Introduction
Having laid the foundation of biblical principles on marriage and divorce in our Old Testament studies, we are now prepared to examine how both Christ and particularly John, used marriage to assist understanding regarding the end-times. Their eschatological “pictures” of marriage are grounded in Christ’s pronouncements that marriage was always intended to be an unbroken union – (see “The Unbreakable Nature of the Marriage Covenant”).
Critically, Christ’s coming inaugurated a new creation, re-opening Eden. With the new creation came a new covenant that obsoleted the covenant of Sinai. His new covenant removed the heart of stone, replacing it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26). God’s people are now able to live faithfully to God’s covenantal laws (Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:27; cf. Deuteronomy 29:4). It means that there is no longer need for a divorce requirement under the new covenant in Christ’s blood.
But two questions inevitably follow: 1) What does this mean for each Christian in a troubled marriage, and 2) How does this mean for the church living in the end-times, particularly given God divorced Israel and subsequently sentenced her to death?
The first question is best answered through a careful examination of Ephesians 5.
Ephesians 5 Sets God’s Expectations for Christian Marriages
In the development of a theology of divorce and remarriage, prophetic passages were examined that likened Israel’s idolatry to adultery. For this, a case was built regarding God’s expectations for us. Our premise has been that the institutions of the old-world order foreshadow realities in Christ.
This is the primary justification for holding that God’s behavior in marriage would model His expectation for Christ and the church. If this argument is deemed insufficient, we would assert Ephesians 5 as justification that our marriages are to model the relationship of the believer to Christ:
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
It is solid counsel on Christian conduct in marriage. Yet Paul’s pronouncement in vss 31-32 unmistakably reveals that marriage between believers is to be modeled after the relationship of Christ to His church. Paul is clear Christ is the One whose marriage is the reality of what is foreshadowed by the prophets concerning covenantal faithfulness as marriage.
Paul also makes clear that the Old Testament foundation of marriage, “for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” was a picture of the relationship now in reality between Christ and His church.
Paul presents this great truth as justification for why Christian marriages are to model the relationship of Christ to His church (vss 23-27). Unbelievers see the invisible relationship between Christ and His church in the visible marriage of believers. Our marriages are to testify of the believer’s relationship to Christ.
It is no more strongly in evidence than vs 26 where the implication is that the husband is to lay down his life for his wife. As Christ did this in the hope of enjoying future relationship with the church, so the man, even when his marriage is devoid of relationship, should selflessly lay down his life if necessary, in the hope to enjoy future relationship.
Most would not be called to such extremes. Yet one can envision the husband laying aside everything that is dear and important to him in the hope of winning the love of his wife and enjoying blissful relationship. It would mean placing her best interests first, with deliberateness accompanying every one of his actions for the purpose of developing a perfect relationship of love.
One must look at the life of Christ for insight. He worked tirelessly, went hungry, experienced thirst, suffered, was humiliated, falsely accused, even hated, yet always returned love. When judgment was finally passed upon Jerusalem at the close of His ministry, it was with the purpose to bring her to repentance and purity (see e.g. Matthew 23:37-39). That His people would not see Him again before they said “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” implies repentance and turning to Christ with an undivided heart.
The bar for Christian conduct in marriage then, is set exceptionally high, consistent with the pictures provided by the prophets. Given that it is a testimony to unbelievers, one should expect a high standard. Otherwise, unbelievers’ understanding of Christ’s great love could be diminished, if not distorted.
To hold to this standard takes great faith. One must hold fast to what Scripture teaches, even under the most extreme situations where there is highly dysfunctional or virtually no relationship. One must believe in what could be when all evidence shows total loss.
It is consistent with Paul’s view in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 16. For those who would argue that the standard should only serve as the ideal, consider the opposite perspective. Consider the possibility that the state of our Christian marriages is a litmus test for our faith.
If our marriages are dysfunctional or embroiled in shattered relationship, what does that say of our relationship to Christ? What does it say of our faith to believe Christ can transform our marriage? What does it say of our commitment to Christ if there is a lack of commitment to our spouse? And what does it say of our love for Christ if we find that we love another who is not our spouse? How would we expect Christ to judge us?
God’s purpose is seen in Vs 26 which teaches that Christ “gave himself up” for the church in order to make the church holy. He cleanses her so that the church is “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (vs 27). The preface to this declaration is “husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church” (vss 25-27).
Christ’s work in us is transformative, taking us from a sinful nature to holiness and blamelessness. Paul employs this concept when speaking of the husband’s responsibility in loving his wife. His love for his wife should purify her, make her holy and prepare her for the Lord’s Parousia. Christlike love should be transformative, bringing one’s spouse to purity.
This is not to imply that women are somehow unholy or less holy than men. Rather, it defines the standard of love inherently assigned to men in the marital relationship. His love should bring himself, his spouse and family to spiritual maturity and holiness. Christlike love should be able to bring any marriage through the most difficult circumstances.
