As we can now see, chapters seventeen and eighteen of Revelation provide God’s people with a clear and astonishing spiritual picture of the most dangerous and notorious spiritual criminal of all time. This mortal enemy of both Israel and the Church is not embodied in a single living soul like Nimrod, Jezebel, Goliath, Herod the Great, or even Judas Iscariot, as one might suppose. Even that gallery of spiritual rogues, heinous and notorious as they are in God’s sight, are nothing more than singular expressions of The Great Whore. No, the tentacles of this adversary of Christ reach far beyond the exploits of a single person, or even a solitary movement, group, or religion. She is the witch and seductress that has fomented rebellion and idolatry in a multitude of religious ways and by sordid soulish practices down through the ages. She is the combination of Man’s wandering heart and the Devil’s subtle lies. It is a spiritual force that the book of Revelation labeled ‑ The Great Whore.

The Great Whore proudly wears the blasphemous title MYSTERY, BABYLON, MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. What a graphic picture of the “madam” of Satan’s brothel – the spirit that has given birth and instruction to all the spiritual and religious harlots during the history of mankind. Therefore, we can say she is the mother of all false religions. We have taken a rather somber, but honest, look at the Whore’s activities in the Church, as an enemy from within, as she has sought to mingle paganism with the Gospel and thereby apostatize and dilute Christ’s teachings, hoping to corrupt true believers wherever possible. The sum total of our investigation is that God’s people have always had to fight against apostasy and seduction from The Whore and that she has always tried to destroy them by deceptions from within. We discovered her origins by looking at the book of Genesis and giving due regard to documented history. We unearthed her beginnings and growth and we discussed the stranglehold she has gained over the souls of men. Proving her existence and effect on the world has been a necessary prelude to under­standing all that is said in the sprawling chapters of seventeen and eighteen. We must keep the last three chapters of our study in mind as we head into a full and orderly analysis of the two chapters which deal with this great menace.

The Great Whore Indicted For Her Crimes

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
   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.” Rev 17:1-2

Just as under the law, there must be due cause for an indictment to be rendered, so God states the charges against The Whore before announcing her sentence and judgment. At the beginning of chapter 17 of Revelation, two specific accusations against The Great Whore are leveled. The first charge is that she has committed fornication with the kings of the earth. The strict Biblical definition of fornication is: the act of sexual relations between unmarried partners. In the spiritual realm, fornication is always symbolic of idolatry which is spiritual adultery. It implies that this woman is married to one god, but is having illicit affairs with other deities. It is spiritual whoredom and, frankly, this is why God calls her a whore. This woman, this great whore, therefore, is “in bed” with the leaders and gods of this world. She has been in collusion with the leaders of the earth. She has lusted after political power and worldly gain.

The second charge against her is one that is most incredible and may have caused John’s initial reaction of disbelief. She stands accused of making the inhabitants of the earth drunk on her heresies, lies, deceptions, and incredulous heresies. By means of her affairs and ties with this world, she has seduced the world by the “wine of her fornication”. As for her infection of the Church with bogus doctrines of child baptism, lurid theologies of communion, an array of blasphemous doctrines of sacraments, pagan ideals of purgatory and heaven and setting up a system of ‘saints’ that are crafted after mythological glories with reckoned powers of Greek and Roman Gods, she has made the earth’s religions, including Christianity, drunk and, therefore, out of touch with spiritual reality. The World has been blinded by The Whore.

It was declared in the Book of Romans chapter one, the World is void of knowledge about its Creator.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
   Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
   Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
   Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:
   Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Rom 1:20-25

This has been the fruit and desire of her work throughout the ages. She has labored to make the inhabitants of the earth drunk on her lies, promises, and deceptions. A drunk cannot see clearly, think clearly, or walk without stumbling. A drunk is not in touch with reality; he is numb in body, soul, and spirit. A drunk loves foolishness and strife. All this is true in the flesh, and even more true with spiritual drunkenness, for it is in the spirit that she has made people drunk. She has used religion to keep them out of touch with God’s reality, His Gospel of Truth. Her wine of religious deceit has caused believers to replace truth with lies. The world is as a falling down drunk. The world cannot see God clearly, cannot hear him, cannot stand in His presence, cannot be filled with the Spirit. Instead, the people of the world are drunken with the spirit of the world. They are intoxicated with the “wine” of idolatry and self-conceit. A favorite tactic of The Whore has been to build bogus religious traditions in the Church which have made “the word of God of none effect.” Jesus exposed the Pharisees on this whorish practice.

