1. "That's the funny thing about deception. Deception by its very nature is something that we don't know when we're being deceived. That's what deception is. That's part of its power and its danger."

2. "States use deception all the time. It's a kind of moral violence."

3. "One of the first basic spiritual lessons you've got to learn is that sin is attractive. It doesn't make much sense, but it's true. Sin is attractive. Look around for the corpses. Look around for those who have given themselves to their sin, be promised this will bring you peace and joy. And sin lies every time."

4. "The cultural system that all that allures, tempts, seduces, draws people away from God. This is what the great city of Babylon stands for. And this was an image widely used for the great ruling city of John's own day, Rome. But it isn't simply the city. It's the goddess behind the city, Roma that was worshiped as a deity."

5. "Have you, like Bilbo or Frodo with the one ring, noticed how possession of even a little part of power can begin to distort the vision of the one who holds it?"

6. "One of the basic realities of Capitol Hill is to disillusion. Political power will never build heaven on earth. Your goals, our goals are less than that and more appropriate and more achievable."

7. "Brothers and sisters, this vision is here in part to teach us to beware of government, not to avoid government, not to neglect its worthy ends, but always to be aware that we have a higher duty of obedience to God."

8. "Sometimes the threat of defeat can so scare us. It confuses us because we see the reality. We know somebody who did lose their job. We know somebody who did lose their relationship. We know somebody who did... We've maybe even read of somebody losing their life for following Christ."

9. "We Christians are promised no rest in this world except that we rest knowing that Christ conquers."

10. "If you just casually look over Revelation chapter 17, or if you view this vision at sort of double speed, you may be forgiven for thinking that the great prostitute is the commanding figure or that the sort of dragonly, many headed beast is the one that you put your money on or stake your life on. But in truth, it's this lamb."

Observation Questions

1. In Revelation 17:4, how is the prostitute described? What specific items of clothing and accessories does she wear, and what might these represent?

2. According to Revelation 17:6, what specifically makes the woman "drunk," and what does this tell us about her relationship with God's people?

3. Look at Revelation 17:9-10. What do the seven heads represent, and what additional information does the angel provide about them?

4. In Revelation 17:12-13, what do we learn about the "ten horns," both in terms of their identity and their actions?

5. Examine Proverbs 7:6-23. What parallels do you see between this passage and the description of the great prostitute in Revelation 17?

6. Read Revelation 17:14. What specific titles are given to the Lamb, and who accompanies Him in this verse?

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God use the image of a prostitute to represent the worldly system that opposes Him? What aspects of this metaphor are particularly meaningful?

2. How does the description of the beast's seven heads and ten horns help us understand the relationship between political power and spiritual opposition to God?

3. What does it mean that God "put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose" (Revelation 17:17)? How does this relate to God's sovereignty over evil?

4. How does the contrast between the beast's apparent power and the Lamb's victory help us understand true spiritual authority?

5. Why is it significant that those with the Lamb are described as "called and chosen and faithful" (Revelation 17:14)? What does each of these terms suggest about Christian identity?

Application Questions

1. When was the last time you felt the pull of wealth or success drawing you away from complete faithfulness to God? How did you respond?

2. Think about your workplace or school environment. Where do you see pressure to compromise your Christian convictions for social acceptance? What specific steps can you take to remain faithful?

3. How does knowing that apparent defeats are temporary under God's sovereignty change how you view current challenges in your life?

4. In what specific ways might you be deceived by the "attractiveness of sin" right now? What spiritual practices could help you see through this deception?

5. Consider your relationship with government and authority. How can you properly respect civil authority while maintaining ultimate loyalty to Christ? What specific situations challenge this balance in your life?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Daniel 7:1-28 - This vision of four beasts and God's ultimate victory provides important background for understanding the imagery in Revelation 17, showing how earthly kingdoms relate to God's eternal kingdom.

2. 1 John 2:15-17 - This warning against loving the world and its desires illuminates how the prostitute in Revelation 17 seeks to draw people away from God through worldly attractions.

3. Romans 13:1-7 and Acts 5:27-29 - These passages help us understand the proper relationship between Christian faith and governmental authority, showing when to submit and when to resist.

4. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 - Paul's reflection on suffering and ultimate victory helps us understand how apparent defeat fits into God's greater purposes, just as Revelation 17 shows God's control over seeming chaos.

Sermon Main Topics

I. Deception’s Prohibition and the State’s Moral Complexity

II. The Prostitute: Deception Through Wealth and Pleasure (Revelation 17)

III. The Beast: Deception Through Power and Opposition (Revelation 17)

IV. The Lamb’s Victory and Trust in God’s Sovereignty (Revelation 17)

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Detailed Sermon Outline

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Deception is forbidden to the people of God.

