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5. The End of the Harlot of Babylon (Revelation 17:15-18)
The Wrathful Judgments of the Almighty are Realized in the Dealings of Men (v 17): The will and working of God often remain hidden to our eyes. His logic is spiritual and holy, and does not always correspond to our humanistic understanding (Romans 11:33-36). The Creator knows everything in advance. He is almighty, omniscient, and all-wise (Matthew 10:29-31). He knows the one who gives place to His love, and keeps mercy for thousands (Exodus 34:6-7). God sovereignly accomplishes His salvation in the lives of individuals and in entire nations. There is nothing left to coincidence in the building of His Kingdom (Psalm 103:6-13). Our calling in Christ is always of grace (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:28-30), which fulfils itself in our being called out of our society and in our acceptance or refusal of His salvation.
It is similar with the wrath of God and His judgment. The Lord knows in advance the one who hates Him and who gives no place to His love. He punishes him and his descendants to the fourth generation (Exodus 34:7). He lets the unrighteous, who do not want to repent and who have continually withstood the drawing power of His Holy Spirit, proceed forth in their misery. He gives them up to self-destruction (Romans 1:18-32).
The lord allows the ten kings, who will have been inspired and possessed by the destructive will of the beast from the abyss, to destroy the harlot, whom they had previously served (Revelation 17:17). Driven by demons and filled with hate, they will act in the destructive rage of the evil one.
The ten kings had already relinquished their kingship and their responsibility to the son of Satan. His demons could, therefore, compel them to destroy the proud harlot. The wrath of God had given her over to complete destruction by His enemies. By doing so none of them resisted the will of God, but allied themselves willfully with the evil one.
All the words of God are being continuously realized. The Patriarchs and Moses laid before their people the choice of blessing or curse (Genesis 48:13-20; 49:1-20; Deuteronomy 11:26-32; 30:1-20). The ongoing history of the people of Israel is a continuous sign of the promises of faithfulness of their Covenant-God. In the life of Jesus Christ, in His crucifixion, in His resurrection, and in the outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon His prayerful followers, numerous promises of the Old Covenant were fulfilled. The demand of God that His people should be holy, as He is holy, is confirmed again and again (Leviticus 11:44; 19:2).
The dealing of the triune God and His eternally valid commands are the basis of world history. His will is accomplished. Either we allow Him to transform us and make us a blessing for others, or He lets us continue on in our egoism, so that we destroy not only ourselves, but others. He is our Father. Nothing happens apart from His loving will. The last days of existence, too, will reveal both His righteous judgments, as well as His inexhaustible grace (Matthew 25:31-46).
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the Holy, Almighty, Omniscient and Wise One. We worship to You and beg You to forgive us our sins. Purify us in word, in thought and in act that Your Holy Spirit may fill us and we become changed to Your image. Be merciful to many of those possessed by the spirit of the antichrist that they may be delivered from him to glorify Your grace joyfully and thankfully. Amen.
QUESTIONS:
- Why did God inspire the ten kings to attack the harlot together, and why did He declare this judgment beforehand?
- Why will God's salvation and His prematurely revealed judgments be certainly realized?