In the Old Testament picture of God to His wife Israel, her unfaithfulness brought a judgment of death and promise of later resurrection. This picture was necessary as Israel was incapable of faithfulness without a new heart and new Spirit granted in resurrection.
With the new covenant, the picture of death and resurrection is inherent in acceptance of Christ. The principle is illustrated in baptism in which the one who professes faith dies to the old nature and is resurrected in Spirit with a new nature. Is it not reasonable that a husband would lovingly lead in a way that assists his wife in daily putting the old self to death, allowing the Spirit increased leadership in his spouse, himself and marriage?
In this regard, the Old Testament picture of the harlot put to death and bodily resurrected has relevance to the marriages of individual believers. Christlike love, poured out selflessly should bring a response of love, purity and holiness.[1] Scripture should wash the husband and wife, sanctifying the marriage.
Christlike love should lead the one we love most here on earth to love Christ, and that should lead to purity through covenantal obedience. Thus, we see great eschatological purpose in marriage. Our individual marriages should model the relationship of the bride to Christ, and not that of the harlot. Our marriages should warn against those whose marriage is built upon carnality and spiritual pretense.
Armed with this answer to our first question, we can now proceed to consideration of the second question how marriage provides a picture of the end-times.
Ephesians 5 Illustrated in the Great Harlot Babylon and the Bride of Christ
Ephesians 5 transforms Old Testament pictures of Israel as a unfaithful harlot. From Ephesians 5, one would expect that unholy Israel through resurrection should bear witness as a holy and pure bride of Christ. Our analysis begins in Ezekiel with Israel as two women pictured as unfaithful harlots. We will then move to John’s envisionment of two women to see the transformation John envisions.
Christ’s Power Purifies Israel from Harlot to Holy Bride
Ezekiel 16 and Ezekiel 23 introduce two women, one who represents Samaria and the other Jerusalem. Together, they represent Israel, God’s Sinaic covenant-community. Neither is faithful and both are described as prostitutes/harlots. Though Samaria has been consistently unfaithful and unrepentant, Jerusalem is judged worse, as she failed to repent in the face of Samaria’s destruction.
Both are prophesied to be put to death, yet for both there is a promise of restoration. That promise is affirmed in the new covenant (Ezekiel 26:26) which brings Israel resurrection (Ezekiel 37) in the form of a new spirit.
In John’s apocalypse, two women are also introduced. One is called the bride (Revelation 19:8; 21:2, 9; 22:17) and the other is called “the great prostitute” (Revelation 17:1) and “Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes” (vs 5).
The bride is described with expressions, “the Holy City”, “the new Jerusalem”, “coming down out of heaven”, “from God”, “prepared as a bride”, “beautifully dressed for her husband” (vs 2), “the wife of the Lamb” (vs 9), “shone with the glory of God”, “brilliance” like “a very precious jewel”, “jasper”, “clear as crystal” (vs 11). She is a city but also the final covenant-community.
The final covenant-community is signaled in its name, the new Jerusalem. It is not Jerusalem-that-is-below but a “new” Jerusalem, signaling the new covenant in Christ. Hints of her identity and significance are found in parallels from Ezekiel. That God spread the corner of His garment and covered her nakedness (Ezekiel 16:8), that He has prepared her as a bride by beautifully dressing her for her husband, that she is bejeweled like jasper (cf. Ezekiel 16:10-13), all anticipate a transformed and purified Israel God had in former times prepared for marriage.
John’s bridal picture is remarkable when contrasted with Ezekiel’s. She who was unfaithful has become faithful (cf. Revelation 21:8). She who was a harlot is now called a virgin (Revelation 14:4). She who shamelessly uncovered her nakedness and was stripped is now clothed in righteousness and adorned (Revelation 19:8; 21:11). She who was condemned to death with an implied descent from earth into the Abyss, is now seen alive in a descent from heaven to earth (21:2). She who was seen divided as two women, is now seen reunited as one woman. She who was seen divorced and separated from God, is now seen together with Christ forever (Revelation 21:3).
The adulterous wife is now a bride faithful in betrothal (21:3). She who turned her back on God has now turned to Him. From her divorce and death to her “resurrection” and “remarriage”, one sees an incredible transformation. How did this happen? What brought such a dramatic change?
John’s Wilderness Path from Unfaithful Harlot to Faithful Bride
The path appears to be presented in Revelation 12,[2] where a woman appears (Revelation 12:1-2, 4-6, 13-17), though not described in bridal terms. Rather, she is presented as the covenant community of Israel, “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” (vs 2), a description rooted in Genesis 37:9. It links the woman with the promise made to Abraham and his descendants.
She is envisioned giving birth to one “who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (vs 5), an allusion to the Messiah. He is the promised One who will restore righteousness by overcoming sin (cf. Genesis 3:15). His birth, and subsequent escape from the deadly “enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads” (12:3) are the turning point of the narrative.
