to the Old Testament because I want you to see this.

Track with me in Genesis 10. Let’s go back to Genesis 10 as we gather the roots and developments of the false religious system that I say is the oldest religion in the world. Let’s take a few minutes to go back to the Old Testament and get a sense of the roots of this development and of this apostate religious system.

In Genesis 10, notice in verse one, it says, “Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah. The sons were born to them after the flood.” Let me stop there. Go to verse six.

The sons of Ham were Kush, Misreum, Put, and Canaan.

This means that Ham, son of Noah, had a son named Kush. Kush was also the father of Nimrod.

Ham means “darkened one,” and Kush means “blackened one.” But this has nothing to do with skin color.

This has to do with heart condition.

Their names meant that they were departing further and further away from God’s way of access to him.

Their names revealed their spiritual condition.

God’s way of access is a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin. In fact, once Noah got off the ark, what was the first act he did after the flood? He built an altar and sacrificed to God because that pleased God then. It was always a picture of the cross. It was always a picture of that ultimate sacrifice that would happen in Jesus Christ. In other words, no one could go into the presence of God without a sacrifice. No one.

“God’s way of access is a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin — always a picture of the cross.”

Nimrod and the Tower of Babel

Now chapter 10, look at verse number nine. Here’s the beginning of a new religious system.

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore, it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” Verse 10 states, “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Eric, and Aad, and Kala in the land of Shinar.”

Babel originally meant the gate of God. Nimrod set up a new religious system that introduced a new access to God. He left God’s revelation and the place God gave that revelation, and he built a city.

Notice in chapter 11 of Genesis, verses three and four, we see the beginning of organized religion. It says in verse three of Genesis 11, “They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.’ And they used bricks for stone and they used tar for mortar.” Verse four states, “And they said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.’ Otherwise, we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

What is this? This is complete defiance of God’s command. This is in the beginning, right after the flood. Nimrod built a city that would unite all people. He built a tower as a system of a new way to access God, a way of human effort, a way of human works. It was designed to communicate with and worship, presuming that one could worship the host of heaven.

Approximately 101 years after the flood, we have a united religious system in opposition to God. Here is the theological significance of the Tower of Babel: it was there where organized religion began, awakening organized religion in rebellion against God.

“It was at Babel where organized religion began — mankind’s organized religion in rebellion against God.”

The notion in Babel was to build powerful organized groups of people and cities so man could display his self-sufficiency, his self-strength, his self-wisdom, ultimately pointing out that he has no need of the God of creation. He has no need to depend on God; he can do it all himself.

Nimrod led the people to rebel against God’s command. What was his command anyway? God blessed Noah and his sons and said to him, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Nimrod said, “We don’t have to do that. We could just make a city right here, get a united people, worship God the way we ought to or the way we think we should, and we don’t need God in the equation.”

That’s what he ended up doing. Right here, this is the oldest religion.

God Confuses the Languages

And what did God say? Well, if you don’t do it, I’ll do it.

God came down, saw what was going on, and could not tolerate it. He confused the languages.

The city’s name then was called Babel, which really means confusion.

That’s what we read this morning in our scripture reading. It says, God says, “Come, let us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” The Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth, and they stopped building the city.

Therefore, its name was called Babel because the Lord confused the language of the whole earth. From there, the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth. If you don’t do it, I’ll do it.

Genesis 11:9: “The Lord confused the language of the whole earth and scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Because of this rebellion, a united religious system formed. Before this time, there was always rebellion toward God, but it was not an organized rebellion.

This is an organized rebellion. Nimrod organized this religious system, and he had a son born to him named Tamas.

This organized religion ultimately settled in Babel.

The Mother-Child Cult and the Queen of Heaven

And the symbol of this religious system was a mother cradling a baby in her arms. This form of idolatry is older than any other, the mother-child cult. She has been given the name Queen of Heaven and is set up as a matrix between God and man. In fact, God was to be approached by this mother-child worship. She was the way to access God.

