Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Let's remember that a "woman" - "her" can most definitely
refer to "a church" - Revelation 12 and the "woman" - there is
the true Church of God.
Here in Revelation 17, we have "the great whore" - "woman" -
"the mother of..."
Obvious this is not "the true Church of God." Let's look at
some important phrases connected with the "woman" - this church.
She sits on many "waters" - verse 1; (meaning given in verse 15) -
many people, nations, and tongues. The kings of the earth have
been in bed with her (verse 2). The inhabitants of the earth have
been made "drunk" with her wine (looks kinda nice in the glass)
she pours out (verse 2). She is very rich in a physical way
(verse 4).
The woman is "drunk with the blood of the saints" - verse 6.
She sits on seven mountains (verse 10). The woman is "the great
city, which reigns over the kings of the earth (verse 18). In
chapter 18, this woman, this "her" - is obviously also an
"empire" indeed in a literal way as well, certainly at the time
of the end she is. It was through her"sorceries" that all nations
were deceived (chap.18:23). And once more in "her" was found the
blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all (the context is true
saints) that were slain while she lived and was in domineering
power (chap.18:24).
Add it all up, put it all together, use some common logic,
as we look at "woman" church history.
Is this the Church of God, Seventh Day? Did that "church" do
the above mentioned things? No, I do not think so. It this the
Baptist "churches" - did they do the above mentioned character
functions in their history? Is this the Pentecostal "churches" -
can you list them with the things done in Revelation chapters 17
and 18? Is this the Assemblies of God? Is this the Church of Jesus
Christ and Latter Day Saints (the Mormons)? Is this the Jehovah
Witnesses? Is this the Presbyterians? How about the chapters 17
and 18 being the Seventh Day Adventist church? Maybe chapter 17
and 18 is speaking about the Lutheran church. I DO NOT THINK SO!
You can go down through all the "Seventh Day" observing churches
and all the "Sunday observing" churches in the Yellow Pages, and
I do not think you will tie any of them with Revelation 17 and 18
....
EXCEPT ONE CHURCH ORGANIZATION.
There has been and can ONLY BE ONE church that meets ALL
that is mentioned in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. A church that
sits on MANY waters, many peoples, nations, and tongues. A church
that has political connections with "kings" and other high
ranking world leaders. A church that does have WORLDWIDE
influence that can and has made the inhabitants of the earth
drunk in many ways. A church that has and does have great
physical wealth and has had "nations" of physical riches under its
control, hence an "empire" that influenced the world and nations
in many physical ways, from beliefs, to religion, to
philosophies, to government laws, to even war. A church that has
in its history the real facts of killing "Christians" that
differed with it, the blood of saints on its hands, in a very
literal way. A church that has in many ways "reigned over the
kings of the earth" and done it from having its own very real
city within a city. A city that with the head of that church in
that city, could decreed, order, have authoritative influence
over even kings and governments, to do the "churches" biding.
In all of the last 2,000 years, since Jesus ascended back to
heaven, there has been ONLY ONE "woman" - ONE "church" that can
answer to all that is written about it in Revelation 17 and 18.
And that ONE church is the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH of the city of
Rome!!
It is NOT POSSIBLE that ANY OTHER church could fulfil all
that is said about it in those two chapter of Revelation. There
is not ANY OTHER church that is large enough, wealthy enough,
POWERFUL enough, sitting on many nations and tongues, having
kings and governments influenced or directing controlled by it,
and that also has a MASSIVE history of KILLING other saints or
Christians. There can ONLY BE ONE church that has ever been since
Christ, or is today, that answers to all the points given in
Revelation 17 and 18. And this church is, I repeat, the Roman
Catholic church - the Papacy!
This is so obviously true that just about all of your "old"
(not sure what the new ones have to say) Protestant Bible
Commentaries AGREE that chapter 17 is talking about the Papacy,
the Church of Rome.
I give you some of the comments of ALBERT BARNES, from
"Notes on the New Testament" - one of the most popular and best
selling Bible Commentaries of all time.
Quote:
OF THE GREAT WHORE. It is not uncommon in the Scriptures to
represent a city under the image of a woman ... In verse 18 of
this chapter it is expressly said that "this woman is the great
city that reigneth over the kings of the earth" - that is, as I
supposed, Papal Rome; and design here is to represent it as
resembling an abandoned female - fit representative of an
apostate, corrupt, unfaithful church...
THAT SITTETH ON MANY WATERS. An image drawn from either Babylon,
situated on the Euphrates ... or Rome, situated on the Tiber. In
verse 15, these waters are said to represent the people,
multitudes, nations, and tongues over which the government
symbolized by the woman, ruled.
WITH WHOM THE KINGS OF THE EARTH HAVE COMMITTED FORNICATION.