The dragon, who is also called “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan” identifies Him as the serpent who first tested our earthly parents (Genesis 3:1-7). The escape, being snatched to heaven reflects Christ’s resurrection, with a possible secondary echo to His testing by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1-13).
Following Christ’s ascension, there is a war in heaven in which the forces of Satan are thrown down to earth (vss 7-9). With Satan’s ejection comes the pronouncement “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah” (vs 10), affirming the turning point of the narrative.
The kingdom of God is now established and seen already as victorious . . . but not yet. That it is already victorious is seen in the pronouncement “rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them” (vs 12). That it is not yet victorious is seen in the pronouncement “but woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury” (vs 12).[3]
With Satan hurled down to the earth, the focus of the narrative returns to the woman, who “fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1260 days” (vs 6). While in flight, the devil is seen to pursue her but she is envisaged given wings of a great eagle “so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach” (vs 14). In envisioning a wilderness, John signals that Hosea’s prophecy of Israel in the wilderness being wooed by God, has now come (Hosea 2:14).
The serpent’s mouth is seen spewing water like a river “to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent, but the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river” (vss 15-16). That the water’s source is the devil’s mouth suggests the attack is a flood of false testimony, false teaching and false prophecy. It contrasts with the image of a sword proceeding from the mouth of Christ as the true, overcoming testimony (Revelation 1:16; 2:16; 19:15, 21).
The devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), is seen spewing a flood of lies, false accusations and false teachings yet ironically, the woman is protected from this flood by the mouth of the earth, which swallows the flood.[4] Those who were carnal and from the earth, are protected by their “near-kin” the earth (man was made from the earth). The earth, which was called to testify against the old covenant-community (Deuteronomy 4:26; 30:19:31:28), now testifies in its defense. God has called upon the new creation to testify against and defeat the serpent!
With the serpent’s failure to destroy the woman, his efforts shift to her children, “those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (vs 17). Those targeted are the new covenant-community, the spiritual “fruit” of the womb of the woman and her Son. It is those who now fulfill the original blessing and mandate to fill the earth, but with spiritual people who will truly reflect the glory of God in the world.
This is the target audience Satan seeks to destroy. That the woman (the old covenant-community) is presented in the wilderness is significant. John signals the old covenant-community has been “placed” in the wilderness of the nations where God will woo her back to Him. It contrasts strongly with the bride, whose membership is in heaven.
That the old covenant-community is in the wilderness also implies they are in exile and have not yet completed their exodus. Their place in the wilderness contrasts with the bride, the new Jerusalem who have achieved their rest and thus, have completed their exodus to the heavenly land (Hebrews 11:16).[5]
What John presents then, is God’s old and new covenant-community looking forward to Christ’s Parousia which consummates their restoration, envisioned as a wedding date. That both are pictured on earth (the woman and her children) signals that they have not yet achieved their rest in God’s heavenly land.
Two Exiles that Bring Purification and Holiness
While the old covenant-community has been placed in exile (in the wilderness) for her protection, God’s new covenant-community is prophesied to go into exile (Revelation 13:7, 10) during the 1260 days/42 months (11:2-3). The 1260 days contrasts with Israel’s seventy-year exile to Babylon and the permanent exile of Samaria.
The new end-time exile begins with the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in the midst of the “week” of new creation.[6] The exile continues until the end of the 1260 days, or Christ’s Parousia. But both exiles are for purification. It is evident in John’s name for the “false” church, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes”.
Babylon recalls Israel’s seventy year exile for idolatry and “Mother of Prostitutes” recalls Israel’s unfaithful idolatries. That John envisions an exodus from Babylon (Revelation 18:4) echoes Israel’s exodus under Cyrus. The command to “come out” signals that some will refuse to cooperate with the Beast’s idolatrous attempts to martyr God’s faithful covenant-community, the children of the woman of Revelation 12.
A Righteous Choice in the Face of Death Brings Purification
Everyone must worship the Beast from the Earth or face death (Revelation 13:15-17). It forces a choice for believers: faithful testimony of Christ will bring death. Importantly, it is a purifying choice. Those who willingly offer their lives in martyrdom are envisioned as the Bride of Christ. They enter God’s heavenly land and take their rest. Those who refuse are envisioned as members of Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes.
The Tribulation has Brought a Stunning Transformation by the Power of Christ
John envisions this critical choice as two women – one who represents the true covenant-community and the other who represents the false church who is “holy” only in pretense. Notice how the choice is couched in transformative language. If one contrasts how Ezekiel’s harlots behaved versus the Bride, Christ, the transformation is manifest. Through God’s indwelling Spirit, they can live holy:
She who pursued idols is now pursued the idolatrous beast from the sea. She who despised her husband and children now she loves her husband-to-be and children. She who sought assistance and help of earthly kings now seeks assistance and help from her heavenly king. She who was unfaithful, is now faithful despite Satanic persecution (13:7, 16).
