Congregation Bible Study (30 min.): Rr section 4, ch. 15 paras. 1-7 and video.
1, 2. What kind of prostitute could cause us some disgust?
Seeing a prostitute is a v ery sad thing. We may wonder how he ended up leading such a humiliating life. Could it be that at home she suffered abuse and mistreatment, and that is why she has been on the streets from a very young age? Could it be that she sold herself as a sex slave because of extreme poverty? Has she had to flee from a violent husband? Sad stories like these are the daily bread in this cruel world. No wonder Jesus Christ was especially considerate of certain prostitutes. Thus he emphasized that those who repent and change can hope for a better life (Matt. 21: 28-32; Luke 7: 36-50).
But now let's think of another type of prostitute: a woman who is a prostitute because she wants to. It doesn't seem humiliating to her; believes it is an opportunity to have power. You are looking forward to having a lot of money and being influential. And what is worse, imagine that you are married to a good and faithful man, and she cheekily betrays him to prostitute herself. How does a woman like that make you feel, who chooses that life for sheer pleasure? It's hard not to feel grossed out. Precisely because of the reaction that this story provokes in us, Jehovah God uses the image of a prostitute time and again so that we understand how he feels towards false religion.
3. What stories will we analyze in this chapter?
In the book of Ezekiel (chapters 16 and 23) there are two accounts in which prostitution is used to illustrate the terrible unfaithfulness of God's servants in Israel and Judah. But, before analyzing these stories, we should talk about another symbolic prostitute. She began prostituting herself long before Ezekiel was born — even before Israel existed — and is still very active. In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, his identity is revealed.
"The mother of prostitutes"
4, 5. What does “Babylon the Great” represent? And how do we arrive at that conclusion? (See the drawing at the beginning).
At the end of the first century, Jesus, through a vision, presented to the apostle John an unusual woman called “the great prostitute” and “Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes” (Rev. 17: 1, 5). Over the centuries, both religious leaders and biblical scholars have been mulling over the true identity of this woman. They have offered different options: Babylon, Rome, the Catholic Church ... But for many years, Jehovah's Witnesses have known who “the great prostitute” really is: the world empire of false religion. How do we arrive at that conclusion?
This prostitute has been sentenced for having immoral relations with "the kings of the earth", that is, the political authorities. So it is clear that she is not a political authority. On the other hand, in Revelation it is said that “the merchants of the earth” —the entire commercial system of this world— will mourn the loss of Babylon the Great. So she can't represent the business system either. So what is it? She has been found guilty for her "spiritualistic practices", her idolatry and her lies. Doesn't all of this fit in with the corrupt religions of this world? It should also be taken into account that this prostitute is depicted sitting on a wild beast, which indicates that she has some influence over the political authorities. Furthermore, she persecutes Jehovah's faithful servants (Rev. 17: 2, 3; 18:11, 23, 24).
6. Why do we say that Babylon the Great is “the mother of prostitutes”?
But Babylon the Great is called not only "the great prostitute," but also "the mother of prostitutes." Why? Because false religion is divided into an infinity of religious confessions, groups and sects. When Jehovah caused different languages to be spoken in ancient Babel or Babylon, people took their false beliefs and spread them throughout the world, thus giving rise to countless religions. How fitting that the name "Babylon the Great" is derived from the ancient city of Babylon, a veritable hotbed of false religions (Gen. 11: 1-9). So we can say that all these religions are "daughters" of a single organization: the great prostitute. Satan many times uses these religions to attract people to spiritism, idolatry and other beliefs and customs that taint Jehovah's name. No wonder God's people are given the following warning about this corrupt and widespread organization: "Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to be complicit in her sins" (read Revelation 18: 4, 5).
ILLUSTRATION
Babel's tower.
From ancient Babel - later called Babylon - all kinds of religious practices and teachings spread throughout the world, giving rise to many false religions. (See paragraph 6.)
7. Why should we heed Jehovah's warning?
Have you heeded this warning from Jehovah? Remember that we have “spiritual needs” because he created us that way (Matt. 5: 3). And the only adequate way to meet those needs is by giving pure worship to Jehovah. It is logical that the servants of God want to be as far away as possible from spiritual prostitution. But what Satan the Devil wants is something very different: he would love to make the servants of God fall into the trap of this type of prostitution. And many times he has gotten away with it. By the time of Ezekiel, God's people had already fallen into spiritual prostitution time after time. Reflecting on past mistakes teaches us valuable lessons about Jehovah's standards, justice, and mercy.
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