The Scarlet-coloured Beast

by G. Prasher | Category: God's Ways With Men | Apr 1932

"I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads, and ten horns." The woman is the spurious religious confederation of earth, and the beast represents the political power. It will be well to say a little about the beast ere we deal more fully with the woman whom he carries. But let us note that God is indicating in this symbolism what has. so long obtained in the world, namely, the union of Church and State. There is thus something here that is akin to the evil man, and the strange woman, of Proverbs 2.12. 16 (sec R.V.M.), and Wisdom's words are given that deliverance may be ours from both. "The seven heads" of the beast "are seven mountains... and they are seven kings five of which (at the time in which the angel was speaking to John) are fallen, the one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while" (Revelation 17. 9, 10). Those five fallen kings might, in the understanding of the present writer, be identified in the kings of Greece, Persia, Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt; while we recognise Rome in the words, the one is. Whether the other not yet come may now have come and gone, we would not say, although one considers Napoleon Bonaparte as not altogether unlikely to have been he. Were this so it would leave the way now open for the rise of the Beast who is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven. The ten horns of the Beast are ten kings who will be contemporary with this emperor, and who will give their power and authority to Satan's man, the Beast (Revelation 17. 12, 13) Revelation 13. should be studied in connection with this person's sway politically, religiously, and economically.

THE WOMAN AND HER ARRAY.

"The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet" (17. 4). In the Scriptures purple speaks of royalty, and scarlet is suggestive of earth's glory and riches (compare Judges 8. 26 and 2 Samuel 1. 24). The Holy Spirit therefore presents this woman as possessing all that the world holds dear. The student of the Word will, however, recall that the veil in God's house had three colourings, blue, purple, and scarlet. This veil being a type of Christ contained teaching relative to Himself. The purple and scarlet belonged to Him, though while down here instead He had poverty, with a crown of thorns. But the blue suggested His heavenly origin, as expressed by His blessed lips, "For I am come down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me" (John 6. 38). Now look at this woman, and see how she lacks the blue. She has no link with heaven, and never had a birth from God. Her decking is also instructive: these are gold, precious stone, and pearls. The gold suggests that which is divine, and doubtless myriads have been attracted to her by her sparkling surface. But please note this word decked, in the margin of your revised Bible, and you will observe that the Greek word is really gilded. Surely this makes all the difference ! It is not all gold that glitters. A tiny scrape with the penknife of the Word of God will remove this gilt, and reveal the hollow corruption beneath-" the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters." The last days are

DAYS OF XENEER.

"Holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3. 5), is a gilding with gold and precious stone and pearls. The cup which the woman has in her hand is truly a golden cup but we ask, Whence came it ? This speaks of much that she has brought from the House of God, but which she has filled with abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication. Take one example in illustration, THE REMEMBRANCE of the LORD in the breaking of bread. This is something that is of God ; but see how it is corrupted in the Church of Rome, and among her daughters. The Mass, and the Reservation of the Sacrament; the supposed real body and real blood of the Lord; and the priest with his casket containing " God." What depths of blasphemy are day by day being resorted to, and all veneered with the divine Name! Think of an unsaved man administering the bread and wine, and of unsaved communicants partaking thereof, and eating and drinking judgment to themselves! Think, too, of a professed observation in some churches at intervals of six months, and three months, while others are patronizing enough to do it once a month. God's way is seen in Acts 20. 7- on the first day of the week. Illicit intercourse between the church and the world is fornication. Already this is in progress, so that the kings of the earth, and they that dwell in the earth are made drunken with the wine of her fornication (Revelation 17. 2). Can we wonder that the name upon her forehead is

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH?

We shall do well to heed the words of wisdom: "Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house" (Proverbs 5. 8).

THE WOMAN II THE GREAT CITY.

The true bride of Christ is presented in symbolism as a city, "the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God" (Revelation 21. 10, 11); and so this spurious woman of the 17th chapter is seen as a city in the 18th chapter. God wants a people to be a close companion for His Son; and to be a place of habitation for Himself. The unchaste character of the professing companion is set out in the Great Harlot; but in the city, the place of merchandise is the thought. The city of God, like the house of God, must not be made a place of merchandise (see John 2. 16); but Babylon as a city has a long list of items in which she trades, from gold and silver, and precious stones, onward to the bodies and souls of men (Revelation 18. 12, 13 R.V.M.). In both woman and city is found the blood of the martyrs: both are similarly arrayed and decked: both have committed fornication with the kings of the earth: both are called Babylon the great: and both are to be utterly burned with fire. God will put into the hearts of the Beast and of the ten confederate kings to hate the harlot, and they shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire. Of the city we read, "Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God which judged her" (Revelation 18. 8).

When the Lord comes into the air and receives His own from this world, these evil systems will doubtless become increasingly corrupt, but we judge the evils we have pointed out in this article, together with the awful fate that awaits the world's religious systems should suffice to exercise each child of God, and cause a ready response to the message, so long emblazoned on the inspired page- "COME YE OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, AND TOUCH NO UNCLEAN THING; AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU, AND WILL BE TO YOU A FATHER, AND YE SHALL BE TO ME SONS AND DAUGHTERS, saith the LORD ALMIGHTY" (2 Corinthians 6. 17, 18; see also Isaiah 52. 11). May we each cry with the Psalmist,

"Remove from me the way of falsehood:

And grant me Thy law graciously.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness:

Thy judgments have I set before me.

I cleave unto Thy testimonies:

O LORD, put me not to shame.

I will run the way of Thy commandments,

When Thou shalt enlarge my heart"

(Psalm 119. 29-32).

G. Prasher | Apr 1932
God's Ways With Men