Point Five: The city rules over the kings of the earth (v. 18).
Verse 18 in its entirely reads,
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth.
In Dave Hunts book, A Woman Rides the Beast, he shows how the
popes, during certain periods of history exercised their authority over certain
kings. We would not dispute the tyranny of the papacy, especially during the
Inquisition and the Crusades. But again, I think that we need to look at the
bigger picture encompassing the whole of history since the time of the Genesis
Flood.
The woman we are told is
that great city
. What great city? BABYLON THE GREAT! Previous to this John was
told that,
the kings of the earth have committed fornication
with her,
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of
her fornication
(v. 2), and this was the name written on her forehead, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT
, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (v. 5).
One might ask, how has Babylon reigned over the kings of the earth? It appears
that she has been quite insignificant over the last several thousand years. How
then could she reign? The word
reigneth
comes from the Greek word
echo
, which literally means, to have, or to hold, or
to own, or possess (Strongs).
It appears that this woman has
kept her grip on
all the kingdoms of the earth down through history. One might argue that
Babylon has not existed as a great city since the time of her founding.
However, this was part of the mystery, as to how her influence reigned over the
inhabitants of the earth down through the ages. She is revealed as the
MOTHER OF HARLOTS who has many offspring with whom she reigns
through.
That Babylon does not presently exist as a great city, as some
would imagine her to be, does not disqualify the fact that she is the
Mother of Harlots. We could also argue the same about Roman
Catholicism which was non-existent for the first 2700 years after the Flood,
and since the Reformation has been diminishing in its reign over any kingdom.
But the imagery revealed to John is astonishingly clear. John saw a woman
carried by a scarlet covered beast. But we are also told that this woman is
sitting on the seven heads of the beast, which are seven mountains
representing seven kings (v. 9, 10). She is said to reign
over (Gr.
epi
) which literally means on or upon, and this is what we
see--her sitting upon these kingdoms, keeping them under her
influence. And we must remember, five of the seven were already fallen when
John wrote the Revelation (v. 10), which would disqualify the Roman Catholic
Church, for it never existed until many years after Christ.
One may still argue that Babylon did not exist throughout history, but Babylon
is more than a geophysical city, she is a spiritual entity, and she is
THE GREAT
MOTHER who has a great spawn of HARLOTS
with whom she reigns through.
POINT SIX: Rome has its spiritual foundations in Babylon from its occultic
origins, the Tower of Babel, and the attempt to reach heaven by steps of its
own making.
All religions that worship the creation rather than the Creator, have roots
that extend back to Babel. Catholics are guilty of worshipping the creation in
that they worship the Eucharist (bread), images of stone and wood that they
call Jesus and Mary etc. However, the Buddhist worships
his images of Buddha, the Hindu bows down before images of Krishna, the Muslim
worships a stone in Mecca, and the Animist venerates Mother Earth etc.
All of these are guilty of spiritual fornication. As the prophet Jeremiah said,
long before the Roman Catholic Church arose on the scene,
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the
earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are
mad
(Jeremiah 51:7). John was told many years later that the
peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues
have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication
(Revelation 17:15, 2). Not just some of the nations,
she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication
(Revelation 14:8; 18:3). Every nation, after their language had become
confused, went out from Babel in a spiritually drunken stupor, having been
seduced by this great spiritual whore.
POINT SEVEN: The identifying name, Mystery. The very heart of Roman
Catholicism: the mystery of the Eucharist; etc. Custodian of mysteries which
permit trading in the souls of men (Rev 18:3), such as mass cards
and indulgences, et al.
Upon the forehead of this whore is the name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The
identifying name is not Mystery but BABYLON THE GREAT.
Babylon was the fountainhead of all false religion and became the abominations
of the earth. She infected every nation with her pagan religion and from
Babylon this wickedness flowed out to all the regions of the world in those
early post-Flood years.
This false religious system so permeated the world that all the inhabitants of
the earth were made drunk with the wine of her spiritual
fornication. It was not until the Light of God's Word entered into the world
that this mystery was unveiled. Perhaps the saints should have had the
perception to recognize this long ago, but now through the Word of God, it is
made plain for us to see.
However, this was not the only mystery mentioned in the Revelation, for the
angel told John
I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth
her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns
(v. 7). The beast was another mystery that represented the kingdom established
at Babel long ago. In the book of Genesis we are told,
the beginning of
[Nimrod's]
kingdom was Babel
(Genesis 10:10). It appears that this was the beginning of man's consorted
effort to build his own kingdom, and to govern his own affairs, politically and
religiously, without God.
Since that time the earth has been divided up, each nation with their own
language, and in essence they became little colonies of Babel. Some of these
grew up to be great nations and kingdoms, while others dwindled to become
dispersed nomadic tribes, and some clans became extinct altogether. However, in
the last days there will be another consorted effort to unite and rebuild this
great religious and commercial center, thus reviving a literal, religious and
geopolitical Babylon once again.
To insist that Rome is this woman is to seriously misjudge the global impact of
this ancient mystery. In Dave Hunt's video bearing the same title as his book,
he asks the question, Could Rome be this woman on the beast? That would
make good sense because the beast she rides is the Revived Roman Empire.