Exodus chapter 20 verse 16, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

That command echoes down every ethical hallway, around every moral corner, from the Old Testament into the New. Hebrews 6:18 tells us that it is impossible for God to lie.

So it should be no surprise that in the book of Revelation, lying is what marks those people who are finally excluded from God's presence? It is a different and more complicated question to ask about deception as a part of the state, as a just act in time of war. I don't know if I would need to have this proviso, were I preaching in another place. But I think to this congregation in this place, having said what I just did, I need to make that observation as well. Even like as the Ten Commandments forbid murder, but not all killing.

So we can understand the Bible to condemn lying, but not all deception.

States use deception all the time. It's a kind of moral violence. I remember reading about the pro-Soviet agent in the middle of the 20th century that started a pro-monarchist underground group simply to find all the monarchists and then eliminate them.

Personally, we shouldn't deceive others about ourselves or about those matters we know to be most important and consequential in life. And we should not be deceived.

But that's the funny thing about deception. Deception, by its very nature, is something that we don't know when we're being deceived. That's what deception is. That's part of its power and its danger. Sometimes we're simply wrong by ignorance or mistake on our own part.

But one of the things that God's Word does, and this final book of Revelation particularly does this, is to show us that we have an enemy that wants to deceive us and is actively working to deceive us.

Even today, even right now. As we come to Revelation, chapter 17, we see one of the angels who had poured out those bowls of God's wrath in chapter 16 come to John and show him this truth. He exposes some of the deceptions that John and His fellow Christians would be liable to. Listen now as I read Revelation chapter 17 as the Lord reveals some important warnings to us. If you're following along in the Bible's provided, you'll find that on page...

10:37? 10:37.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk. '

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup. Full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of Earth's Abominations. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly.

But the angel said to me, 'Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not that is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom.

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. And when he does come, he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth. But it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 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. And the angel said to me, the waters that you saw where the prostitute is seated are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked and devour her. Flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. As we look through this chapter, we want to prepare our souls to not be deceived.

And we'll do that by looking at first the prostitute, second the beast, and finally the lamb.

And I pray that as we do that, you'll see who the prostitute and the beast really are, and that you'll trust the Lamb.

First, we see that the angel warns us not to be deceived by wealth or pleasure. That's what's going on with the warning about the prostitute. That's what's revealed to John really in an instant. By the figure of the prostitute. Look again at those first six verses.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.' and he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names. And it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of Earth's Abominations. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. Friends, when I read that, I immediately thought it's like the Proverbs has sprung to life. Do you remember early on in Proverbs, two or three times, you have this figure of the adulteress. Turn back to Proverbs. This is worth looking at.

Turn back to the early chapters of Proverbs. Let's look over at Proverbs chapter 7. Proverbs chapter 7. It's right after Psalms, middle of the Old Testament. Proverbs 7.

It's like this woman, the foolish woman, kind of grown up and made good in life. Not good morally. I mean, she succeeded in what she was attempting to do. Proverbs 7:6, For at the window of my house, I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths a young man lacking sense. Passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night in darkness.

And behold, the woman meets him dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward. Her feet do not stay at home. Now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, I had to offer sacrifices and today I have paid my vows.

So now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly. I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning.

Let us delight ourselves with love, for my husband is not at home. He's gone on a long journey. He took a bag of money with him. At full moon he'll come home. With much seductive speech she persuades him.

With her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver. As a bird rushes into a snare, he does not know that it will cost him his life. And now, O sons, listen to me. And be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many are victims she has laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol; going down to the chambers of death. Or again, just a few verses more, look over in chapter 9 of Proverbs.

The woman folly is loud, she is seductive and knows nothing.

She sits at the door of her house, she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, whoever is simple, let him turn in here. And to him who lacks sense, she says, stolen water is sweet.

And read it in secret is pleasant, but he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. Friends, here John in Revelation 17 is shown this fictional figure sprung to life. And she's not just a private hazard, but she is a public power. In fact, she is to personify the culture of the day.

Her clientele are the rulers of the earth. In a sense, the earth is ruled by, is led by, all those young men lacking sense in Proverbs 7. That's who rules the world, and they're under the sway of the great prostitute. The image of sexual immorality or adultery is a powerful image for unfaithfulness What the kings of the earth, according to verse 2, have done is to commit sexual immorality and to have led the dwellers on earth to become intoxicated with the same. But don't misunderstand this.

