A Daily Walk

John Randall: False religion is prevalent in our day, but there is coming a time when it will all end. Hear all about that and the only way to heaven next on A Daily Walk. You know it's estimated that there are some 4,200 different false religious systems today, and they don't all believe the same thing, and they are not right. There is one way, the Bible says, one way that leads to heaven, and that's through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus didn't say, "I'm one of 4,300 different, just pick one." No, he said, "I am the exclusive way, truth and life. The only way you're going to ever see heaven is by turning from sin and turning to Christ and being saved." That's the only way. There is no other way. But praise the Lord today, there is a way.

So if I was to ask you to call out by name all the different religions in the world, I'm sure you'd be hard-pressed to think of even a fraction of them. That's because there were over 4,200. But as we'll learn today on A Daily Walk, Christianity stands apart from all the rest. And actually, there will be an end to false religion. That's predicted in Revelation 17, and that's where we're headed today on A Daily Walk. Here is Pastor John Randall.

John Randall: Open up your Bibles now to Revelation chapter 17. As we consider together the end of false religion. There is coming a day when all the lies and deceptions of the devil will be brought to nothing. When the narrative that is thrust upon this culture and this nation and this world will be swallowed up by the truth of who God is.

And what a day that will be. And John's given a glimpse of this in the future. Revelation 17, beginning in verse 1. If you'd follow along with me in your Bible. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and he talked with me, saying, "Come, and I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and 10 horns. And this woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, 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 the abomination of the earth.

And I saw the woman, she was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marvelled with great amazement. In Revelation chapter 17, we get another glimpse into the future when in addition to the one world political system, there will be a one world religious system that will be upon the earth.

And this coming one world religion will be led by the false prophet, who will move the masses of the world into the worship of the Antichrist. However, this false religious ecumenical system will be short-lived. For in Revelation 17, it records its future destruction.

The chapter opens with an invitation to the Apostle John to observe the coming judgment of this one world religion. In verse 4, "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying, 'Come, and I will show you the judgment of the great harlot.'" You may recall back in chapter 16, that the Apostle John saw seven angels who had seven final judgments of God that were to be poured out upon the earth. And now, one of those seven angels comes to John like an apocalyptic tour guide and takes him aside and shows him the effects of one of the judgments by giving him specific details as to what would take place.

And the tour begins with the identity of one who is referred to as the great harlot. Now, as you probably know, if you've been studying with us through the book of Revelation, that oftentimes in scripture, symbols are used as representations. There are three times in Revelation that we see a woman mentioned as a symbol representing something significant.

It was in Revelation chapter 12 that John was shown a woman who was clothed with the sun and had 12 stars. This served as a symbol referenced to the nation of Israel. And then in Revelation 19, we will see that there will be a bride who makes herself ready. It's a reference to the church, also known as the Bride of Christ. But here in Revelation 17, we see a great harlot, not an actual prostitute, but a representation, a symbol of a false religious system or the one world religion, and it's mentioned four times in this chapter.

Now in the Bible, harlotry is often associated as a standing symbol connected to idolatry. The worship of anything other than the one true God is characterized by idolatry. But the nation of Israel had a specific and unique relationship with God. They also were called the bride. But when they began to engage in idol worship, in a sense, they were unfaithful in their relationship to God. They were committing, as the prophets called out, spiritual adultery, infidelity.

But for Israel, it was worse than that because it didn't stop with just one God. They went after many false gods. And in a spiritual context, they prostituted themselves from one lover to the next. So when they turn their back on God, it was referred to by the prophets as playing the harlot. So this harlot that John sees, who leads the nations astray, is a symbol, a picture of the false religious system that leads people away from the one true God.

This is therefore the identification. But secondly, notice the description that John is given. John describes the position of the woman. It says here as sitting upon many waters. Now what does the many waters referred to? Well, in verse 15 of this chapter, it tells us that the many waters that she sits upon or is above are many peoples, nations, and tongues. In other words, this false religious system, represented by the harlot, is seated comfortably among the nations of the world.