Here we believe is another error that has been perpetuated for some time by
scholars in these last days. The fact of the matter is that the Roman Empire
does not need reviving for it never really ceased to exist. Rather, it was
transformed and divided into the political and religious structure we see today
throughout the world.
The prophet Daniel was shown a great image that represented four great kingdoms
from his day forward. The fourth kingdom represented Rome, but Rome was never
conquered as were its predecessors, but we were told, it
shall be divided
(Daniel 2:41), and that it would
be partly strong, and partly broken
(v. 42).
The image that Daniel saw was a great image of a man. The head was Babylon, the
breasts and arms were Medo-Persia, the belly and thighs were Greece, and the
legs, feet and toes represented the Roman Empire. This empire would be divided,
and so it has. The empire was first divided in half with Rome in the West and
Constantinople in the East. Eventually the west became the Holy Roman
Empire under the popes, and the east came under control of the Greek
Orthodox Church. And to this day, the world is politically divided between east
and west. However, the final revision of the Roman Empire will be
that of a ten king confederacy, as represented by the ten toes. The kingdom was
never conquered as its predecessor kingdoms, rather, its structure has been
transformed, but finally,
out of this kingdom
(Daniel 7:24, not after) shall arise ten kings.
The Roman Empire we were told would be
partly strong, and partly broken
. It would first be divided in half, and finally into ten regions in the latter
days. It would not cease to exist, but its form would be changed. Many
advocates of a Revived Roman Empire use Daniel 9:26 to rest their case which
states,
the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary
.
It was the Roman army that destroyed Jerusalem and Herod's Temple, so the
prince that shall come
(the Antichrist), must come out of the Roman Empire. However, if the Kingdom
of Rome never ceased to exist, but was divided and transformed, it is still
possible for the Antichrist to arise out of this kingdom. And this is what
Daniel says,
And the ten horns
out of this kingdom
are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them
(Daniel 7:24). If the Roman Empire ceased to exist, the ten kings could not
arise out of this kingdom. Daniel said,
behold, there came up among them another little horn
(v. 8). The Antichrist shall rise up from among these ten kings, which will be
the final “division” of the Roman Empire, and the antichrist will represent the
eighth
(Revelation 17:11) and final kingdom
POINT EIGHT: She is clothed with purple and scarlet (v. 4). Another
identifier pointing to Rome.
The priests of Rome wear shades of purple and scarlet, however, in the context
of the Scriptures, the purple and scarlet are referring to costly merchandise.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls
(Revelation 17:4). Purple and scarlet were the costly apparel worn by kings
and the rich (Judges 8:26, Esther 8:15, Daniel 5:7, 16, 29, Luke 16:19). It was
the apparel that the Roman soldiers clothed Christ when they mocked Him as a
king of the Jews (Matthew 27:28, Mark 15:17, 20, John 19:2, 5).
Dave takes his interpretation entirely out of context, for Revelation 17 & 18
describes a city whereby
the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies
(Revelation 18:3). Purple and scarlet were only some of the commodities that
she traded in. We believe that not long from now, there will be a worldwide,
united effort under Antichrist to rebuild Babylon as the center of his
political and religious empire. There will be no expense spared to re-establish
her back upon her historic foundation, in the land of Shinar. Herein, shall the
merchants of the world be made extremely wealthy
by reason of her costliness
(18:19).
However, one day God is going to judge her iniquities as He did Sodom and
Gomorrah and
she shall be utterly burned with fire
(Revelation 18:8),
and cast into the sea
(v. 21). It will happen suddenly,
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, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city
is like unto this great city!
(Revelation 18:17-18) Of all the great cities of the world, there was never a
city like this city.
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more: 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, 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
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her
, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 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!
(Revelation 18:12-16)
POINT NINE: She is wealthy beyond calculation (17:4). There is no church, no
city which is a spiritual entity, no religious institution past or present
which even comes close to possessing the incalculable wealth of the Roman
Catholic Church.
As we have stated in the previous point, the merchants of the world have become
extremely rich by reason of her costliness. This city will be the center of
Antichrist's kingdom. It will be the great commercial and religious center of
his New World Order. None will be able to buy or sell without his mark
(Revelation 13:16-17) and all of this buying and selling will be governed from
this great political center.
The Scriptures indicate that this great city will be revived and rebuilt in the
latter days as seen in a vision by the prophet Zechariah. In his vision he saw
a basket called an
ephah
with a
talent of lead
for a lid, and in the midst of the basket was a
woman
. Both the ephah and the talent of lead were measuring standards used in
commerce, and the woman we believe represents religious harlotry. Zechariah was
told,
This is their resemblance through all the earth
This is
wickedness
(see Zechariah 5:6-8).
Zechariah's vision looked into the future, to the latter days, and he saw that
the kingdoms of this world would become totally consumed with merchandising and
false religion. The
love of money
, we are told,
is the root of all evil
(1Timothy 6:10), and in the latter days, men would have
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof
(2Timothy 3:1-5). This is exactly what we have pictured in Revelation Chapter
17 & 18, religious and political Babylon, all wrapped up in one package.