“She is given the name Queen of Heaven and set up as the way of access to God.”

In Ezekiel, the Bible tells us that God gave a revelation to Ezekiel and showed him the remnants of this particular religious system. He says to Ezekiel, “Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord’s house, which was toward the north, and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? Yet you will see greater abominations than these.” This religious system became the religion of the world and replaced God’s way of salvation and worship with man’s way. That’s why we have so many religions. Men just kept making up new ones, and now we have 10,000. Research shows that under those 10,000 are thousands and thousands of others.

Religion became the religion of the world. It replaced God’s way of salvation and God’s way of worship, and now it was man’s way. That’s why, when we were back in Revelation 2, remember what happened there? A system of doctrine was introduced by Jezebel. Ahab permitted Jezebel, his wife, who was the daughter of a Phoenician king, to bring her gods down into Israel. Ahab set up groves and temples to serve the gods of Jezebel, which were Ashtaroth and Baal. That was the mother-child cult.

In fact, that’s why we read in Revelation 2, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and leads my bondservants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” That was Revelation 2. That religious system is still alive and well today.

Jeremiah’s Warning: Israel Corrupted by False Religion

This system eventually corrupted Israel and Judah’s life of true worship of the living God. The people said later on, when this system took root in Israel, that Jeremiah gives a prophecy about it. I would like you to take your Bibles and turn to Jeremiah to see what is going on.

In Jeremiah 44, notice verse 15.

What is happening here in Jeremiah is that the people said this. This is what happens when this religious system takes root in a community and in the minds of people.

The people ended up saying, “When we trusted God, nothing happened. But when we offered sacrifices to the mother of heaven, Ashtaroth, we were well supplied for.” Notice what it says in verse 15 of chapter 44 of Jeremiah. Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathos in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you. Rather, we will certainly carry out every word that proceeds from our mouths by burning sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune.”

Verse 18: “But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by sword and by famine.”

Verse 19: The women said, “When we were burning sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, we were pouring out drink offerings to her. Was it without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

Down to verse 25: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your own hands, saying, ‘We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed to burn sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her. Go ahead and confirm your vows and certainly perform your vows.’” In other words, if you want to worship like that, go ahead. But it comes with consequences.

That’s what happens with religious systems.

It actually pulls people away from the true and living God.

“That’s what happens with religious systems — they pull people away from the true and living God.”

This system will continue until there emerges one world church. Apostate Protestantism, Romanism, and most likely Islam will be united into one world church.

John calls Babylon the great mother of harlots because she begat this system after the flood. This system manifests itself in a large way at the end of the world.

All right, saying all that, let’s go back to Revelation 17. That background had to be told if you’re going to understand what the great mother of harlots actually means.

The End of the Religious System

There will be an end to this religious system, only used by Antichrist until he’s done with her.

In other words, who is going to put an end to this system? Antichrist himself.

Why? Because he sits on the throne in Jerusalem, proclaims himself to be God, and all other systems are debunked. Notice what it says in Revelation 17:16.

It says, “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.” In other words, the political system turns on the religious system and annihilates it, destroys it. Why?

Revelation 17:16: “The ten horns and the beast will hate the harlot and make her desolate and burn her up with fire.”

Because Satan is going to proclaim himself God of gods, King of kings. And that’s what he does in the middle of the tribulation.

In saying that, let’s go back to chapter 17 again and notice what it says in the last one. I already mentioned that in the explanation of the harlot, she was decked with the wealth of the world and drenched with the filth of hell, and that’s the religious system itself. But then notice the next thing in verse six of Revelation 17.

Drunk with the Blood of the Saints

She’s drunk with the blood of the saints.

What is her target persecution?

I say that for this reason.

This is how the one true religion that has ever been in the world is defined.

Notice what it says in verse number six.

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.

Now, why is that so important here?

Because the world has always rejected the true message and those who bring it.

