What Old Testament passages connect with the imagery in Revelation 17:4? Revelation 17:4 Snapshot “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.” Cup of Abominations: Babylon’s Golden Chalice • Jeremiah 51:7 – “Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, making all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.” • Isaiah 51:17 – “Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath.” • Psalm 75:8 – “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices; He pours from it, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.” These passages lay the groundwork for the image of a dazzling cup that looks inviting yet carries judgment and moral defilement. Purple and Scarlet: Royal Colors Turned Corrupt • 2 Samuel 1:24 – “O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and luxury, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.” • Nahum 2:3 – “The shields of his mighty men are made red, the valiant men are clad in scarlet.” • Jeremiah 4:30 – “And you, devastated one, what are you doing—why dress yourself in scarlet and deck yourself with ornaments of gold…? You beautify yourself in vain; your lovers despise you.” • Lamentations 4:5 – “Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in scarlet embrace ash heaps.” Revelation borrows these color cues to underscore false glory—outwardly regal, inwardly rotten. Gold, Precious Stones, and Pearls: Wealth Linked to Idolatry • Ezekiel 16:13–14 – “So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth… Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty.” • Ezekiel 28:13 – “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you…” (spoken of the king of Tyre, another prideful, luxurious power). • 1 Kings 10:21 – “All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold… silver was considered of little value in the days of Solomon.” Luxurious ornamentation becomes a symbol of proud self-exaltation that invites God’s direct intervention. The Harlot Motif: Faithless Cities and Nations • Isaiah 1:21 – “How the faithful city has become a harlot, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.” • Ezekiel 16 (whole chapter, esp. vv. 15–19) – Jerusalem portrayed as the LORD’s unfaithful bride who lavished her God-given jewelry on idols. • Ezekiel 23:15–17, 31–33 – Two sister cities, Oholah and Oholibah, “played the harlot” and are handed “the cup of horror and desolation.” • Nahum 3:4 – “Because of the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and deadly, who betrays nations with her prostitution and peoples with her sorcery.” Each prophetic picture anticipates Revelation’s final, climactic portrayal of a global “great prostitute.” Summary Links • Golden cup of intoxicating judgment → Jeremiah 51:7; Isaiah 51:17. • Extravagant purple and scarlet attire → 2 Samuel 1:24; Jeremiah 4:30; Nahum 2:3. • Opulent gold and jewels tied to pride and idolatry → Ezekiel 16; Ezekiel 28. • Woman as a prostitute/city in rebellion against God → Isaiah 1:21; Ezekiel 16 & 23; Nahum 3:4. All of these Old Testament threads weave together in Revelation 17:4, confirming that the Spirit consistently exposes counterfeit glory and promises sure judgment on every power that exalts itself against the Lord. |
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