Folks, it's a global, worldwide religion that we saw described where people take the mark of the beast, and they also worship his image. But John has also given insight into the occupation of this harlot. Prior to her judgment, it says that the kings of the earth, the leadership of the world, committed fornication, and inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. In other words, they were brought into this false religious system. They took it, they drank it down, they became intoxicated with it. They believed the lie.

It's very similar, the illustration is similar to a person taking and consuming alcohol. The result that follow is they had become drunk. They had tasted this false religious system and it was so persuasive that it intoxicated them. They have been completely enebriated by the lies of the false teaching, which is false information to the point that they embrace the lie.

I don't know if it has shocked you in recent days, how many people are embracing false information. And you can't seem to fight it. It just false information circulates the globe three times over while truth is just putting its shoes on. It's like it just doesn't stop as so much of what we are fed is controlled by lies. You see so many people today embracing it. They've been deceived and controlled by a narrative of the media that any other reliable information that would be made available or accessible is ridiculed, suppressed, spun to mean something completely different, and people believe it.

But here, this drunkenness is an accurate description of the influence of this one world religion. Because when a person is intoxicated in a drunken state, it's enjoyable for a period of time, but you're not thinking clearly. You can't, you act irrationally. It ruins your judgment, and it can even destroy you and others in the process. This false religious system, pictured as a woman on a beast, is embraced by the kings, it means the leaders of the world during the tribulation period. They will drink it in, they will consume the deception, and they will believe it to be true.

Now, following this invitation that John receives to come and see the judgment take place, John is given further insight into the location of this woman. Where is she located? Again, it says in verse 3, "So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw this woman and she was sitting on a scarlet beast, which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and 10 horns." As John is now taken in the Spirit to see this woman, he notes that she is seated on the beast that had blasphemous names attached to it, seven heads, 10 horns.

Folks, in Revelation chapter 13, you remember back in verse 1, we saw that this beast with seven heads and 10 horns, the beast is just a reference to the Antichrist. Just make a note of that. That's what it refers to. It's referring to the Antichrist. He's from heaven's perspective, he's a beast. He destroys everything. And because of his nature and his intention is to wipe out mankind. Now, when it says that this beast had seven heads, it refers to the other rulers of the nations that will be alongside of him and connected to him.

And when it says 10 horns, it's a reference to the 10 nation confederacy that will also be a part of his one world political structure. That's what it's referred to. So when you see the beast with the heads and the horns, it's just it's just a reminder of this political structure that will be in place, the leadership attached to it. And from heaven's perspective, it is grotesque, it is ugly, it is violent, it's a beast. And so John sees this beast and sitting on top of it, riding upon it is a woman, is the harlot, is the religious system.

And the fact that the woman, or aka the religious system, is riding on top of the beast indicates that she is, listen, supported by the political power of the beast, and she is in a dominant role, or at least outwardly seems to control or direct the beast with lies. They're working together. The Antichrist, the false prophet, the devil himself, form this diabolical counterfeit Trinity during the tribulation. But John also describes the clothing of this woman, her apparel, when he says in verse 4, "This woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet."

She was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and having in her hand a cup full of abomination and the filthiness of her fornication. There are several elements that John uses to describe this religious system noted as or symbolized by a woman who is a harlot. First of all, she says that she is clothed in purple and scarlet, which speaks of royalty. Kings were often arrayed in such apparel. In other words, there is power, there is affluence, there is money behind this false religious system.

It says that there are gold and precious stones and pearls. It's a very prosperous religion. They're very wealthy because of the position. And there is a cup in her hand. In the previous verse, we read that she made the nations drunk with the intoxicating false religion. And this cup in her hand is the cup that is full of abomination and filthiness, and she presents it to the world. This is what she teaches, this is what she presents, this is what the false religious system gives to the world, and they take it in a sense, and they drink it down. They embrace it.

