Who is the Whore of babylon

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DoveSpirit05

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I think its the leading powers of the world, USA, Russia, Middle East, says in:

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Rev 18:2 - And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

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Rev 18:3 - For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Sounds like a nation filled with fornication and wickedness which is the modern day Babylon we see 2day speshly in America!!
 

Nancy

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I think its the leading powers of the world, USA, Russia, Middle East, says in:

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Rev 18:2 - And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

copyChkboxOff.gif
Rev 18:3 - For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Sounds like a nation filled with fornication and wickedness which is the modern day Babylon we see 2day speshly in America!!

I have always seen this as Rome. I remember reading that the Talmudic Jews influenced Rome very much...I would have to look all that up right now, it was quite compelling! This is NOT to say that the good ole U.S. of A. is not steeped in sin and debauchery too.
 

Mal'ak

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Sounds like a nation filled with fornication and wickedness which is the modern day Babylon we see 2day speshly in America!!

I have always seen this as Rome.

On a flesh note:

Just to point out the elephant in the room, the UK member leaves out the UK as the leading powers of the world just to not make their list...amusing.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

On a Spiritual note:

It is clear from the replies, that no one reads the Bible when they start posting scripture....sadly it is why God said "for this cause shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie".

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

From Revelation 14 we see that Jesus returns and at the same time he stands on mount Sion with the gathered Christians of the world, the city of "bayblon" will be destroyed. So it is not an ancient Roman thing, because Jesus did not return when Rome existed and gather Christians (Rome lasted for 300 years after Jesus' death, so cant even be talking about his first coming). Now if there will be a USA, Russia, UK, etc when satan is here deceiving the world is not known, all we know is that there will be a one world government named "babylon" which will be destroyed when Jesus returns.


Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If we compare the "beast" of Revelation 13 and the "whore" of Revelation 17, we see that they are the same thing as they both rose from the "sea...having seven heads and ten horns...named blasphemy". We also learn from Revelation 17:5, that the "whore" is named "babylon the great". So the beast, whore, and babylon are the same thing in the book of revelations. From both chapters we learn "the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk", and "...power was given him over all kindreds, and all tongues, and nations". So when we are talking about the whore/babylon/beast we are talking about the one world order that the false prophet and satan will set up as their kingdom on earth while they are here, as there is no one world power that controls all the "kings" and "nations" right now or ever before then we know it is a future kingdom...and satan is not on Earth yet.

From Revelation 14 we know babylon will exist when Jesus returns in the second coming, then he will destroy it when he does return.
 

aspen

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The Whore is the person who sells off Western Civilization for pennies on the dollar to pad his own pockets

And he will be orange, saith the Lord.....
 

Marymog

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Greetings Andrew. The reason is because she is depicted as a woman, with the imagery being of a spiritual adulteress to God, in that she gives herself to the world instead of Him. Pagan Rome on the other hand was (at the time) interpreted to be the fourth beast - a destroyer and a conqueror - and therefore had no relationship with Him.
Hi HIM,

When was Pagan Rome interpreted to be the fourth beast? OR Who's interpretation is that?

Curious and willing to learn....Mary
 

Earburner

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"HIM" doesn't understand that "Beasts" are always shown in the masculine gender.
Therefore, the beasts in Daniel and Rev., are never of the feminine gender.

From that we can safely conclude that anything spoken of in prophecy, that is symbolized as a "woman", is a "church".

We have only two selections to choose from:
1. The church that once WAS Israel.
2.The church that now is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Can you guess which one is now NOT a "church", but still professes to be?

Clue: The KoG was taken from her, and is fallen!!
 

aspen

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No wonder they died out!
 

Earburner

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On a flesh note:

Just to point out the elephant in the room, the UK member leaves out the UK as the leading powers of the world just to not make their list...amusing.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

On a Spiritual note:

It is clear from the replies, that no one reads the Bible when they start posting scripture....sadly it is why God said "for this cause shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie".

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

From Revelation 14 we see that Jesus returns and at the same time he stands on mount Sion with the gathered Christians of the world, the city of "bayblon" will be destroyed. So it is not an ancient Roman thing, because Jesus did not return when Rome existed and gather Christians (Rome lasted for 300 years after Jesus' death, so cant even be talking about his first coming). Now if there will be a USA, Russia, UK, etc when satan is here deceiving the world is not known, all we know is that there will be a one world government named "babylon" which will be destroyed when Jesus returns.


Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:


Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.


Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.



Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.


If we compare the "beast" of Revelation 13 and the "whore" of Revelation 17, we see that they are the same thing as they both rose from the "sea...having seven heads and ten horns...named blasphemy". We also learn from Revelation 17:5, that the "whore" is named "babylon the great". So the beast, whore, and babylon are the same thing in the book of revelations. From both chapters we learn "the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk", and "...power was given him over all kindreds, and all tongues, and nations". So when we are talking about the whore/babylon/beast we are talking about the one world order that the false prophet and satan will set up as their kingdom on earth while they are here, as there is no one world power that controls all the "kings" and "nations" right now or ever before then we know it is a future kingdom...and satan is not on Earth yet.

From Revelation 14 we know babylon will exist when Jesus returns in the second coming, then he will destroy it when he does return.
The 10H Beast and the 2H Beast are two seperate entities!!

According to the KJV, "MBTG" is CARRIED by the 10H Beast. She NEVER "rides" the Beast.
To "ride", denotes that MBTG has contol over the 10H Beast.
To "carry", denotes that the 10H Beast has control over MBTG.

Now, you have to fall back and re-think, as to WHO MBTG really is.

Clue: focus on the word "great", as it is listed in the pages of Rev.
 

Mal'ak

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The 10H Beast and the 2H Beast are two seperate entities!!

According to the KJV, "MBTG" is CARRIED by the 10H Beast. She NEVER "rides" the Beast.
To "ride", denotes that MBTG has contol over the 10H Beast.
To "carry", denotes that the 10H Beast has control over MBTG.

Now, you have to fall back and re-think, as to WHO MBTG really is.

Clue: focus on the word "great", as it is listed in the pages of Rev.

The Word of God already names the "whore", and her name is Babylon, which will be the one world government and religion that rules the world when satan is here. But the "woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast" did raise some questions, that while the "whore" is the city of Babylon that will come to be during the Tribulation the question we have left is who the seven headed and ten horned beast is...so I am glad you pointed this out.

Revelation 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

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.

Revelation 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.


The Angel speaking to John gives us a big hint on who the beast is that the whore is sitting on. "The beast...shall ascend out of the bottomless pit...they that dwell on the earth shall wonder.....the seven heads...are seven kings...the beast....is the eighth, and is of the seven". So going into it deeper, the seven headed beast stands for eight kings. But these can not be flesh kings or men, since the beast "ascend out of the bottomless pit". But the Holy Spirit did call into remembrance another scripture when I read about the bottomless pit.

Revelation 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Revelation 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Revelation 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Revelation 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

Revelation 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

At the fifth trumpet or stage of the tribulation, an Angel from Heaven will be sent to open the "bottomless pit". Out of the pit will come "locusts...And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit...named Apollyon". So now the picture of the seven headed beast comes into focus, the eight kings are powerful angels that followed satan during the rebellion or after. So these arch-demons or demonic leaders are sent to Earth first to help the "whore" or Babylon form and give it power. As we see in Revelation 9:4, Apollyon and his demons will be commanded by God to "hurt...only those men which have not the seal of God", so the non-believers and Christians that God will allow to believe a lie.

Enoch 6.1 And it came to pass, when the sons of men had increased, that in those days there were born to them fair and beautiful daughters.
Enoch 6.2 And the Angels, the sons of Heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another: "Come, let us choose for ourselves wives, from the children of men, and let us beget, for ourselves, children."
Enoch 6.3 And Semyaza, who was their leader, said to them: "I fear that you may not wish this deed to be done and that I alone will pay
for this great sin."
Enoch 6.4 And they all answered him, and said: "Let us all swear an oath, and bind one-another with curses, so not to alter this plan, but to carry out this plan effectively."


Enoch 10.11 And the Lord said to Michael: "Go, inform Semyaza, and the others with him, who have associated with the women to corrupt themselves with them in all their uncleanness.
Enoch 10.12 When all their sons kill each other, and when they see the destruction of their loved ones, bind them for seventy generations, under the hills of the earth, until the day of their judgment and of their consummation, until the judgment, which is for all eternity, is accomplished.