This is not merely referring to sexual immorality. It certainly includes that, but it's all unfaithfulnesses to God. This is why the Old Testament prophets regularly speak of the sins of Israel. All of them they characterize as adultery. Because it's unfaithfulness to the Lord.

So certainly that includes actual adultery, but all other sins are a kind of spiritual adultery. Idolatry is represented as unfaithfulness. It's all false worship, unauthorized worship of the true God, like when Aaron led the Israelites to build a golden calf to Yahweh, or the false worship that is worshiping false gods that are no true gods at all. Who are only creatures like ourselves, or the false worship that worships those beings that don't even exist. This is the sexual immorality that the angel refers to here in Revelation 17:2.

Verse 4 shows us the esteem he was held in, how treasured she is by the expensive luxury she is clad in and surrounded with, arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations? The mystery that he mentions there in verse 5, the mystery that needs to be shown. It's not a mystery in the sense of a conundrum or a riddle. It's something that was hidden that's now been openly made to view by God's people. Here the angel is revealing to the world through John that it is a pleasure wielding harlot who really rules the world.

Sensuality, not sense. And nothing is understood to be out of her price range. She could spend her days satisfying her abominable pleasures, even feasting on humans, drinking the blood of the martyred saints of Jesus.

Ever since Jesus hung bleeding on the cross, no century has been without martyrs of Jesus bearing witness to the truth of his gospel.

By their willingness to sacrifice themselves, to give themselves up in his name. John's first century was no exception. Some of you will be aware of the Roman emperor Nero's persecution of Christians. Here's what one contemporary wrote about it. A great crowd of Christians was convicted both of arson and of hatred of the human race.

Not only were they put to death, but put to death with insult, that they were either dressed in the skins of beasts and thrown to the dogs, or put on crosses, or set on fire, and when daylight failed, they were burnt as lights for the night.

And so this ruling prostitute, passion and pleasure, has careened on down the centuries, seeing Christians killed. In India and Japan, on the shores of South Sea Islands, under the lash of masters in the Western Hemisphere. Our fortunes wax and wane from Pakistan to Morocco. How many here have been following the trial of the 12 brothers and sisters in Libya, sentenced two weeks ago to imprisonment for three to 15 years? Simply for being Christians.

Had they been journalists, we might have been reading about it on the pages of the Post or watching a story about it on PBS. But these Libyans are merely Christians. Their bodies will languish. Their lives will be poured out. The great prostitute will drink.

Her position among the nations is summarized In the chapter's last verse, did you notice it? And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. Friends, John is being shown by this angel, and we with him, that the great powers of the earth themselves are under a greater power, a spiritual power that is in rebellion against God, the power of wealth and pleasure personified, the cultural system. That all that allures, tempts, seduces, draws people away from God. This is what the great city of Babylon stands for.

And this was an image widely used for the great ruling city of John's own day, Rome. But it isn't simply the city. It's the goddess behind the city, Roma, that was worshiped as a deity. In all the ways the spirit of self-satisfaction and rejection of God has been shown in this fallen world. It says in verse 1 that the great prostitute is seated on many waters.

Understand at the time, the way communication from a distance happened was largely over water. The way trade happened was largely over water. The way communication and transportation happened was largely over water. So she's at the middle of the action. People and nations all over the place are tied to her.

Her opulent appearance contrasted with her filthy sins. She reeks wealth and luxury. She was dressed to kill, literally. Attractive, beguiling, seductive, like great and powerful trading cities were described. In the Old Testament.

I think for you, as you look at such a strange, powerful, vivid symbol, the question my Christian friends, you want to ask yourself is, are you being deceived today? Are you being deceived by wealth or power? With the prostitute, I think we particularly want to think about pleasure. Wealth in that sense, the way people even on the pages of Scripture we see were pulled away from following Christ. Jesus Himself, remember, warned about the power of money to pull you away from following Him.

He said that such disciples are like seeds sown among thorns. They hear the Word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, Isn't it interesting what's tied to wealth? Deceitfulness. Friends, what that means is the money you're making in your job right now is not fundamentally bad. The Bible doesn't teach that money is the root of all evil.

It teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil. And money, by its nature, to the one being given it, is lovely. It allows us to do what we think we want to do or should do. So no wonder Jesus specifically called wealth deceitful. And he says the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Demas is forever an example to us on the pages of scripture of someone like that. So, friends, when you see this vivid image, beware. Don't read this like a children's comic book. Read this like a warning from a friend that knows you well and loves you better than you love yourself. What appears delightful to you takes stock.

Spiritual drift is not normally sudden.

