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Beware of Catfish

Catfishing.

The word alone is enough to send quivers of fear up one’s spine. It refers to online scamming. The scammer, known as the “catfish,” uses bogus information to create a fake persona in order to fool their victim. Those who are catfished can suffer embarrassment, financial loss, identity theft, and damage to their reputation. 

In Revelation 17:6, John warns us about falling for a catfish scam.

The catfish happened to be the city of Rome. She was brilliant. Full of culture. Armed with military strength. The world had never seen anything as great as Rome.

Yet, throughout the book of Revelation, Rome is indicted for its tyrannical ways and emperor worship. In Revelation 17:1, Rome is compared to a prostitute. Like many prophets before him, John uses a sexual reference to suggest that an empire was in bed with wickedness. 

Like any prostitute, she seduces. John describes this seduction, saying he “marveled greatly” when he saw her. The English translations don’t often treat this verse as descriptively as the Greek. The whole phrase in The Holy Bible, English Standard Version is: “When I saw her, I marveled greatly.” The Greek says, “kai ethaumasa idōn autēn thauma mega” or “And I marveled seeing her a great marvel.” 

The word for “her” is autēn. The word for “marvel” (thanumazō) is used twice: ethaumasa and thauma. Notice that “her” (autēn) is surrounded by the word “marvel” (ethaumasa/thauma) on both sides.

John did this in a grammatically interesting way. He was showing how his own marveling surrounded the prostitute, just like a guy who sees a beautiful woman and looks at her from all directions.

John was being catfished. Although she posed as a beautiful woman, she was the enemy of God’s people. The angel beside John had to snap him out of it! (See Revelation 17:7.)

If John was susceptible to her counterfeit beauty, how much more for us? How often do the enticements of the world attempt to catfish us?

God’s Word warns Christians to be discerning and see things for what they really are. Before we marvel over the things that appear before us, we need to consult the Holy Spirit. Is it legit? When we allow Him to lead us, He will guide us into the truth. 

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