Reading about a leader angel locked away that was evil, had the Holy Spirit call into remembrance the story of the fallen angels that came down and married women along with spreading evil knowledge in the second rebellion against God. I believe Apollyon is Semyaza, the leader of the fallen angels. The locusts from the bottomless pit must be the two hundred fallen angels that followed him, which would make sense as the book of Enoch says God commanded that they were to "bind them for seventy generations...until the day of their judgment". Semyaza is called a "king" because he is one of the leaders of a host of fallen angels, as the leader in Heaven he must have been an Arch-Angel or some kind of Captain among the host of Heaven so more powerful.

...The question of the whore is answered by the Angel, her name is Babylon, which is the kingdom on Earth that satan rules over before Jesus returns.

Side note: Two horned beast is the False Prophet:

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

It is said to look like Jesus or Christ-like as a "lamb", which would suggest he is pretending to be a Christian. But he speaks as a dragon, which is satan, and the term "beast" is always someone of great power. So the two horned beast is someone powerful pretending to be a Christian, but they are teaching lies to deceive the world.

Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Since the "whore" is just a kingdom and not a literal person, there are only three "persons" that have power at the end during the tribulation to deceive the world. The dragon is satan, the beast we learned is the 8 fallen angel leaders, and the false prophet.
 
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breathoflife

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If we take Daniel’s 70 weeks of years it tells us who she is. Mystery Babylon must be Daniel’s people and Jerusalem. This final week of years must have the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy.
 

breathoflife

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The whore of Babylon is identified in rev. 11 as the great city where the Lord of the final witness was slain, Jerusalem. The Lord raises the unseen that we might see and she is shown to us Sodom and Egypt. Nowhere between here and rev. 17 is the great city’s identity change she is just shown to us in her final and worst spiritual condition mystery Babylon.
 

BARNEY BRIGHT

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I've been told multiple times that the whore of babylon from revelation is the Roman Catholic Church and the vatican yet I have read revelation 17 and 18 multiple times and a better match seems to be pagan rome which took place in the time revelation was written, why do people keep claiming that the whore of babylon is the catholic church when alot of the evidence suggests pagan rome

PART 1 GREAT HARLOT THAT SITS
MANY WATERS


And one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying: ‘Come, I will show you the judgment upon the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, whereas those who inhabit the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’”—Revelation 17:1, 2.


The great harlot”! Why so shocking a designation? Who is she? Some have identified this symbolic harlot with ancient Rome. But Rome was a political power. This harlot commits fornication with the kings of the earth, and this evidently includes the kings of Rome. Besides, after her destruction, “the kings of the earth” are said to mourn her passing. Therefore, she cannot be a political power. (Revelation 18:9, 10) Additionally, since she is mourned also by the world’s merchants, she could not picture big business. (Revelation 18:15, 16) We read, however, that ‘by her spiritistic practice all the nations were misled.’ (Revelation 18:23) This makes it clear that the great harlot must be a worldwide religious entity.


Which religious entity? Is she the Roman Catholic Church, as some have maintained? Or is she all of Christendom? No, she must be even larger than these if she is to mislead all the nations. She is, in fact, the entire world empire of false religion. Her origin in the mysteries of Babylon is shown in that many Babylonish doctrines and practices are common to religions around the earth. For example, belief in the inherent immortality of the human soul, in a hell of torment, and in a trinity of gods is to be found in most Oriental religions as well as in the sects of Christendom. False religion, spawned more than 4,000 years ago in the ancient city of Babylon, has developed into the modern monstrosity that is called, appropriately, Babylon the Great.* Why, though, is she described by the repugnant term “the great harlot"?

Babylon (or Babel, meaning “Confusion”) came to its peak of greatness in Nebuchadnezzar’s time. It was a religio-political state with more than a thousand temples and chapels. Its priesthood exercised great power. Though Babylon has long since ceased to exist as a world power, religious Babylon the Great lives on, and after the ancient pattern, she still seeks to influence and mold political affairs. But does God approve of religion in politics? In the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel was said to prostitute herself when she got involved with false worship and when, instead of trusting in Jehovah, she made alliances with the nations. (Jeremiah 3:6, 8, 9; Ezekiel 16:28-30) Babylon the Great also commits fornication. Outstandingly, she has done whatever she deems expedient in order to gain influence and power over the ruling kings of the earth.-1 Timothy 4:1
 

