According to the Scriptures"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)


Fourteen Points Identifying
Mystery Babylon

By Noel Chartier


Prolific author and defender of the faith, Dave Hunt has written many books dealing with the Christian faith, primarily to correct error in the church. He has a ministry called The Berean Call , which he has taken from Acts 17:11 that states, “These [the people of Berea] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Dave always challenges his hearers with this Scripture, not to take his preaching at face value but to be like the Bereans, whom doctor Luke commended for “search [ing] the Scriptures daily” to see if the teachings of the apostle Paul lined up with God's Word.

It is with this challenge that we will examine Dave Hunt's postulation concerning the identity of the woman of Revelation 17, with the name written on her forehead, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5).

Throughout Dave's writings and preaching ministry, he repeatedly describes “Fourteen Identifying Characteristics” that we can use to identify whom or what this woman represents. Dave makes no bones about his belief, that this Woman represents the Roman Catholic Church. In his book entitled, “A Woman Rides the Beast”, he puts forth his case to support his conviction.

While we would commend Dave in his effort to compile an accurate history of the Roman Catholic Church, with her many damnable heresies, we believe he has mistaken one of the Woman's children for the MOTHER. A child may bear the same characteristics as their mother, however they are individual entities and should not be confused. The woman described in Revelation 17 is the “ MOTHER OF HARLOTS”, and is the matriarch of ALL those who have abandon the one true God and Creator.

We will do as Dave suggests, and analyze his fourteen point criteria with the Scriptures to see if Roman Catholicism is the perfect match in identifying “The Woman who rides the Beast”. However, we believe the Scriptures, when taken literally (as they should be), clearly point out that this woman is a symbol, not of Roman Catholicism, but to a “great city” whose antiquity stretches back to a time shortly after the Genesis Flood, whose impact profoundly changed the course of history up to our present day.

The small booklet entitled, “The Kingdom of Blood”, summarizes Dave's “14 Points of Identification” (p. 28-30), and it is this booklet that we will use to evaluate Dave's teaching regarding the identity of this “woman”.

Point One: “She is a City. (17:18).”

Revelation 17:18 reads, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” After John was given a graphic illustration of this woman, the angel told him, “I will tell thee the mystery of the woman” (v. 7). We must point out that the word “Revelation” comes from the Greek word apokalupsis , which means unveiling or revealing of those things that were at one time concealed, but here the angel says he will now unveil the mystery surrounding this woman.

We should also take note that when the word “mystery” is used in the New Testament, it is in relation to some great doctrine not clearly taught in the Old Testament. These great truths were hidden or kept secret from the foundation of the world until the revelation of Jesus Christ, such as, the translation and rapture of the saints (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, 1Thessalonians 4:15-18), the mystery of Christ, that is, the uniting of Jew and Gentile in the body of Christ (Ephesians 3:1-9), the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11), the mystery of Israel's blindness and the salvation of the Gentiles (Romans 11), the indwelling Christ (Colossians 1:26-27), and the manifestation of God in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16), etc..

On this point we have no disagreement with Dave, for the Scriptures clearly reveal that this woman is a symbol of a “great city”. Our point of contention however, is the identity of the great city this woman represents. Dave believes that the city is Rome which he translates into the Roman Catholic Church. As with all the other mysteries in the New Testament, we believe the Revelation makes it quite plain within the context of the Scriptures as to what city she signifies and it definitely can not be Rome as we will see.

Point Two: “The city sits on seven hills (v. 9).”

Here we run into some major problems. Verse 9 reads, “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains , on which the woman sitteth.” Dave has chosen to exchange the word “mountain” for the word “hill” which is not in the text. The word “mountains” , in this verse is translated from the Greek word “oros”. The word hill however is usually translated from the Greek word “bounos”. For example, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain [Gr. oros] and hill [Gr. bounos] shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth” (Luke 3:5).

In the Encyclopedia Britannica, Rome is identified as, “The city of the seven hills, of treasures and tourists…” (Vol. 26, p. 980). In Compton's Encyclopedia, under the heading ROME, it says, “The city … spreads over the low Seven Hills … in altitude from about 40 feet above sea level to about 270 feet” (Vol. 21, p. 249).

These seven hills are the Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and the Aventine. However, Rome has many other hills such as the Pincian Hill, the Janiculum Hill, Velia Hill, and of course, the famous Vatican Hill where the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church are located in Vatican City. However, we should take note that Vatican Hill was never considered one of the “seven hills of Rome”.

Now, there is a great difference between a hill and a mountain, that being of size, but in the Scriptures, a mountain is always symbolic of a kingdom or government (Isaiah 2:2; 13:1-2; 40:4, Daniel 2:34-35, Jeremiah 51:24-25, Zechariah 4:7, Micah 4:1-2).

Now this woman was seen sitting on a beast that had seven heads. But John was also told, “The seven heads are [Gr. “eisi”] seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are [Gr. “eisi”, translated at least 23 times as “they are” or usually just “are” , 135 times] seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come” (Revelation 17:9-10).