Where formerly there was Satanic cooperation evident in her sin, now there is Satanic resistance evident in her righteousness. She who was given a death penalty executed upon her in the nations is now given life and sustenance in the nations (Revelation 12:16). She who sought Babylon and her riches now flees Babylon and her riches (Revelation 18:4).
She who was conquered because of unholiness is now conquered because of holiness (Revelation 13:10). She who was unfaithful and lacked endurance, asking when the judgments will end is now now faithfulness and patient in the midst of harsh persecution (Revelation 14:12). She who was judged for her nakedness and shameful exposure is now blessed for remaining clothed and warned against being naked and shamefully exposed (Revelation 16:15). She who was judged for bloodshed (idolatrously offering her children to the Baals) now because her children hold fast to the testimony of Christ in true worship.
The first Israel desecrated God’s temple and Sabbath. The latter Israel “stands before the Lord of the earth” (i.e. in the temple, see Revelation 11:4; Zechariah 4:3-14), awaiting her Sabbath rest to come at the Parousia. In the first, her land became unfruitful in curse judgment. In the latter, her land becomes fruitful in blessing through swallowing the dragon’s flood.
Ironically, God’s Sinai judgments brought Israel’s destruction while Satan’s attacks bring purification and transformation. There is still the call “how long” (Revelation 6:10), but this is no longer a complaint about the harshness of God’s judgment, but a humble plea from those martyred that God would vindicate them for their faithfulness. Israel’s heart has been deeply and powerfully changed. The new covenant has brought a new heart and a new Spirit that has enabled Israel to be faithful to the covenant!
The contrasts reveal a stunning transformation from Ezekiel’s harlots to God’s final bride. The unfaithful harlot that was divorced and harshly judged by God for her shameful behavior is now faithful despite harsh persecutions executed against her by God’s adversary. The appearance of the woman in Revelation 12 signals God’s program of purification has begun.
John sees the completion of God’s redemptive program for Israel in the Bride of Christ. The former bride that rejected His love, preferring the love of idols has now completed her exile and purifying judgments. She has come to her senses, seen her need for God in the wilderness of the nations (Ezekiel 20:35) and has turned to Him, returning His love (Hosea 2:14-20). She is purified and no longer seeks after earthly idols, consistent with prophecies of Moses and the prophets.
The Bride then, represents those who repent, turn from their harlotries and turn to Christ. They can faithfully serve Christ because they have the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ indwelling them. Critically, Speaking to God’s church, John urges his readers to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 28: 3:6, 13, 22) so that they are victorious, in an apparent echo of Moses’ warning to “listen to Him” when speking of the Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15).
The Tribulation has Brought a Stunning Devolution of the Unrepentant Harlot
There is an equally surprising contrast found in Ezekiel’s harlots and the end-time harlot Babylon. It seems that those who refuse to “listen to Him” devolve from an idolatrous harlot to “Mystery Babylon, the mother of prostitutes”.
Mystery Babylon is also in exile in the wilderness (Revelation 17:3) signaling that she is there for purification. The transformation picture is further sharpened when one compares, rather than contrasts John’s Mother of Prostitutes with the Ezekielan women.
Reading Revelation 17:1-19:3 yields a number of similarities. Both were beautiful, celebrated their fame and became prostitutes. But John’s prostitute boasted of enthronement as a queen, without equal, never to be a widow or mourn (18:7). Her confidence in herself and her wealth is unmatched.
Both were vain and egotistical, though the ego and vanity of John’s harlot greatly exceeded Ezekiel’s women. Where the Ezekielan women were clothed in finery by God, John’s harlot is also clothed in finery whose source is from her trade. While both were rich, the lengthy list of global cargos of the harlot reveal vast riches beyond the Ezekielan women (18:12-15).
Where the Ezekielan women sought suitors, notably the Chaldeans (Babylon), John’s harlot is Babylon, a heightening, as Babylon captured one of Ezekiel’s women. But John’s harlot takes the world captive, a further heightening. Oholibah (Jerusalem) was taken captive but Babylon plies in the trade of captives and slaves (18:13), a greater sin.
Heightening is also seen in her identity as Babylon, the city that rules the world, a far greater global influence than Ezekiel’s cities of Samaria and Jerusalem. Where the Ezekielan women were guilty of idolatry, John’s harlot is the source of all idolatry (18:2). This view is enhanced by the mystery name John gave her, “mother of prostitutes and abominations” (17:5).
Where the Ezekielan women committed adultery with the kings of the earth, John’s harlot brings inversion and heightening with all the kings of the earth committing adultery with her (17:2). Further, where the Ezekielan women were brought under the hegemony of kings of the earth, John’s harlot has brought all the kings of the earth under her hegemony (17:18).