The woman, that is the Babylonian religious system, is not drunk with the blood of the thousands of religions and those who follow those religions who claim the right way. No, she is drunk with the blood of one group of people, and that group of people is the saints who follow Jesus Christ and who are witnesses for Jesus Christ.

“She is drunk with the blood of one group — the saints who follow Jesus Christ and are witnesses for him.”

That is the one and only true religion in the world, if we want to call it religion.

A relationship that we have with Jesus Christ. This group of believers will not submit to the religious authority of the religious political system led by the dragon, Satan, and the false prophet. No, they will not submit to that.

The true religion is those who worship and follow Jesus. It’s always been like that. Those who worship the true and living God, those who worship Jesus. If those are the ones in this great political and religious system, they are the only people that this system goes after. Then they’re the true people. They’re the true ones, right?

They’re going to come after us because we’re real believers, and they are going to try to destroy us because Babylon has always been a corrupting force that lures the nations into a kind of insane spiritual immorality. That’s what we have today.

Babylon’s Mission: Idolatry, Immorality, Luxury, Persecution

Everything is insane.

Babylon’s mission has always included four things: idolatry, which is the blasphemous religious system that is anti-good; immorality, with spiritual fornication and all other sins because there’s really no sin, so I can do what I want; luxury, which is excessive wealth; and, of course, persecution.

It’s always been that way. Even under Nero, when John was writing, he was the emperor. What did Nero do? Christians were covered with skins of beasts and fed to lions.

They were torn by dogs, usually in public festivals. They were nailed to crosses. They were doomed to the flames and burned to serve as night illumination in their paths as torches.

“Christians were covered with skins of beasts, nailed to crosses, and burned as torches — because they believed in Jesus.”

That’s what happens to Christians because they believe in Jesus. And who’s against Jesus? Satan.

Satan has always been behind it all.

Religion or Salvation: The Only Two Ways

And he will continue to be behind it all until he’s done. He will be done someday. We’re going to find that at the end of chapter 17, which I’m not going to get to today, but he’s done and they will be done ultimately. If we just think of all that, there’s religion and there’s salvation.

There are only two ways: the way of man and the way of God. Man’s way is religion. God’s way is through grace.

God’s way is one sacrifice and the blood of the Lamb. Man’s way is by works, and God’s way is by faith. We have to ask the question to people: Are you religious or are you saved?

Are you in Christ or are you still outside of Christ, depending on your own righteousness to save yourself with no hope at all?

If you merely have religion and have never come to God by way of the blood of Jesus Christ, you are still in your sins. Remember, there are only two ways to die. Either you die in your sin and have to pay for it yourself, or you die in the Lord because he paid for it, right?

“There’s only two ways to die: you die in your sin and pay for it yourself, or you die in the Lord because he paid for it.”

You have to ask yourself that. Are you just religious or are you really saved?

But here’s the good news: God sent his son Jesus into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to live a perfect life, to die a substitutionary death, and to rise victorious from the grave. The gospel is now offered to everyone so that all who believe the message are saved from their sins.

Amen.

That was a tough one.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you so much.

Lord, your word is detailed. When broken down and explained, we get it. We see what’s happening.

We thank you, Lord, that for all those who have believed in you as Lord and Savior, we are on the victory side. Even though we may suffer persecution, we may even lose our faith or lose our life for our faith. But that’s all right, Lord, because you defeated Satan in death. You rose again to give eternal life to all who believe. Even right now, you are praying for us to keep us all the way to the end, to persevere. You are preparing a place for us, removing everything that would prevent us from being in your presence. We thank you for that. Someday, Lord, we’re going to be ruling and reigning on the earth with you. That is a day that Revelation will tell us about.

Until then, and every day, Lord, I pray that we would remain faithful, diligent, and watchful. I pray that we would remain discerning so we’re not duped by the lies that are flying around us all day. I pray, Lord, that we would stand on the rock, Jesus Christ, and not on the sand that sinks and destroys.

Bless us in this way, Lord. Make us a strong people of God in these days. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Okay, let’s stand together.

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