REVELATION 17: THE WOMAN WHO DECEIVES THE WORLD
Verse 1—“The great whore” is a religious system that sits on many waters, meaning nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
Verse 2—The leaders of earth have committed spiritual adultery with this religious system.
Verse 2—The inhabitants of the world are made drunk with the wine of false teachings from this religious system.
Verse 3—This religious system sits on the beast. The beast carries her, and the beast is the state under Satan’s control. Here we find the church and the state united.
Verse 4—This religious system is arrayed in purple and scarlet, the colors of the Roman emperors.
Verse 4—This religious system has a golden cup in her hands, which is a part of her religious ceremony, and this cup is full of abominations.
Verse 5—This religious system is named Mystery Babylon. In other words, elements of ancient Babylon are in this system. Babylon was also a code word for Rome. (See 1 Peter 5:13.) Mystery Babylon, at its height of development, will be the Roman church united with the false prophet—fallen Christianity and the dragon—paganism, or the non-Christian religions. This three-fold union will lead out in a new world order of religion and state combined. The Vatican will be the visible representative of this system in conjunction with the kings of the earth.
Verse 5—She is the mother of harlot daughters.
Verse 6—This religious system is drunken with [guilty of] the blood of the saints.
Verse 9—This church structure sits on seven mountains.
Verse 18—This religious system is called a great city that sits on seven mountains from which she reigns over the world.
Revelation 17:1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.
Why does one of the angels who pours out the plagues appear to John? The prophecy of chapter 17 goes behind the scenes to describe Babylon. This is the description of the final apostasy that leads to the wrath of God being poured out. The judgment of Babylon is seen in the sixth and seventh plagues and more fully described in chapter 18.
“I will show thee the judgment of the great whore”
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. (Revelation 17:16)
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (Revelation 16:19)
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. (Revelation 18:5–8)
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (Revelation 19:1–2)
“The great whore that sitteth upon many waters”
The waters that you observed, where the harlot is seated, are races and multitudes and nations and dialects (languages.) (Revelation 17:15 AMP)
And the woman that you saw is herself the great city, which dominates and controls the rulers and the leaders of the earth. (Revelation 17:18 AMP)
In Revelation 12, we saw a pure and chaste woman, representing the church of God. The woman in Revelation 17 is also a church, but she is a false church, unfaithful to God and thus designated as a harlot. It is a global religious system encompassing the sea of humanity and nations.
Revelation 17:2
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
[She] with whom the rulers of the earth have joined in prostitution (idolatry) and with the wine of whose immorality (idolatry) the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated. (Revelation 17:2 AMP)
“Kings of the earth have committed fornication”
The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Revelation 18:3)
Thou [Jerusalem] hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger. Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable [unsatisfied]; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; in that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; but as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband! (Ezekiel 16:26, 28–32)
Fornication—in the Old Testament: to commit adultery figurative, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah). In the New Testament: to act the harlot, i.e. (literally) indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or figuratively practise idolatry.1
Why would a city be called a whore (Revelation 17:18) and be accused of having committed fornication with the kings or political rulers of the earth? Such a charge would never be made against London, Johannesburg, New York, Tokyo, Bejing, Moscow, or any other ordinary city, despite its great wickedness.
Fornication and adultery are used in the Bible in a physical and spiritual sense. The Scriptures say of Jerusalem, “How is the faithful city become a harlot” (Isaiah 1:21). Israel, whom God had set apart from all other nations and people, was to be holy and dedicated to His service. However, they often entered into alliances with the idol-worshipping nations around them. And like those nations, she also “committed adultery with stones and with stocks [idols]” (Jeremiah 3:9). “And with their idols have they committed adultery” (Ezekiel 23:37).
It is not possible that a city could engage in literal fornication in the flesh. Therefore, we know that John, like the Old Testament prophets, is using the term fornication symbolically to represent a spiritual condition. Mystery Babylon, the great city, claims a special relationship with God, yet is unfaithful to Him, and thus pictured as a whore.
Other than Jerusalem, only one other city in history could rightly have the charge of spiritual fornication made against it. That city is Rome; specifically, Vatican City. Rome claims to have been the worldwide headquarters of Christianity since its beginning and maintains that claim to this day. The pontiff and the church he leads claim the popes are the successors of Peter, the head of the universal church.
The pope of Rome calls himself the Vicar of Christ, while the church he leads claims to be the one true church and the bride of Christ. Christ’s bride is to be “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). The hope of Christ’s church is to join her Bridegroom in heaven. Therefore, Christ’s true church is to have no earthly ambitions or political affiliations, for hers is a spiritual kingdom, and her king is Christ and His Word her only law. Yet the Vatican’s history proves that it is preoccupied with earthly enterprises.
To further these goals, it has, as John foresaw in vision, engaged in adulterous relationships with the kings of the earth. Babylon at the end of time is made up of Catholicism (the beast), the false prophet (apostate Christianity), and the dragon (pagan religions). Further, all three religious powers will be tied in with the world’s political structure, with the Vatican as the visible head of this amalgamation of religious diversity and temporary harmony and cooperation. This union would be another example of this church’s fornication. The fornication is made up of idolatry, apostasy, and church-state alliances.
“Inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk”
Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! (Isaiah 28:1. Drunken with pride.)
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed. (Isaiah 29:9–11. Drunken with spiritual blindness and false doctrine, unable to understand.)
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)
“With the wine of her fornication”
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. (Proverbs 4:17)
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. (Isaiah 28:7)
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. (Hosea 4:11)
The kings and the inhabitants drink from the “golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4). The falsehood being offered to and accepted by the earth’s inhabitants and its rulers appears good and right, as if from a golden cup. However, it leads to fornication, or apostasy from the true God. Thus it is vile and debasing in its effects. The indulgence in this wine of falsehood leads to spiritual drunkenness, where light and truth are considered darkness and error.
The golden cup containing the wine of fornication is also a fit symbol of the golden cup used in the Catholic mass. This ceremony, at the center of the Catholic system, is based on tradition and falsehood, despite the apparent beauty and mystery surrounding it, there is no Scripture basis.
Revelation 17:3
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
“Into the wilderness”
And he [Jesus] was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. (Mark 1:13)
And the [pure] woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:6, 14. The church was taken into the wilderness valleys and mountains of Europe and then to America to escape the onslaught of the papal persecution.)
The wilderness represents a desolate or largely uninhabited place in comparison with the then-known civilized world. According to Revelation 12 God’s church was able to uphold the true worship of God, largely isolated from the state religion and large populations of the cities. The wilderness also represents a place of obscurity. Now, in verse three, we see that Babylon is working in the wilderness, or in obscurity, or largely out of the attention and notice of most people. This will not always be, however, for this woman is seen in the prophecy to sit upon the beast or state. (See Daniel 7:17, 23.)
“A scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns”
The first mention of a seven-headed, ten-horned beast in Revelation is in chapter 12. The beast mentioned there is called a dragon, represented by the devil (see Revelation 12:9) and secondarily represents pagan Rome, which the devil used. During the time of the 1,260 years when the pure woman was in the wilderness, this dragon used papal Rome as well.
The second time the seven-headed, ten-horned beast is mentioned is in Revelation 13, where it has the characteristics of Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome (mentioned in Daniel 7). In Revelation 13 the dragon, representing the devil and pagan Rome, gave this beast its power, seat, and great authority. Special attention is given to the characteristics of the heads—blasphemy and the consequent wound received by one of the heads. The heads of the beast derived their temporal power from the kings and princes of Europe, represented by the horns with crowns, which sustained the church-state system of the beast.
In Revelation 17, the seven-headed, ten-horned beast is said to be carrying the woman, Mystery Babylon, whose visible head is the papacy. We see again the element of the state sustaining the papacy. Again, we find the seven heads linked closely with the papacy. The beast represents the state, controlled by and sustaining her. In addition, the ten horns are identified clearly as ten kingdoms or kings.
The beast, though different in appearance in each vision, is consistently shown with seven heads and ten horns and continues its progression in history from its work two thousand years ago in the persecution of Christ and His church to its last view in the final confederacy of apostasy.
Who Is This Beast?
In Revelation 17, the woman is the papal church. Her daughters are the fallen apostate churches of Christendom and are joined by the other religions of the world. A beast represents a secular kingdom of this world (see Daniel 7:17, 23). In the end the beast supports and to a great extent is controlled by the woman. The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit (see Revelation 17:8) represents the church (the woman) in control of the state (the beast) once again as it was in the past. Thus in Revelation 17 the women and the beast both represent the papal power, religious and political, and in the dominant position of control and influence.
“Full of names of blasphemy”
(See Revelation 13:1, chapter 30 for Scripture references of blasphemy.)
The woman claims to be the mother church and the bride of Christ, yet it honors not Christ. Instead it sets forth falsehood and error and claims the prerogatives of God. In Revelation 13 the woman, when combined with the state, is a beast or political and spiritual kingdom that receives the respect and homage of the world, leading people away from the truth of God and the way of salvation. This woman’s high claims to represent God and to be the only avenue of salvation, while at the same time setting forth falsehoods, is rightly depicted here as “full of the names of blasphemy.” (See further comments in chapter 31, Revelation 13:5–6.)
Revelation 17:4
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.
“Arrayed in purple and scarlet”
And they stripped off His clothes and put a scarlet robe (garment of dignity and office worn by Roman officers of rank) upon Him. (Matthew 27:28 AMP)
The king [Belshazzar] cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. (Daniel 5:7)
And they [Israelite craftsmen] shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. (Exodus 28:6)
Moreover thou [Moses] shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. (Exodus 26:1)
The colors scarlet and purple represent royalty. These colors were also used in the wilderness sanctuary and upon the ephod of the high priest. This woman’s spiritual leaders claim to be the priests of God. They claim they are the true and only church—God’s tabernacle on earth. The priestly officials wear a cassock, “the close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by the Catholic clergy as their official garb. … The color for the bishops and other prelates is purple, for cardinals scarlet.”2 With its involvement with the governments of the earth, the woman has an aura of royalty and prestige. Thus the symbolic colors of this woman accurately portray the reality of her actions.