Watch your heart.

Watch what you value. One more note about the great prostitute. Look at verse 15.

The angel said to me, 'The waters that you saw where the prostitute is seated are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. So friends, in this surreal representation, and as I've tried to like unravel every symbol in this chapter, I'm sticking with my word surreal. If you know art, this is a surreal chapter.

If you're looking at this, I think you see that clearly here we see the beast will devour the great prostitute. The kings, that's what we're told the beast is and his horns, the kings will devour the great prostitute, the culture, the economy, the soft power that they've always made possible and supported. Very abstractly put, Power will destroy wealth.

My non-Christian friend, I hope this vision is not so complex that you see nothing of the truth of it here. It's saying that by nature all of us are both victims and accomplices.

By nature, all of us as a part of this world system are harmed by, we are oppressed by, we are misled and deceived by, and at the same time, when you see the kings leading the dwellers on earth to get drunk on the same and then to finally to attack and kill, this civil war among the enemies of God shows us. That finally, finally what we see is a confusion of the truth profoundly as people do things which are ultimately suicidal. So again, if you're here and you're not a Christian, two big assumptions that all the people around you share that we want to make really clear to you. One, we're not in this universe alone. There is a God.

He made us. He is eternal. He's not limited to time. He knows everything and he's completely good. As I say, he made us.

So that's the other thing we need to notice. We are distinct from God. We're not gods. We're creatures. We're not the creator, but we are made strangely like him.

There are things about the way we are as beings, the way we come to know and love each other and take responsibility for and affect each other that are like God's own character, like his own nature and abilities. So we are in a world that is more important than you may have realized. You may think your life is yours. You can do what you want with it so long as somebody else is consenting and nobody's harmed. Like you may think you can take yourself out of this world and it's your own business, nobody's business but yours.

We Christians couldn't disagree more. You have no such right. You didn't bring yourself into this world. It is not your call. We understand that there is a God who has made us to whom we're accountable, and that we are made strangely like him, but the Bible is clear we've all turned against him in some deep ways at the very middle of our beings.

We've become, the theological word is depraved. Augustine talked about us being curved in upon ourselves. Friends, that's the truth according to the Bible. This image through John of the great prostitute warned Christians then what was really going on. He looked at the infinite number of actions through the day that the Christian would hear about or see or experience and through these symbols he was giving them A clear message that when we see sin all dressed up and attractive and kids, so if you're here and you're 10, you're 12, you're 14, one of the first basic spiritual lessons you've got to learn is that sin is attractive.

It doesn't make much sense, but it's true. Sin is attractive. Try to figure that out this afternoon. Talk to some friends about it. Talk to your parents.

Talk to some other teenage friends. Sin is attractive. What does that mean? Why would that be? What do we do about the fact that sin is attractive?

Does that mean we can't just go by what we find attractive? Yes.

But when we see sin that is attractive, look around for the corpses.

Look around for those who, like in the adulteress's house, have given themselves to their sin, being promised, this will bring you peace and joy. And sin lies every time. And you can count the deaths spiritually around it. Brothers and sisters, pray that God will give you wisdom to see the truth that all sin, like this, Great prostitute depicted here, the city of man, wants to use you up and throw you away. That's the truth of it that they'll never say, but his word shows us by calling this great powerful person a prostitute.

Do not be deceived by wealth and pleasure.

The other main lesson this chapter has for us is this: it's a similar lesson, but it's so distinct that God gave the angel and John a second image for it, a different image, the image of the beast. Look again at verse 3.

Revelation 17, verse 3.

And he, that's the angel, carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. Very interesting. The political rulers of Rome were not satisfied with political titles. They wanted religious titles, even theological ones. They weren't satisfied with being presidents.

They wanted to be popes. They wanted to be gods who were worshiped in temples. And you can tell by the coins that are printed, minted. So they had these blasphemous names. That's the blasphemous names.

That he mentions here. What else can we say about this beast? Well, look down at verse 7.

The angel said to me, why do you marvel?

I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was and is not and is about to rise from the bottomless pit, that bottomless pit, in some translations it's called the abyss.

Is apparently kind of like the offstage location of the demonic. That's where they are. They're gonna come on stage for a little bit and then they'll go away. That's what we see in, you can see it in Jesus' ministry again, look in Luke chapter 8, you'll get another example of that. But anyway, the beast that you saw was and is not and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction.

And the dwellers on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. And when He does come, He must remain only a little while.

As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth, but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour together with the beast. These are of one mind and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb.

These are some of the most confusing verses in the book of Revelation. Not saying a lot.

