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Revelation 17
3 He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth. 5 And on her forehead a name was written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
What we read here correlates closely to what the angel described he would see before he saw it for himself. There has to be significance to this double description, possibly because it was in such shocking contrast to the description of this same woman last seen fleeing to the wilderness from the face of the dragon in chapter 12. John now sees her consorting with and intimately involved with the dragon’s partners in crime. In the following phrases I include the parallel descriptions from the first 2 verses described to John by the heavenly messenger, with what John sees himself.
He carried me away in the Spirit
Come here
After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, "Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne (Revelation 4:1-2)
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb's bride." He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it was a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:9-11)
Contrast this with the activity of the demonic deceiving spirits working the leaders of the world to unite them against the true God who has been tragically misrepresented by the powers of earth.
I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)
into a/the wilderness
One of the seven angels
When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony. (Revelation 12:13-17)
I saw a woman sitting
I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits
A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Revelation 12:1)
Though it does not specify, it appears this woman is likely standing rather than sitting. Because this woman of chapter 12 is likely an earlier version of the woman we find here in chapter 17, her shift in posture may correlate to the depravity of her present character. She goes from being a glorious reflector of God’s righteousness and beauty to displaying the disposition of the self-exalting Lucifer/dragon and the beast whose goal is to capture the seat of God Himself and be the focus of worship by all the universe. That Luciferian spirit is portrayed in Revelation as the great dragon.
You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" (Isaiah 14:13-14)
It is important to keep in mind is that God’s originals can become distorted. A glorious woman bathed in the light of the sun becomes degraded into the ultimate prostitute; a red heifer sacrificed in the temple services displaces an amalgamated, great red dragon. This is clearly evidence of the master deceiver, the father of lies, the ultimate distorter who was the first to prostitute the rich gifts bestowed on him by his loving Creator. He was designed to stand watch over the throne of God in heaven as one of the covering cherubs. But he came to covet the position of the One sitting on the throne that he was created to serve. Likewise those who reflect his disposition also desire to ascend to sit on a throne and receive or even demand worship, rather than standing in awe and appreciation of God’s true nature of selfless love and kindness.
Here are more verses later in this chapter that provide more detail in describing this sitting prostitute, along with others from Scripture that can provide more insights.
Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. (Revelation 17:9)
He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages." (Revelation 17:15)
The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him, "Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant." But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (Proverbs 9:13-18)
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again? Won't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me, says Yahweh. Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see; where have you not been lain with? By the ways have you sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:1-2)
that you have built to you a vaulted place, and have made you a lofty place in every street. You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution. (Ezekiel 16:24-25)
How weak is your heart, says the Lord Yahweh, seeing you do all these things, the work of an impudent prostitute; in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay. (Ezekiel 16:30-31)
Furthermore you have sent for men who come from far, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came; for whom you did wash yourself, paint your eyes, and deck yourself with ornaments, and sit on a stately bed, with a table prepared before it, whereupon you did set my incense and my oil. The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of them twain, and beautiful crowns on their heads. Then said I of her who was old in adulteries, Now will they play the prostitute with her, and she with them. They went in to her, as they go in to a prostitute: so went they in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lewd women. (Ezekiel 23:40-44)
Then the angel who talked with me came forward, and said to me, "Lift up now your eyes, and see what is this that is appearing." I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the ephah basket that is appearing." He said moreover, "This is their appearance in all the land (and behold, a talent of lead was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah basket." He said, "This is Wickedness;" and he threw her down into the midst of the ephah basket; and he threw the weight of lead on its mouth.
Then lifted I up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there were two women, and the wind was in their wings. Now they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah basket between earth and the sky. Then said I to the angel who talked with me, "Where are these carrying the ephah basket?" He said to me, "To build her a house in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will be set there in her own place." (Zechariah 5:5-11)
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.
Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?"
Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.' Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." For Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.
Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn't find them. He went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt about all the tent, but didn't find them. She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." He searched, but didn't find the teraphim. (Genesis 31:19, 30-35)
Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening.
