If the beast in chapter 13 reminds us that powerful kings and kingdoms have often set themselves up as opponents of King Jesus, chapter 17 reminds us that wealthy and sophisticated civilizations tend to be just as hostile to the claims of Christ. John describes “the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth” (17:18) as a woman dressed in “clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls” (17:4). Yes, her clothing recalls the vestments worn by Old Testament priests, but instead of offering up sacrifices to God, she holds a “a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality” (17:4).

And notice that in John’s vision the woman is riding on the beast. This points to the partnership that all too often exists between godless governments and the civilizations they lead. And we cannot deny that political, social and economic power have often combined over the last 2000 years either to tempt the Church into compromise, or to destroy the Church when it dares to criticize the wickedness of worldly cultures. After all, John saw Babylon “drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus” (17:6).

Now, some commentators make a direct connection between the seven mountains on which the woman sits (17:9) and the seven hills of Rome, the most powerful city in the world at the time of John’s writing, and the seat of the government that had sent him into exile. But in calling the woman “Babylon,” John reminds us that other wealthy and powerful cities throughout history have set themselves up against God’s people, only to find themselves conquered or even destroyed at the hands of their own enemies: after all, the Persian Empire had conquered Babylon over 600 years before John saw his visions.

Moreover, John saw how wealthy, sophisticated cultures are often destroyed by the very godless governments they set up for themselves: after all the beast eventually turns on the woman, devouring her flesh and burning her up with fire (17:16). And that accurately describes the way Rome would fall some 300 years after John’s vision: exhausted by onerous taxes and regulations and weakened by endemic corruption, it had little strength or even will to resist its Gothic conquerors.

And the same thing will happen to every other government or culture that dares to make war on the Lamb of God, no matter how powerful and wicked they may eventually be. And why? John reminds us that “the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (17:14). Yes, the beast may rise from the bottomless pit, but it will only have authority for one hour (17:12), and then it will “go to destruction” (17:8). In fact, the worst schemes of the beast and Babylon can only serve to carry out God’s purpose, to fulfill the very words of God (17:17).

So, the good news is that, no matter how powerful Jesus’ enemies may be, those who will join Christ in His victory over the beast and the prostitute are “called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). On the day He returns, will we find ourselves among them? Or are we more interested in the wealth and sophistication and power that the world can provide?

Revelation 17:1-18 (ESV)

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,
5 and upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly.
7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 “The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
10 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.
11 “And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
12 “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
13 “These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
16 “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
17 “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled.
18 “And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”