But Christian Lawrence and Ryan Correa and Caleb Murrell and I spent a part of our week together trying to work on these very things, trying to figure them out.

And I think we made some good progress. I think I can tell you that if you look at it plainly, if you're keeping track of how the various images, not just in chapter 17, but the book hang together, this beast here seems to basically be the sea beast from back in chapter 13. So if you remember the sea beast, he's like the big bad beast, and the land beast is like the religious mirror false prophet dude. But he gets all of his stuff from the beasts from the sea. So this is the bad beast.

This is from chapter 13. Well, according to verse 11 here, it's represented by an eight king in a succession of human rulers. Now, we can't press this image to exactly here because of the inexact nature of such symbols. So for anybody at the door who's gonna take time and say, But what about this? Isn't it really this?

Just hold on. Look at verse 9. These heads are mountains, and in verse 10, they're also, we read, kings. So these heads are mountains, and they're kings. I think that shows us that these symbols are used purposefully, but not just with one meaning.

That's why I call the whole thing kind of surreal. It's communicating truth with symbols that act dynamically with the very part where you are in the story. They are places and powers that have expressed the sinful loves of the great prostitute. So we see in verse 8 that we read of those people whose names have not been written in the book of life. What a harrowing exclusion that is.

Such people will certainly be deceived by this beast and the prostitute he carries. This beast and the heads of the beasts, the crowns, we're told are kings. These kings represent governmental power. Many godless civilizations have already come and gone, and one is now, John is being told, and another is to come. So John is being shown that this governmental power that's put him in Patmos, that's exiled him, will not last forever.

It's not eternal. It will end. But he's also being shown The end is not here quite yet, but it's to come. We can't say if there is a more exact meaning. Some have tried to enumerate the seven kings mentioned there in verse 10, but the seven may simply indicate a full number of kings who are to be.

We see that no earthly kingdom's time is forever. Even mighty so-called eternal Rome would one day fall. John was understanding that from what this angel was showing him, though they're not quite there yet, they're coming to the end. The beast may have seemed to be especially incarnated by the emperor Domitian that persecuted Christians. And some people thought that the emperor Nero, who was a terrible persecutor, had kind of come again.

In the form of Domitian. So this could be, that's how you get that weirdest thing, he's an eighth, but he's one of the seven. So he's Domitian, but he's kind of really Nero come again. That could be, that's the most likely reading I've seen of that. There, verse 11.

Anyway, verses 12 to 14 show that kings, rulers will work together, perhaps being under one chief, or perhaps for one ruling end, but it's clear that they are allied with the beast.

This means they're allied against God. The number 10 may be meaning to suggest a lot of rulers or even all of them. I was a Christian when the European Union got its 10th member back in the 1980s. There was all kinds of excitement on the part of some Revelation readers. Oh, here we have this 10 kings, the 10 rulers of the EU.

But then, sadly, they quickly got an 11th and then a 12th. But there was a very exciting few months where people thought Revelation 17 was showing us European history.

Their power is extensive, but it's extensive. You have all these kings together, but then look at verse 12, it's only for one hour. I don't think that means 60 minutes as opposed to 90. I think what it's saying is it's limited, so it's not forever, and it's short, it's brief. So that's what John is being taught by this vision from the Lord through this angel.

Verse 13 shows that they are fully cooperating with the beast. They're having a common purpose with him because governments embody deeper, larger values. Some are good, some are godless.

Of course, many in this congregation have been in government for years. Some of you know something about the power of coercion and compulsion. You've seen it used for good and for less good.

But have you like Bilbo or Frodo with the one ring? Notice how possession of even a little part of power can begin to distort the vision of the one who holds it. Have you seen that in yourself or in someone that you've worked with or for?

The vision of the kings here had become so distorted that we read in verse 14, They will make war on the Lamb.

Can you imagine that? How did that seem like a good idea? To make war on the Lamb?

But before we stop and think more about that, let me ask you a question. I wonder how you are being deceived or manipulated by power.

A little different. Than pleasure or wealth. Sometimes not as pleasant, unless you're the one that's holding it.

Here in verse 6 and following we have represented fallen governments opposition to God. John sees here that like the beast in chapter 13, there will be repeated examples of godlessness in positions of power in this fallen world. And we can see in verse 8 here that such godless power will succeed in leading many astray. Many godless civilizations, as I say, have already come and gone, and they'll continue to come until Christ returns. Brothers and sisters, this vision is here in part to cause us to beware of government.

