The Famous Prostitute

Revelation 17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me and said, "Come, and I will show you how the famous prostitute is to be punished, that great city that is built near many rivers. ²The kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality with her, and the people of the world became drunk from drinking the wine of her immorality."
³The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast that had names insulting to God written all over it; the beast had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and covered with gold ornaments, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of obscene and filthy things, the result of her immorality. ⁵On her forehead was written a name that has a secret meaning: "Great Babylon, the mother of all prostitutes and perverts in the world." ⁶And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was completely amazed. ⁷"Why are you amazed?" the angel asked me. "I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with seven heads and ten horns. ⁸That beast was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up from the abyss and will go off to be destroyed. The people living on earth whose names have not been written before the creation of the world in the book of the living, will all be amazed as they look at the beast. It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear.
⁹"This calls for wisdom and understanding. The seven heads are seven hills, on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings: ¹⁰five of them have fallen, one still rules, and the other one has not yet come; when he comes, he must rule only a little while. ¹¹And the beast that was once alive, but lives no longer, is itself an eighth king who is one of the seven and is going off to be destroyed.
¹²"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but who will be given authority to rule as kings for one hour with the beast. ¹³These ten all have the same purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings."
¹⁵The angel also said to me, "The waters you saw, on which the prostitute sits, are nations, peoples, races, and languages. ¹⁶The ten horns you saw and the beast will hate the prostitute; they will take away everything she has and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and destroy her with fire. ¹⁷For God has placed in their hearts the will to carry out his purpose by acting together and giving to the beast their power to rule until God's words come true.
¹⁸"The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

The Book of
ISAIAH

Isaiah 1 This book contains the messages about Judah and Jerusalem which God revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah.

God Reprimands His People

²The LORD said, "Earth and sky, listen to what I am saying! The children I brought up have rebelled against me. ³Cattle know who owns them, and donkeys know where their master feeds them. But that is more than my people Israel know. They don't understand at all."
⁴You are doomed, you sinful nation, you corrupt and evil people! Your sins drag you down! You have rejected the LORD, the holy God of Israel, and have turned your backs on him. ⁵Why do you keep on rebelling? Do you want to be punished even more? Israel, your head is already covered with wounds, and your heart and mind are sick. ⁶From head to foot there is not a healthy spot on your body. You are covered with bruises and sores and open wounds. Your wounds have not been cleaned or bandaged. No medicine has been put on them.
⁷Your country has been devastated, and your cities have been burned to the ground. While you look on, foreigners take over your land and bring everything to ruin. ⁸Jerusalem alone is left, a city under siege--as defenseless as a guard's hut in a vineyard or a shed in a cucumber field. ⁹If the LORD Almighty had not let some of the people survive, Jerusalem would have been totally destroyed, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.
¹⁰Jerusalem, your rulers and your people are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Listen to what the LORD is saying to you. Pay attention to what our God is teaching you. ¹¹He says, "Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats. ¹²Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping around in my Temple? ¹³It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins. ¹⁴I hate your New Moon Festivals and holy days; they are a burden that I am tired of bearing.
¹⁵"When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. ¹⁶Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil ¹⁷and learn to do right. See that justice is done--help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows."
¹⁸The LORD says, "Now, let's settle the matter. You are stained red with sin, but I will wash you as clean as snow. Although your stains are deep red, you will be as white as wool. ¹⁹If you will only obey me, you will eat the good things the land produces. ²⁰But if you defy me, you are doomed to die. I, the LORD, have spoken."