“And decked with gold and precious stones and pearls”
Decked—to adorn with gold, to *gild 1a) of a women ornamented with gold so profusely that she seems to be gilded.”3 *To give a fair and agreeable external appearance; to recommend to favor and reception by superficial decoration4
And [the merchants cried] 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 18:16)
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. (1 Kings 10:1–2)
And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honour: and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for precious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels. (2 Chronicles 32:27)
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. (1 Timothy 2:9)
When a church or an individual is decked out as this woman is, it shows its wealth and that it seeks to attract the attention of the world. It is a sign that the simplicity of the meek and lowly Jesus has been lost. The woman has an appearance of beauty, sanctity and royalty but in actuality, her royal dress covers the usurpation of God’s glory and truth. The outward splendor hides the inward error and corruption of this system.
“Golden cup full of abominations and filthiness”
Abomination—detestation, i.e. specially idolatry.5 The object of detestation, a common signification in scripture. Hence defilement, pollution, in a physical sense, or evil doctrines and practices which are moral defilements6
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16–19)
Mystery Babylon, though cloaked in outward beauty, has been guilty of these abominations. God declares of her, “For by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Revelation 18:23–24).
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 17:15)
Throughout her history, this woman’s teachings have led to the persecution of the just and have promised life to those in sin through a false gospel of works, indulgences, purgatory, and absolution of sin by human priests. In God’s sight this misrepresentation of the true gospel is an abomination.
He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)
Mystery Babylon, in doctrine and deed, is filled with lawlessness; therefore, the prayers coming from her and her daughters’ systems of worship are an abomination in God’s sight.
Outwardly, the woman appears as just, good, and righteous. Her teachings are held up to the world in a beautiful golden cup. Inwardly, however, the cup is full of evil. As Scripture states, it is filled with abominations, filthiness, and fornication. The golden cup is at the center of this woman’s religious ceremonies, which are blasphemies against God.
In the last days the world will be deceived by evil cloaked as good. Why? Because they “believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12). Mystery Babylon, and the implementation of the mark of the beast, are Satan’s deception perfected, as rebellion against God is made to appear as obedience. Mystery Babylon presents to the world a religion that is the beautiful side of evil, an evil that is not seen or recognized by most people until it is too late.
Revelation 17:5
And upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.
And on her forehead there was inscribed a name of mystery [with a secret symbolic meaning]: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes (idolatresses) and of the filth and atrocities and abominations of the earth. (Revelation 17:5 AMP)
“A name written mystery”
Mystery—a secret or ‘mystery’ (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites.7 A profound secret; something wholly unknown or kept cautiously concealed, and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder.8
The Eternal City has … shown its providential role as the place where the resources and gifts of each individual church, and indeed of each individual nation and culture, find their “catholic” harmony, so that the one Church of Christ can show ever more clearly her mystery as the “sacrament of unity.”9
Liturgical catechesis aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ (it is “mystagogy”). By proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the ‘sacraments’ to the mysteries.10
Mystery well describes the work of the Catholic church. It takes the beautiful truths of God and mystifies them with the teachings of man and of paganism. This woman is an embodiment of the ancient mystery religion of Babylon, a counterfeit to the truth of God.
“Babylon the Great”
Babylon—Hebrew confusion (literally or figuratively [as a type of tyranny])11
“Babylon is a code word for Rome. It is used that way six times in the last book of the Bible and in extrabiblical works such as Sibylline Oracles (5, 159f.), The Apocalypse of Baruch (ii 1), and 4 Esdras (3:1.)
“Eusebius Pamphilius writing about 303, noted that “it is said that Peter’s first epistle, … was composed at Rome itself; and that he himself indicates this, referring to the city figuratively as Babylon.”12
This term “Babylon” designates two things: 1) the religion of Rome, which is heavily steeped in the symbols and doctrines of ancient Babylon; 2) the full development of the apostasy, which had its beginning with Nimrod on the plains of Shinar shortly after the flood. The tower of Babel was developed to make its builders a name (or great—See Genesis 11:1–4). Its purpose was to unite the inhabitants of the world into rebellion against God, and to develop a one-world government and religion.
Ever since that time God has held in check this mystery, but at the end of time He will grant a little space of time for the inhabitants of the world, and Satan their leader, to develop to the full their great Babylon, which they have built. All whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life shall be deceived. (See Revelation 13:8.) Too late the majority will realize they have chosen Apollyon, “a destroyer,” as king. (See Revelation 9:11.)
The Babylon of the last days is made up of the threefold religious union of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet, with the woman of Catholicism centered in the Vatican as its visible head.
This system now seemingly works in the wilderness in mystery, or secretly and out of sight to the eyes of most of the world’s inhabitants. In the end it will bring tyranny, just as ancient Babylon did.
