There is a popular teaching that points out the four major responsibilities of Christians: reading the Bible, praying, giving, and evangelizing. Observing the Christians around us, one will find that even if all four responsibilities are fully fulfilled, there are still many problems in life, and there is no sign of victory. They still utter phrases like, Jesus is with me, I am with the Lamb, and so on.

So how can we Christians be with the Lamb? Revelation 17 directly hits the nail on the head: Those who are with the Lamb are called, chosen, and faithful, and they will also overcome. What exactly is the 'great prostitute' described in this chapter? Those who adhere to worldly value systems and are not faithful to God are described by God as 'the great prostitute.'

But how did Christians fall into prostitution? Why were they not chosen after being called? If they were chosen, why couldn't they remain faithful? Without faithfulness and the ability to overcome, how can they be with the Lamb? Our God is constantly searching for faithful disciples. For detailed explanations, Revelation 17 will unveil the mysteries of 'the great prostitute' one by one for the brothers and sisters!

Foreword

Revelation 17 speaks of a term, 'the great prostitute'. Many people think that this great prostitute is someone who sleeps with many men and does some promiscuous things. In fact, the promiscuity in the Bible does not overlap as much with the promiscuity in our world, but the basic concept is similar. What does the 17th chapter we are reading today actually talk about? It talks about a contrast: one is called the great prostitute, and the other is following the Lamb, being called, chosen, and faithful, and will surely overcome.

When we read the Bible, some people seem to not read it for themselves. Some people read the Bible as if they were historians, researching history, as if it has nothing to do with them. Some time ago, there was a sister who was very enthusiastic. She contacted me when I was resting and called me early in the morning to talk about her things. She went to the US Agape, and also to Hong Kong's 611. She went to all the places she could, and I thought those places she went to were quite high-end.

Since that was the case, I gave her an assignment to write down the first, second, and third chapters of Genesis, and to write me her Bible study心得. As a result, she copied paragraph after paragraph from the internet and sent it to me. This is my guess, but it can be verified, because the concepts and theories she copied are quite similar to what I have read online before. One characteristic of what she wrote is that the Bible has nothing to do with her herself.

Let me give you an example. What does the first chapter of Genesis talk about? It talks about God creating all things in the universe. God creating all things in the universe can be told to us, or not told to us, and then? Then there is nothing more, basically it has nothing to do with oneself. In fact, she lives very painfully, and reading the Bible cannot solve her hardship. If she wasn't suffering, why would she look for me? Later I asked her, where did your money come from? She told me that the money was given by her ex-husband, who was still very good to her.

I was thinking, when we read the Bible, we must read it until we know what we can do. Why do I say this? Because our belief system is a practical belief system. We are neither historians, examining history; nor scientists, researching whether what the Bible writes is consistent with science. Whether the Bible is consistent with science has no great relationship with us.

If reading the Bible allows me to know what I can do, so that my life is edified and my problems are solved, that is the key. In fact, what does the first chapter of Genesis talk about? It talks about that we humans originally had the glorious image of God, and we were created in God's likeness. This is easy to handle, and can be implemented. How God creates, so we create; how God speaks, so we speak; God speaks and proclaims for the Spirit of God to move, so we speak and proclaim for the Spirit of God to move. Then things are done, and they all look good.

This requires changing our perspective, changing our minds, and changing our ways of doing things. We must do things according to their kind, clearly, cleanly, and constantly restore the original glorious image of God in us. This is related to our lives. If our lives are a mess and extremely chaotic, like the sister mentioned above who wrote a lot but it was not useful, and nothing was written to the point, then it goes against my faith. Because my faith must be useful, able to restore the glorious image of God in us. Then the most important things for Christians are: being called, chosen, faithful, and also overcoming. This is what Christians should be like.

Promiscuity is being unfaithful to God

Then why are we called but not chosen? Why are we chosen but not faithful? Without faithfulness, why do we not overcome? This chapter describes these key points. Why? Because promiscuity, promiscuity is being unfaithful to God. Listen carefully, being unfaithful to God is called promiscuity.

So according to what the Bible says, Saul was a promiscuous king, while David was faithful to God. God said that David was a king after my own heart, while Saul was not. But Saul never committed adultery in his life, never messed with a woman named Bathsheba, while David even took someone else's wife and got her pregnant. But God said that David was faithful, while Saul was not. What happened? This matter is called the great prostitute.

What is the great prostitute? It is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. The development of cities will change a country, the process of urbanization. This sounds familiar. China has entered the process of urbanization, and has entered a very deep stage. The process of urbanization in the United States has entered an even deeper stage. The development of the entire society is closely related to urbanization, making this process of urbanization related to that great prostitute (that is, the woman), and is governed on the earth.

The Great Prostitute is a System of Urban Values

So how is this great prostitute this great city? Originally, the foundation of this city is a system of values. Where does this system of values come from? This must return to the Bible. The earliest city was built by Nimrod, and Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord.