Where the Ezekielan women represented corrupt Israel, John’s harlot represents those who corrupt the entire earth with her adulteries (19:2). John’s harlot adulterously rules the world, seducing all the people. Her sins are seen to greatly exceed those of the Ezekielan women.
Ohilibah (Jerusalem) was worse than Sodom, who was arrogant, overfed, unconcerned and unwilling to help the poor and needy. The heart of John’s harlot is worse. She is so full of herself, her wealth, her fame and power that she made all the inhabitants of the earth intoxicated with adulteries (17:2). Though not explicitly stated, a chief intoxicant is the idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure. Her subjects are not the only ones described as intoxicated; she has the heightened description of being drunk, not merely the drunkenness of her adulteries, but drunk on the blood of the saints (17:6).
There is deep irony in the description of her clothing which echoes the garb of Israel’s high priest. This is a woman who sees herself as holy but like her Ezekielan forerunners, she cannot see her own sin nor her detestability. Like them, she wants it both ways. Her behavior has moved beyond shameful, beyond despicable, to abominable upon the earth.
The fullness of her sins reaches heaven and judgment must follow. The Ezekielan women were sentenced to drink deeply from the cup of scorn, derision, ruin and desolation. Oholibah was to drink it dry and chew the pieces in agony. John’s harlot, who became intoxicated drinking from the golden cup of abominations (the wine of her maddening adulteries), similarly is sentenced to drink “the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his [God’s] wrath” (16:19) but in heightened talion-like double measure.
The Ezekielan women are stripped naked, left with nothing and put to death. So also with John’s harlot (17:6; 18:8) but where there was promise of restoration with the Ezekielan women, Babylon’s destruction is final (18:21). The Ezekielan women were put to death by their suiters. Similarly, John’s harlot is put to death by those committing adultery with her who hated her (17:16).
Further, the judgment on the Ezekielan women was in keeping with the law. They were given a sentence befitting an adulteress and murderer. With John’s harlot, the punishment is as “she imposed on you” [God’s people] (18:20) as her sin exceeds that of the Ezekielan women. They were guilty of bloodshed of innocent children. John’s harlot is guilty of the innocent bloodshed of God’s holy people (17:6; 18:24) – God’s children!
The magnitude of her sins is enhanced in John’s description of her riding the beast with seven heads and ten horns, the Antichrist and his government (18:3). She has willfully chosen to support God’s great adversary who is determined to exterminate His holy people. These sins bring certain and sudden end-of-the-age destruction (18:8, 17).
Returning to the woman of Revelation 12, the difference between her and the harlot Babylon is startling. The two women are both pictured in the wilderness (12:6; 17:3). One divinely appointed there for her preservation, the other divinely appointed there for her destruction. Her children were appointed to persecution, the other to punishment.
John’s Warning for the Church Today
John’s two women point to two potential eschatological outcomes from God’s program for Israel. The woman of Revelation 12 (and her children) anticipate those who as a result of God’s loving judgments, repent, return to God, and submit to His covenantal commands. The other, the harlot Babylon, returns only in pretense.
The harlot is the penultimate religious hypocrite. Wanting all the benefits (blessings) of relationship without its responsibilities. Because of her riches, power, fame and earthly beauty, she lives in denial of God’s curse-judgments (2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2 Peter 3:3-7; Jude 1:4-16).
She has “a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Where repentance brings one a transformative harvest of restoration and purification, unrepentance of the other brings a depraved harvest of destruction upon her and those on earth who are participants with her.
One is ascendant through holiness to heavenly purposes with angelic powers, the other is descendant to abysmal purposes of demonic powers. One brings life and thus gains life, the other brings death and thus suffers death. One remembered her despised, abandoned beginnings and God’s love to her when in the wilderness. The other failed to see her existence in Babylon as a wilderness, thus missing the ethnical lessons God was teaching.
It is not coincidence that John named the harlot “Babylon”. He understood Israel’s beginning in her exodus from Egypt and also understood her new beginning in her exodus from Babylon under Cyrus. John was aware of Israel’s history and recognized that only a remnant of God’s people participated in the Babylonian exodus. Most remained in Babylon where there was wealth, security, power, all the world’s fineries and even religious power.
Why leave and struggle in a hostile land with hostile neighbors, in an unsecure city without walls, without political or religious power. Returning would require humility and trust in God. There was no city, no temple, only ruins.
For any first century Jew reading John’s work, his meaning would be clear. Most of the Jewish community at the time of Cyrus was faithless and disobedient to God’s command. Most preferred the wealth, security, fame and power of Babylon to a return to humbled Jerusalem. What they saw in Babylon with their physical eyes outweighed what could be seen in Jerusalem with spiritual eyes. They missed the exodus and thus, they were excluded from the blessings associated with being in the land of God’s presence.
