The Great Harlot

Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication"…3 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet Beast (Antichrist)… 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, the mother of Harlots and of the abominations of the earth. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints…15 He said to me, "The waters…where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. (Rev. 17:1-6, 15)

A. Before the angel shows John the wealth and counterfeit beauty of the Harlot religion, he shows him her inevitable judgment and sure defeat (v. 1). This system will fail and be utterly destroyed.

B. The Harlot will sit on many nations (v. 1) or will have authority over the nations by seducing and controlling the world’s most powerful leaders (kings and merchants) through global networks. It is a religious network (Rev. 17) and an economic network based in Babylon (Rev. 18).

C. The Harlot’s system will cause the nations to be drunk with her seductions that offer great benefits, including humanitarian aid, a unified religion (that minimizes wars) and a prosperous world economy. The nations will rejoice and get drunk or intoxicated with her promises of goodness, prosperity and compassion and theology of tolerance based in deception.

2 The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (Rev. 17:2)

D. The Harlot religion will have great prominence. It will be arrayed in purple (royal status) and will be respected by the elite financial leaders of the earth who will give their allegiance to her.

4 The 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)

E. The Harlot will be adorned with gold. It will be the wealthiest religious network in all history. The Harlot will have a golden cup in which she “serves” the nations. It will appear golden (valuable and good). She will offer the nations unprecedented humanitarian service in helping the poor. As the Harlot emerges with religious unity, war will disappear and for first time in modern history there will be world peace (1 Thes. 5:3).

F. She will have an evil cup of abomination and filth. Abomination refers to being filled with demonic activity. In the OT, abominations refer to idolatrous (demonic) activity. Filthiness points to being filled with moral perversions.

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. Her worship music will be powerful in that it will have a supernatural demonic element to it.

23 For by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Rev. 18:23)

H. Sin will be allowed to reach its fullness in the End-Times. The Harlot Babylon is the context in which the nations will reach the heights of sin and their experience of the demonic realm.

23 In 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)

I. We evaluate a ministry by the lifestyle it produces in others and not by how fast it grows or how much money it has. Because serving the poor and walking in unity is foundational to preaching the gospel, many will think that all who proclaim this represent the truth. This statement by Jesus will reach its greatest fulfillment in the End-Times.

15 For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (Lk. 16:15)

J. The influence of the Harlot will cause multitudes to be drunk or intoxicated with the blood of the saints who expose her (v. 6). The more she kills, the bolder she will become in killing the saints. The one great enemy of the Harlot religion will be the saints of Jesus in the prophetic Church.

6 I saw the woman (Harlot Babylon), drunk with the blood of the saints… (Rev. 17:6)

K. The Praying Church must expose the Harlot for who she really is. The Church will be hated by all nations for this. We declare the seductive nature of her perversion and her judgment.

9 They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 Then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (Mt. 24:9-11)

L. The kings (political leaders) will understand some of the lies that empower the Harlot system. However, they will support her agenda to gain her wealth. In this way, they will knowingly prostitute themselves or commit fornication with her in knowingly supporting her lies for money.

2 The kings of the earth committed fornication…the inhabitants were made drunk… (Rev. 17:2)

M. The Harlot will depend on the Antichrist who will carry her (provide resource and protection).

3 I saw a woman sitting on a Beast (Antichrist) which was full of names of blasphemy…7 I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the Beast that carries her… (Rev. 17:3, 7)

N. Surprisingly, the Harlot worldwide religion will be hated and destroyed by the jealousy of the ten primary kings who serve the Antichrist (Dan. 7:7, 20, 24). They will burn the Harlot at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Satan’s kingdom is filled with hatred, not unity. We prophesy that after a short season of prominence, she will be burned by leaders of the Antichrist’s empire.

12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings… 16 The 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)

O. In the middle of the final 7 years of this age, the Antichrist’s plan is to replace the Harlot religion of tolerance with Antichrist worship. This new worldwide religion will be strict and without any toleration. All who refuse to worship the Antichrist will be killed (Rev. 13:4-18). Satan’s purpose for the Harlot religion is as a “forerunner” to prepare the nations for Antichrist worship.