Let me say that again. This vision is here in part to teach us to beware of government, not to avoid government, not to neglect its worthy ends, but always to be aware that we have a higher duty of obedience to God, and that part of our obedience to God is not simply going along with what is popular or what is currently authorized in the world. But being willing to sacrifice even our social acceptability. And we have to realize that so many of our brothers and sisters do this very day in India and northern Nigeria and Iran and Libya and North Korea and Saudi Arabia and so many other places. That in sacrificing our acceptance by neighbors, by the government, we may end up sacrificing ourselves, our very lives.

In a fallen world, sometimes part of the exercise of rebellious power is to oppress and kill Christians. That may seem very far from your experience meeting in this room full of people openly here in the capital of a nation.

But friends, there are many among us today who feel something of the on edge nature, the social unacceptability, anyway, of being a Christian. It's been sad to watch the differences in generations. For those of us who were born in the middle of the 20th century in America, being a Christian is a positive thing. It's like part of being a good person, part of being respectable. But for those of you who've been born in this century, and you're in school right now, I'm very aware from having listened to you that often your friends think it's dangerous if you've become a Christian.

They don't like it. It doesn't help you win friends. And I just want you to know that I'm praying for you and that I respect you hugely as I've listened to testimonies from young people who are counting the cost as best they can at their young age and deciding, I'm going to follow Jesus. You have my profound respect. Praise God.

May He give you the wisdom you need to follow through on that. If you're finding those kind of challenging conversations, talk to old people like me. We're very wise.

But talk to some people your own age also who are trying to follow Jesus. See if you can learn some things from them. See if they've learned ways to have integrity and friends.

The godly have again and again run into problems with godless holders of worldly power. Consider Herod and John the Baptist. Herod would keep his entertainments and pleasures untroubled more than let John keep his head.

Having power and loving pleasure often makes one a persecutor of the godly. So brothers and sisters, do not be deceived. The world, which right now holds out its pleasures to seduce us, will, when it can, and it has the power, often oppress us and even kill us. We read in verse 14, They will make war on the Lamb.

One of the basic realities of Capitol Hill is to disillusion.

You know what I mean? People come here from all around the nation to work for the federal government, to do internships in high school or college or just afterwards, and they often come with great ideas of what government can do, or at least of what they can do in government. One lesson which both Scripture and experience will join together in teaching even the most ardent depreciators of our federal system is that political power will never build heaven on earth. Political power will never build heaven on earth. Your goals, our goals, are less than that and more appropriate.

And more achievable. Kids, do your parents work for the government? Do you know what they do? Or have they told you, oh, if I tell you, I'd have to kill you.

Do other people, do you know other people who work for the government?

Ask them why they do. Ask them what they do. So many of you have served so many people by working for the government. In days when it may be more common to publicly question government employees and cast suspicions on them, may I simply say thank you on behalf of millions of Americans who benefit from your labors. I'm sure efficiencies can be had, but I'm also sure, especially when speaking to conscientious employees like you, that your faithfulnesses at work have benefited us all as a nation.

And I want to thank you. One of the things that we as a local church aim to do is to present in our own small life together an example of authority well used. So we would like to see authorities in our own church, in our families, and our structures together that are well used. That does not mean perfect at all, but it means as we encounter the problems, we pray for wisdom to deal with them as Christians. Think about how can we change.

What can we do to persevere in love and hope and holiness and good? I pray that God will help us in this, that He will make our congregation a community where authority is understood and used well in a way that reflects God's own character and purposes. But friends, don't be deceived by power.

A third deception that our passage may help us to avoid, and that's don't be deceived by defeat.

And I think we understand that by noticing especially the lamb.

One note that may have surprised some and that we've heard through our studies is the serious note of defeat for the saints. Do you remember that? In this third point, and this is my last point, I'll have three sub-points. I'll just tell them to you right now. That way we're almost home, all right?

Christians are killed. Christians are killed. Christ conquers. God is in control. These are three things I want you to notice in this chapter before we leave it.

Christians are killed. Christ conquers. God is in control. We see all three of those in this chapter. On that idea of Christians are killed, that's where I'm getting this phrasing here, this third point, don't be deceived by defeat.

Sometimes the threat of defeat can so scare us it confuses us because we see the reality. We know somebody who did lose their job. We know somebody who did lose their relationship. We know somebody who did, we've maybe even read of somebody losing their life. For following Christ.

And we are intimidated by that fact. We are concerned. Remember back in chapter 13, in verse 7, we read, It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. That surprised some of you, because you let me know that through the week and at the door and in conversations.

That the saints were actually allowed to be conquered. It fits with the terrible comment on the great prostitute up in verse 6, doesn't it? And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. And when it says, Marvel there, that's not necessarily a positive thing.