The Whore has shown the people of the world how to make gods in their own image and how to fashion them after their own imaginations, while making them look like they are worshiping the one true God. Man has learned that if the God they worship is the one of their own creation they can do whatever they want to do without fear of contradiction. They are drunk on the God-given right of freedom of choice and they choose to make their own god. Anyone who has ever dealt with a drunk or tried to get through to one knows how utterly useless it is to even try. The only thing one can do is wait for them to sober up and hope to talk some sense into them. The world has become addicted to The Whore’s intoxicating “wine of fornication“. She has shown them the way to “worship and serve the creature, more than the Creator. “

The Evidence Against The Whore

“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.
   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: And upon her forehead was a name written,
   MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Rev 17:3‑5

If it is true that we are known by the company we keep then we get a good idea of the character of The Great Whore by the nature of her accomplices. In the next three verses we discover that The Whore is riding on, of all things, The Antichrist. They are not in competition with one another as much as they are in collusion with one another. She rides upon its power and influence to make herself both influential and powerful. Down through history they have used one another. She can clearly see the Antichrist’s blasphemous claims for they are written all over the scarlet colored beast. The Beast has the same seven heads and ten horns as the beast seen in Revelation thirteen and the book of Daniel. We know this must be the Antichrist. But we do not have to speculate on that for the angel will shortly tell John exactly what the beast, the seven heads, the ten horns and the waters on which they all sit, represent.

Contrast To The Sun‑Clad Woman In Revelation Chapter Twelve
Because The Whore sits astride The Beast we begin to understand that she is no victim. Her harlotry and fornication is no accident. She has not been seduced herself, she is the seductress. She is appareled in rich clothes and with gifts from all her unholy suitors. The cup of gold in her hand is a well-known and documented ancient symbol of idolatry harking back to the fertility goddesses of Nimrod’s religion and the ancient religions of Egypt, Assyria, Greece and Rome. The Bible says that it is full of abominable things and all sorts of filthiness. This is the filthiness of her outrageous mystery rites, complete with the debauched practices of a lewd and unholy priesthood. This cup of abomination is filled with the worship of the work of men’s hands and every silly misconception about God since the beginning of time. In this cup is every imaginable spiritual perversion: idolatry, pride, spiritual adultery, sorcery and blasphemy. The appearance, apparel and spirit of this woman is in marked contrast to another woman of which we became familiar in chapter twelve – the one clothed in the sun. They both are seen in the “wilderness” which is reflective of their spiritual character and place in religion. They are both in peril because they are in the “wilderness”. One however, is protected by God and the other, The Great Whore is in jeopardy and will meet a damnable fate in the wilderness, betrayed by her treacherous allies. One is standing on the moon, the symbol of darkness, having won a victory over the forces of evil. The other rides on The Beast, the very personification of evil and rebellion against all that is righteous and godly. In nearly every way the two women of Revelation are the exact opposite of each other. Gordon Lindsay in Vol. 13 of his series on Revelation details nine separate counts in which these two symbolic women differ as follows.

In all ways these two women contrast one another. The Sun‑clothed Woman represents the true Church‑Israel, while Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots is the progenitor of all that is false in the Church.

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Prime Contrasts of Sun-Clad Woman and Mystery Babylon

1. Both women have children. The first brought forth the Man-child who is to rule the nations. The second is the “mother of harlots and abominations of the earth”. 

2. Both are dressed with attire that marks attention. One is clothed with the Sunlight of heaven. The other is decked in purple and scarlet and the gaudy jewels of the earth. 

3. Both are in a position of influence and power. One has the moon under her feet and wears a crown of twelve stars. The other rides the Seven‑headed Beast. 

