Skip to main content

Revelation - Part 10

Today's reading was in Revelation 17 through 19.

It starts out with a depiction of Babylon. One of the seven angels which held the seven vials comes to John and shows him the great whore.

The symbolism in this chapter is virtually unmistakable. Not only is it vivid and clear by itself, but we are given specific details as to the meanings of the symbols. To begin with, the whore sits upon many waters. A whore is someone who sells virtue and purity and chastity for money. The value of this virtue is only what the market will bear. Thus, things of a sacred nature become a commodity to be bought and sold, usually to the highest bidder. That which is beautiful and pure and special becomes cheap and tawdry and mundane.

This is symbolic of the churches of the world who sell sacred religious rites for money, power, or influence. While this has been associated with one particular church in the past, to me it indicates any organization (even secular ones) that sell or barter or trade influence or things of a sacred nature for compensation - usually money. In our world, money equates to power and influence. The golden rule has become those who have the gold, rule.

The purple she wears is a very direct reference to the aristocracy and/or oligarchy. It is a clear reference to the secular power and authority to rule. The scarlet mentioned is a direct reference to prostitution. As mentioned above, I tend to think that this is more of a reference to selling sacred things for money, but it could obviously be a reference to sexual promiscuity also.

It is interesting that she holds a gold cup. Gold is a symbol of purity, yet her cup is full of abominations and filthiness...

The scarlet beast she's riding has seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads are noted to be the mountains on which the woman sits and the seven kings - five of which have fallen, one currently reigning, and one yet to come. This could be symbolic of each thousand years and the reigns of each ruling period. The ten horns are said to be the kings which have not yet received power but would get power as they spent time with the beast. These ten kings make war with the church of the Lamb, and which will eventually turn on Babylon and destroy her.

It makes mention that the whore is the great city which rules the whole earth. Some have interpreted this to mean a specific church. I tend to view it more in secular terms - that it represents any and all organizations which are designed to get gain, power, and control over governments and people. There are many such organizations - everything from oil cartels to pornography peddlers to mainstream media outlets to multinational corporations. With this vast array, attention is diffused from one particular source to many varied and sundry places. Like the heads of the hydra, it is impossible to destroy them. Eventually the beast will be cast into the fire, which is how the hydra was dispatched also.

Chapter 19 is memorable because it provides the text for Handel's famous Hallelujah Chorus. KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Other Art

I'm not sure we appreciate photography as much as we do other art forms. Part of this comes from the reality that surrounds and permeates a photograph - it's very, very real, and the photographer strives for clarity and crispness in the representations. Perhaps this is why black and white images continue to be relevant - they strip away extraneous information (color) and leave us with something that is at once familiar and also non-existent - for nothing exists in black and white. Nothing. I also think that pictures are becoming too common-place... Everyone has a camera in their pocket, and while that's a very democratic thing (everyone can express themselves in a picture easily and readily, and can find an audience for these images, which are casually taken and casually viewed, and perhaps just as casually forgotten) I think that we embrace that casual attitude, and it spills over to all aspects of the media, making it impotent. So I read this article this morning: h...

Lucky!

So Tomorrow is Amie's birthday. The 12 th is Andy's. The 14 th is Alex's. And the 26 th is mom's. Happy birthday everyone. I recently found that a member of our ward has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a survivability rate of less than 5% and you never, ever kick it, even if you live. Once diagnosed, people are expected to live about six months. My wife and I were talking about this wonderful woman. There are very few (too few) people in this world who shine. Literally. This sister shines with a light that is perceptible and discernible . The world will literally be a darker place without her in it. Life is short, folks. Too short for hard feelings, too short for pain and misunderstanding. I love you all so much. Sorry this one is such a downer... I don't mean to be lugubrious on your birthdays... I consider myself lucky to be your brother. You have and continue to bless me and my family in many ways, for which I will be eternally gra...

Excommunication

My heart is heavy this morning. I read that Kate Kelly and others are being brought up on Church disciplinary action. For those who are unfamiliar with the process/proceedings of LDS Church discipline, it can be a bit mystifying. There are several levels of censure that the Church may impose. These range from a simple removal of some privileges for a short period of time to the most severe action - excommunication. When one is excommunicated, the person's membership in the Church is terminated. It is a very extreme measure, and for the faithful it can be a very difficult thing to consider. What people don't understand - what is nearly impossible for someone outside the proceedings to understand - is the amount of love felt. It's discipline. It's intended to be harsh (at times). And it's intended to be unpleasant. But it is done with love and care for the person. Since excommunication is such an extreme measure, it is really only very rarely applied. There are ...