The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Kalneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. (Genesis 10:10-12)

They met a plain in the land of Shinar, and then burned bricks to build a city and a tower. I guess these two things, the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 and Nimrod in the land of Shinar, should be the same group of people. They wanted the top of the tower to reach the heavens, to make a name for themselves, lest they be scattered all over the earth.

Where did this great city start? It started from the mighty hunter Nimrod. Nimrod was a very powerful warrior, but when I was leading the brothers and sisters to study Genesis chapter 5, there was a sentence that said, those ancient mighty men of renown, they all liked to build cities. These mighty men of renown are good, not only you like them, but I also like them. Later I researched the Bible, and I found that I had messed up.

Sun Quan, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei, they are all heroes of a certain era. I admire them so much that I wish I could be like Zhuge Liang. After believing in the Lord, I found that God doesn't like these ancient mighty men of renown very much, and then I looked again, and this matter is not easy to handle. Why is it not easy to handle? Although Cao Cao was a generation of heroes, he fought in the Central Plains for thousands of miles, which was amazing, and he was a man of the hour; then he was defeated in the Battle of Red Cliffs and formed the Three Kingdoms.

Zhuge Liang died of exhaustion in Wuzhangyuan. After being defeated by Sun Quan in Sichuan, Liu Bei entrusted his orphans and was angered to death; Guan Yu was beheaded; Zhang Fei was beheaded. Why do these people not die well? This is not good. Later I changed my mind. I said that I should follow God's ideas and not like being an ancient mighty man of renown, but be an ordinary person.

But from time to time, I still admire his great abilities, and how he built Alibaba. I later also thought about building an Ali Mama, but when I checked the name, it had already been registered, and you couldn't register Ali Mama. I thought, really, I can't even be an Ali Mama. What do I want to say? People's thoughts and intentions are easily lost in this big city. This woman is the big city, and the waters the woman sits on are many peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. (Revelation 17:15)

Called, Chosen, Faithful, and Also Overcoming

Those who follow this great prostitute, that is, the value system of the big city, are simply a sea of people, with many nations, multitudes, and peoples. In fact, it is easy to fall into this value system. Look at how crazy people are snatching houses in big cities recently, and many people become slaves to their houses as they snatch them. Can you say that they can live well in this life? It seems that they are not living very well.

If you bought a house in Beijing ten years ago, and you sell it today for ten million, and you bought it for one million, then I don't have to work for the rest of my life with the remaining nine million. How tempting is that! The temptation is too great. Don't say you are tempted, I am also tempted, but after being tempted, you have a relationship with this matter, and that is called promiscuity.

What kind of relationship is this? It is a relationship of being unfaithful to God. So being called, chosen, and faithful are key to our victory. If we follow the Lamb, follow Jesus Christ, then what do we do? We fight with the beast. What is the most important concept in fighting with the beast? That is: being called, chosen, and faithful, and will surely overcome.

At any stage, you are called but not chosen, why? Because you were not well prepared and did not take it seriously. In fact, our God calls out to many people from heaven and earth, but many people are not prepared. Why are they not prepared? Because they are tempted by these things in the big city. Why do we say they are temptations? For example, if I bought a piece of land, I have to build a house, I have to decorate it. Where do I have the time to be chosen? Where do I have the time to prepare myself to meet Jesus? Some people say: Jesus, wait for me a while, the stock market is very hot recently, I can't! I don't have time.

I think we are tempted by too many things in this big city. So being called but not chosen, why? Because there are too many worries in this life. Being called but not chosen is because some people have not prepared themselves well and have not taken it seriously. Do they think that believing in the Lord can be eaten as food? I don't think it's possible to believe in the Lord, I have to quickly prepare a school district property for my children, there are many such things. The competition in the city is very fierce, there are so few limited resources, there is really no time to get it. This matter has deeply affected being called and chosen.

The Fatal Seduction of the Great Harlot

After we are chosen, we may persist for a while but then lose our faithfulness. Lacking faithfulness means our thoughts and intentions have once again fallen into that great city. A characteristic of great cities is that the moment you open your eyes, money is required; what doesn't cost money? We Christians must understand that we either serve Mammon or serve Jesus Christ. If you serve Mammon, you cannot serve God. If you love Mammon, you cannot love God.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So, how difficult is it to be a faithful Christian? It is exceedingly difficult, truly difficult! I can understand everyone, and I understand myself very well, because we must face these things the moment we open our eyes; they are so real. Those who rent must pay rent; these are the things we face upon waking. Therefore, the great harlot who sits on many waters, what does she do?

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:2-3)

These seven heads are later explained as seven kings, seven mountains.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Revelation 17:9-10)

A mountain is not important because it is high, but because of the immortals that reside on it. The seven mountains are spiritual mountains. Many people think the Classic of Mountains and Seas describes the geography of mountains and seas, but it actually describes the spiritual realm. In the spiritual realm, the seven mountains, I believe, are inhabited by seven very powerful spirits. What do these seven spirits do? These seven spirits manage many things on earth. And also seven kings, how can this be explained? In this great city, the concepts of the great city, the economic doctrines of the great city, the city construction doctrines of the great city, and so on, many concepts are for one thing: to spread the name of man.

