The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast (The meaning of the Woman & the Beast):
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great *harlot who sits on many waters, And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF *HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Then he said to me,
“The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Revelation 17:1, 5, 15-16
Heaven Exults over Babylon:
For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great *harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
Revelation 19:2
Harlot:
a prostitute; whore.
Rome clearly appears to be meant in this chapter.
Pagan Rome subdued and ruled with military power, not by art and flatteries. She left the nations in general to their ancient usages and worship. But it is well known that by crafty and politic management, with all kinds of deceit of unrighteousness, papal Rome has obtained and kept her rule over kings and nations.
Here were allurements of worldly honour and riches, pomp and pride, suited to sensual and worldly minds. Prosperity, pomp, and splendour, feed the pride and lusts of the human heart, but are no security against the Divine vengeance. The golden cup represents the allurements, and delusions, by which this mystical Babylon has obtained and kept her influence, and seduced others to join her abominations.
She is named, from her infamous practices, a mother of harlots; training them up to idolatry and all sorts of wickedness. She filled herself with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. She intoxicated herself with it; and it was so pleasant to her, that she never was satisfied.
Let us avoid the mysteries of iniquity, and study diligently the great mystery of godliness, that we may learn humility and gratitude from the example of Christ.
The more we seek to resemble him, the less we shall be liable to be deceived by antichrist.
They shall see their folly, and how they have been bewitched and enslaved by the harlot, and be made instruments in her destruction. She was that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth, when John had this vision; and every one knows Rome to be that city. Believers will be received to the glory of the Lord, when wicked men will be destroyed in a most awful manner; their joining together in sin, will be turned to hatred and rage, and they will eagerly assist in tormenting each other.
Fornication-
In every form of it was sternly condemned by the Mosaic law (Lev 21:9; 19:29; Deut 22:20, 21, 23-29; 23:18; Ex 22:16).
But this word (Adultery) is more frequently used in a symbolical than in its ordinary sense. It frequently means a forsaking of God or a following after idols.
(Isa 1:2; Jer 2:20; Ezek 16; Hos 1:2; 2:1-5; Jer 3:8, 9)
The Peril of Adultery:
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: Proverbs 5:1
"Solomon cautions all young men, as his children, to abstain from fleshly lusts."
Attend/קָשַׁב/ qashab:
a primitive root; to prick up the ears, i.e. hearken:--attend, (cause to) hear(-ken), give heed, incline, mark (well), regard.
Ear/אֹזֶן/ozen:
Used frequently in a figurative sense (Ps 34:15).
To "uncover the ear" is to show respect to a person (1 Sam 20:2 marg.).
To have the "ear heavy", or to have "uncircumcised ears" (Isa 6:10), is to be inattentive and disobedient.
To have the ear "bored" through with an awl was a sign of perpetual servitude (Ex 21:6).
"That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge."(Proverbs 5:2 KJV)
Regard-
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
Discretion/מְזִמָּה/mĕzimmah:
from 'zamam' (STRONG_H2161); a plan, usually evil (machination), sometimes good (sagacity):--(wicked) device, discretion, intent, witty invention, lewdness, mischievous (device), thought, wickedly.
For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: (Proverbs 5:3 KJV)
4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.
End/אַחֲרִית/achariyth:
from ''achar' (STRONG_H310); the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity:--(last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most, length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.
Bitter/מַר/mar:
or (feminine) marah {maw-raw'}; from 'marar' (STRONG_H4843); bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly:--+ angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, X great, heavy.
Wormwood/לַעֲנָה/ la`anah:
from an unused root supposed to mean to curse; wormwood
(regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed):
hemlock, wormwood.
Sword/חֶרֶב/chereb:
from 'charab' (STRONG_H2717); drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement:--axe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.
Those who would be kept from harm, must keep out of harm's way.
If we thrust ourselves into temptation we mock God when we pray, Lead us not into temptation.
The Model Prayer:
Matthew 6:13
"And lead (to bring into, in or to
to lead into) us not (no, not lest) into (into, unto, to, towards, for, among) temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
So long as we are in this world we are exposed to temptations, and need ever to be on our watch against them.
Temptation/πειρασμός
Transliteration: peirasmos
from 'peirazo' (STRONG_G3985); a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity:--temptation, X try.
Deliver/ῥύομαι
Transliteration: rhyomai
middle voice of an obsolete verb, akin to 'rheo' (STRONG_G4482) (through the idea of a current; compare 4511); to rush or draw (for oneself), i.e. rescue:--deliver(-er).
Evil/πόνος
Transliteration: ponos
great trouble, intense desire
pain
Go down/יָרַד
Transliteration: yarad
Pronunciation: yä·rad'
Part of Speech: verb
Root Word (Etymology): a primitive root
Outline of Biblical Usage:
to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down
(Qal)
to go or come down
to sink
to be prostrated
to come down (of revelation)
(Hiphil)
to bring down
to send down
to take down
to lay prostrate
to let down
(Hophal)
to be brought down
to be taken down
To death/מָוֶת
Transliteration: maveth
Pronunciation: mä'·veth
Part of Speech: masculine noun
Outline of Biblical Usage:
death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead
death
death by violence (as a penalty)
state of death, place of death
Hold/Tamak-
a primitive root; to sustain; by implication, to obtain, keep fast; figuratively, to help, follow close:--(take, up-)hold (up), maintain, retain, stay (up).
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