Zechariah was told by the angel that this package of wickedness would be
brought back to the place of her origin,
To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established,
and set there upon her own base
(Zechariah 5:11). It will be the construction and the establishment of this
great
house
, this great political and religious center,
wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her
costliness
(Revelation 18:19). We are told,
the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies
(Revelation 18:3).
In essence, it will be the repeat of history as rebellious man unites in his
efforts against God.
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel
together, against the LORD
(Pslam 2:2),
And they said one to the other
let us build us a city and a tower
unto heaven
(Genesis 11:4).
Babylon the great, this
eighth
(Revelation 17:11) and final Gentile kingdom is
The beast that
was, and is not; and shall ascend
(Revelation 17:8), whose headquarters or capital shall be established and
based once again on the plains of Shinar where ancient Babylon was originally
founded.
POINT TEN: She has a golden cup in her hand. This is the holiest instrument in
Roman Catholicism: the golden chalice of the Eucharist.
POINT ELEVEN: The golden chalice is filled with the filthiness of her
abominations. The Biblical view of the sacrifice of the Mass, the very
heart of Roman Catholicism, and a denial of the completed work of the cross.
Revelation 17:4 reads,
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
.
Jeremiah had said long before the inception of Roman Catholicism,
Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the
earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are
mad
And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains,
and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and
not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts
(Jeremiah 51:7, 57).
All the nations, since their formation at Babel
have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication
(Revelation 17:2). Her outward appearance may appeal to the eye and the lusts
of the flesh, she may have pompous ceremony, intricate rituals and ornate
temples, but they are void of any spiritual truth. She held not any cup, but a
golden cup, outwardly beautiful, so as to deceive the carnal mind,
and cause men to lust, but inside of this cup is poison that will destroy the
souls of those who will try to quench their thirst with her wine.
We do not believe this is a literal cup with real drink to ingest and bread to
eat such as happens at the Mass, even though we believe the spiritual
significance of the Mass is just as deadly. But the cup in her hand is clearly
a metaphor as to what she has to offer. Her cup is full, pretending she can
provide for all our needs, but it is full of those things that will bring
eternal death to the souls of those who would drink at her hand. It is in
contrast to the
cup of salvation
(Psalms 116:13) that the Lord offers to all who will repent and receive Jesus
as Lord and Saviour by faith. Jesus said,
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink
(John 7:37).
POINT TWELVE: The Woman is the Mother of Harlots. Both spiritual
and literal harlots, spawned by the millions.
This woman we believe is the Mother of Harlots from all ages, even before the
Papacy arose to its predominant place within false Christianity. But to exclude
the other 4 billion plus people who adhere to one form or another of false
religion is to sadly misjudge the depth of this great mystery to which we have
been inquiring in this article.
POINT THIRTEEN: The Woman is drunk with the blood of the saints, and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (v. 6). No institution on earth has
more aggressively and consistently slaughtered those who adhered to the Gospel
of Christ.
Again, I believe this is a grave error to exclude those saints that have
suffered martyrdom before the rise of Catholicism, and those saints who have
and are suffering at the hands of Muslims, Hindus, and other of this Harlot's
kindred.
Today there are more martyrs for Jesus Christ than there ever has been.
According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, the Average
Christian Martyrs per year in 1900 was 34,400, in 1970, it was 377,000, in
mid-2000 it was 160,000 and mid-2004 it was 167,000.
However, the greatest persecution is yet to come during the Great Tribulation
when this woman will arise to her predominant place as the center of
Antichrist's New World Order. Many shall be
slain for the word of God, and the testimony which they held
(Revelation 6:9), and will be
beheaded for the witness of Jesus
(Revelation 20:4).
John saw
a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and
kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands
(Revelation 7:9), and he was told,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb
(v. 14).
And they overcame
[Satan]
by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved
not their lives unto the death
(Revelation 12:11).
One need only pick up a copy of the
Martyrs Mirror
, or
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
, to realize that persecution is a great reality apart from the Roman Catholic
Church. Christ offered the Martyr's crown long before the inception of Roman
Catholicism. How many there are who, down through the centuries,
were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder,
were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and
goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not
worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of
the earth
(Hebrews 11:35-38)!
Rome has played its part, but only as one of the siblings of this great whore,
the Mother of Harlots.
POINT FOURTEEN: The figure is a Woman. The central figure of Roman Catholicism
is a woman: a false sinless, perpetually virgin, all-powerful Mary
whom Rome invented and worships.
This has nothing to do with the context of the Scriptures. The woman is a
symbol of a city, not of another Mary that Roman Catholicism has
invented, and is foreign to the Scriptures. The Woman of the Revelation is a
symbol of a great city that has reigned down through history over the kings of
the earth. Her spiritual wickedness has permeated the whole earth to the extent
that all the nations have become mad.
The Mary of Rome is an idol that Roman Catholics venerate as the mother of God.
It too is extremely blasphemous, however, the only relation it has to the
Mother of Harlots, as with all other pagan goddesses, is that it is
false religion that has roots going back to Babel.
Last Update: 11/13/2004