Spiritual adultery. The meaning is, that Papal Rome, unfaithful
to God, and idolatrous and corrupt, has seduced the rulers of the
earth, and led them into the same kind of unfaithfulness,
idolatry, and corruption....How true this is history need not be
stated. All the princes and kinds in the dark ages and for many
centuries were, and not a few of them are now, entirely under the
influence of Papal rome.
AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH HAVE BEEN MADE DRUNK WITH THE
WINE OF HER FORNICATION. The alluring cup which as a harlot she
had extended to them....that is, they had been, as it were,
intoxicated by the alluring cup she held out to them. What could
better describe the influence of Rome on the people of the world,
in making them, under these delusions, incapable of sober
judgment, and in completely fascinating and controlling all their
power.... AND I SAW A WOMAN. Evidently the same which is referred
to in verse 1.
SIT UPON A SCARLET COVERED BEAST....The word "scarlet" denoted a
bring red color - brighter that crimson, which is a red color
tinged with blue....The color was obtained from a small insect
which was found adhering to the shoots of a species of oak in
Spain and Western Asia....It is applicable in the description of
Papal Rome, because this is a favorite color there. Thus it is
used in chapter 12:3, where the same power (the one behind the
power - Keith Hunt) is represented under the image of a "red
dragon." ....
It is remarkable that nothing would better represent the favorite
color at Rome than this, or the actual appearance of the Pope,
the Cardinals, and the Priests in their robes, on some great
festival occasion. Those who are familiar with the descriptions
given of Papal Rome by travellers, and those who have passed much
time in Rome, will see at once the propriety of this description,
on the supposition that was intended to refer to the Papacy. I
caused this inquiry to be made of an intelligent gentleman who
had passed much time in Rome - without his knowing my design -
what would strike a stranger on visiting Rome, or what would be
likely particularly to arrest the attention as remarkable there;
and he unhesitantly replied, "the scarlet color." This is the
color of the dress of the Cardinals - their hats, and cloaks, and
stockings being always of this color. It is the color of the
carriages of the Cardinals, the entire body of the carriage being
scarlet, and the trappings of the horses the same. On occasion of
public festivals and processions, scarlet is suspended from the
windows of the houses along which processions pass. The inner
color of the cloak of the Pope is scarlet; his carriage is
scarlet; the carpet on which he treads is scarlet. A large part
of the dress of the body-guard of the Pope is scarlet....(of
course today the Papacy does not use carriages and horse, but
"scarlet" color is still used. Here Barnes is pointing out that
in his day - middle 1800s - scarlet was greatly used by
the Papacy - Keith Hunt)......
I conclude, therefore, that if it be admitted that it was
intended to represent Papal Rome in the vision, the precise
description would have bee adopted which is found here.
FULL OF NAMES OF BLASPHEMY. All covered over with blasphemous
titles and names. What could more accurately describe Papal Rome
than this?.....
AND I SAW THE WOMAN DRUNKEN WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS.....The
meaning here is, that the persecuting power referred to had shed
the blood of the saints; and that, in its fury, it had, as it
were, drunk the blood of the saints, and had become, by drinking
that blood, intoxicated and infuriated. No one need say how
applicable this has been to the Papacy.....
AND WITH THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS OF JESUS....The meaning is,
that the warfare in which so much blood was shed was directed
against the saints as such ... and deserved to be called, by way
of eminence, martyrs....How applicable this is to the Papacy, let
the blood shed in the valleys of Piedmont; the blood shed in the
Low Countries by the Duke of Alva; the blood shed on
St.Bartholomew's day; and the blood shed in the "Inquisition,"
testify......
SEVEN HEADS ARE SEVEN MOUNTAINS. Referring undoubtedly to Rome -
the seven-hilled-city.....(more that just interesting that Rome
is built on seven hills - Keith Hunt)......
There can be no doubt that this refers to Rome - either Pagan,
Christian, or Papal. All the circumstances combine in this; all
respectable interpreters agree in this. This would be naturally
understood by the symbols used by John, and by the explanations
furnished by the angel. See verse 18. "And the woman which you
saw is that great city. which reigneth over the kings of the
earth." Every circumstance combines here in leading to the
conclusion that Rome is intended. There was no other power or
empire on the earth to which this could be properly applied;
there was everything in the circumstance of the writer to lead to
suppose that this was referred to; there is an utter
impossibility now in applying the description to anything
else......
End Quote
The notes of Barnes on these chapters are very extensive and
detailed. I have only reproduced a fraction of his notes, in his
Bible Commentary.
As Barnes came to conclude, as I have concluded from all the
natural and historic evidence, when you take all the facts and
all the verses on this "woman" that rides the "beast" - the woman
that guides and rules over nations, peoples, and kings, and the
woman that has killed the saints, has blood on her hands, there is
ONLY ONE possibility as to who she is - THE MIGHTY ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH - THE PAPACY!!
