Beast of Revelation.pdf - Friends of the Sabbath Australia

Chapter 4
in Revelation 17 is ridden by a woman.
Notice what John
saw: “And I saw a woman
sitting on a scarlet beast
which was full of names
of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten
horns. 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. And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF
HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (vv. 3–6). Just who is this woman?
First of all, let’s see how the Bible uses the symbol of a woman
elsewhere. Revelation 12 pictures a woman with a crown of 12
stars, who gives birth to the Christ child (vv. 1–5)—a clear reference
to Israel with its 12 tribes, each symbolized by a star (cf. Gen.
37:9–10). Ancient Israel, God’s Old Testament nation or “church”
(Acts 7:38 KJV), was pictured as a woman married to God (cf. Jer.
3:14). However, Israel and Judah often “played the harlot” with
other gods and national rulers (cf. Ezek. 23). Their capital,
Jerusalem, is represented as the same woman (cf. Ezek. 16).
Now, the New Testament Church is the “Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16),
and spiritual Jerusalem above is called “the mother of us all” (4:26).
The true Church is the woman throughout the remainder of Revelation
12. John calls her “the elect lady” (2 John 1). She is to marry Christ at
His return (Eph. 5:22–32; Matt. 25:1–12; Rev. 19:6–9). As “King of
kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16), Church and State will be united
through Him at that time. Meanwhile, the true Church is not to “play
the harlot” by being politically entangled with the governments of this
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