The Lamb Will Overcome
Today’s passage: Revelation 17
Focus verse: “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)
With God’s final wrath complete, we can now move steadily toward his plan for a new heaven and a new earth. Only a few remaining events must happen before we get there.
The first relates to the great prostitute.
The seventh angel, the one who poured out the final bowl of wrath, comes to John and says he will show him what punishment awaits the great prostitute.
We’ve not met her before in Revelation, so she appears as a new player. Calling her “great,” however, may mislead our understanding of her and what she represents. “Nefarious” may be a better label.
The angel takes John into the desert.
There he sees a woman, sitting on a beast, dressed in purple and scarlet, glittering with gold, precious gems, and pearls. She holds a cup filled with abominations and the filth of her adulteries.
Written on her forehead we see her title, which tells us that she is the mother of prostitutes and all abominations.
She is Babylon the Great.
Since the Bible has already recorded the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5:30–31), we know that this is not a reference to the historical Babylonian Empire, but a characterization of something else.
Given that Babylon is also called the great prostitute, we can assume that her abomination relates to prostitution, to sexual immorality, perhaps to an unprecedented degree.
The beast she rides has seven heads and ten horns. The angel explains that this references seven kings and then ten more. They’ll unite to give power and authority to the beast who will rise to fight against the Lamb.
Pushing the evocative imagery of this passage aside, the main point is the battle between the beast and the Lamb, that is, Jesus.
Don’t focus on trying to discern the identity of the seven kings or the meaning of the ten who will follow. These contemplations distract us from the central theme of this passage.
The essential lesson is that Jesus, the Lamb, overcomes the attacks of the evil beast and all the power and authority given to him by Earth’s kings.
Jesus will win because he is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He stands as the supreme authority over everything on the earth.
Those who follow him as his called, chosen, and faithful servants, will overcome along with him.
As such, we need not fear the assaults of the enemy, for with Jesus we will prevail.
Questions:
- What should we think about prostitution and sexual immorality?
- What attitudes or practices do we need to change?
- Do we honestly believe that through Jesus we will overcome?
- Do we have confidence in Jesus’s victory over evil?
- What does it mean that Jesus is the Lord of lords and King of kings?
[Discover more about the Lord of lords in Deuteronomy 10:17, Psalm 136:3, 1 Timothy 6:15, and Revelation 19:16.]
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read more in Revelation Bible Study: Discover Practical Insights from John’s Epic Vision.
Discover practical, understandable insights from the book of Revelation.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo Christianity and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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