No, what so perplexed, what so astonished John in this? Perhaps it was the cold reality of persecution and death for Christians. And plus, even more, as a Jewish believer, this image of someone drinking blood would have just horrified John. Perhaps he was dumbfounded as he knew such horrific behavior would bring the most terrible judgment.

So that's Christians are killed.

But the second thing is that Christ conquers. That's why we shouldn't be deceived by defeat. Certainly the bloodthirsty prostitute would not have the final say. We see that in verse 14, don't we? That the beast being the same one that would eat the prostitute in verse 16, in verse 14 he would, having dealt with the prostitute, so I don't think those things are in order.

Chronologically, but that's the way visions are. He's dealt with the prostitute, the beast. Now he will deal with the lamb. And you've got to admit, if it's beast versus lamb, we might go with the beast. I mean, you would think just by the characteristics of a beast, he would destroy a lamb.

Yeah, but not this lamb. Just look at the text.

He says, verse 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 note that the Lamb will conquer the beast and his band of supporting kings. John saw those with the Lamb, but that's about all He does with them. They're just with Him. The conquest is not ascribed to the ones who are with the Lamb.

If that's the faithful, that's you and me, we're just kind of standing there. It's the Lamb who does the conquering. The reason for the victory seems to be stated very clearly in verse 14, For He is Lord of lords and King of kings. The Lamb has power consistent with His authority, with His station.

So if you look around at the lords of this world, this lamb is their Lord.

If you look around at the kings of the earth, you gather these ten kings, or all kings, this lamb is their King.

This battle will be described more fully in weeks to come, like in chapter 19. It's clear in this revelation John was getting that the Christian faces opposition in this world, whether it's through the beguiling seductions of the or the open hostility of the beast. We Christians are promised no rest in this world, except that we rest knowing that Christ conquers. I pray that God can help us to consider this carefully, to take this in for our souls. And that brings us to the third thing, that God is in control.

Did you notice that conclusion of verse 16? Look down at verse 16.

And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast.

Until the words of God are fulfilled. Friends, this is the God we see in Scripture. Psalm 76 tells us He will use even the wrath of man to praise Him. We see it all over the place in the Bible. He used the Chaldeans and they're marauding in Job's life in Job chapter 1.

Joseph's brothers. Were used in his life. God used Pharaoh to display his own power. God used various godless nations in the Old Testament to judge others. In Jesus' day, the high priest Caiaphas had his reasons for saying, you, know nothing at all.

You do not realize that it's better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish. And then John went on to note, He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation and not only for that nation, but also for the scattered children of God to bring them together and make them one. Friends, Scripture is full of many examples of God being in control. Look over to Acts chapter 4, Acts chapter 4. This is a good one just to have always ready.

Look at Acts 4:27.

For truly in this city, this is Peter praying here, for truly in this city there were gathered together against yout holy servant Jesus, whom youm anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, that is the Jewish ruler and the Gentile ruler, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. You got four different parties with motives for their actions in the crucifixion of Jesus. Next verse, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. Acts 4, Verses 27 and 28. Friends, it's not surprising that the Almighty God would present himself to us in this vision as a lamb.

Because my non-Christian friend, I told you a few minutes ago that there is a God and that all of us are made in his image, but there's something wrong with us. The rest of the story is that he sent his only son to live as a lamb, pure and without sin, and to die as a sacrifice, a sacrifice for the sins that he had not committed, but that all of us who would turn and trust in him have committed. He died as a substitute in the place of we who should have died for our sins. God raised him from the dead, showing that he accepted that sacrifice. And he calls us now to tell you about that news, that you can be forgiven for your sins, that you can be born again, that you can have new life with God now and forever.

That's the glad tidings of the Christian gospel. That's what we go around telling people all the time. It's not that we think death isn't real. We Christians know that death is real. But we also know that death is not the end.

We know that there is more to life than what our eyes currently see. Friends, God is sovereign over bosses and CEOs and even over malicious kings. Government is not the ultimate authority. States are sometimes threatened by the fact that we Christians think that and teach that. But it's the truth.

The state is not the ultimate authority.

Notice that Satan is presented in this book of Revelation as being very powerful, and he is presented clearly as being no match for the all-powerful God. I think sometimes we'll want to minimize Satan or minimize sin or minimize the power of evil, positive thinking, weak sauce kind of stuff. Oh, I just haven't manifested what I've been thinking yet.

