Thursday, April 23, 2026
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Revelation 17
Key Verse
Revelation 17:10 — “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.”
Devotional Thought
The angel’s invitation to John is not, “Come and see something pleasant,” but, “Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” Before any comfort is offered, we are asked to look steadily at something we would rather turn away from. That is the work of this chapter for us today: to see Babylon clearly, and to see the Lamb more clearly still. In late April, when gardens are greening and the world looks inviting, Revelation 17 insists that not everything flourishing is holy. Some things bloom only to be burned.
Notice what John actually sees. A woman in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and precious stones, holding a golden cup — beauty, wealth, and worship, all bent toward corruption. On her forehead a name: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT. She sits on many waters, which the angel explains are “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” — the whole noisy, intoxicating world of human allegiance. And she is drunk, not with wine, but “with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” The city that reigns over the kings of the earth has a long appetite for the faithful.
Then comes the verse that ought to steady every anxious heart: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.” The beast has seven heads and ten horns, an eighth king rising from the seven, ten kings giving their power for “one hour.” It all looks overwhelming — until we remember that an hour is not a reign. The Lamb does not win by assembling a larger coalition. He wins because of who He is, and those who are with Him are simply “called, and chosen, and faithful.”
There is also a strange mercy in verses 16 and 17. The very powers that carried the woman turn on her, strip her, and burn her. God puts it in their hearts to fulfill His will even while they think they are fulfilling their own. This is not a promise that evil is harmless; it is a promise that evil is not sovereign. Babylon’s end is written, and it is not a cliffhanger.
So what does this ask of us on an ordinary Thursday? Not frantic speculation about timelines, but sober examination. Where have we drunk from the golden cup — trusting a system, a market, an institution, a reputation to save us? The call is to be found among the called, chosen, and faithful, clinging to the Lamb who has already overcome.
Reflection
- What “golden cup” in your own life — a habit, an allegiance, a source of security — has quietly intoxicated you, and what would it look like to set it down today?
- If the Lamb overcomes not by force but by being who He is, how should that reshape the way you face the powers and pressures of this present age?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Lamb of God and King of kings, we confess how easily we are dazzled by purple and gold, by the noise of many waters, by the promise of belonging to the great city of this world. Turn our eyes from Babylon’s cup to Your wounded hands. Keep us among the called, the chosen, and the faithful, not because we are strong, but because You are Lord of lords. Give us wisdom to see the beast for what it is and courage to trust Your victory even when the war still rages. Let our names be found in the book of life, written before the foundation of the world, and let our lives bring You glory until the day every kingdom bows. Amen.