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Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Rev 17:1-6
As I don't understand much beyond the first three chapters of Revelation, it's not my preferred reading. However, we are currently immersed in a study of this book. This first jumped out at me though, and a lively discussion ensued about who the woman is.
Most people believe it to be a church. Some believe this depicts a government. However, I see this as today's society because:
1. Society is obsessed with riches. Look at the stars. Our TV shows--from the ordinary to the reality ones on HGTV. Society loves its life glittering with gold.
2. Society is adulterous. How many people jump into live-in relationships? How long before one sleeps with one's date? Moves in?
3. And the filth of society's adulteries has morphed from the traditional heterosexual to homosexual and pedophilia.
4. Who is the only fair game to lambast? Christians. We cannot portray any other sub-group in an abominable manner. Muslims on their prayer mats are admired. Ethnic groups are celebrated. But let TV zoom in on a cross worn on a character and you know, that one is the evil one.
Any suggestions, with reasons for them, as to who is this end time whore ? I'd love to know. And if you have links, I'd love that, too.
Carol,
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree more, with every point. I firmly believe that John of Patmos was seeing the same decadence in the Roman culture that we're seeing today--and you said it so well, Christians are the ONLY group left without protection from the PC police.
I just finished reading Revelation from my ESV study Bible and let me tell you, just the NOTES on the book are enough to make my head whirl. Between the different interpretations--all of them acceptable in traditional Christian doctrine--to the heavy symbolism...wow. My pastor said, "The main message is this: God wins." That sure simplified it for me.
God bless you! I hope you'll post more of your reflections from Revelation.
Revelations is mind boggling. I believe I do not have to understand it, God already does and He's got me and those I love well taken care of.
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