John describes where the woman sits, sees what she does, notes what she is dressed like, the apparel. But then he tells us her name. And this is interesting because in verse 5, it says on her forehead a name. It's a rather long name. Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. There's no mistaking her identity. It's very obvious. It's written on her forehead.

You know in ancient times, Roman prostitutes frequently wore a headband with their name engraved upon it. But this name on her forehead identifies her in more ways than one. First of all, the word, notice, mystery. In the New Testament, mystery is always a hidden truth that only spiritually, those who are spiritually initiated can actually understand. To grasp one of God's mysteries, it requires discernment. And in this case, the mystery had to do with Babylon, Babylon the Great.

Not Babylon, the literal city, folks, but rather Babylon as the religious designation. This woman, listen again, represents the religious system. And as you read through the Bible, and the multiple references that are made to Babylon, you can see that Babylon is always a counterfeit or a pseudo-religion which plagued Israel throughout the Old Testament and even the church in the New Testament. It is a poor, satanic substitute for God's plan.

Let me take you back for a moment to the very first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 10. Genesis chapter 10 and then 11. It was after the flood where the earth was destroyed that the great-great-great-grandson of Noah, his name was Nimrod. And he was a rebel against the one true God, and he became the founder of Babel, which later became Babylon. And you remember what his desire was? He wanted to build a temple. He led man in the rebellion of God to build this large tower that would reach heaven. It was the Tower of Babel. And it was to make a name for themselves and to try to reach God.

Yet in the construction process, God stopped it. In fact, he came down, confused their languages, and then everybody went in every direction, speaking different languages. They that's why they called it Babel. It means confusion. The city later became known as Babylon, and it has a long history. But it was from that place, there in Babylon, that so many of the false religious systems were born. That was the breeding ground, that was the soil in which these false religious systems came. So you find in scripture that it is not uncommon to have Babylon associated with idolatry.

And here this false religious system is just that. They worshipped all kinds of false gods, like Tammuz, who was said to be born of a virgin, said to have died and come back to life. In fact, Ezekiel the prophet called out Israel in Ezekiel chapter 8 because they were weeping for Tammuz, worshipping this false Messiah. Jeremiah also mentions the heathen practices where they would make cakes for the Queen of Heaven, Jeremiah chapter 7, and they would offer incense to the Queen of Heaven.

Then you have the worship of Baal that came out of Babylon and the characteristic of the pagan religion there in Canaan, another form of this mystery religion originating out of Babylon. And here she is. People are worshipping this false religious system. She is the embodiment of Satan's ecumenical movement. And again, in our world, with its, quote, "doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you believe" philosophy, they are ripe for the harlot's seductions.

And we see the casual disregard for the truth crippling the world and the church even today. But she's referred to as the mother of harlots, which means again, the founder, if you would. From Babylon, she gave birth to all of these other false religious systems. You know, it's estimated that there are some 4,200 different false religious systems today, and they don't all believe the same thing and they are not right. There is one way, the Bible says, one way that leads to heaven and that's through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me."

John Randall: Jesus didn't say, "I'm one of 4,300 different, just pick one." No, he said, "I am the exclusive way, truth and life. The only way you're going to ever see heaven is by turning from sin and turning to Christ and being saved." That's the only way. There is no other way. But praise the Lord today, there is a way. And it's through Christ.

John Randall: But the Apostle continues, he sees this description of the hideous harlot and points out the crimes that she committed. Look at verse 6. Then I saw the woman, she was, this is gross, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marvelled with great amazement. In previous studies in Revelation, we noted those who were martyred for their faith because they had not chosen to embrace this harlotry of false religion. They missed the rapture, the church is gone.

But there are people who get saved during the tribulation period. And they be their eyes are open and suddenly they realize what's going on. And rather than embrace the lies of the harlot and the false religious system and the Antichrist, they turn from it and they die. They lose their life. They refuse to side with the beast. They refuse to take his mark, and they are put to death. And so John says, "I saw her. And I knew, in essence, that she had murdered and martyred the saints who were saved during that period of time. Those who were followers became followers of Jesus. I saw it and I marvelled. I was amazed at what had happened."

