False Shepherds and True

Revelation 17:1-8 

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” 3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
    MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
    THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
    AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.  7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

One of the seven angels then spoke to John, inviting him to follow and see the judgement passed on Babylon, the city harlot who influenced the nations against the Lord and His Christ.  The sin of this city and its influence cause abominations across the nations who follow the fornications, physical or spiritual, making them intoxicated with her evil influence.  The evil woman representing Babylon is seen with great wealth and fancy clothing, yet killing the saints of God who are martyred for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  This reminds us of the inquisition, burning of false witches and true proclaimers of the gospel throughout the centuries.  A beast from the abyss rules this woman of Babylon, and causes the whole world to wonder and marvel.  Yet those whose names have already bee recorded from eternity in the Lamb’s Book of Life will not marvel and wonder, but be aware of the evil and misleading away from God.  We who are His from before the earth was founded (Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 13:8) will know the deception of the beast and follow Christ instead.  Those misled will follow to their own destruction in her judgement.  Many wonder if this Babylon is a religious group already misleading many, and though they may be right or wrong, the true followers of He Lamb will not follow a false Shepherd.