If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean. If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean. Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period. (Leviticus 15:20-26)
on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns
on many waters
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, and on which never came yoke. You shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her forth outside of the camp, and one shall kill her before his face: (Numbers 19:1-3)
Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. (Revelation 12:3-4)
Recall God’s complaints against the allegorical prostitutes who represented His chosen people in the Old Testament who killed the children they bore to Him. Here we see that this spirit of animosity to children originated from the dragon himself and is replicated in those who reflect his disposition.
And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:1-2 NAS95)
The angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. (Revelation 17:7)
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet
with whom the kings of the earth
A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun... (Revelation 12:1)
Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready." It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8)
Purple and scarlet are colors of the sanctuary as well as royalty, now exploited for prostitution.
All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen. (Exodus 35:25)
He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works. (Exodus 35:35)
You took of your garments, and made for yourselves high places decked with various colors, and played the prostitute on them: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and played the prostitute with them; and you took your embroidered garments, and covered them, and did set my oil and my incense before them. My bread also which I gave you, fine flour, and oil, and honey, with which I fed you, you did even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, says the Lord Yahweh. Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and these have you sacrificed to them to be devoured. (Ezekiel 16:16-20)
The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! (Revelation 18:15-16)
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him. They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:27-31)
You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman shall it be made. (Exodus 26:31)
The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. (Mark 15:38)
This veil in the temple was the primary obstruction blocking access to the glory of God. This woman may also represent the greatest obstruction ever crafted by the arch-deceiver who portrays God as looking and acting more like the dragon rather than the revelation given by the Lamb.
When Satan caused the death of the Lamb of God who is the Light sent into the world that results in judgment, what was exposed by that Light was both the real truth of God’s heart along with Satan’s own abject evil. The revelation of God’s relentless love and forgiveness despite all humanity’s total depravity and shame turned against Him, became the ultimate revelation that resulted in the ripping apart of the massive veil in the sanctuary.
That ornate veil separating the Holy and Most Holy parts of the temple was decorated with angelic beings. This could represent the myriads of lies invented by the angel Lucifer and promulgated by his sympathizing, co-conspiring demonic angels. Now we find a similar misrepresentation in the ultimate prostitute who blasphemes God’s reputation in concert with the dragon.
decked with gold and precious stones and pearls
with whom the kings of the earth
saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! (Revelation 18:16)
These sparkling gifts of extreme value originated with God bestowed on those highly honored as being very special to Him. The same thing happened with the original great rebel who likewise had been entrusted gifts and capabilities beyond any other created being. Those gifts were for the purpose of more effectively magnifying the glory of God’s loveliness, but when exploited for selfish agendas they became instruments of seduction grossly misrepresenting the character of the Giver.
Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in you. In the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so that you were on the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:12-16)
Just as Lucifer misappropriated God’s fabulous gifts, exploiting them to further his own selfish schemes through trafficking, so too can God’s favored people on earth similarly exploit the rich gifts of heaven when they refuse to remain in a humble, trusting relationship with the One who has blessed them so extravagantly to display His glory.
Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord Yahweh, and you became mine.
Then washed I you with water; yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered work, and shod you with sealskin, and I girded you about with fine linen, and covered you with silk. I decked you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your hands, and a chain on your neck. I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; you ate fine flour, and honey, and oil; and you were exceeding beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate. Your renown went forth among the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you, says the Lord Yahweh. (Ezekiel 16:8-14)
Does God finally give up lavishing rich gifts on His ‘woman’? Or rather, does God’s generosity finally find its true fulfillment in the hearts of a remnant who allow His love to be the center of their lives?
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb's bride."