“Mother of harlots”
The nature of ancient Israel’s harlotry or whoredom was in claiming to serve God but living contrary to Him. It is also the nature of mystery Babylon’s harlotry, which can be summed up in the points below.
Worshipping other gods
Trusting in men instead of God
Setting up idols in their hearts
Seeking counsel apart from God’s Word
Forsaking God and breaking His covenant
Mother—Italian madre, mother, cause, origin, root. That which has produced anything. That which has proceeded in time; the oldest or chief of any thing; as a mother- church.13
For the papacy to be considered a mother, this must be the time after the Reformation, when many left the apostasy of Rome. This led to the formulation of many Protestant churches, which did not fully come out of Rome in practice and doctrine. Rome as the mother church is working to bring the churches again under her sway. This is the result of the various churches departing from the truth and thereby coming into harmony with her. The Vatican is the center of the great ecumenical and interfaith movements. All roads lead to Rome, for she is the mother of all the false systems of worship. Her institutions are involved in every manner of spirituality and religion. Note a few examples of this.
British Expert in Islam to Lead Catholic Dialogue with Other Religions
Bishop Michael Fitzgerald Named to Pontifical Council
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 1, 2002 —
In appointing the new president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, John Paul II chose a renowned expert in Islam.
Bishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald, the new president, is replacing Cardinal Francis Arinze, 69, who was appointed as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.
The British bishop, now archbishop, has been secretary of the pontifical council. He is one of the Church’s top experts on relations with Islam. …
The council has three fundamental tasks: to promote mutual understanding, respect and collaboration between Catholics and the followers of other religious traditions; to encourage the study of religions; and to promote the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue.14
Jewish Representative Hails Pope’s Contribution to Interfaith Dialogue Delegates of an American Committee Have Papal Audience
VATICAN CITY, FEB. 5, 2002 —
The president of the American Jewish Committee praised the decisive contribution John Paul II has made to the Jewish-Catholic dialogue in his 25-year pontificate. …
Official delegations of the Jewish committee have been received in Rome by the Holy Father on four occasions, and the committee’s representatives have met with him at other times.16
The Holy See Invited Buddhists to Work Together for World Peace and to Pray for This Gift
VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2003 —
The proposal was made by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, in a message sent to Buddhists worldwide for the annual feast of Vesakh. …
The Vatican message, with the motto “Buddhists and Christians: Praying for Peace in the World,” is an invitation to “dear Buddhist friends” to “join in prayer for the cause of peace in the world.” …
The rosary for Catholics and the Mala for Buddhists are simple yet profound and meaningful prayer, despite essential differences in their form and content, based on our distinct doctrines and practices. For Catholics, the rosary represents a most effective means of fostering contemplation of Jesus Christ. For Buddhists, the Mala is used to overcome the 108 sinful desires in order to reach the state of nirvana.
By virtue of their meditative character, these two prayers have in common a calming effect on those who pray them; they lead them to experience and to work for peace, and they produce fruits of love. 15
Hindus Meet John Paul II at Audience
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 20, 2002 —
John Paul II met with the 40 participants of the symposium on “The Way of Love: Union with God and Universal Fraternity in Hinduism and Christianity,” organized by the Focolare Movement.
The participants, who included Hindu intellectuals, ended their Wednesday meeting in Castel Gandolfo by attending the Holy Father’s general audience in the Vatican. …
The two Hindus also expressed what John Paul II means to them. Somaiya said: “He is a great spiritual leader.” Added Acharya: “He is the great saint.”17
Statement of Joint Working Group Between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches
VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2003 —
The Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) held a plenary meeting near Bari, Italy, from May 5–11, 2003.
The representatives of the WCC and the Catholic Church met separately for a brief time for some specific orientation, then moved into full plenary to share some significant developments in the lives of the WCC and the Catholic Church since the last meeting.
The WCC representatives reported on the results of the Special Commission on the Relations with the Orthodox Churches, and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Faith and Order held in Lausanne in 2002 and shared the plans thus far for future world events such as the Faith and Order Plenary (2004), the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (2005) and the next Assembly of the WCC itself (2006). The representatives from the Catholic Church reported on the wide scope of bilateral relations and dialogues between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Mennonite, Pentecostal and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as well as consultations with the Seventh Day Adventists and Evangelicals.18
Religions Must Collaborate in Creating Better World
Preliminary Conclusions of Vatican Inter–Religious Assembly
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 26, 1999 —
The Assembly of representatives of different religions, which began yesterday, is now well underway. There are 230 participants from 20 religions. …
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahais, Shintoists and Hindus will leave from the Vatican tomorrow for Assisi. It is not a casual excursion to the birthplace of Franciscan spirituality. Tomorrow, in fact, is the celebration of the anniversary of John Paul II’s historic initiative in 1986, when leaders of the different religions met in Assisi to pray together for peace in the world.19
These reports make Catholicism seem like a highly respected and admired mother. But God has a different view, for she is the mother of harlots. This woman, depicted in Revelation 13 as the beast, is admired by the world to such an extent that none could make war against her. Unfortunately the great cooperation and tolerance of this woman and her daughters excludes biblical Christianity, which recognizes the brotherhood of all mankind but cannot accept that all religions are simply different paths to God, or that any consensus can be found between truth and error. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).
