The Attire of the Harlot- Rev. 17:4-5

Welcome to All Things Fulfill. I'm William Bell. We are discussing the book of Revelation. We are now in chapter 17, and as we discuss chapter 17, we're looking at the judgment on the harlot, and our view is that the harlot in the book of Revelation is Jerusalem. In our last study, we talked about the place where the harlot sat, and I was hoping to get, you know, quite a bit of feedback from that. I did get some on YouTube, but not as much as I had expected, and I'd like to know, you know, what some of the points were. But in that study, we noted that the woman of the vision of Revelation sat on many waters, which referred to many people's nations and tongues that we see later on in the book, in the chapter, but also she sat on the seven hills, and they all had to be related in some way, and as a result, we saw similarities with the king over the bottomless pit, or the abyss, the locusts who ascended out of it. In Revelation 9, we saw the dragon who warred against the saints, and also in Revelation 12, and the beast who ascended out of the sea, Revelation 13, and Satan who was shut up or released from the abyss in Revelation 20. So, there were definitely some similarities in all of the various designations that we looked at there, and I also find it interesting that the dragon persecuted the woman for 42 months, the beast warred against the saints for 42 months, which was this time, times, and half a time, and also that Satan knew that he only had a short while or a little season. And with the many descriptions in the New Testament as the Jews as Satan in John 8, 44, Romans 16, and verse 20, 2nd Corinthians 11, 3, verses 13 through 15, verse 22, Ephesians 6, 12, Revelation 2, 9, verse 10, 13, 24, and also chapter 3, 9. So, it's quite a bit of passages referring to Jews as Satan in not only the Gospels, the Epistles, but also in the book of Revelation. And I think you could probably find more, and I have listened to various lectures where they did apply even more passages, so that there has to be something said about that. But I know that people have various questions about it. It's good to see those of you who are here this morning. Let's see, we've got Deb and Tyrone, Gail and Eric, and I'm sure some others will be joining us. Rod is here as well. Now, when we look at the attire of the harlot, it's well established in Scripture in terms of referring to such, and our first encounter with the harlot's attire would be Tamar, who was dressed as a harlot at the time where Judah goes out looking for a prostitute in the area, and he finds that Tamar was dressed as a harlot, changed her widow's garments into that of a harlot, and put a veil over her face. Then we saw, and that's Genesis 38 and 15. The next occasions are in Proverbs, in Proverbs chapter 7 and verse 10, and it says, And there a woman met him, and this is the language that is trying to encourage, you know, young men to leave other people's wives alone. And so we have some strong language in this chapter, and in also chapter 6 of Proverbs, but it says, And there a woman met him with the attire of a harlot and a crafty heart, Proverbs 7 and verse 10. And then in here in Revelation 17 and verse 4, he says, The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Now, this is very drastically distinguished from the bride, which is found in Revelation chapter 19, and what she is clothed with. Fine linen, the Bible says it is the righteousness of the saints. And then when you look in chapter 21, you can also see how she's decked out with gold and pearls and all of those things that refer to a state of righteousness. But on the other hand, as we're looking at the harlot in Revelation 17, these things refer to those things that were full of abominations, things that were reprehensible, things that were unrighteous as far as their dress was concerned. And it follows the pattern as we were demonstrating in the scriptures, because when you look in passages like 1 Timothy chapter 2, and in that section, I think it's around verse 9 or so, where it talks about the modest dress of women. Again, in 1 Peter chapter 5, we see that indicated and reflective of those who are the pure bride of Christ. On the other hand, we can see what's going on with this harlot. And so the attire of the harlot says a lot about her identity. The attire speaks to Israel, that is to Jerusalem in particular. They solidify the reference to Jerusalem because notice, as the text says, that she was clothed in purple and fine linen and scarlet, et cetera, and decked out with gold and precious stones. In Revelation chapter 18 and verse 16, the scripture says, alas, alas, that great city, which was clothed in fine linen, purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. So the great city of Revelation is spoken of as the city where the Lord was crucified, as the city that spiritually was called Sodom and Egypt. But it is also this city that's adorned with this gold and precious stones and pearl, with the scarlet and the fine linen and purple, and in Revelation 17, the attire of the harlot. So that further identifies her with Jerusalem. Nor can, I think we cannot dismiss the similarity of this woman with that of the rich man in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. As the text says, there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. I think this is pointing to the priesthood of Israel and pointing again to things that were associated with harlotry. Interestingly, in that context of Luke chapter 16, in verse 18, Jesus had just spoken of harlotry or adultery in the preceding verse. He says, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery. Now, I think that's in the context of the corporate bride referring to Jerusalem, and one additional reason, and I will be teaching on this sometime in the future, but another reason I believe that to be the case is that it's in a parable dealing with judgment on Jerusalem, the end of heaven and earth, and the fate of Israel for rejecting the prophets. So her dress is reflective of this, and it also reflects her priestly status. She wears jewelry and has a golden cup in her hand, which indicates her covenantal status as a kingdom of priests, and it also reflects the temple and the high priest. He says, I believe the woman was sitting on old covenant Israel. That's from Tyrone. Well, Tyrone, you know, I was talking about that on last week when I was putting all of those things together, and just with what I was sharing, it just doesn't seem as though it refers to Rome, and I know that is very popular among people. When you put all of those things together, something just doesn't jive with Rome, and I don't know how we could say that Rome ended