Resilient – A Revelation Daily Devotional – Day 38
Cedar Creek Church September 3, 2025

Day 38 – September 3

Read or listen to the audio version of the Bible Reading and Daily Devotional.

Read Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast
1Then 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, 2with 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.” 3And 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. 4The 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. 5And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6And 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. 7But 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. 8The 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 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. 9This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10they 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. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12And 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. 13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14They 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.”
15And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16And 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, 17for 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. 18And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Let’s not allow symbolic fatigue and literary weariness to make us miss what’s revealed in this section of John’s work. A word-by-word, literal translation of the symbols in Revelation 17 has proven to be a daunting task throughout church history, but the core message of this narrative is clear.

All of humanity, from Genesis onward, has existed in the middle of two kingdoms: God’s kingdom and the kingdom of darkness. What we see today is that the kingdom of darkness has played itself out on repeat in many of the earthly kingdoms known throughout history. The beast, representing Satan’s use of political power first seen in Revelation 13, is now seen propping up a woman.

This great prostitute represents all the earthliness that oozes with comfort and self-centeredness. Governments and kingdoms have, on repeat, marveled at and chased after her beauty. Captivated by her allure, it’s easy to become a culture marked by the absence of God—a culture that is sensual, unjust, materialistic, violent, deceptive, and idolatrous. All these things come with a disregard for God and His Kingdom.

The draw and beauty of these things are alluring, even for those seeking to find their identity and live for the kingdom of God. It is in the beauty of the world that the trap is set for this evil to ultimately devour itself. All the great “Babylons” of human history have risen and fallen. Most have chased after many, if not all, of the characteristics listed above. Ultimately, it has been those very pursuits that have caused the demise of one world power after another. The kingdom of darkness devours itself and all who place their allegiance in its beauty.

Believers find themselves in Babylon. The world around us does not look like the world promised in the Kingdom of Heaven. Every whisper of violence, every call to bow to a new progressive sexual ethic, every push toward injustice for the marginalized to protect the wealthy, and even the credit card balance racked up to “get more stuff” should serve as a reminder that, “things are not as they seem.”

John himself is drawn to look at the beauty of this harlot, and it is only when the angel calls his attention back and explains her true identity that he is able to look away. Her allure is great, but she, like the beast, is defeated. Her beauty will fail, and her promises will never come to fruition. May God grant us the ability to see past her beauty and live toward His Kingdom. May we be reminded that it is through meekness that the believer is blessed.

Pray: God, help me to continually seek Your kingdom. Protect my eyes and heart from desiring the things that lead to death. Allow me to be a light in a world that is so drawn toward darkness. Amen.