The Old Testament history of the Jews clearly delineates the outcome of those who try to combine the worship of the true God with that of other religions. They will end up in Babylonian captivity, exactly what is taking place in our world today. All the world will be deceived and brought into captivity by the great global system of apostasy, except for a few of whom God says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
Revelation 17:6 reveals the intolerance of this woman in her past, and what she will be like when she, her religious daughters, and the nations of the earth come together for peace, cooperation, and the betterment of humanity, but to the exclusion of all who “fear God and give glory to Him” (Revelation 14:7).
“Mother … of Abominations of the earth”
The symbols here represent the papacy and apostate Christendom and the non-Christian religions of the world. This final confederacy represents the totality of abominations and apostasy. They represent the fullness of the rejection of biblical truth; thus, the religions and the world at large become guilty of loving a lie. This is the same principle found in Matthew 23, where the Jewish leaders are seen as guilty of their own rebellion and that of their fathers, whose rebellion they continued in their own lives and experience. (See Matthew 23:29–36.)
The “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” (Revelation 1:1) declares that Babylon is the mother or source of all the abominations of the earth. What is the nature of the abominations she and her daughters are involved in, which would warrant such a charge?
Idolatry—Deuteronomy 7:25–26, 27:15
Witchcraft—Deuteronomy 18:10–12
Necromancy—2 Kings 23:24
Worship of false gods—Deuteronomy 32:16, 1 Kings 11:5
Wickedness—Proverbs 15:9
Deceit and lying—Proverbs 12:22
Mixing truth and error in the church and being in rebellion against God’s covenant—Ezekiel 44:7
Persecuting the just and justifying the wicked—Proverbs 17:15
Corrupt business practices—Proverbs 20:10, 23
Corrupt spiritual worship—Jeremiah 6:13–16; 7:8–10
Corrupt spiritual practices—Jeremiah 32:32–35
Forsaking of the law of God—Proverbs 28:9
Profaning God’s name by false Christianity—Revelation 3:1
Pride—Proverbs 16:5
Revelation 17:6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely amazed. (Revelation 17:6 TEV)
“Woman drunken with the blood of the saints”
Past
See Scriptures and commentary for Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7.
In the few statements below we will see how the woman worked in the past and how she and her daughters may work in the future.
The following is a letter written by Pope Martin V to the king of Poland.
Know that the interests of the Holy See, and those of your crown, make it a duty to exterminate the Hussites. Remember that these impious persons dare to proclaim principles of equality; they maintain that all Christians are brethren, and that God has not given to privileged men the right of ruling the nations; they hold that Christ came on earth to abolish slavery; they call the people to liberty, that is to the annihilation of kings and priests. While there is still time, then, turn your forces against Bohemia; burn, massacre, make deserts everywhere, for nothing could be more agreeable to God, or more useful to the cause of kings, than the extermination of the Hussites.20
What was the great crime committed by the followers of Huss in the area called Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) which demanded such wrath from the empire and the papacy? The Council of Constance was to commence November 1, 1414. By a papal bull from the newly elected Pope Martin V, it ended April 18, 1418. This council was called by the Emperor Sigismund to deal with the schism in Christendom and the consequent bloodshed and evil caused by three rival popes.
“The Italians had elected Balthazar Cossa, who, as John XXIII, had set up his chair at Bologna. The French had chosen Angelo Corario, who lived at Rimini, under the title Gregory XII; and the Spaniards had elected Peter de Lune (Benedict XIII.), who resided in Arragon.”21
The elimination of heresy was another task of the council. John Huss, and later his friend and disciple Jerome, were imprisoned, condemned and burned at the stake within months. Before the end of the Council, Pope Martin V was elected, ending the schism caused by the rival popes.
“Pope Martin V, addressing himself to Sigismund, with all the kings, princes, dukes, barons, knights, states, and commonwealths of Christendom, adjured them, by ‘the wounds of Christ,’ to unite their arms and exterminate that ‘sacrilegious and accursed nation.’”22 The nation of Bohemia was incensed at the violation of the safe conduct granted Huss and his subsequent burning. Further, they desired to assert their liberty as a nation and as individuals to follow conscience in issues of religion. It was this that brought the wrath of king and pope.
The historian Wylie sums up the supposed heresy taught by Huss and subsequently accepted by many of his countryman. “Even to the last he did not abandon the communion of the Roman Church. Still it cannot be doubted that John Huss was essentially a Protestant and a Reformer. He held that the supreme rule of faith and practice was the Holy Scriptures; that Christ was the Rock on which our Lord said he would build his Church; … that the church needed no one visible head on earth, that it had none such in the days of the apostles; … and the church was not confined to the clergy, but included all the faithful.”23
In his history of the Inquisition, Canon Llorente, who was the Secretary to the Inquisition in Madrid from 1790–1792 and had access to the archives of all the tribunals, estimated that in Spain alone the number of condemned exceeded 3 million, with about 300,000 burned at the stake.24
Peter De Rosa, himself a Catholic, pointed out:
[John Paul II] knows the church was responsible for persecuting Jews, for the Inquisition, for slaughtering heretics by the thousand’s, for reintroducing torture into Europe as part of the judicial process. But he has to be careful. The doctrines responsible for those terrible things still underpin his position.25
Future
And he [the second beast] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:15)
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4. Some of God’s servants will be beheaded for not receiving the mark of the beast.)