breathoflife

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The whore is shown to us in Revelation 11 as “the great city” and we are told she is the same city where their Lord was crucified. That is Jerusalem. We are told the wine press of God’s fury is outside this great city. Three times we are given a look at this great city who ‘spiritual is Sodom and Egypt and finally she is shown in her final spiritual state as mystery Babylon. She is also shown to be the mother of harlots part of the title used for mystery. There are many other passages both o.t. And n.t. Revealing her to be this whore. Isaiah chapters 1-5 reveals apostate Israel on the Day of the Lord and she is filled with false gods and worship. She is exceedingly rich, a military power and so on. Now we must remember apostate Israel would had to amass at least partially while anti-christ would have required her to rake his mark.

there is one week of years left to be fulfilled. The angel made it clear the the 70 Weeks of years was concerning “Daniel’s people” Israel and ‘Daniel’s city. Over and over again the o.t. Prophets identified apostate Israel as being judged in the End Times, Joel, Amos Isaiah, Ezekiel and more.

Judgment we are told is first to the Jew and then to the Gentiles and Revelation follows that prophecy. The whore who is mystery Babylon is judged and 1,000 years pass before Satan is released from the Bottomless pit to deceive the Gentile nations Gog and Magog. After the Gentile nations are defeated Satan is thrown into the Lake of Fire where anti-christ and the false prophet have been held prisoner for the 1,000 years.
 

BARNEY BRIGHT

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PART 2 GREAT HARLOT THAT SITS ON
MANY WATERS

What more does the prophecy disclose as to the great harlot and her fate? As John now relates, a further vivid scene comes to view: “And he [the angel] carried me away in the power of the spirit into a wilderness. And I caught sight of a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored wild beast that was full of blasphemous names and that had seven heads and ten horns.”—Revelation 17:3.

Why is John carried into a wilderness? An earlier pronouncement of doom against ancient Babylon was described as being “against the wilderness of the sea.” (Isaiah 21:1, 9) This gave due warning that, despite all its watery defenses, ancient Babylon would become a lifeless desolation. It is fitting, then, that John should be carried in his vision to a wilderness to see the fate of Babylon the Great. She too must become desolate and waste. (Revelation 18:19, 22, 23) John is amazed, though, by what he sees out there. The great harlot is not alone! She is sitting on a monstrous wild beast!

This wild beast has seven heads and ten horns. Is it, then, the same as the wild beast that John saw earlier, which also has seven heads and ten horns? (Revelation 13:1) No, there are differences. This wild beast is scarlet-colored and, unlike the previous wild beast, is not said to have diadems. Rather than having blasphemous names on its seven heads only, it is “full of blasphemous names.” Nevertheless, there must be a relationship between this new wild beast and the previous one; the similarities between them are too pronounced to be coincidental.

What, then, is this new scarlet-colored wild beast? It must be the image to the wild beast (league of nations then United Nations) it was brought forth under the urging of the Anglo-American wild beast( combination of United States and England) that thas two horns like a lamb. After the image was made, that two-horned wild beast was allowed to give breath to the image of the wild beast. (Revelation 13:14, 15) John now sees the living, breathing image. It pictures the League of Nations organization that the two-horned wild beast brought to life in 1920. U.S. President Wilson had envisioned that the League “would be a forum for the dispensation of justice for all men and wipe out the threat of war forever.” When it was resurrected after the second world war as the United Nations, its chartered purpose was “to maintain international peace and security.”

In what way is this symbolic wild beast full of blasphemous names? In that men have set up this multinational idol as a substitute for God’s Kingdom—to accomplish what God says his Kingdom alone can accomplish. (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 12:18, 21) What is remarkable about John’s vision, though, is that Babylon the Great is riding the scarlet-colored wild beast. True to the prophecy, Babylonish religion, particularly in Christendom, has linked itself with the League of Nations and its successor. As early as December 18, 1918, the body now known as the National Council of the Churches of Christ in America adopted a declaration that declared in part: “Such a League is not a mere political expedient; it is rather the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth. . . . The Church can give a spirit of good-will, without which no League of Nations can endure. . . . The League of Nations is rooted in the Gospel. Like the Gospel, its objective is ‘peace on earth, good-will toward men.’”