After John sees this vision, he is obviously astonished, he's dumbfounded. And in the midst of his amazement, the angel then speaks to John, giving him the interpretation of what he has seen. John's thinking, "What am I looking at here? What am I seeing? This false religious system, what does it all mean?" Notice what the angel says. In verse 7, the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has seven heads and 10 horns." The beast that you saw, now now check this out. This is the interpretation John's given.

Imagine John saying, "Hey, what does this mean?" Look look at what the angel says to him. "The beast that you saw was and is not and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, and when they see the beast that was and is not and yet is." Oh, that makes perfect sense. Yeah, exactly. I know I know what you're talking about. Of course, of course it means was and is not and it isn't. I mean, it's just John hearing this.

And you might be saying the same thing, what does this mean? Let me help you out. The beast, which again, another name for the Antichrist, gets his power from Satan. He will be the devil incarnate, and the earth will be in awe of him. We know at some point he receives a mortal wound. He dies and then rises again, and the world embraces and even worships the beast as their God. But their names, they're not written in the book of life. Something happens to him. He dies and suddenly he rises from the dead.

It's a counterfeit, folks. It's a counterfeit, but people are quick to buy into counterfeits, and they this is the one, this is the one. And suddenly they believe it, they take his mark, they begin to worship his image. But here's the thing, their names are not written in the Book of Life. Friend, listen, there's one book that you definitely want your name in, and that is the Book of Life. That the Bible tells us that one day that when you stand before God, the books plural will be open, and anybody whose name is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life will not enter into heaven.

You say, "Hey, wait a second. How do I get my name in that book?" You receive Christ as your Savior. That's how you know that your name is written there. And when you stand before God, you'll see your name is there, and you'll be welcomed in and he'll say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." Is your name written in that Book of Life? Because if it's not, you'll hear, "Depart from Me, I never knew you." But friend, you can know today, and before our time is over, I'm going to give you a chance to know for sure that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

John Randall: And we'll pause the message right here. Pastor John Randall will be right back. Today on A Daily Walk, we've been learning about the end of false religion through a study in Revelation. And don't forget, you can access these daily studies online at adailywalk.org or oneplace.com. And you can hear Pastor John's messages shortly after they're delivered by getting our app. It's free. Just do a search for Calvary South OC to download our app and start listening to the latest teachings from Pastor John. Pastor John, by the way, records encouraging video daily devotionals. They're accessible at adailywalk.org. Start the day with Pastor John, a cup of coffee, and your Bible.

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John Randall: Notice this, here is the mind which has wisdom. Now pay close attention here. Here's where it gets exciting. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings, five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. And the beast that was and is not, is himself also the eighth and is of the seven and is going to perdition. And the 10 horns which you saw are 10 kings who received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. Okay, let me see, that's 10, take away the, carry the two over to the seven, which minus the. What what does this mean? I'm going to explain.

We see a reference first of all, to seven hills. Seven hills. Some believe that this is in reference to Rome and that Rome will be the headquarters of this false religious system. And there are those that I will say have done extensive research DVDs on YouTube that Rome is connected to the Antichrist. What do you think, John? I don't know. I just know there's going to be an Antichrist, and I'm not going to be there when he's here. I mean, I I know that there's going to be a false religious system.

I will also say that I have personally visited the Vatican. Uh, as we were on tour there in Rome. And I've never seen so many idols in one place like I saw there. And it was an astonishing thing when I saw all of these false idols lining the halls. And I turned to my tour guide and I said, "What does this mean? Why are there so many idols in here? Why why do you have, I mean pagan idols of Astra, all of them." They were all there. It was like the the hall of idols. It was like going to the Hall of Fame for idols. And I asked her what does it mean, and her response to me was astounding me. She said, "We just want to remember where we came from." I was like, "Wow, okay. Uh, interesting."

John Randall: We'll finish up Revelation 17 next time on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall, where you never have to walk alone.

John Randall: This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary South OC.