in 42 months either from that perspective, which the beast was only allowed to continue for that time, but those are some things that I'll be taking up later as we get further, move further down into the chapter, and so we'll look at that. Stephen says how the attire of a harlot, how you dress, does affect how people view you. Not only, Stephen, does it affect how people view you, but it affects how you view yourself as well in terms of how you dress, and you know, we can't say that our dress doesn't affect our own attitudes, our own psyche, etc., because it does, and of course, our psyche affects the way we dress, so yes, there's a lot of truth in that as well. Now, as we were saying, it reflects the temple and the high priest, and these garments, when you look in Exodus 28, verses 4 through 7, it says, and these are the garments which they shall make, a breastplate, an ethod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash, so they shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother, and his sons, that he may minister to me as priest. They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, and they shall make the ethod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together, and in verse 8, and the intricately woven band of the ethod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. Then you shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel. The tabernacle also reflected the same attire, according to Exodus 26, and verse 1, he says, Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet thread, with an artistic designs of cherubim, you shall weave them, Exodus 26, and verse 1. And that's true, Rome was not in covenant relationship with God, and this is definitely reflective of covenant language, in terms of the relationship that this woman had with God. The golden cup represents the altar, and the utensils of the altar. Moses took half the blood, and put it on, in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar, Exodus 24, 6. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read in the hearing of the people, and they said, All the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient. And Moses took blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you, according to all these words. And in chapter 29, he says, You shall take some of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. So when you see this cup full of abominations, and the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, excuse me, it's representative of sacrifices that were offered of the martyrs that were killed by her. As the scripture says, she was drunk with the blood of the martyrs. So her sacrifices are wicked sacrifices. Her sacrifices are evil sacrifices. Again, in Leviticus 1, in verse 5, He shall kill the bull before the Lord, and the priest, Aaron's son, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood all around the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. The cup also represented, according to Chilton, a communion of sorts, as he describes in his days of vengeance. He says it was a cup of abominations that referred to unclean foods. And of course, if it's a cup that was filled, and she was drunken with it, and of course, therefore, she would be eating that which was unclean. You can also recall in Acts chapter 15, where they were told not to eat things strangled, and not to eat blood, etc. And these were instructions that were given to them, and things that related to keeping the law. And yet, you find violations of that indicated in this woman's attire, as well as this cup, this golden cup that is in her hand. Now, in Isaiah chapter 51, excuse me, not Isaiah, but Jeremiah chapter 51, in verse 6, Babylon was a golden cup intoxicating all the earth. And they were told to flee from the midst of Babylon, and everyone save his life, do not be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance. He shall recompense her. And I think that the chapters of Revelation 17 and 18 are drawing directly from that language in Jeremiah regarding Babylon, in talking about mystery Babylon that we see here in Revelation chapter 17. Abominations is a word that was often used with false gods and idol worship. Deuteronomy 29 17 says, and you saw their abominations and their idols, which were among them wood and stone and silver and gold. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord, surely because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore, I will also diminish you, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And that's from Ezekiel chapter 5 in verse 11. Now, when you think about this, and you look at the denunciations that Jesus made of the Pharisees who were more concerned with their outward appearance, with outward things, rather than their character, their inner spirit and being, and he says to them, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all unclean. So he's talking about the abominations that were being committed by them as well. And so he says, even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Now the altar also was overlaid with gold. The whole temple, the scripture says in 1 Kings 6 and verse 22, was overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple also overlaid with gold and the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary. And also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God. So you have the overlaying of the altar, the overlaying of various things in the temple, and then the golden utensils that were used as well, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple, which was in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and take back to the temple, which is in Jerusalem, each to its place and deposit them in the house of God from Ezra chapter six and verse five. Now Josephus also confirms the furnishings in the temple, as well as, you know, how the temple was constructed with gold and with various parts. He says, as to the holy house itself, which was placed in the midst of the innermost court, that most sacred part of the temple, it was ascended to by 12 steps and in front of its height and its breadth were equal and each a hundred cubits, though it was behind 40 cubits narrower for on its front. It had what may be style shoulders on each side to pass 20 cubits further. Now he says concerning the gate, he says this gate had no doors or it represented the universal visibility of heaven and that it cannot be excluded from any place. Its front was covered with gold all over and through it, the first part of the house that was more inward, did all of it appear, which as it was very large, so did all the parts about the more inward gate appear to shine to those that saw them. And again, he says, but that gate, which