She sat on a "beast" - the secular/political/military
machine of the Roman Empire, that had seven heads, or seven Holy
Roman Empire resurrection. The SEVENTH resurrection is YET TO
COME! It will be the very last religious/political/military power
of Rome. Out of this NOW UNITED Europe, there will be TEN kings
or governments that will give their undivided mind and strength
and power to this end-time MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT. They shall
try to FIGHT Jesus, the Lamb on His return to earth (verses
10-14).
And these same ten horns will finally come to see that the
woman whore, is just that, she is a spiritual whore, she does not
represent in any form, Jesus the Christ, she has been a false
church, a deceiving church, a corrupt church, a DECEPTION that
has influenced and made drunk just about all the world in one way
or another. At her defeat by Christ and His armies at the battle
of Armageddon. The people of the ten nation/kings will HATE the
whore, and she turn and make her desolate, naked, burn her with
fire (verse 16).
The armies of this coalition of the end-time Babylon Holy
Roman Empire will be destroyed at Armageddon (Zech.14) but the
people of the Empire will still be there in the various countries
it ruled. It is they who will turn and start to ransack all the
physical building etc. that represent the Empire. A mob action
reflex. The average person by this time, will have come to see
the real enemy was not the Christ from heaven but the very power
they had been serving for 42 months. They will turn and hate the
whore, and deal with her in no uncertain a way.
We must also note that in this 17th chapter, the woman whore
was the MOTHER OF HARLOTS! She did have children that came out of
her and grew to be women in their individual manner. But all of
them have some of the genes we might say, some of the character,
some of the things that came from their mother. Of course Albert
Barnes and others would not like to see that. They would hardly
admit that all Protestant churches are the harlots from the
mother church. Interesting it is, that the Mother has no
difficulty in called the Protestant churches her "wayward"
daughters, who need to come back to her.
Let's look at a few things the woman whore has given to the
world to make the world drunk on her fornications.
The RC church has given the world the Roman Calendar, and
now just about all the world bows to it in some form, great or
small. Most of the world recognizes the 1st of January, some
fully and completely, others at least in part. When we moved from
1999 to the year 2,000, the first of January, was acknowledge by
Eastern countries as well as the Western world. And it is that
way every 1st of January now.
The RC church gave the world Christ-mass. In some form or
other just about all nations give this season some acknowledgement,
either religiously or the "celebrations" of that material
festivity.
Most of the Western world, even many "churches" observe
Halloween, originally, from the RC church as "All Saints Day."
The RC church conquered Britain and most Christian countries
with Easter in place of Passover (I have a few in-depth studies
on that on this Website).
The RC church in giving us the Roman calendar had an easier
way then to give is many pagan festivals, as well as how we
regulate the hours of the day. So we have the day beginning in
the middle of the night at 12 midnight.
Those are a few of the "made all nations drunk on the wine
of her fornications" theology and adoptions from the pagan nations.
We must not forget of course the many false theological
teachings it has made "Christian nations" drunk on, that she
adopted and has passed on to her harlot daughters. Probably one
of the most serious falsehoods was and is the teaching of sinners
burning in a hell-fire for eternity, being in pain, screaming and
burning but never dying. This teaching passed on into the
Protestant churches and was used to bring "fire and brimstone"
sermons to "get people saved."
The most serious falsehood this woman church gave and passed
on was the adoption of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the
fourth commandment, which plainly states it is the 7th day of the
week that is the Sabbath of God. And also that change was
connected with adding the false pagan festivals of the year and
throwing out God's festivals.
So, putting it all together, as Albert Barnes said, there is
just NO OTHER force or influence that can have had such a wide
impact on the world, with nations, peoples, languages, kings,
governments, and a so-called "Christian" religion of the masses,
than the Roman Catholic church, the Papacy.
She is the BABYLON MYSTERY RELIGION that will yet, ONE MORE
TIME, ride the Roman political/military Empire of Europe.
Prophecy is marching on. The scene is taking shape in Europe. It
will come to pass, only time is needed and God can give lots of
time, if He so decides.
I am 65 years old as I write these last end chapters of the
New Testament Bible Story. If God grants me a long life like my
father is having (he's now 87), will all this take place in my
life time? Maybe, it certainly could, if God desires it. Then He
may not desire it and this prophecy of the book of Revelation may
not be fulfilled in my life time. But I do guarantee you that IT
WILL COME TO PASS, as I've expounded to you so far. If you have
eyes to see and hears to hear, you can see it all taking shape in
Europe, with the RC church, with the people of the West, and with
the nations of the East.
The goods news is that MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT AND HER
EMPIRE WILL FALL, and will be no more. And that brings us to
Revelation chapter 18.
.................
To be continued
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