What of the League’s successor, the United Nations? From its inception, this body has also had the great harlot riding on its back, visibly associated with it and trying to guide its destiny. For example, on its 20th anniversary, in June 1965, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, together with Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims—said to represent two thousand million of earth’s population—assembled in San Francisco to celebrate their support and admiration of the UN. On visiting the UN in October 1965, Pope Paul VI described it as “that greatest of all international organizations” and added: “The peoples of the earth turn to the United Nations as the last hope of concord and peace.” Another papal visitor, Pope John Paul II, addressing the UN in October 1979, said: “I hope the United Nations will ever remain the supreme forum of peace and justice.” Significantly, the pope gave very little attention to Jesus Christ or to God’s Kingdom in his speech. During his visit to the United States in September 1987, as reported by The New York Times, “John Paul spoke at length about the positive role of the United Nations in promoting . . . ‘new worldwide solidarity.’”

A Name A Mystery

The apostle John is soon to learn that the great harlot has chosen a dangerous beast to ride. First, though, his attention turns to Babylon the Great herself. She is richly adorned, but, oh, how repulsive she is! “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and was adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls and had in her hand a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication. And upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.’ And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.”—Revelation 17:4-6a.


As was the custom in ancient Rome, this prostitute is identified by the name on her forehead.* It is a long name: “Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth.” That name is “a mystery,” something with hidden meaning. But in God’s due time, the mystery is to be explained. In fact, the angel gives John enough information to allow Jehovah’s servants today to discern the full significance of this descriptive name. We recognize Babylon the Great as being all of false religion. She is “the mother of the harlots” because all the individual false religions in the world, including the many sects in Christendom, are like her daughters, imitating her in committing spiritual harlotry. She is also the mother of “disgusting things” in that she has given birth to such revolting offspring as idolatry, spiritism, fortune-telling, astrology, palmistry, human sacrifice, temple prostitution, drunkenness in honor of false gods, and other obscene practices.

Babylon the Great is dressed in “purple and scarlet,” the colors of royalty, and is “adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls.” How appropriate! Just reflect on all the magnificent buildings, rare statues and paintings, priceless icons, and other religious paraphernalia, as well as astronomical amounts of property and cash, that this world’s religions have accumulated. Whether at the Vatican, in the TV empire of evangelism centered in the United States, or in the exotic wats and temples of the Orient, Babylon the Great has amassed—and at times lost—fabulous wealth.

Look now at what the harlot has in her hand. John must have gasped at the sight of it—a golden cup “full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication”! This is the cup containing “the wine of the anger of her fornication” with which she has made all the nations drunk. (Revelation 14:8; 17:4) It looks rich on the outside, but its contents are disgusting, unclean. (Compare Matthew 23:25, 26.) It contains all the filthy practices and lies that the great harlot has used to seduce the nations and bring them under her influence. Even more revolting, John sees that the harlot herself is inebriated, drunk with the blood of God’s servants! In fact, we later read that “in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) What massive bloodguilt!
 

Truth OT

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My suspicion is that the John of Revelation was referring to Jerusalem of the 1st century. I feel that the Bible tells us that ANCIENT Jerusalem fits the description. In the OT, passages like Jeremiah chapters 3, 13 and Ezekiel chapters 16, 23 describe Jerusalem as a whoring woman.

Advocates of the notion that the RCC as well as modern day "apostate christianity" as a whole fitswith the descriptions in Revelation miss the context. The language of the OT passages that discuss apostate Judaism uses a lot of the same language as Revelation. This is important to point out because the readers who John sent the letter to who were most likely Jews who would have naturally harkened back to the writings of the prophets to help "decode" Revelation. Revelation was written in the Jewish Apocalyptic style that books like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah were written in. The initial audience for John's writings were most likely his Judean contemporaries, and that tells us something very important. In the very opening of Revelation John begins with addressing his "brothers in the current tribulation." So, to those Jews who were familiar with the writings of the prophets, hearing about a "Great Whore" and the "Great City" would naturally direct their attention to Jerusalem which was the centerpiece of the religion that had sprung from the Covenant between God and Israel. These writings were most likely intended to mean something to THEM and give them hope to cope with what they were going through at that time.
 
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