John’s message to the eschatological community of God’s people is equally clear. There is a new exodus that God’s eschatological community cannot afford to miss. Those who refuse the call to exodus from the new eschatological Babylon (18:4) will be destroyed with her destruction. As such, they will be eternally excluded from God’s presence and never enter His heavenly land of rest.
John’s message can be represented schematically in Figure 1. Envisioned within the first garden are Adam and his wife in harmony until the fall. This view is then expanded, revealing God as husband and Israel as wife until the sin of idolatry brought division among God’s people.[7]
The old-world order marked by the Sinaic covenant then showed two women who represent two cities, Samaria and Jerusalem. The two women represent two physical cities, capitals of two physical kingdoms guilty of worship of physical idols. Both women are presented as idolators, both represent the division of God’s people that resulted from (Solomon’s) idolatry. With their destruction, both cities lose relevance in God’s redemptive plan.
With the inauguration of the new world-order marked by the new covenant in Christ’s blood, we again see two women who represent two cities, Babylon and the new Jerusalem. These cities are spiritual cities, one the source of all demons (Revelation 18:2), the other carrying the seal of the Holy Spirit (7:2-8; 14:1).
Babylon represents those from the divided community of old Israel (Samaria and Jerusalem) and their spiritual children who refuse repentance or repent only in pretense. Their refusal to repent of their harlotries debases them into the mother of harlots.
They are spiritual idolaters whose worship has at its root demonic forces under the authority of Satan and His Antichrist that seek Satanic worship. They cannot see she is in league with the Antichrist system, bringing eternal death and destruction. Her unrepentant heart leads ultimately to persecution of God’s Saints, damning her for eternity. Her members will all be judged with eternal death. Thus, the call for God’s people to come out from her.
Pictorially, one decision must be made. One choice leads to all the finest things in this life but death and damnation in the next. The other but must bear persecution, denying oneself the pleasures of the present world in the hope to gain a better eternity with God in paradise.
Relevance to Christians Today
What is perhaps most surprising, is that God envisions our faithfulness as Christians as a marriage. It is a living testimony to the world of the blissful relationship between Christ and the church. It thus urges faithfulness in our relationship with our spouse so that the world sees a physical manifestation – a model of Christ’s unending love for His people and our undying gratitude for His love that purifies us, making us perfect.
More than that, marriage also provides a picture of the end-time relationship between Christ and His church. Here is where Christ’s love and faithfulness is most in evidence. He will bring His people through a time of terrible tribulation that ends with entrance into paradise. Despite the Devil’s relentless attacks and despite his destruction of the church, Christ is faithful to resurrect the church (Revelation 11:12).
It will be the greatest testimony of the church envisioned as “two witnesses”, emphasizing that our purpose in suffering and death is in witness to unbelievers. When the world sees our love for Christ is so great that we will willingly lay down our lives for Him, many will be moved in faith to turn to Christ.
Critically, while we earlier described Christian marriage as “blissful”, John’s portrayal hardly fits such a description. Revelation describes a church under tribulation, appearing abandoned by her husband, Jesus Christ. She is threatened with death if she will not participate in the idolatrous worship of the Beast and dragon, Satan. Worse, the church is completely destroyed in martyrdom, publicly for all to see. For anyone with eyes to see, she has been abandoned.
It hardly paints a “blissful” picture of the relationship to Christ. Yet importantly, it is a purifying picture. For those who wish to understand what Paul meant in Ephesians 5, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word”, John provides the answer – and it is quite shocking!
While appearing abandoned, those choosing martyrdom are assured resurrection to paradise for eternity with Christ. They may rest from their labors, secure from Satan’s attacks, enjoying perfect relationship with Christ for eternity. That’s a marriage to look forward to!
But it also illustrates that God can and will use troubled marriages in which one or the other spouse suffers great tribulation, rejection, humiliation or injury. Though we may be spurned by our spouse as Christ is by the Harlot Babylon, Christ’s great love can still be seen by friends and family, and Scripture attests to the power of its testimony. Our commitment to our spouse should model our commitment to Christ – faithful to the end, faithful to death.
One last observation: when Adam and Eve sinned, one of the curse-judgments was “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). There’s been much discussion concerning what the author meant. Some have argued that the woman would desire to rule her husband but he would rule over her. Interestingly, the harlot Babylon appears to be under this curse-judgment. She has a desire for her husband (Christ) but will not allow Him to rule over her. In refusing repentance offered by Christ, she has devolved into exactly what is described in Genesis 3. She thinks she will never be a widow, but because she refuses to yield to Christ, her destruction is assured. There is no chance of a blissful marriage as she stubbornly chooses to remain in her sins and thus, under God’s judgment. It is a sobering warning for the church. Following religious practices without repentance will not bring salvation but only death. The unrepentant remain under the curse introduced at the Fall.
