In this episode of LK21, Steve Wood continues his in-depth study of Revelation chapters 17 and 18, exploring the powerful and unsettling vision of Babylon the Great—the Great Harlot who intoxicates the nations of the world.
Revelation 17 introduces the Great Harlot, while Revelation 18 reveals the source of her seductive power: extraordinary wealth, luxury, and global influence. Together, these chapters describe a worldwide demonic economic, political, and religious system that spans history and transcends any single nation.
Steve examines the four empires explicitly called “harlots” in Scripture—Tyre, Nineveh, Jerusalem, and Rome—and explains how St. John’s vision applies to all of them, yet is not limited to any one. Instead, Revelation presents a recurring pattern: wealthy empires that draw nations into idolatry through prosperity, luxury, and moral compromise.
What does it mean that the nations are “drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Rev 17:2)? In biblical prophecy, fornication is the language of idolatry—not merely false worship, but any primary attachment that replaces God. Drawing from Colossians 3:5, the sin of covetousness is revealed as a central engine of Babylon’s power.
This episode also connects idolatry with moral collapse, showing how excessive wealth removes restraints on sexual immorality, as seen in Sodom and Gomorrah. Revelation 18’s list of luxury goods underscores how prosperity itself becomes a weapon, bringing nations under Babylon’s influence.
Steve concludes by applying this prophetic warning to our own time, arguing that we are currently living in Babylon, and that the United States—history’s wealthiest empire—fits many of the characteristics described in Revelation.