Revelation 17
November 15, 2022
“The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.” (v16-17)
Even though the beast, the ten horns (kings of the earth) and the prostitute have been in an alliance against God’s people, their alliance ultimately crumbles. Evil turns on itself. What a picture of the self-destruction that is inherent within every ideological system and political-religious alliance that stands opposed to God. Eventually, evil falls in on itself and eats its own.
Father, I praise You that Your ways are not only right, but they lead to our ultimate flourishing, even if it means suffering for a little while now. On the other hand, those who oppose You look like they’re flourishing now - as illustrated by the “woman dressed in purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls” (v4). But eventually, their end is self-destruction. Remind me of this when I’m tempted to covet those in the world, who don’t care about You, who seem to be flourishing. Help me to maintain an eternal perspective, so that I don’t chase after what the world is selling.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
-
Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
-
Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
-
➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