Excursis: Singleness as a New Definition of Fruitfulness
No discussion of marriage would be complete without consideration of those who choose to remain single. In contemporary churches today, too often congregants conclude there’s something wrong with those who remain single. But it is hardly the biblical position. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul provides practical advice for those who are considering marriage, and for those who are in a variety of marital situations.
His advice is to stay as one is. If married, remain married, if single, remain single, if divorced, remain divorced. He assures his unmarried readers that they are free to marry, and if they choose to marry, they have committed no sin. Yet in 1 Corinthians 7:17, Paul lays down a rule for the churches, “each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God called them”.
A bit later, Paul gives a judgment concerning virgins that he acknowledges is not a “command from the Lord” but trustworthy (vs 25). He notes that “it is good for a man to remain as he is” given “the present crisis” (vs 26). He follows with arguments supporting his position to remain as one is. He then follows with:
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33 But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34 and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Paul’s advice is due to the fact that “the time is short”. He then proceeds to argue that those who marry inevitably have concerns with the spouse and family where those who choose to remain single can devote themselves totally to the Lord.[8]
What is striking in this advice is the apparent inversion from the theme of biblical fruitfulness. In the Genesis creation-narrative, God blessed man and woman saying “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Thus, in the original creation mandate man was to be fruitful by reproducing physically. Within God’s economy, that required a couple to marry.
Throughout the Old Testament, the meaning of fruitfulness deepened until it reached a climax in Christ where the followers of Christ were to be fruitful by filling the earth with spiritual sons. This new mandate enlarged the original mandate, revealing a deeper, more important meaning which the original mandate foreshadowed.
The reality in Christ however, in no way limited or obsoleted physical reproduction as a form of fruitfulness as long as that physical seed also was raised as a spiritual child of God. Now however, due to the shortness of the age, Paul advises those who wish to be most fruitful to remain single so that they may devote all their heart to the Lord.
It brings a striking redefinition of fruitfulness to our age, one often missed or ignored. In western Christian circles, marriage is the norm. Singles are often thought inferior. Those who choose to remain single often are not prized, despite Paul’s testimony and example. They are often treated with diminishment in the body of Christ.
Paul’s statement is not only striking for its unexpected inversion, it is surprising given the power of the testimony inherent in marriage. Our studies show marriage provides one of the most powerful testimonies a Christian can have. It allows unbelievers who come from backgrounds devoid of true love to witness the power of God’s love.
And yet here is Paul, arguing that spiritual fruitfulness is greatest among those who choose to remain single. In light of the great fruitfulness of the Apostle to the Gentiles, the church should reconsider its views on marriage. Perhaps church effectiveness would improve if single ministries, rather than marriage seminars were stressed.
In searching prophetic passages regarding divorce, two Ezekielan passages stand out (Ezekiel 16, 23). These passages depict the sins of both the Northern and Southern kingdoms employing adulterous women who were envisaged as the wives of Yahweh.
A comparison with two women depicted in John’s apocalyptic vision reveal details that lead one to the conclusion that John’s women represent the eschatological fulfillment of God’s people during our eschatological age. The similarities and differences predict Israel’s future heart toward God and His Messiah.
It is a macroscopic picture of the community of God’s people of their standing at the close of our age. The promised faithfulness of God is seen in His impartation of the new covenant to His people. Those who accept become faithful to God’s commands, in fulfillment of His promise. They are persecuted but protected by a God who assures that neither life nor death can separate them from Him. Even in death, He has the power of resurrection.
Those who feign acceptance are seen in a greatly worsened spiritual state, debased into a carnal, intoxicated mother-of-all-harlots that attempts to appear holy but is only pseudo-holy. They spiritually debilitate to persecuting God’s true covenant-community in their drunken attempts to increase their wealth and expand their power over the world.
What John does, is reduce the global complexities to a binary view. One is either a member of the true, eternal, heavenly community destined for life, or a member of a temporal, earthly, failed community destined for destruction. The communities are envisioned as cities, making one’s origins and membership easily identifiable.
Following Ezekiel, he then envisages the cities as two women. While it may seem odd to envision cities as women, it is ingenious in that it further personalizes the choice, humanizing it. The same choice that these global communities illustrate, is the choice each person must make.
John’s prophetic vision is not limited to global catastrophes of far-away lands. It is a call to each reader regarding a personal choice he must make that is the most important decision to.be made. The global judgments upon the kingdoms of this world are thus seen also as the judgments upon each individual who lives during our current age.
It follows that each individual testifies directly to others of the decision he makes. There is no hiding it. He either loves the present world he sees with his natural eyes or he chooses by faith to believe and love the unseen world that is promised to come.
But blind faith is not needed to testify of the latter decision as the promised world to come is already here, but not yet. Members of God’s new covenant-community already enjoy all the promised benefits of membership: peace, joy, love, righteousness, mercy, forgiveness. Each already stands in God’s presence, sealed with the Spirit of God within him. What will come, is only more of what has already been given us in Christ, but without the curse-judgments inherent in the sinful, corrupt, decaying old world order.