Foolishness spiritually. Unbiblical, shallow, it's never true if you watch it 10 minutes in a row. What you need to see is the truth about God, the truth about us being made in His image but being sinful, the truth about Christ, and the truth about what He calls us to do and be in Christ all together. We need to know that because we will face Hard circumstances in life. You know, some of your wives are gonna be left in the hospital for two months.

It's just gonna happen. Some of you attended a funeral this week. Some of you have done it in previous weeks and others of you will have one soon to come. Friends, this life is like that. This world is not our home.

We have to know that in hard circumstances, God is trustworthy. Welton, one of my favorite things about watching you, this is Welton's last Sunday, so I'm gonna do this for a minute.

One of my favorite things about watching you and Casey have been watching you as you've dealt with hard circumstance after hard circumstance and people who don't know you, you and Casey are so smiley, they'll just think you've got all good stuff coming all the time. You came here because you felt your church wasn't working that you'd poured seven years into. And so in stunning humility, you brought your congregation here. Can we join? Of course you can join.

Please come, help us. And then you worked with a mission agency which tried to make you do some things that weren't so good to do. And you were humble in the way you took it. And sometimes you had other pastors that need to step in to maybe help you be a little less humble. And then it looked like maybe there would be a childhood church that would call you and then that It didn't work out.

Through it all, brother, you have been an incredibly good pastor of this church. You've been kind, you've been knowledgeable, you've been hopeful in the Lord. Your joy has never seemed based in your circumstances. Like I officially say, you don't need to hear this sermon. I mean, you have problems, but I think you got this one.

I think you've got the fact that there could be a sovereign God who is good and in control, and you know that, and it can give you a joy to face the hard circumstances of life. And the Lord has, at least for a time now, is making it look like you're gonna go into some sweet circumstances. But you know that's not gonna last. That's not the way this world is. You'll have good things, and in the midst of that, those are just getting you ready for the hard things.

But through all of it, Casey and Welton keep having the same cheerful hope in Christ that so commends the gospel to your own children, to your friends and family, to those of us in this church, and we pray to the saints at Riverdale as well. Keep going, friends. We'll say a little bit more tonight, Lord willing. If you come back at five, we'll say goodbye.

Well, friends, this is what we as Christians must learn to do, not be deceived by apparent defeat.

You can apply this in your own life. Look at the hard things. The things that tempt you to feel sorry for yourself. Those things. Look at them and see the truth of God's sovereignty and his goodness.

Our certainty that he wins in the end and so we will win with him. I love, even in verse 17, he says this is the case until the words of God are fulfilled. There is just not a risk.

That God's words will not be fulfilled. The Christians defeat, though real, are temporary. So let's summarize. Don't be deceived by wealth and pleasure that this world offers. Don't be deceived by power or threats of opposition or even of death.

And remember that God is in control, that he will win.

It was Augustine who confessed that we were deceived by the sweetness of inferior goods. Oh, have you ever been deceived by the sweetness of inferior goods? I think we can be deceived like that. We can be taken in by wealth or pleasure or power or fear of being harmed or hurt. The truth is, everything belongs to God.

He has all power over our harms and hurts, even they are under His kind and loving sovereignty. Remember what Jesus said that one time in Matthew 10, Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? He was just saying they're kind of worthless. And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. He sees, he cares, he controls, he knows even the smallest and most insignificantly seeming things.

Friend, if you just casually look over Revelation chapter 17 or if you view this vision at sort of double speed, you may be forgiven for thinking that the great prostitute is the commanding figure or that the sort of dragonly, many-headed beast is the one that you put your money on. Or stake your life on. But in truth, it's this lamb. It's this lamb. When you see this lamb, even if facing creatures like this, you gotta remember who this lamb is.

Do you remember how John was introduced to this lamb? This is how I'm gonna close the sermon. Look over at Revelation chapter five.

This is how John was first introduced to this Lamb in this vision.

Revelation chapter 5. Then I saw at the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on back, sealed with seven seals. Okay, this scroll is like everything that's going to happen in the future. There's like history about, it's like everything. So it's what's gonna be in this revelation on all of world history, this scroll, it's all sealed up.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. No one. And I began to weep loudly. Only time we find John acting like that in the book of Revelation.

I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep no more. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. So that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.' Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, like T4G album times a million, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.' and the four living creatures said, 'Amen,' and the elders fell down and worshiped. Let's pray.

Lord God, we confess that we look at the prostitute and we look at the beast and we underestimate the Lamb.

Lord, we pray that yout would give us a proper estimate of the goodness and worthwhileness and power of wealth and pleasure. Lord, of the structures of this world, of the acceptance of those who hate youe. And then, Lord, help us to understand youd as we should.

Make us faithful, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.