He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it was a jasper stone, clear as crystal; (Revelation 21:9-11)
The foundations of the city's wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; (Revelation 21:19)
Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
in her hand a golden cup full of abominations
those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine
And on her forehead a name was written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelation 17:5)
For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 18:29)
If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burned with fire, both he and they; that there may be no wickedness among you. If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal, and lies down with it, you shall kill the woman, and the animal: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13-16)
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; and you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them); lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood; (Deuteronomy 29:16-18)
They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. They provoked him to anger with abominations. (Deuteronomy 32:16)
For they also built them high places, and pillars, and Asherim, on every high hill, and under every green tree; and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the children of Israel. (1 Kings 14:23-24)
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom Yahweh cast out from before the children of Israel. (2 Kings 16:3)
Moreover those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of Yahweh. (2 Kings 23:24)
Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel. (2 Chronicles 28:3)
A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart. When his speech is charming, don't believe him; for there are seven abominations in his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. (Proverbs 26:24-26)
He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig's blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations: I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn't delight. (Isaiah 66:3-4)
I have seen your abominations, even your adulteries, and your neighing, the lewdness of your prostitution, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! you will not be made clean; how long shall it yet be? (Jeremiah 13:27)
The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, didn't Yahweh remember them, and didn't it come into his mind? so that Yahweh could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which you have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day. (Jeremiah 44:21-22)
therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations. I will do in you that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations. Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of you, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you; and the whole remnant of you will I scatter to all the winds. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall my eye spare, and I also will have no pity. (Ezekiel 5:8-11)
Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations. My eye shall not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations shall be in the midst of you: and you shall know that I am Yahweh. Thus says the Lord Yahweh: An evil, an only evil; behold, it comes. An end is come, the end is come; it awakes against you; behold, it comes. Your doom is come to you, inhabitant of the land: the time is come, the day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations. My eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will bring on you according to your ways; and your abominations shall be in the midst of you; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, do strike. (Ezekiel 7:3-9)
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it to them as an unclean thing. (Ezekiel 7:20)
He said to me, Son of man, see you what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but you shall again see yet other great abominations. He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall. Then said he to me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door. He said to me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and see, every form of creeping things, and abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed on the wall round about. There stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up.
Then said he to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land. He said also to me, You shall again see yet other great abominations which they do.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh's house which was toward the north; and see, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he to me, Have you seen this, son of man? you shall again see yet greater abominations than these.
He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh's house; and see, at the door of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east. Then he said to me, Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and behold, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in wrath; my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. (Ezekiel 8:6-18)
But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads, says the Lord Yahweh. (Ezekiel 11:21)
In all your abominations and your prostitution you have not remembered the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, and was weltering in your blood. (Ezekiel 16:22)
Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head, says the Lord Yahweh: and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations. (Ezekiel 16:43)
Is there only one way this cessation comes about? It can be through repentance, but it also can result rejection and final separation after opportunities and capabilities are exhausted.
Yet have you not walked in their ways, nor done after their abominations; but, as if that were a very little thing, you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, Sodom your sister has not done, she nor her daughters, as you have done, you and your daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. They were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. Neither has Samaria committed half of your sins; but you have multiplied your abominations more than they, and have justified your sisters by all your abominations which you have done. You also, bear you your own shame, in that you have given judgment for your sisters; through your sins that you have committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous that you: yes, be also confounded, and bear your shame, in that you have justified your sisters. (Ezekiel 16:47-52)
in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their doorpost beside my doorpost, and there was but the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: therefore I have consumed them in my anger. (Ezekiel 43:8)
You shall tell the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: you house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, to add to all your abominations. You have not kept the charge of my holy things; but you have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. Thus says the Lord Yahweh, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel. (Ezekiel 44:6-9)
After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined. He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:26-27)
the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth
the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality
those who dwell in the earth made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality
This also was explored extensively in that study as well as others.
What I would like to end with this time are some definition that have been distilling out of our examination of these passages related to prostitution as an attempt to see things from God’s point of view. We realize this is not really talking about physical sexual exploits outside of a marriage covenant (though at times it may have included that by some involved). God is seeking to convey far larger issues that involve groups of people, particularly those chosen to represent Him but who exploit their advantages, privileges and the lavish gifts from heaven, seeking out alternate avenues in pursuit of self-gratification and power. Rather than sharing good news of a gracious, generous Husband-God who is committed to caring intimately for every need of His wife, they hanker for love in all the wrong places, people and even objects.
Prostitution involves misappropriation of valuable assets and capacities, repurposed to exploit others through seductive efforts to experience maximum sensual stimulation through illegitimate, manipulative intimate relations. All this in motivated by in hopes of finding satisfaction for an insatiable hunger to feel superior, powerful and sovereign. Yet these desires overlay the much deeper legitimate needs to feel loved, accepted and belonging.
Prostitution involves the corruption of legitimate desires for intimacy, infected with the spirit of trading that embezzles gifts as currency to exploit others in pursuit of selfish gratification.
