Revelation 17:15-18 - They will bring her to ruin

17:15

The angel makes it clear that “the waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages”. The language is reminiscent of Rev 7:9. The prostitute influenced the whole world. We must beware of going down the remnant route of thinking only a few get saved. Abraham was promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand in the desert. Ezekiel saw a vast army come from the valley of dry bones, and Rev 7 speaks of a great multitude. A large number of people will be saved, not just one or two. At the same time we must not go down the opposite extreme, for the Bible is equally clear that many people are not saved. In Matt 7:13 Jesus tells us that wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many are on it. And in Revelation we have vast numbers who worship the beast. So there are big numbers on both sides!

17:16-18

Evil systems hold within themselves the seeds of their own destruction, and the kingdom of the beast or the dragon is no different. The enemy will turn in on himself. So when we see evil seeming to dominate the agenda in society we should be aware that the system will eventually collapse in on itself. This is the way that evil systems go. And God puts thoughts into the mind of the enemy that leads to the enemy making decisions that lead to his destruction. It is God who is ultimately in control.