If we keep our text inside of context, we will clearly see that the seven “mountains” on which the woman sits “are” seven kings or kingdoms of history past, present and future. In the context, the mountains are not to be taken literally, nor are they "hills", but are a symbol representing kingdoms. This woman, we are told, “is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18), “…five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come” (v. 10). It should be noted, that if five of these kings were already fallen when John wrote the Revelation, it would indisputably disqualify the Roman Catholic Church, for she did not even exist when John wrote the Revelation and therefore could not reign over them.

Point Three: “On her forehead is her name: Mystery, Babylon. Babylon is a code word for Rome.”

Babylon is referred to in the book of the Revelation as an actual city, not just a symbol, and there is no reason to believe it is other than literal Babylon. The woman is a symbol of a city, and that great city we are told is Babylon. In fact, Babylon is referred to as “that great city” six times (Rev. 14:8; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 19, 21), “Babylon the great” twice (Revelation 17:5; 18:2), “great Babylon” (Rev. 16:19) once and “this great city” (Rev. 18:18) once.

Rome is never mentioned in the book of the Revelation. If John meant Rome he would have identified Rome just as Paul wrote in his epistle, “to all that be in Rome” (Romans 1:7). But inscribed on the whores forehead was the name written, “BABYLON THE GREAT” and John clearly tells us that the woman is THAT great city” (Revelation 17:18), “that great city Babylon, that mighty city!” (Revelation 18:10)

We would have to spiritualize the Scriptures rather than taking a literal interpretation to come up with Rome (much like some who have said that the Church is now Israel). As well, there is nothing to substantiate, as some have professed, that “Babylon” was a “code word” used to identify Rome (p. 68, “A Woman rides the Beast”, by Dave Hunt). Peter's referral to the “church at Babylon” (1 Peter 5:13) was to the Christian Church that was established in Babylonia. There is no reason or precedent to believe otherwise.

Point Four: “She is “the great whore…with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication…” (v. 2). This is spiritual fornication. The only city that qualifies—conspicuously—is the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church. The ecumenical movement: in 1986, Pope John II gathered in Assisi, Italy, the leaders of the world's major religions to pray for peace: snake worshippers, fire worshippers, spiritists, animists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and North American Indian witch doctors. All to the “same God.””

We would like to point out that the Pope and his assembly of “snake worshippers, fire worshippers, spiritists, animists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and North American Indian witch doctors” do not constitute the “kings of the earth”. As we have indicated earlier, in the context of the chapter, these kings clearly represent seven Gentile kingdoms throughout history . We were told, of these seven, “five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come” (Revelation 17:10). Historically, five had already fallen by the time John wrote the Revelation. These were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and the Grecian empires. One existed, which was Rome, and the other was yet future. It would therefore be impossible for Rome to be the Mother of Harlots for she did not exist before the five that were fallen, and therefore could not reign over them.

This “great city” (woman) is also called “the great whore” . The word “whore” comes from the Greek word “porne” which is also similar to “pornos” and “porneia” which is to commit fornication. She is the great fornicator and, “All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her” (Revelation 18:3, Jeremiah 51:7). In a spiritual sense this would refer to anyone who worships or serves other “gods” rather than the one true God and Creator.

The Scriptures indicate that she represents something much more ancient and larger than Rome, for she is the “MOTHER” of all religion that has departed from the One True God and Creator. Roman Catholicism clearly does not fit the description as the “mother of harlots” (all false religions), but rather, she is just one of the many harlots, bearing resemblance to her great mother Babylon. She may call herself a Christian, but her apparel and doctrine unmistakably reveal whose daughter she truly is.

All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” . If we would remember history aright, it was at Babel where the nations were initially formed. When God confused the speech of those rebels and scattered them upon the face of the whole earth, they became the Gentile nations and brought with them their false religion. Each family then, became a nation with their own distinct language, however they were the offspring of the spiritual fornication committed at Babel.

This woman has truly spawned the religion of the nations that have departed from the one true God and Creator. Roman Catholicism claims to have a billion members, but there are over 6 billion people in the world and other religious groups are just as large if not larger such as Islam and Hinduism. There are also many other religious harlots that number in the millions such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Animism, etc. Whether they understand it or not, all their roots go back to Babel.

