What is the meaning of Revelation 17:2? The kings of the earth - Scripture places real political leaders in view. Revelation often unites them in opposition to the Lamb (Revelation 16:14; 19:19). - Psalm 2:2 says, “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed.” That same rebellious spirit appears here. - These rulers are not neutral; they knowingly align with the harlot—Babylon, the end-times world system that exalts self and wealth over God (Revelation 18:3, 9). - By stressing “kings,” the verse underlines that no amount of rank or influence immunizes a person from spiritual seduction. were immoral with her - The phrase points to deliberate, ongoing participation—spiritual adultery against the true God (James 4:4). - Immorality is both literal and figurative: literal sexual perversion often accompanies false worship (Revelation 9:21), yet the chief issue is covenant unfaithfulness. - Isaiah 1:21 laments, “How the faithful city has become a harlot!” The imagery remains consistent: turning from God for profit and pleasure is harlotry. - These kings profit from Babylon’s commerce and idolatry, just as ancient rulers profited from alliances with pagan nations (1 Kings 3:1; 2 Kings 18:21). and those who dwell on the earth - This Revelation phrase (6:10; 13:8, 14) marks people whose hopes, loyalties, and citizenship are fixed here, not in heaven (Philippians 3:19-20). - They follow their leaders into the same rebellion, confirming a heart-level unity with Babylon’s agenda. - Romans 1:32 notes that people not only practice evil but “approve of those who practice it.” Earth-dwellers applaud the kings’ choices and mirror them. were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality - Immorality functions like strong drink—stimulating at first, then enslaving (Proverbs 23:31-32). - The wine image emphasizes deception: once drunk, clear judgment disappears. Babylon drugs the world with dazzling prosperity, entertainment, and religious pluralism (Revelation 18:3). - Jeremiah 51:7 foreshadows this: “Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have gone mad.” - Intoxication also hints at coming wrath. The same cup that Babylon passes around becomes, for her, the cup of God’s fury (Revelation 14:8-10; 16:19). summary Revelation 17:2 unveils a global coalition—political leaders and everyday people—seduced into spiritual adultery by the end-times Babylon system. Kings leverage power for profit, the populace gladly follows, and both become drunk on sin’s temporary thrill. The verse warns that moral compromise with the world’s godless structures is never harmless; it intoxicates, enslaves, and ultimately invites God’s righteous judgment. |
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