The Church has been raptured, leaving behind all the counterfeit religions, including the apostate church. The religions left behind will culminate into one false religion which will wield massive power and control over the world. But as we forge ahead to Revelation 13, we find out the fate of false religion during the Tribulation.
False Religion
Throughout the Book of Revelation, several chapters are considered interludes; they don’t necessarily fit into the Revelation timeline neatly but give us valuable information to understand better what is happening. Revelation 17 is one of those interludes, and the events it speaks of occur during the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation. Many think the events of Revelation 17 occur chronologically between Revelation 5 and 6. We will discuss them here.
After the Church’s rapture, many who have professed their faith outwardly in Jesus but inwardly are far from Him will be left behind. As a result, an apostate church will emerge and grow in power and influence. This false religious system and its fall are described in Revelation 17.
In Chapter 17, we are introduced to a harlot named “Babylon the Great.” By looking at the chapter’s context, we can conclude that the woman is not a literal woman but a symbol of religious idolatry and apostasy. Babylon is mentioned 287 times in Scripture and is associated with idolatry, blasphemy, and the persecution of God’s people. We know that ancient Babylon is the birthplace of false religions, beginning with the Tower of Babel. At Babel, the people of earth substituted their wisdom for God’s wisdom and rebelled against Him, worshiping their own achievements instead of Him. From Babylon emerged all kinds of false religions ranging from the worship of idols to the worship of systems to the worship of men. Paul in Romans 1 sums up the birth of false religion like this: “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
As we read on, we find out other details about this woman. First, she is described as a great harlot (v.1). Throughout the Bible, prostitution symbolizes spiritual adultery or religious apostasy. We see this use in Jeremiah 3:6-9, where Israel is referred to as a harlot and is accused of committing adultery with stones and trees (idols). We also are told that the harlot sits on many waters, which the angel interprets for us in v. 15 as “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” This symbolizes that she has power over many nations, that she is universal in character.
Next, we find out that “the kings of the earth committed acts of adultery with her. (v. 2)” This means that political leaders ally themselves with her, using her to gain power and control. At. In verse 18, we are told by the angel that the woman is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth. Some believe the “great city” is a literal city, most likely Rome. Others think that this is not a reference to a literal city but refers to the religious system established by man, not God. Whether a city or a religious system as a whole, we are told that her influence extends beyond the kings to the masses who are being made drunk on her immorality (v. 2). This religious system will appear attractive and spiritual; it will lure the masses in.
Then, we see the harlot sitting on a scarlet beast which is the antichrist (v. 3). “Her position, that of riding the beast, indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast (Walvoord).
We see that she is dressed in purple and scarlet, the colors of royalty, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (v. 4). All of these adornments are meant to lure the nations into her grasp. She has a name written on her forehead “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth.” Roman prostitutes often wore headbands with their names imprinted on them. This reminds us that despite her allure, she is not what as she appears. From her title, we can conclude that she embodies all false religions and their evils, lies, and deceits, culminating in a powerful, unified religious system.
Next, we see the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus (v. 6). False religion has killed millions of saints throughout history. “False religion is always the worst enemy of true religion” (Walvoord). Think about the religious persecutions in the early church and the inquisitions that killed hundreds of thousands of protestants during the middle ages. Add to this the continuing persecution of Christians today and the persecutions that will happen at the hands of this post-Rapture religious system. The blood on the harlot’s hands will not go unavenged, however.
The Fate of the Harlot
In Revelation 17 v. 8, we learn more about the beast (the antichrist) the harlot was riding on. We are told that the beast has “seven heads and ten horns (v. 3).” In verses 9 and 10, we find out that the beast’s seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Some believe that the seven mountains refer to Rome since Rome sits on 7 hills. Interestingly, in 1st Peter 5:13, Peter refers to Rome as Babylon.
Still, others conclude that the 7 mountains represent the seven kings and their seven kingdoms described in v. 10. They believe that these 7 kingdoms are the 7 great empires of the world: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and then finally, the kingdom of the antichrist, the revived Roman Empire. Regardless of whether the 7 mountains refer to Rome or the 7 kingdoms, we know that Rome is part of the final worldwide system of false religion and will play a big part.
The angel goes on to divide the 7 kings of verse 10. This is what the angel says:
“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.”
At the time of John’s writing, 5 of the empires had come and gone, but Rome had not yet fallen. Rome represents the kingdom that “is.” The antichrist’s kingdom is the one that has not yet come, and when it does come, it will be short-lived. Then there is an eighth kingdom, the kingdom of the beast, which is also the antichrist’s kingdom after his supposed resurrection. In other words, the antichrist’s kingdom is both the seventh and the eighth kingdom.
The angel tells John that the ten horns he saw on the beast are ten rulers who will give their power and authority to the beast (v. 13). These ten rulers will form a ten-nation confederation (10 toes of Daniel 2;24-45), and they and the antichrist will wage war against Jesus, but Jesus will overcome because “He is Lord of lords and King of kings (v. 14).
Finally, we learn of the harlot’s demise. Antichrist will use the harlot to unify and gain control over the masses, but once his power is solidified, he, along with the ten rulers, will hate the harlot and destroy her. They will take her power and her wealth and destroy the false religious system. Then, we find out that God directed the judgment of the harlot (v. 17). He put it in their hearts to have a common purpose and give their kingdoms to the beast. God can use evil people to accomplish His good purposes.
