OK then, I will go over the Rev.17 Chapter line upon line for you, and parts of Rev.18, to show... you it is about Jerusalem and not America. Then you will have no excuse for your metaphysical wandering statements against Christ's Church in the Christian west. But I wonder if you really have the self-discipline to get through it.
Rev 17:1-9
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:
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."
The idea of that "great whore" sitting upon "many waters" is revealed by the first beast of Rev.13:1-2 that comes up out of the "sea". It is further explained by Christ later here in the Rev.17:15 verse to mean "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues".
Since Christ connected that first beast system of Rev.13:1-2 with the beast symbols of the Book of Daniel, that automatically made the Book of Daniel a part of His Revealtion too, which further defines who all these waters represent. In Daniel, we're shown the final beast kingdom of ten toes of iron mixed with clay will include ALL... the previous beast statue metals of gold, silver, brass, and iron, together as one. The previous metal pieces of that image Daniel was given to interpret represented beast kingdoms previously established upon this earth. They're all... to be together when Christ comes to smite the feet of this beast of iron mixed with clay, and the whole beast statue of gold, silver, brass, and iron comes tumbling down. So it's pointing to a 'one-world kingdom' over all... the earth, not just parts of the earth.
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.
There's Christ's direct association with the first beast of Rev.13:1-2, a KINGDOM beast. Scarlet or crimson is the color of royalty, further pointing to a beast king and his kingdom. Per Rev.12:3-4, with Satan's original rebellion when he drew a third of the stars (angels) with him, he setup a beast kingdom that had ten horns, seven heads, but only seven crowns. By that association just in the previous Rev.12 chapter before Rev.13, we are to understand this one of Rev.13:1 with ten crowns instead, is but a final attempt to establish his own world kingdom upon this earth, over all... nations and peoples, for the end.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Again the colors of scarlet, and purple, are associated with the colors of royalty. Christ then associates this royalty with ancient Babylon, and not His Kingdom nor with the kings that He ordained of Israel. So again, we are to see a direct anti-type against God's setting up of royalty among His people. This one here is a mimic, nothing more.
Babylon per history was the first... area on earth to begin pagan worship of Bel (later Baal worship), in approximately 3800 B.C. All the later beast kingdoms were mere forms of that old Babylon system of idol worship pointing to the followers of Lucifer (part of that mystery here).
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.
Who did Jesus say were guilty of the blood of the prophets? Per Matt.23 He pointed to those who had Him crucified. They also killed many of the early Church, even by Saul (later Paul) working for them (Gal.1:13). In later times these same "workers of iniquity" that crucified our Lord Jesus also killed many in Rome, and throughout all nations. Those are all interconnected with this Babylon Harlot which we are later told is a certain 'city'.
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.
Once again, we have to refer to the beast pattern of Rev.12:3-4 that Satan originally rebelled with to discover what this great whore has power over in the last days.
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.
There are TWO symbolic beasts taught in Rev.13. The first is a kingdom beast that comes up out of the "sea." The second beast is a king, the "another beast" of Rev.13:11 forward that comes out of the "earth", and is associated with the "dragon" (which is another title for the devil per Rev.12:9). That second beast of Rev.13:11 is who this verse is about. It is Satan himself, for he is the one who was in power over the beast kingdom of Rev.12:3-4 when he first rebelled against God in the time of old ("beast that was"), and then God ended Satan's reign of old ("is not"), and he is still to try to reign one more time for the end ("and yet is"). Satan is how ascends out of the bottomless pit and is already sentenced to into perdition in the future "lake of fire".
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Because Rev.12:3-4 shows there were 'seven heads' with Satan's old beast kingdom that he first rebelled with, we are to note the same with this final beast kingdom upon the earth. Can't be Rome, because Rome did not exist at the time of Rev.12:3-4. The seven heads are put for a seven area division of control over the whole earth. Per Rev.13:3 & Rev.13:12, one of those seven heads is to suffer a "deadly wound" and then be healed. Rev.13:12 suggests the 2nd beast, an individual beast, will heal it when he comes.
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.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The subject of verse 8 about a beast king continues. Five beast kings were past history already in John's days. One beast king existed in John's day (Roman emperor). The sixth beast was and is yet to come, and will be in power for a short time (tribulation timing, see Rev.12:12). That same one just mentioned back in verse 8 that ascends out of the bottomless pit and goes into perdition (i.e., Satan), is mentioned here again. All the previous beast kings of history were under Satan's rule ("and is of the seven"). The role of the 8th beast king is for the end of Christ's future thousand years (Rev.20:7-10).
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These ten kings are the ten horns of the Book of Daniel (Dan.7:24). The another that shall arise among them, i.e., the "little horn" of Dan.7:8 is this beast king of this 17th chapter that ascends out of the bottomless pit. These ten kings will rule with Satan over all the earth; they will rule concurrently with Satan as the beast king, giving their power and strength to him. These ten kings are not setup on earth yet today ('have received no kingdom as yet"). They will only come to power in that "one hour" when the beast king comes to power in the last days, the tribulation time.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
That's about the final battle of this world that will be at the very end, the battle of Armageddon per Rev.16 and Rev.19. That is when Christ, the "stone" of Dan.2:34-35, willl smite this final kingdom beast upon its feet of ten toes of part iron mixed with clay, and the whole beast image together, comes tumbling down, and Christ then establishes His de facto Kingdom upon this earth over all nations.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
There's what the "many waters" in the previous verse means. It is put for all nations and peoples on the earth.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
This great whore is a certain city per the last verse of this chapter. Because of the name of the city and what the city represents, these servants of the devil shall hate her, and will cause her to become a desolation spiritually.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Our Heavenly Father is allowing these events to occur to fulfill the prophecies He gave for the end of this present world.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
(KJV)
There it is, the Babylon Harlot is a "great city", not a certain area like the Americas or Europe, not New York, not Rome, not Brussels, etc.
Rev 18:1-24
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
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.
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."
Per this and before, the "great city" rules over ALL nations and kings upon the whole earth. The idea of mercantilism is connected with the king of fierce countenance of the Book of Daniel that is to destroy many using peace, causing craft to prosper in his hand for the end (Dan.8:25). The evil birds of prey is put as a symbol for Satan's host of workers in control of it.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."
Per the OT prophets, this idea of a 'city' in marriage vs. harlotry is given especially regarding Jerusalem. In Ezek.16 God tells how He cleansed old Jebus (later Jerusalem) which was possessed by the pagan Canaanite Jebusites, and He married Jerusalem. He speaks of Jerusalem as beautiful woman when He married her, and then she goes and plays the harlot against Him.
That's what this idea here is about with her saying, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." It means she is already married, but to whom when she says this, for Christ will not have returned when she says this, and God's judgments upon her are here getting ready to come upon her? That is one of several in Revelation that point to Jerusalem directly as being this "great whore" of Rev.17 and "great city".
The phrase "great city" in Revelation is used 11 times, the first in Rev.11:8 about the city where our Lord Jesus was crucified.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God Who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, "Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come."
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, "Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!"
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, "What city is like unto this great city!"
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, "Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate."
This is about God's judgment upon the "great city" of Revelation. It's about Jerusalem in a fallen state, having married another instead of Him. In final, the "great city" is in comparison to the New Jerusalem per Rev.21:10, which parallels the end of the Ezekiel 16 chapter of God's Promise to forgive her harlotry against Him.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
The city which killed God's prophets is Jerusalem.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
(KJV)