In chapter 16 of the book of Revelation, we saw the last series of judgments poured out on the earth as bowls of wrath, which brought about the complete destruction of this world’s order and the return of Christ. Chapter 17 gives us a description of this world’s system, in the image of an immoral woman riding on the beast, whom we saw in chapter 13 as the beast coming out of the sea, which had seven heads and 10 horns. In this chapter, the angel gives John an interpretation of what the heads and horns represent.
There is much to learn about the world’s system in this chapter. Like the immoral woman, it allures and seduces people into thinking that the way to a satisfied and fulfilled life is to pursue the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. But, as many of us found out the hard way, the world promises, but it cannot deliver on its promises, because at the end, it leaves us empty, hopeless and despairing. Praise God that Christ came into our lives and gave us a spring of living water that wells up within us unto eternal life.
This chapter then is meant to alert us to the deceptions of this world’s system, that we might see what it really is and where it is going. As we read in 1 John 2:17, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Both the woman and the beast will be utterly destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ and His saints, as we read in Rev 17:14, “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
So as we look around us and see a society that is in moral and spiritual decay, let us take heart, brethren; because one day, Christ will return and bring an end to this world’s system and establish His righteous kingdom, and we shall reign with Him!