Passage: Revelation 17:1-5
The Big Idea
Revelation 17 pictures a scarlet woman riding a scarlet beast: false religion partnered with worldly power. Wherever something is real, the enemy offers a fake. The way to spot the counterfeit is to know the real thing: a relationship with Jesus.
There Is Always a Fake
The enemy is a counterfeit expert. There are fake religious people and fake religious systems. The tell is simple: they don’t lead you to Jesus.
The Spirit of God leads us into all truth (John 16:13). But in the last days, truth will be diluted with lies and a blended, all-paths-are-the-same religion.
Religion vs. Relationship
We can get caught up in religion instead of a relationship with Jesus. Religion is often used to govern and control people.
The church never belongs to a pastor or a personality. It is always Jesus’ church.
Read: Revelation 17:1-5
The harlot (Revelation 17:1-2)
In Scripture, a harlot is a familiar symbol for idolatry, God’s people giving their love to something other than Him (Hosea 1-3; Ezekiel 16). Idols can be anything: money, pleasure, entertainment, success. Sometimes parents even worship their kids.
She sits on many waters, which verse 15 explains are peoples and nations. Her reach is global. And the kings of the earth are involved with her. This false religious system is tangled up with political power.
She rides the beast (Revelation 17:3)
She has an alliance with the beast. False religion and godless power use each other.
She is rich (Revelation 17:4)
Purple, scarlet, gold, jewels. Religion made rich by taking advantage of people.
Here is the difference: religion takes. Relationship gives. Jesus gave Himself.
Mystery, Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:5)
Her name points back to Babel (Genesis 11). Babel was humanity’s attempt to build its own way to heaven, a tower with God left out of the plans. That spirit, religion without God at the center, runs all through history and is still alive today.
No Celebrities
There are no celebrities in the church. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. Each of us is a small part of what God is doing.
What we do in secret, He rewards (Matthew 6:4). Appreciate one another, but be careful not to praise people in a way that takes the glory that belongs to God. Just serve for the glory of the Lord.
Grace Takeaway
You don’t have to study every counterfeit to avoid being fooled. Keep your eyes on the Lord. The closer you are to the real Jesus, the easier it is to spot the fake, and the less any system of rules, riches or religion can hold you.