Note: This is not the actual interpretation of Rev 17. Rather in reading Rev 17, this was an off-tangent thought that came to my mind - inspired but independent of the interpretation of the text.
"Oooohhh.... this chocolate cake is sinfully delicious."
"Her spending all this money on books is absolutely sinful."
"Errmmm.... they're in a sinful homosexual relationship."
In our world today, there is a tendency to trivialise sin, see as sin in others what may actually only be a differing way of glorifying God in an individual's life (being pharisaic) or simply classifying as sin only what is sexual/obvious in nature.
Yet we know through the bible that sin is anything that offends our Holy God and is contrary to His nature.
In reading Rev 17, I understand the text as in the beginning, the scarlet woman riding, seemingly in control, of the beast, satan's minion, yet being shredded and eaten by the beast in the end who hates her all the time.
Bringing it to a micro level, seeing it applicable to an individual's life (as opposed to a worldly superpower), I recognize its similar element to flirting with sin: In the beginning, to gain what the world says is desirable - fame, wealth or sometimes it may even be something seemingly good like the totally godly/talented/gorgeous man/woman of your dreams, we may start thinking, "That little lie/gossip/backstabbing/unloving conduct/using of another individual wouldn't hurt anyone and will only bring me good, so why can't I do it? After all, if I don't tell that big lie/gossip/backstabbing/unloving conduct/using of an individual in a certain way, God wouldn't be offended would He?"
Like the woman thinking that she's in control of the beast and getting what she wants from it, we think we're in mastery over our lives and the little sins in our lives (while seemingly getting alot more leverage out of our little concessions), we ride the beast, perhaps blissfully unaware it is gnashing its teeth with hate for us as it tempts us down the slippery slope to sin. We lose track of the moment when we lost control and sin has its hold on us, when God gave us over to our sinful desires (Romans 1:21-32) until we are mauled and eaten alive by the beast, allowed by God as part of His punishment.
"Be Holy as I am Holy" is a high calling, a simple statement with very deep implications. It means living a life which does not allow a simple iota of sinfulness in our consciousness; It means not hiding behind the fact that "No human is perfect": that since we will never be perfect, allowing that little sin to pass will still 'qualify' us as godly in man's sight; It means doing our darnest best in every conscious action, thought and behaviour to be guided by God's holy standard which we can only achieve in His strength.
It is only this, the full focus on glorifying God no matter our circumstances that we may fully stay His people - even should our limited strength means that no matter how hard we try, there will be sinfulness in our action, thought and behaviour that we may fully "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;" (Rev 18:4) and we may one day shout, "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) (Rev 19:6-8)
4 comments:
Till He comes again, press on in glorifying God in our lives, treating sin with the seriousness it deserves, and with the appropiate solution given perfectly in Christ!
Well said, gunblad3. :)
This should be the outline interpretation:
1) Woman = One-world religion, the first hint of this--sad to say--is when you see the various religious representatives, including Christians, come together to pray in post-disaster prayer events.
2) Beast = One-world government, a global political system not too different from the UN.
Beast shreds Woman: The antichrist leverages on the political system to overrun the One-world religion to establish his own religious domain during the Tribulation. This will be the absolute end of "world peace".
My understanding of this passage differs from yours then. :) I'd guess both our respective errors of understanding will be corrected when we see Him again.
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