The Sinful City

²¹The city that once was faithful is behaving like a whore! At one time it was filled with righteous people, but now only murderers remain. ²²Jerusalem, you were once like silver, but now you are worthless; you were like good wine, but now you are only water. ²³Your leaders are rebels and friends of thieves; they are always accepting gifts and bribes. They never defend orphans in court or listen when widows present their case.
²⁴So now, listen to what the LORD Almighty, Israel's powerful God, is saying: "I will take revenge on you, my enemies, and you will cause me no more trouble. ²⁵I will take action against you. I will purify you the way metal is refined, and will remove all your impurity. ²⁶I will give you rulers and advisers like those you had long ago. Then Jerusalem will be called the righteous, faithful city."
²⁷Because the LORD is righteous, he will save Jerusalem and everyone there who repents. ²⁸But he will crush everyone who sins and rebels against him; he will kill everyone who forsakes him.
²⁹You will be sorry that you ever worshiped trees and planted sacred gardens. ³⁰You will wither like a dying oak, like a garden that no one waters. ³¹Just as straw is set on fire by a spark, so powerful people will be destroyed by their own evil deeds, and no one will be able to stop the destruction.

Everlasting Peace
(Micah 4.1-3)

Isaiah 2 Here is the message which God gave to Isaiah son of Amoz about Judah and Jerusalem:
²In days to come
the mountain where the Temple stands
will be the highest one of all,
towering above all the hills.
Many nations will come streaming to it,
³ and their people will say,
"Let us go up the hill of the LORD,
to the Temple of Israel's God.
He will teach us what he wants us to do;
we will walk in the paths he has chosen.
For the LORD's teaching comes from Jerusalem;
from Zion he speaks to his people."

⁴He will settle disputes among great nations.
They will hammer their swords into plows
and their spears into pruning knives.
Nations will never again go to war,
never prepare for battle again.
⁵Now, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light which the LORD gives us!

Arrogance Will Be Destroyed

⁶O God, you have forsaken your people, the descendants of Jacob! The land is full of magic practices from the East and from Philistia. The people follow foreign customs. ⁷Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots. ⁸Their land is full of idols, and they worship objects that they have made with their own hands.
⁹Everyone will be humiliated and disgraced. Do not forgive them, LORD!
¹⁰They will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the LORD's anger and to hide from his power and glory! ¹¹A day is coming when human pride will be ended and human arrogance destroyed. Then the LORD alone will be exalted. ¹²On that day the LORD Almighty will humble everyone who is powerful, everyone who is proud and conceited. ¹³He will destroy the tall cedars of Lebanon and all the oaks in the land of Bashan. ¹⁴He will level the high mountains and hills, ¹⁵every high tower, and the walls of every fortress. ¹⁶He will sink even the largest and most beautiful ships. ^17-18Human pride will be ended, and human arrogance will be destroyed. Idols will completely disappear, and the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.
¹⁹People will hide in caves in the rocky hills or dig holes in the ground to try to escape from the LORD's anger and to hide from his power and glory, when he comes to shake the earth. ²⁰When that day comes, they will throw away the gold and silver idols they have made, and abandon them to the moles and the bats. ²¹When the LORD comes to shake the earth, people will hide in holes and caves in the rocky hills to try to escape from his anger and to hide from his power and glory.
²²Put no more confidence in mortals. What are they worth?

A Prayer for Help against Enemies
(Psalm 57.7-11; 60.5 -12)

Psalm 108 I have complete confidence, O God!
I will sing and praise you!
Wake up, my soul!
²Wake up, my harp and lyre!
I will wake up the sun.
³I will thank you, O LORD, among the nations.
I will praise you among the peoples.
⁴Your constant love reaches above the heavens;
your faithfulness touches the skies.

⁵Show your greatness in the sky, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.
⁶Save us by your might; answer my prayer,
so that the people you love may be rescued.

⁷From his sanctuary God has said,
"In triumph I will divide Shechem
and distribute Sukkoth Valley to my people.
⁸Gilead is mine, and Manasseh too;
Ephraim is my helmet
and Judah my royal scepter.
⁹But I will use Moab as my washbowl,
and I will throw my sandals on Edom,
as a sign that I own it.
I will shout in triumph over the Philistines."

¹⁰Who, O God, will take me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
¹¹Have you really rejected us?
Aren't you going to march out with our armies?
¹²Help us against the enemy;
human help is worthless.
¹³With God on our side we will win;
he will defeat our enemies.