Scripture warns of future persecution and intolerance just before Jesus comes. The tendency of the human heart to persecute in the name of God leaves no doubt that the words of Jesus will be fulfilled: “Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).
The woman and her daughters—apparently beautiful and beneficial to the world—will in the end have no tolerance for those who choose to follow without compromise Jehovah the Creator God, the Bible, and the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. The papacy’s past is filled with lessons of this intolerance, and religious intolerance will be the work of the woman and her daughters in the future, united with the kings of the earth similar in spirit to the days of centuries past.
Revelation 17:7
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
The beast carries, lifts, or sustains the whore. Revelation 13 says the dragon gave the beast (the papacy) its authority. The governments of this world have been used to carry out the whore’s political aims, and Satan upholds this system. The woman is an apostate church system, and a beast represents the kingdoms of this world. In the prophecy of Revelation 17 they sustain and support the woman. The woman, when combined with the state, becomes a religious and political kingdom, the “Mystery Babylon” of the last days.
Beginning with the next verse, the angel explains the meaning of the vision and defines the symbols for us.
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
“Beast that was, is not, and shall ascend”
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth. (Daniel 7:17, 23)
A beast in Bible prophecy represents a kingdom.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:1–2)
The beast is the papal power that rose up out of the sea of peoples in western Europe, in what we know today as Italy. It rose up after Babylon, the lion kingdom, after Media-Persia, the bear kingdom, and after Greece, the leopard kingdom. It received its power and authority from the Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom or the terrible beast of Daniel 7. This religious and political power commenced its prophetic rule of 1,260 years in 538. It ended in 1798, when the pope was taken captive and died in exile. This period of 1,260 years is the time the beast “was.”
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (Revelation 13:3)
The beast entered the period of “it is not” with the wound received in 1798, when the pope was taken captive by the French army. With the downfall of monarchies and the rise of nation states and more rights given to the people, even the Catholic states were less swayed by papal influence than had been the case during most of its 1,260 years of power marked out in prophecy. In 1929 the long winter began to thaw, with the promise of spring and a renewed influence that would lead the world to eventually wonder after the beast. In this year the Lateran Treaty was signed between the Vatican and the government of Italy. The Vatican was recognized as a sovereign state, and the deadly wound began its process of being healed. From 1798 to 1929 papal influence waned to a degree. Not long after the wound was inflicted, another pope was elected and the wound festered. During this time of weakened influence, the beast was essentially “not.”
And he [the second beast] exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:12–15)
Apostate Protestant America is the two-horned beast. In Revelation 19 it is called the false prophet, a power that claims to serve God and speak for God; however sincere, it is nevertheless false. Apostate Protestant America will become, to some extent, similar to the beast power during its reign of 1,260 years. The Protestant churches will largely manipulate and control the state, leading to religious intolerance of all nonconformists. This forced conformity is characterized as making an image or likeness to the papal beast, and it occurs with Evangelical, Protestant, and Catholic influence. This change in America will help bring about the reemergence of the papal beast as a global church-state system. Then the words of Revelation 13 will reach their complete fulfillment. “And all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3–4).
Then will be the time when “the beast that was, and is not, ascendeth out of the bottomless pit” (Revelation 17:8). Most likely this will be a time of great planetary upheaval that will give rise to worldwide panic, during which time the woman, the Vatican in conjunction with the religions of the world, will be urged to take control and give spiritual guidance and direction to bring the world back from its ruin. In short, the beast is the revived papal-influenced state, which is why the woman is seen riding the beast, or why the beast carries her. All the world’s great nations and political forces will unite with this papal-controlled system of global governance, as noted in chapter 17:12–13.
“The Beast that thou sawest … shall ascend out of the bottomless pit”
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:1–2)
And they [the horsemen] had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (Revelation 9:11)
And when they [the two witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (Revelation 11:7)
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And cast him [the dragon] into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1, 3)
The phrase “bottomless pit” in the book of Revelation means abyss. It is the same expression used in Genesis 1:2, which says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” The phrase “bottomless pit” represents chaos and confusion. In Revelation 11, a beast or political force rose up, and France was convulsed by revolution, bringing a time of great upheaval. The beast in Revelation 11 developed into world communism, a system that fomented revolution and confusion.
The beast out of the bottomless pit represents a resurgent papal system with its wound fully healed, controlling the political powers once again. Alternatively it may represent a new democratic/socialistic world government that shall come up out of the pit of chaos and confusion, which the woman, “Mystery Babylon,” shall ride and control. In either case, the result is the same: the woman riding the beast places the Babylonian religious system in the position of domination. It would seem that such a change in the world’s system of global governance would only come about because of a period of great planetary difficulty. The people of the world will therefore accept a new global order with this religio/political power in control.