Year: 1900 1970 mid-2000 mid-2004
GLOBAL POPULATION BY RELIGION      
Total of all distinct organized religions 1,000 6,000 9,900 10,600
Christians (total all kinds) 558,131,000 1,234,431,000 1,999,514,000 2,090,763,000
Roman Catholics 266,547,000 665,477,000 1,056,189,000 1,101,930,000
Muslims 199,914,000 547,979,000 1,185,920,000 1,271,884,000
Hindus 203,003,000 462,523,000 803,594,000 841,078,000
Nonreligious 3,024,000 532,344,000 762,132,000 774,800,000
Chinese universists 380,006,000 231,865,000 390,735,000 400,600,000
Buddhists 127,077,000 232,561,000 363,964,000 376,574,000
Atheists 226,000 165,391,000 148,055,000 149,564,000
New-Religionists 5,951,000 78,323,000 104,066,000 106,937,000
Ethnoreligionists 117,558,000 162,917,000 237,023,000 242,882,000
Sikhs 2,962,000 10,618,000 23,258,000 24,402,000
Jews 12,292,000 15,097,000 14,564,000 14,956,000
Non-Christians 1,061,494,000 2,456,493,000 4,057,201,000 4,273,554,000

Source: International Bulletin of Missionary Research


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

There are 6 comments
Charity – New York
December 05, 2021 - 00:43

I agree with you I can not be with hardly anyone for Bible studies its so hard to find a church pastor or individual brothers an sisters that will stop this nonsense we are not Babylon its insane how everyone I know pretty much is so full of this arrogance that does not come from the lord, absolutely maddening so to speak god bless you Im so delighted to see I am not alone others also see the Bible an what it really says

no-name
February 01, 2014 - 13:32

Hello,

Thanks for the article. A point, however:

Muslims do not worship The Black Stone. Idolatry is forbidden. I may not be accurate or be in fact wrong about the following, but that is the information I have and it is helpful and better than nothing:

1) They believe that the stone was sent to earth by God.

2) They use it to count the times they circumambulate the Kabba, they also used to touch and kiss it, but now it is inside a casing or something, and not possible.

3) There is a story in Shiite Islams, and in it the second caliph, Omar, when performing the Hajj ritual touches (and maybe kisses the Stone), and says: I know you are just a stone and cannot benefit me, and I would not do this if it had not been for the fact that I saw the Prophet do the same thing. At this point, Ali, the later-fourth-caliph and the first Shiite Imam, says that the ritual concerning the Stone is the repitition of the vow of monothesim to God, and the Stone will bear witness to that on the Day of Judgment.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for the article again.

God bless you.

(again, sorry for the fake email)

Hidden in plain sight – USA
February 28, 2013 - 21:10

Great articles & very eye opening. I agree with you on most points. I have one problem that I am trying to figure out & maybe you could give some insight.
Revelation 18:24
In her was found the blood of prophets and of Gods people indeed,of all who have ever been slaughtered on earth.
Matthew 23:35-37
On you the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zachariah whom you murdered will fall on this generation! Jerusalem,Jerusalem! You kill the prophets........
Is Jerusalem tied to Babylon the Great, and could she be the Great city?

Thank you

Reply to Hidden in plain sight
Noel
March 01, 2013 - 08:26

The angel of the Revelation says, "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman", and clearly reveals that the woman represents that great city Babylon. This woman's cup was full of blood and abominations wherewith she was drunk. (Rev. 17:4, 6). We must remember the greater historical context. When God destroyed the world with a mountain covering Flood in the days of Noah, the human race was given a fresh start with Noah and his three sons repopulating the earth. Not long after the Flood there was another great rebellion at Babel (Babylon). This time God came down and judged the newly formed population confusing their language and scattered them throughout the whole earth. The important part to remember is that when they were dispersed throught the world in their new languages they formed the nations of the world, and brought with them those terrible philosophies (religious and political) of Babel throughout the whole earth. In effect, Babylon became "the Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (Rev. 17:5). She produced this terrible spawn and now it was spread throughout the whole world in the nations that were formed by those language groups which in essence became little colonies of Babel.

Babylon thereby became the mother of all false religion and philosohy against the Creator. Whom she could not decieve and corrupt she would persecute and slay. So when she becomes a predominant city again in the last days, it is no wonder why she is judged by God, for "in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth" (Rev. 18:4). She filled the earth with her abominations. Jerusalem also fell prey and became guilty of adopting the false religious tenents of this world and became an accomplice and guilty of the blood of the saints as Jesus said. However, Jerusalem in not Babylon, just another pawn in this harlots web of deceit.

Reply to Hidden in plain sight
Hidden in plain sight – USA
March 01, 2013 - 19:35

Thank you for the quick response. Also was praying about this little piece of the puzzle. That it can't be Jerusalem since Yeshua will rule from Jerusalem according to Zechariah 14. Wheras Babylon is completely wiped out like Sodom according to scripture. It's weird how one scripture was holding me back from being totally convinced on who she is. Keep up the good work and for fighting for the truth of Gods holy Word.

Shalom

D.S. – usa
November 24, 2012 - 15:53

All of your articles/teachings on this topic "Babylon" are absolutely mind-blowingly accurate and "spot on!" At last, a biblically sound and at the same time, easy to follow, revelation of this often misinterpreted subject! Bravo! Hats off to you Noel Chartier! I've heard many forced interpretations, like America is Babylon. America also was NOT around when John wrote the book of Revelation, nor did he have her in mind. Most Americans are so arrogant, they just can't fathom that the Almighty doesn't have much to say about America in the Bible. So, they make up something "tickling" to their ego's. Thanks so much for clearing up this matter for me. God richly bless you my brother in Christ!
Deborah

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