Be Faithful

Revelation 17:1-5 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
 
THE word “prostitute” here and in many other scriptures refers to a city, nation or several nations partnering with Satan as they reject God’s rule. For example, see God’s word to Jerusalem when they rejected him before the exile: Isaiah 1:21 See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her – but now murderers! Jerusalem became a prostitute as the Jews worshiped idols, which included sacrificing children into fire.
   How did Israel, a nation God formed to be his own, give their souls to evil? The question is answered in the vision. The prostitute is with the devil – the dragon. Those with Satan become evil as he is evil, opposing and negating God’s rule on earth.
   What city is this in the vision? Perhaps I tis  the church. We must remember that Revelation is a message to seven churches. We know that many false teachers have led God’s church – his kingdom city – away from God. History records portions of Jesus’ church living in Satan’s ways, and it is very evident today. Self-interests and worldly gratification can work quietly to prostitute the church’s mission.
   We must, then, as individuals and as the church universal, continually examine ourselves. Are we rejecting God in some way? With proper examination, we will likely discover some spiritual weaknesses as Jesus noted in his letters to the seven churches. As he listed some sins in each church, he also called on them to “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)  
   God will judge and destroy those who prostitute his Word. He will save and protect those who are faithful. This is the angel’s message to John and Jesus’ church then and now. I pray we are listening.
 
Prayer: Reveal our sins that we may repent and be saved. Amen.