4. Both have great adversaries. One has the Dragon standing before her ready to devour her Man-child when it is born. The ten kings of the Beast turn against the Harlot and destroy her and “burn her flesh with fire“.

5. The first is a holy, virtuous woman. The other is a harlot and mother of harlots.

6. One is hated by the ruling powers of earth. The other is loved and courted by the world.

7. The one is sustained by the wings of an eagle. The other is supported and carried by the Beast Power. 

8. The one gives birth to the Man-child who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. The other is the oppressor of the righteous, and is drunken with the “blood of the prophets and the saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.”

9. One enters the New Jerusalem where she makes her home for eternity. The other comes under the wrath of God and goes down into the night of perdition. The two women may be said to be set as rivals in history and prophecy. Their interpretation in prophecy must have a corresponding relation. As the Sun‑clothed woman is the true Church, the Church of all dispensation of both Old and New Testament times, so this rival is as it were the Bride of the devil, embodying all that is devilish and sensual.

Her Title Reveals Her Works.
In chapter eighteen we are sternly warned by God to get away from The Whore or we, too, will partake of her judgment. The Great Whore’s title offers us clues why we should refrain from any flirtation with her. MYSTERY: the first part of her name written on her forehead, refers to her roots both before and after the Flood when secret initiation rites were used to entice mankind into believing in false divinities and to worship the creature rather than the Creator. The relationship with Mary is a fine example of this “mystery” among believers. Believers claim they do not worship Mary, but they go to her, pray to her, revere her, and trust in her for their every need. They exalt her above God in practice and yet “mysteriously” worship only God. They believe in the mystery of the Immaculate Conception and her miraculous Assumption into heaven, making her divine in every way, but they claim it is not worship – it is, however, a mystery. BABYLON: the second part of the name, has its beginnings in Nimrod’s Babylon, the ruler of the world, the framer of the collusion between Antichrist government and man-made religion.THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH:, the third part of her name, speaks of the many offspring that have come out of Nimrod’s Mystery Babylon system. Wherever religion has gone Mystery Babylon has moved in with her seduction and spirit of fornication to make the true believers (and potential true believers) confused and drunken by the lure of her fornicating ways. Whether it has been the mythological paganism of Scandinavia, India, Egypt, Greece or Rome; the polytheism of the Hindus; or Mariology in Christianity, she has been the fountainhead of abominations and the mother of these different harlots.

She Has Her Accomplices

“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.” Rev 17:7

The angel presenting the vision noticed that John was amazed and overwhelmed by what the picture of this extremely evil woman who represents the false Church meant. But the angel quickly reassured John and told him not to worry because he was about to show him exactly what all the symbols meant.

She Rides On the Eight Antichrist Kingdoms

“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.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
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.
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” Rev 17:8‑11

The angel has given us a brief history of the Antichrist for a particular purpose. God wants to show us that The Whore has ridden on The Beast from her inception. This is a picture of the two at the very end when they are ripe for judgment, but it also tells us of their age-old relationship. The world will be in awe of the Antichrist who will be dealt a mortal wound in the head (ch.13) yet is brought back to life. The Whore, which could be labeled as noted author Arthur Bloomfield does, The Anti Church, will be right at his side. It is probable that the False Prophet will somehow rise out of this ecumenical church that has embraced every form of idolatry from Hinduism to Spiritualism to all forms and denominations of so‑called Christianity. This One World Church will be like the Laodicean Church, lukewarm and thinking itself rich and in need of nothing.

The angel then gives John a riddle saying that it will take a mind with wisdom to understand its meaning. We are told that the seven heads of The Beast represent seven kingdoms, or kings. The angel discloses that five are already come and gone, the sixth was presently in power, and the seventh is yet to be. But we are not told who those kingdoms are. For that under­standing and wisdom we must employ our knowledge of the Scriptures. In the book of Daniel and in other places we have been told who these kingdoms are. The first kingdom is found in Genesis ten and eleven when we are told of Nimrod’s kingdom which reached up and down the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys. The second is Egypt (its story is in Exodus), the kingdom that withstood Moses, and first utilized the religious institutions of Mystery Babylon. The next four are revealed in Daniel and as we saw early in our study are: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. The seventh is the kingdom of the ten kings also revealed in Daniel and confirmed in Revelation. We are told that this kingdom will last only a short time before it gives its power willingly to the Antichrist’s final powerful kingdom which is the eighth. As we have before proved, this seventh kingdom is a revived Roman Empire. The eighth kingdom is of the seventh because it is built on the foundation of the kingdom of the ten kings. It is a simple riddle if we know Scripture and Biblical prophecy.