“They that dwell on the earth shall wonder”
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:3–4)
The world’s inhabitants will wonder and be surprised in seeing a new planetary order with religion now dominating the state. The head of this new order will be the Vatican—physically small and seemingly politically obscure. Yet, as the angel showed John in Revelation 17:3, it was from the wilderness, hidden from view that the woman “Mystery Babylon” comes forth riding the beast to lead the new global order. As prophecy declares, “They that dwell on the earth shall wonder” or give worship or deference to this system.
One only has to remember the great respect paid to the late pope John Paul II in April 2005, as the majority of the world’s nations sent representatives or heads of state to his funeral. Religious leaders of many faiths joined the millions of people at the funeral. This outpouring of respect is a foretaste of a world panicked and rocked by upheaval, which will turn to the leaders of this “great city,” the Vatican for help. Together with the leaders and merchantmen of the world, “Mystery Babylon” will take its place as a beast or kingdom to implement a new global order of church and state.
Pope Benedict the XVI in his encyclical letter released in July of 2009, provides us an insight into what a global system dominated by religion might look like.
“In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth. One also senses the urgent need to find innovative ways of implementing the principle of the responsibility to protect [146] and of giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making. This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity.
“To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago. Such an authority would need to be regulated by law, to observe consistently the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, to seek to establish the common good [147], and to make a commitment to securing authentic integral human development inspired by the values of charity in truth. Furthermore, such an authority would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights [148].
Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums. … They also require the construction of a social order that at last conforms to the moral order, to the interconnection between moral and social spheres, and to the link between politics and the economic and civil spheres, as envisaged by the Charter of the United Nations.”26
“Whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world”
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5)
And there shall in no wise enter into it [the New Jerusalem] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27)
Revelation 17:8 describes a specific class of people who are deceived and will follow the beast. Those who have neglected, rejected, or substituted the message and experience of the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14 are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. Only those who are God’s true children will see that the woman and the beast are leading rebellion against God. The rest of the world, in fact the great majority, will have believed the lies of the “three unclean spirits like frogs” who work “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (Revelation 16:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:10).
Revelation 17:9
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
And now think hard: his seven heads represent a certain city built on seven hills where this woman has her residence. (Revelation 17:9 TLB)
“And here is the mind which hath wisdom”
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6)
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)
The wisdom the angel speaks of here is not that of the clever and highly educated. God does not limit the understanding of His truth to the wise and educated of this world. “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20). The truly wise are those who have accepted God’s offer of mercy and pardon, the good news of the everlasting gospel, which leads men to “fear God, and give glory to Him” (Revelation 14:7). Only to those who love and follow God is this message given, for “the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10). Wisdom’s source is God, and it is to the Scriptures we must look to unlock the meaning of the symbols.
“Seven heads”
(See Revelation 13:1, chapter 30 for further references under, “upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”)
We learn from Scripture that heads represent leaders, rulers, or chiefs, the heads of governments and peoples. The number seven is used widely in Revelation. It indicates a literal number as well as a sense of completeness or fullness. The seven heads of the prophetic dragon and the beast of Revelation 12 and 13 also represent rulers or leaders. In Revelation 17 the seven heads are also seven mountains and seven kings.
“Are seven mountains”
And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord. Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. (Jeremiah 51: 24–25)
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. (Jeremiah 17:1–3)
Mountains, while literal in the Bible, can also be a symbol in prophecy, referring to nations or political powers. God often referred to Israel as a mountain. With God’s help, and with wisdom derived from His Word, we have learned that the beast is a kingdom. This beast has seven heads representing rulers with complete and full control. The heads also represent seven literal mountains, where the whore sits or rules and exercises complete control; they also represent seven kingdoms. The next verse brings out this fact.
Revelation 17:10
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
They also represent seven kings. (Revelation 17:10 TLB)
This study takes the position that the beast in Revelation 12 and 13, and here in Revelation 17, is the same power throughout different periods of history. The dragon is Satan, ultimately, but he used pagan Rome and papal Rome as his instruments. The woman “Mystery Babylon” is the Catholic church system, in conjunction at the end of time with the forces of apostate Christianity (the false prophet) and the non-Christian religions (the dragon).
Revelation 13 and 17 speak of a time when all the world will wonder after the beast. This occurs when the woman, the church, is once again united in a dominating position with the state, thus identified as a beast, a kingdom, a spiritual and political entity. As we see the increasing influence of Catholicism in both religious and political spheres, we know that the coming together of the woman and the beast is steadily progressing. At some point in the future, a condition represented by the bottomless pit, the beast will arise out of the abyss, out of apparent obscurity, and possibly out of global chaos of some kind.