was at this end of the first part of the house was, as we've already observed, all over covered with gold, as was its whole wall about it. It had also golden vines above it from which clusters of grape hung as tall as a man's height. The inner part was lower than the appearance of the outer and had golden doors of 55 cubits high, 16 in breadth. But before these doors, there was a veil of equal largeness with the doors. It was a Babylonian curtain embroidered with blue and fine linen, scarlet and purple of a contexture that was truly wonderful. And so in that you can see how this reflects the temple, these colors, the fine linen, the golden cup, and refers to those things that related to the utensils of the temple, as well as the altar and everything, the walls that were covered with gold, the gates, etc. Further identifying it with Jerusalem as a covenant people, as a priestly nation, and identifying it also with the priest as well. Speaking of the priest, as we close out, we have this priestly headgear. It says, and on her forehead a name was written, Mystery Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth, in verse 5. In Exodus 28 and verse 36 and 37, actually through verse 38, you have reference to the headdress of Aaron and the forehead. It says, and on, or you shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it like the engraving of a signet, holiness to the Lord. And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban, it shall be on the front of the turban, so it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts, and it shall always be on its forehead. And so that symbolized the fact that Aaron was to bear the iniquity of the children of Israel. But here we have in this example, we have Israel actually being filled with iniquity rather than bearing the iniquity to remove the iniquity of Israel, and so becomes the abomination in this example. And so he says in Jeremiah, Jeremiah also talks about showers being with hell and being no latter rain because they had a harlot's forehead and refused to be ashamed. In Revelation chapter 3 and verse 12, also in chapter 7 and verse 3 and also 14 and 1, we see where the followers of Christ had also a name written on their foreheads and showing again how they constitute the new priesthood as opposed to that which was under judgment in Revelation 17 and verse 5. Well, you know, as we have looked at this, we've seen the harlot in chapter 17 referring to Israel, referring to Jerusalem in particular, and these garments that she wears referring to the fabric of the priesthood, the fabric of the tabernacle and the temple, all of that in connection with what the text is saying about Jerusalem being the great harlot and being the one that was full of abominations and being drunken with the blood of the saints. And this points out her status as a murderer, as the scriptures have pointed out, as we can see not only in Revelation chapter 6 concerning Jerusalem, but we also see that in Matthew chapter 23. So let's look at a couple of those passages very quickly. In Matthew chapter 23, beginning in verse 34, Jesus said to them, therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men and scribes, and some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. So just as Deb has written, these things refer to Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate. You know, we never find in the scriptures where the Bible says that Rome was the murderer of the prophets. You don't find it in the Old Testament, nor do you find it in the New Testament in terms of Rome being categorized as the one who murdered the prophets. This was restricted and applied to Jerusalem. Again, when we turn to Revelation chapter 6, we see how these martyrs that were killed were those who were killed by those who were persecuting the saints. And the woman, as we said, was drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. So in this example in Revelation 17 of the woman, it is a reference to Jerusalem. Look at Revelation chapter 8, 18, 20, and 24. The text says, Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. In verse 24, it says, And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth. So God was taking vengeance on Jerusalem, just as he said in Matthew chapter 23, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, 14 through 16. And as we've seen in Revelation 16 and several other passages in scripture, that all of this was referring to the city of Jerusalem and therefore referring to those things that were taking place or that took place in the first century. So with that, we're going to conclude the message for this morning. I hope that you got something worthwhile from the study and see that all of this language, you know, none of it could refer to Rome. It clearly refers to Jerusalem. One other point I'll just make regarding it, you know, when the woman said in chapter 18 that she was a queen and was no widow, again, referring to her covenantal status with Jerusalem, which was not true of Rome. It was not true of any other city other than first century Jerusalem. And that was the only one that could fit the categorization, fit the description that we find in Revelation 17. Let's see who's here and we'll close out here this morning. I noticed Raymond had come in, Stephen had come in. Let's see, I think there were some others as well. Beatrice, good morning to you. Carol, Deb, and Willie, good to see you this morning. And Raymond, all the way from Ghana, always good to hear from you. And we have Tomar, I believe from Liberia. And Deborah Frost, good morning to you as well. Thanks for tuning in. We always appreciate you being here. Be sure and share the message. Remember, I made some appeals on last week with the GoFundMe campaign. Go back and look at that. I'll post that link in. I didn't have time to do it this morning, but I'll post that link here as well to help the family out who is struggling with not being able to work, having suffered from a very serious accident that is ongoing for almost two years. As a matter of fact, I had another friend in South Carolina who is just sort of recovering. And he's a very strong predator as well. Some of you may know him, Theo Jenkins, but he's just recovering from a severe accident as well that his injuries spanned something like two years as well. So these accidents can be real tough, and they can wreak havoc on you in terms of finances as well. So we've got a few more joining in. James and Sarah, good to hear from you as well. With that, we're going to say good morning to you. We'll be back on next week to continue to talk about the harlot in Revelation, referring to Jerusalem. And so thanks again for tuning in, and God bless you all. We will see you on next week.