Dec 29, 2022
Revelation 17 and 18
Revelation 15 and 16 are concerned with the deconstruction of the physical/material and spiritual/astral forms of creation. Revelation 17 and 18 address the unraveling of the causal realm.
There are three realms sustaining creation. The layers include the gross physical realm which is all of material creation. All that has been created does not necessarily descend to this lowest and smallest realm. For Christians, this is the home of the Son of God/Son of Man.
Then there is the spirit universe which is a subtle or astral layer of creation. While the subtle universe directly enlivens the physical/material layer very few people acknowledge or develop awareness of this realm and the dramatic power that resides in the astral. The astral universe is the home of the Christian Holy Spirit. It is all pervasive yet subtle.
The causal realm is the home of the very first thoughts of separation. All vibration is a movement between opposite positions. God made creation and it was acknowledged as “good”. He enjoyed the positive vibrations that He created. See verses such as Genesis 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, 1:31, 2:9, and 2:12. However, God realized that the projected substance came out of his substance-less Self. For creation to become self-sustaining, it had to be restless. There had to be a perpetual motion device. The attraction between positive and negative poles became the source of endless restlessness.
“…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” — Genesis 2:17
With the introduction of “evil” or the negative pole required for perpetual motion, the primary separation between “Truth” and “lies” became established. The “Liar” was given control over creation because without this negative pole, the perpetual motion device would stop working.
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. — John 8:44
From this perpetual motion device, the cyclical preference for good and evil, all of the spiritual and material universe is conceived and empowered. The causal realm is the home of the “gods”. The gods represent the various primal thoughts which have been empowered by the will of One God. The concept of multiple gods is indirectly referenced in Genesis 1:26, 3:5, and 3:22.
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever — ” — Genesis 3:22
To better understand, perhaps think of the causal realm like a university. A university is composed of many schools each with a specific area of knowledge. A student might specialize their study in a medical or law school, in languages, in theatrical arts, in philosophy, religion, or whatever the false knowledge of the day dictates. Despite having multiple schools of study that grant countless degrees, there remains one university managing it all.
Similarly, there is one God who established absolute Law and who enlivens all of creation with his own Being. However, in the causal realm there are multiple “gods” who ideate and power various aspects of creation. The Bible, and all God-seeking religions are ultimately concerned with stilling the perpetual motion device that has created the human being.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” — Psalm 46:10
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. — Genesis 9:6
Humanity is unique because unlike the rest of creation, men and women are like seeds with the potential to grow into a Son of God or with the ability to choose to return to God, the Father, who remains beyond the creation he set into motion.
The primary perpetual motion driving humanity is the ability to procreate. Human procreation is different from animals and plants and elements because humanity perpetuates creatures who are made in God’s image. In addition, humans can choose God rather than creation. Humans may choose to be spiritually sentient. As far as scripture states (or science has yet to discover) only a human being has this capability within all of creation. Plants, animals, and even the elements can display some form of consciousness, but they cannot become spiritually self-aware and conscious.
In one current debate, the agnostic and atheist are worried about artificial intelligence or “AI” surpassing humankind. However, no mechanical creation, even if it becomes based in a biological genetic design, can become spiritually conscious. Only humans are made in the image of God, and are granted the ability to procreate that divine Image.
Even the angels are limited. Angelic beings whether fallen (Satan and demonic entities) or heavenly must submit to the power of the enlightened human.
And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? — Hebrews 1:13–14
Revelation 17 and 18 describe the dissolution of the causal realm from a distinctly human perspective.
“Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” — Revelation 17:1–2
“The great prostitute” is one who has chosen to abuse the power of procreation. The prostitute is “seated on many waters” which indicates being in a conscious state above the fifth church/chakra. The position of the “great prostitute” in the causal realm is affirmed a few verses later when it is stated that five of the seven kings have fallen.
This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. — Revelation 17:9–10
The sixth king remains only a little while when he does come because his sole purpose is to connect the one God who presents as many in the causal realm with the spiritual and material layers of creation. The sixth king is essentially a guard at the gate who is defeated quickly.
Sexual immorality is mentioned eleven times throughout Revelation. Six of those mentions are found in Chapters 17 and 18. The human ability to give birth to more humans who are made in the image of God is the most sacred and most abused power granted to the son of man. The primary perpetual motion device that sustains the individual human is procreation. The system which drives the human spine both the physical rod and subtle staff has its positive pole in the God perceiving and receiving cerebellum and its negative pole in the organs of reproduction and elimination.
True religions are concerned with slowing and stilling the human experience in order to experience and express godlike qualities. God cannot be experienced nor be truly worshipped without sexual continence. Suppression of the procreative force is to be avoided. Suppression results in all sorts of harmful perversions. However, both religious and non-religious persons can direct the procreative force into grand, positive expressions of art and service to others.
The pleasures associated with sexual intimacy find their homes in the positive and negative expressions of the five senses. The ten horns are manifested physically in the five working senses or incoming afferent aspects of the physical nerves, and the five knowing or analytical efferent aspects of the five senses. The royal power is the ability to get the senses to work together with the beast. In the following verses “the beast” is the individual human who is striving to follow Christ and return to God’s presence. The personal intention to submit and surrender to Christ makes the Lamb victorious in the battle with the fallen human nature.
And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” — Revelation 17:12–14
Upon the Lamb’s defeat of the senses and the will power that worked against knowing God, the “enemy” flips from the Creator (God and Christ, the Lamb) to the creation (the great prostitute and the city of Babylon). The beast of self-expression now wishes to embrace and surrender to its original form in God.
And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. — Revelation 17:15–17
Even with the guidance of Christ, the transmutation of a soul from matter-based death to God-based life is traumatic. Humans may experience the change from “mammon” to “God” while in a physical body. However, transmutation is not limited to the body alone. John describes what he experiences throughout Revelation. When the causal realm is deconstructed, he relies on the words of an angel who explains:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
For all nations have drunk
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
– Revelation 18:2–3
Babylon indicates the house for the positive, negative, neutral qualities of the human cycle set into motion by the great prostitute (sexual immorality and base/lustful procreation). Babylon is the opposite of heaven. In verse 4 disciples of Christ are called upon to “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues”.
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” — Revelation 18:20
God has given humans the opportunity to love Him and to remain conscious when creation is deconstructed. Humanity could have been condemned to the same end as all other entities and elements. Many may be destroyed due to their unwillingness to develop a relationship with God.
Revelation 18 concludes with a clarification of just how deeply embedded that those souls made in the image of God have become in the false creation. That which was physical yet spiritual in expression will be destroyed. Only the individual consciousness beyond the created soul will not be destroyed when creation ends. Only the awareness of one who has chosen to express its God-given attributes will survive the end of creation.
“And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all who have been slain on earth.” — Revelation 18:24
The next in the series will be linked here, when posted.
“A New Eschatology for Revelation” begins here: https://edsharrow.medium.com/a-new-eschatology-for-revelation-1c7bb51ef8df
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
