“The Beauty on the Beast – and the Bride”
Sept.26, 2010 Rev 17:1-8, 12-18 Play
AUDIO
(mp3)
MORE THAN MEATS THE EYE
• meat dress draws attention to star’s rise to fame
• apocalyptic symbolism fluid - so difficult to
definitely identify
WHO IS THIS BRAZEN BEAUTY?
• dominance: sits on many waters peoples; involved
with kings; gets nations drunk (17:1ff,9f,15,18)
• decked out: dressed in rich clothes &
jewellery, luxurious merchandise (17:4; 18:3,7,12ff; Ezek 27)
• deadly: drunk with blood of Christian martyrs;
marketed human bodies / souls; filthy things to drink (17:3,6; 18:3,23f)
• defiant: much sin, boasting of independence (18:5,
7b)
• parallels striking to current pop star: wealthy, on
world’s ‘most influential’ list
• sobering Pitt Meadows incident suggests depravity
accepted among youth
SURPRISE ATTACK OF THE SCARLET BEAST
• multi-headed: hills of Rome, many kings (17:3, 8ff;
12:3; 13:1; 2:8)
• beast and horns hate prostitute, eat & burn:
just judgment (17:13ff; 18:6f, 20)
• candidates for beast: anti-West Islamic factions -
but ‘scarlet’ suggests communist possibility (16:12)
WHAT’S A BRIDE TO DO?
• theme of book God’s judgment on entity that killed
his servants, awaiting their reward (6:9f; 19:1f)
• Lamb’s bride makes herself ready - righteous acts,
coming out so don’t share sins (19:7f; 18:4)
• Bible heroes had to come out of compromising
situations - unlike Babylon’s associated merchants (18:15,19)
• provincial education programs challenging religious
mores for some
• need for vigilance when subjected to popular
culture through media ourselves
• sunk massive boulder warning for the
abomination-bound (18:21; 1Cor 1:2)