The Antichrist and Ten Kings Make War With The Lamb

“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.
   These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
   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.” Rev 17:12‑14

When the ten kings actually rise to power (probably a world-wide confederacy with Europe and the European Community being a forerunner of things to come) they will quickly give their power over to their cham­pion, the Antichrist. If we have ever wondered why the world and the Antichrist would ever go to Armageddon and what they could possibly hope to accomplish there the question is answered beyond any doubt for us now. The world, the ten kings and the Antichrist come to Armageddon with one common bond: to “make war with the Lamb“. But God instantly reassures us that He will overcome them. Those that are with Him at that time will be the ones that were not only called and chosen, but also faithful to be obedient to His voice. These will be the ones who heeded the message of prophecy and looked for the day of their deliverance. These are the ones who walked as pilgrims and sojourners. Some will have given their life that they might find it. Others will have appeared to be last even among the Church, but will be proven to be first in God’s eyes. The ten kings and the Antichrist will hold absolute power over the souls of men, and The Great Whore will be the force that pulls them into their clutches. The called and chosen and faithful will be the ones who hold sway with God and the Lamb.

The Waters are the Whole World

“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Rev 17:15

If there remained any doubt as to how much turf The Great Whore covered there should be none now. She sits on the waters of the whole earth. This is a familiar expression in the Bible to denote the people of the entire earth. Revelation thirteen has already used the expression to show that the Antichrist has worldwide acceptance and appeal.

The Political Powers of Antichrist Turn On Her

“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.
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.”Rev 17:16,17

For the first time we get an indication of her judgment. Ironically it will be meted out by her so‑called ally, the ten kings. There has always been a love‑hate relationship between the forces of religion and secular powers. In the end the truth will come out that the kings and the worldly powers have always resented The Whore’s constant meddling in their business and her attempts to impose her will on them. The Whore’s final demise will begin by her being betrayed by the Antichrist kingdom . They will take away her authority and all her property and instead of being rich, she will suddenly become naked and destitute. Her churches and retreat houses will be burned, her assets confiscated. Her priests and officials, and any others who object, will be executed. All pretense of following the Lamb or being Christian will be dropped. The False Prophet will announce a new religion with the Antichrist as God. The New Trinity will be The Dragon, The Beast and The False Prophet.

Identified Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Rev 17:18

As if God is acting as a prosecuting attorney He has built his case against the defendant and then suddenly turns to the defendant and identifies her as the perpetrator of every crime and unlawful act listed in the charges. Without warning, we find out that the finger of God is pointing at a city. This city must embody the heart and soul of this spirit of adultery and idolatrous worship. What city can be identified with religion in these end times but Rome? – the leader of the whoredoms of the earth that is renown for its control of kings and nations. For centuries the Papacy in Rome ruled over the crowned heads of Europe. Dynasties were raised on the support of Popes. Kingdoms were divided by the decree of Rome. She controlled governments in South America and all over the new world. There is always a debate about whether this refers to Rome or Babylon itself. Now we will take a look at what God means by identifying the Great Whore as a city and we will closely analyze chapter eighteen in which the Fall of Babylon, with all its repercussions for the world and the faithful, is recorded by the vision given to John. We will take a look at the prevalent and popular teachings of prophecy and see how they stand up to the simple truth of God’s holy word in Revelation.

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Note
A Historical foreshadowing of the Antichrist’s betrayal of the Whore is well displayed in the story of Napoleon’s coronation as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The Pope was summoned to crown Napoleon in St. Peter’s at Rome but just as the Pope was about to lay the crown on Bonaparte’s head Napoleon seized it and crowned himself. Within hours he had confiscated Papal lands, deposed the Pope and rushed him off to imprisonment in a local bell tower.