Great cities highly value spreading the name of man, to build a tower whose top reaches to the heavens, to make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:4)

These kings all go to perdition. What about the beast? The ten-horned beast is also ten kings.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Revelation 17:12)

It is truly not easy to be faithful to God. Why? Because of the value system of the great city. These doctrines, in fact, are very reasonable, but being faithful to God, no matter how you look at it, doesn't seem very reasonable. How can it be explained? Because this great city is very luxurious, the fashion industry is very developed, for example, the clothes worn by one celebrity and the clothes worn by another celebrity cannot be the same, they feel uncomfortable if they are the same.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. (Revelation 17:4)

The Blasphemy Brought by the Logical System of Great Babylon

Gold, precious stones, and pearls are what we humans value today, but what humans value is what God abhors. Think carefully, which of these things can you take to eternal life? None of them can be taken! These things represent Great Babylon, ancient Babylon is today's Iraq. The spirit behind Great Babylon is the evil spirit that operates behind great cities.

So, what is the concept of Great Babylon? Basically, it is the result of commercial development, because commerce is extremely developed, so cities are produced, and cities produce industry, etc. These things all sound very reasonable. When our brothers and sisters face this situation, they must know for sure that none of these things can we take to eternal life. Although it is very reasonable, it is the doctrine of this life. If you stand in eternity and then look at these value systems, it really cannot conform to spiritual doctrine, nor can it allow you to know spiritual doctrine, it hinders people from knowing spiritual doctrine.

When our brothers and sisters begin to understand these things, they will find that what people value is what God abhors. This matter is truly a spiritual matter. Many people fall into perdition, lose eternal life, and think that what they pursue while alive is valuable.

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:5)

Abominations do not refer to what people find abominable, but what God finds abominable. We must begin to understand one thing, what our God abhors should also be what we abhor.

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3)

Full of blasphemous names, when a person falls into the logical system of Great Babylon, the direct result is blasphemy against God. Today we must thoroughly understand the value system and logical system of Great Babylon, if we are contaminated, we will become defiled, we may not have been chosen when we were called, we may not have faithfulness when we are chosen, we must overcome these things, and a disciple who is faithful will surely overcome the beast. The beast is a spiritual meaning, not a real beast.

The Key to Victory—Love God

We must know for sure that we must be faithful to God, do not love the world or the things of the world, otherwise we will not be able to love God, which is also the key to victory. Loving God is loving God, loving the world cannot love God.

Every time I talk about victory, many people hear about making money in real estate, seeing the benefits of victory, the benefits that Christian victory brings are very profound. We must know for sure that we think pursuing money will bring happiness, but it may not bring happiness; but pursuing the love of God, God will surely add all good things to you, this is the key to our faith. If you hear that making money in real estate, do not give the glory to me, I do not have that ability, it is God who makes us victorious. Do not fall into the logical system of the great harlot of Great Babylon. You may say why does God allow this?

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. (Revelation 17:17)

Originally, our God wants His words to be fulfilled. His words are the foundation of our living, some people were created to manifest God's wrath, such as the previous chapters 16 and 15, the seven bowls, which are really scary. What did God create these for? Originally, the beast was also created by God, because God wants to dispose of the garbage, in order to select faithful, called, and victorious Christians. Therefore, we must begin to be called, chosen, and faithful people, and be victorious with the Lamb.

Two days ago, a British sister contacted me, she is a Wenzhou merchant who immigrated to the UK, and her business is getting more and more difficult, and now she is operating bleakly, and suddenly remembered the gospel of victory that I preached. She is also a Christian, but she is not victorious, this situation made her start to rethink. She shared with me that her son has a girlfriend, her daughter has not found a boyfriend, etc., talking about these things, these are the value system of the great harlot.

Fornication does not refer to the relationship between men and women, it is the lack of faithfulness to God that makes people fornicate, of course, the relationship between men and women is also fornication. This concept is to be faithful to God, I constantly say that you must have Mingding Destiny, many people find it difficult to listen to, their minds are full of the value system of this life, to be an brave and famous person on earth. Today we read Revelation chapters 16 to 18, we will see:

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Revelation 18:2)

Summary: God's Selection

Our God created all this, in order to select faithful disciples, and choose what God considers precious. If you still belong to the value system of this world, you will not be able to be victorious, nor will you be able to follow the Lamb, those who follow the Lamb are all victorious Christians. Encourage everyone to constantly eliminate the so-called value system of the great harlot, the end of the great harlot is:

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)

We can see the operating rules of the evil spirit world, although it belongs to the operating world of evil spirits, but the result is that the ten horns and the beast burn it with fire, which is also God's will. Start to choose to be a faithful Christian, in any case with hope to be an elect, called, faithful Christian, follow the Lamb, fight with the beast, we will surely be victorious, until we see God's glory manifested through our lives.