Bible Studies
Idolatry In Revelation
Series: Lessons on IdolatryIntroduction:
1. The book of Revelation opens with these words. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy” (1:3). 2. In each of the seven letters written to the individual churches the following statement is made. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). 3. The statement is repeated in 13:9 in a context dealing with those worshiping the beast and the dragon from whom the beast gained his authority. 4. Throughout this series of lessons on idolatry the departure point from worshiping God has to do with not listening to His communication. 5. The book of Revelation not only reiterates this point, but develops both Jesus’ and Isaiah’s understanding of idolaters as those who do not hear.Discussion:
I. The problem of not listening to the communication of God is the major problem of idolatry. It is the departure point for abandoning the true and living God.A. It was the departure point for those of Rom. 1:18-21.
B. It was the departure point for the idolaters of the exile.
1. Isaiah was sent to the people of his day with this commission. “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed” (6:9-10).
2. In Isa. 42 God says he will turn them back from trusting in idols. Here are His words, “Hear, you deaf! And look, you blind, that you may see. Who is blind but My servant, or so deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is so blind as he that is at peace with Me, or so blind as the servant of the Lord. You have seen many things, but you do not observe them; your ears are open, but none hears” (17-20).
3. In Isa. 43 God presents Himself as the one and only God, the one who communicates. He calls Israel as His witness saying, “Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes, and deaf, even though they have ears. You are My witnesses.” God said. “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you. Even from eternity I am He, and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?” (8ff).
4. Ezekiel and Jeremiah use similar imagery.
a. “He who hears let him hear, and he who refuses, let him refuse” (Ezek. 3:27).
b. They “have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear” (Ezek. 12:2).
c. “Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see; who have ears but do not hear” (Jer. 5:21).
d. “They did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction” (Jer. 17:23).
C. The language used in Revelation comes from the O.T. context of idolatry.
II. Jesus picked up on this same language in Matt. 13:10ff as part of his explanation regarding why He spoke to people in parables. Cf. also Mk. 4:9, 23; Lk. 8:8.A. “I speak to them in parables; because seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
B. He quotes Isa. 6:9. (Paul quoted this in Rome of the Jews who did not accept his teaching concerning Jesus (Acts 28:26ff).)
C. And concludes, “Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear.”
D. Now in Revelation Jesus takes up the same theme. And it is interesting that the book of Revelation is written in parabolic form,in my judgment, for the same reason: that those who have ears to hear may hear.
III. Within the letters to the seven churches there are evidences of idolatry, but it seems to be especially clear in the letter to the church at Thyatira (Rev. 2:19-20).A. She tolerated the woman Jezebel.
1. Jezebel was the idolatrous wife of King Ahab. She was a Baal worshiper.
2. You remember her in association with Elijah and it not raining in Israel for three years and six months. (1 Kings 17, 18).
3. You remember her for hiring false witnesses against Naboth and for taking his vineyard after he was executed (1 Kings 21).
4. She cut off the prophets of God and sought to kill Elijah (1 Kings 18:4)
5. Jezebel was the one that was thrown down from the wall in Jezreel. Her blood sprinkled on the wall and on the horses. She was trampled under foot and when they went to bury her the dogs had eaten her and all that was found was her skull and the feet and the palms of her hands (2 Kings 9:33ff).
6. Her sins were summed up as “harlotries and witchcrafts” (2 Kings 9:22).
B. Jezebel presents a shocking image.
1. She stands as a symbol of all that is opposed to the things of God.
2. The church at Thyatira is tolerating her.
3. Evidently they are receiving her teaching (Rev. 2:20).
4. She is teaching immorality and eating things sacrificed to idols. Any time we tolerate that which is opposed to the things of God we not only compromise with idolatry, but we become idolaters.
C. In Rev. 17 Babylon the great is presented as the mother of harlots.
1. Commentators on Revelation identify her with the city of Rome, a symbol of lust, immorality and seduction (cf. Hailey, p. 343).
2. Her end was similar to that of Jezebel in that her flesh was eaten by the beast (17:16).
3. Indeed she represents immorality, and becoming rich by the wealth of sensuality (18:3).
4. She represents the idolatry of covetousness and greed, materialism and the seduction of wealth and sensual pursuits. Note the laments in 18:15ff.
5. They worshiped the gift rather than the Giver.
6. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
III. The worship of the beast and the marriage of the Lamb provide a powerful contrast between idolatry and true worship.A. In Dan. 4 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is described as having grown strong. His majesty had become great and his dominion to the end of the earth, but he was an idol worshiper and listened to the magicians, conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. He did not recognize God as the ruler over the realm of mankind. Nebuchadnezzar said, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty” (30). See also Dan. 2 and 7.
1. God reduced him to a beast. He was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle. His hair grew out like eagle’s feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
2. So he came to respect the King of heaven.
3. It is against such a background that the beasts of Revelation (Rev. 13-14) must be interpreted.
B. Interpreters of Revelation see in these beasts ungodly, satanic powers of state, particularly the Roman Empire, but see in this a symbolic representation of trusting in worldly power, wealth, and glory rather than in the Lord. Rev. 13 speaks of making an image to the beast. Verse 17 suggests an economic element associated with the beast and his worship in that only those associated with the beast can buy and sell.
C. G. K. Beale says, “The reason that the ungodly, satanic, earthly powers of the state are called beasts in Revelation, and in the O.T., is to indicate that such rulers have so perverted the Gen. 1:26-28 commission—to reflect God’s image and to rule over the beasts—that they have instead given themselves over to serving the early, beastly creation instead of the Creator” (We Become, p. 258).
D. In full contrast to association with the beast stands the marriage of the Lamb.
1. The people of God are one with Him and reflect their divine husband’s attributes.
2. Their husband is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
3. He defeats the beasts and the false prophet and the dragon who gives them authority and power.
4. It is out of this context that John describes the new heaven and new earth, the new Jerusalem with the glory of God illuminating it. As John sees these visions he falls down at the feet of the angel who showed them to him, but the message was clear. “I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God” (Rev. 22:9).
5. Only those who worship God, only those identified with the Lamb, whose names are written in the book of life are in this city. And they have taken on the image of the one they worship. “Nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it” (21:27). Outside this city are “the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying” (Rev. 22:15).
6. Those who hear are now inviting others into the kingdom (22:17).
Conclusion:
1. That invitation is yours today. 2. If you have not given yourself to worship the true and living God… 3. If you have not given yourself to the oneness of relationship with Him… Would you do that today? 4. If like some in the seven churches you need to repent would you do it today? 5. “He who has ears to hear let him hear” and respond.