The marvel of the pictures is the consistent message of His overcoming love and forgiveness for any and all who will repent. No matter the magnitude or depravity of our sins, there is forgiveness to all who will seek God with their whole heart.
This is the great testimony the people of God are called to make. That testimony is first in words but as we have seen, it is also a powerful prophecy acted out, much like those of the Old Testament prophets. If Hosea didn’t make clear the importance of our marital actions, certainly Paul does. Like the choice of community we make testifies to the type of person we are, the way we conduct our marriages testifies to the type of people we are: faithless, fickle, adulterous covenant-breakers or faithful, devoted, pure, covenant-honoring people who anxiously await our Lord.
Our marriages quite possibly represent one of the greatest litmus tests of our spiritual condition. Our marriages testify loudly and clearly to which community we have membership.
Our marriages testify if the love of Christ is in us, or if we only feign Christlike love, secretly pursuing our own selfish loves/lovers. Our marriages testify if we are a pure and prepared bride of our Lord, or if we are idolatrous lovers of this world. In light of these realities, those in the church should examine themselves and their marriages in light of our studies.
Finally, those who choose not to marry are by no means less in the kingdom. They have the potential to be greater. As powerful a testimony as marriage can be, the choice to deny self and remain single for the furtherance of the Gospel can also be a powerful witness in a world that struggles to control its sexual appetites.
There is a place in God’s economy that supports either choice. The key is faithfulness. In the end, faithfulness is measured in compliance to the covenant and fruitfulness in life. Fruit comes naturally. A life devoted to sin will bring a harvest of sin-laden fruit of death. A life devoted to Christ will bring a harvest of spiritual fruit of eternal life in those to whom we testify. The fruit follows the lifestyle and the lifestyle is determined by our choices every day. May we daily seek repentance, striving to comply with all God’s commands.
[1] While we must by faith to believe that there is no better way to bring a person to purity than through Christlike love, all believers must counterbalance their faith against the realities of free will. Most will choose to serve themselves rather than God and there is no reason for believers to think that Christlike love will not be rejected by some spouses. Yet for the sake of the minority, faith compels us to follow the model of love, in the hope to win our spouse, or to provide a powerful example that may support winning for another, their spouse.
[2] We believe the path similarly can be traced through Revelation 11, where the plight of the two witnesses is revealed. Though not pictured as a woman for reasons likely associated with testimony, it seems likely the two witnesses is an alternate picture of the path the covenant-community takes from “death” to “life” resurrected. By covenant-community, we mean a remnant of redeemed from both women, Samaria and Jerusalem, i.e. all Israel.
[3] Note the three fold division of God’s creation as temple: the heavens, the earth, the sea. The first chamber, the holy-of-Holies, has just been cleansed with Satan’s ejection. See The Cleansing of God’s Cosmic Temple
[4] Additional irony seems implied. The earth, which was overwhelmed with water in Noah’s day, bringing death to all, is now seen swallowing the flood and protecting God’s people. The earth that cried out (i.e. by the mouth) testifying against Cain’s murder and his polluting of the earth with bloodshed, the earth that testified against God’s former old covenant community (Deuteronomy 4:26; 30:19:31:28) is here seen “testifying” in defense of the old covenant community in swallowing the flood of Satanic lies! It confirms God’s commitment to His people, consistent with the testimony of the prophets. There may be additional irony in contrasting the first flood, a flood of physical water upon the physical earth to bring physical death to the unrighteous with a new eschatological flood, a spiritual flood of false teaching, spewed spiritually across the earth to bring spiritual death to those God seeks to make righteous, and in righteousness, they are among the only ones upon the earth that have true life!
[5] The implication of John’s vision, is that those who have membership in the bride in heaven are those who have completed their exodus in death, crossing the proverbial Jordan and entering God’s true eternal rest in the promised heavenly land.
[6] John’s vision of Satan’s defeat and expulsion from heaven to earth, initiates his pursuit of Israel from which she flees. Her flight is likely initiated by Titus’ attack of Jerusalem, meaning she is safely hidden away in the wilderness of the nations during our age. See Rectifying Daniel’s seventy weeks with creation.
[7] There is further correlation in the sin of Adam and Eve, which also was idolatry, as each sought to be like God, exercising dominion and authority apart from God. Their desire to have authority reserved for God, was idolatry of self.
[8] Paul’s argument that singles can fully devote themselves to God may provide additional insight into the cryptic reference to 144,000 virgins of Revelation 14:4 who have the privilege of accompanying the Lamb wherever He goes. Their virginity likely represents their purity as betrothed to Christ. It may also point to the reward for being fully devoted to Christ by choosing to avoid activities that would bring divided interests.