The beast has seven heads, which represent leaders or rulers who exercise complete control. The seven heads also represent mountains, the literal seven-hilled city of Rome where the whore sits, and they represent seven kings. The papal heads of the beast rule as kings with a large degree of subservience, respect, and influence, both within the church and outside it. However, there is more to it than that, for the papal beast is but one of a succession of prophetic beasts, kingdoms, or mountains. The power behind the beast is ultimately Satan, who has warred against God and His truth and His people for ages.
In the book of Daniel we learned that beasts are kingdoms. (See Daniel 7:17, 23.) Daniel revealed four great prophetic kingdoms: Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome, which are four kings or kingdoms that make up part of the heads or mountains, the kingdoms of John’s prophecy. The fifth head or mountain kingdom of prophecy is the papal little horn of Daniel, called the beast of Revelation 13. The fifth head or kingdom is now in obscurity in the eyes of the world. Thus it is also considered as fallen.
Who is the sixth kingdom? In the 1790s, as the beast out of the bottomless pit was developing, which was to become the seventh kingdom, there was a new nation being born. We saw in Revelation 13:11 that a two-horned beast was arising out of the earth, which was Protestant America. America is the sixth head of Bible prophecy.
The power that inflicted the deadly wound on the papal head was revolutionary, atheistic France, represented in Revelation 11 as a beast out the bottomless pit. This revolutionary beast developed from the Jacobin clubs and then into the League of the Just and then into the League of Communists. After 1912 and the Bolshevik Revolution, this power developed into world communism, centered in the USSR. At this time, the beast of Revelation 11 was fully developed. The entire world was influenced by this system or by America’s attempt to hold it in check, a period known as the Cold War. But prophecy reveals that the seventh head, the mountain or kingdom of prophecy, would only last a short time. By the end of the 1980s, as we learned in Daniel 11:40, internal circumstances—along with America and the papacy—worked together to hasten the demise of this seventh kingdom.
The seven heads:
Babylon
Media-Persia
Greece
The Roman Empire
Papal Rome
America, which eventually speaks as a dragon, giving power to the image of the beast, the eighth head
Atheism, humanism, evolution, and communism embodied in the USSR
Who is the eighth head, and how can there be eight heads when the beast has only seven heads? Remember, heads mean rulers or leaders, and there are seven mountains or kingdoms. Revelation 17:11 tells us the eighth head comes from one of the seven. The first four prophetic powers will not be revived, but the fifth head, which came into being after the fourth beast of pagan Rome, is to be with us to the end of time. The eighth head is the papal beast revived. In other words, a revived global papal church-state system as the woman—the church—is once again in control of the beast, the state. Revelation 13 also tells us this.
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3–4). The eighth head is the papal beast fully recovered from its deadly wound. Though prophecy speaks of its success and popularity in its revived state, God declares its end is perdition.
Revelation 17:11
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
And the beast that was once alive, but lives no longer, is itself an eighth king who is one of the seven and is going off to be destroyed. (Revelation 17:11 TEV)
And as for the beast that [once] was, but now is no more, he [himself] is an eighth ruler (king, head), but he is of the seven and belongs to them, and he goes to perdition. (Revelation 17:11 AMP)
“And goeth into perdition”
Perdition—ruin or loss (physical, spiritually or eternal)27
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
We read in the verses cited above that the beast revived is an eighth king but is also one of the seven. Only one prophetic power in Scripture receives a deadly wound and comes alive again, and that is the papacy. Thus, the eighth head is the revived papal power working in conjunction with the ten horns or kings. The kings of this world will give power and authority to her. Thus, in her role as a religious power, Babylon rides or controls the beast, the state, and in this position is represented as the revived beast of Revelation 13. Coming from the bottomless pit of world chaos, the final confederacy of evil including the whore, the merchantmen, and the ten kings, whatever its final makeup, will be welcomed by the world’s inhabitants. It will be thought that an era of peace has come. Yet Scripture declares, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Revelation 17:12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Ten horns are mentioned as well in Revelation 13, where the ten horns have crowns upon them, representing the crowned heads of the various monarchies that gave support to the papal beast. Are these ten kings the same as the ten toes of Daniel chapter 2? Possibly, as these kings are in existence just before the coming of Christ, who smites the image. And it is “in the days of these kings” (Daniel 2:44) when the weakness of the clay or church, is seeking to intermix with the iron power of the state, exactly the amalgamation described in Revelation 17.
Verse twelve represents the powers of the world uniting with the beast and ultimately Lucifer in a satanic kingdom of rebellion, bringing to the world a false time of peace and prosperity. This condition has been brought about by the deceptive teachings and work of the whore and her daughters, who have made all nations drunk.
Verse twelve tells us that the horns are kingdoms. They have prominence only when the beast is revived, and they work with the beast. There has been talk over the years of a steadily developing world regionalization, which could lead to the formation of these ten kings.
“The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) helped set up the United Nations. According to chapter 8, Articles 52 (2–3) and 53 (1) of the Charter, under Regional Arrangements, “The hierarchy, among other things, had called for the world government to be achieved in stages through the forming of world administrative regions. This was in accordance with the U. N. Charter, which encourages the implementation and administration of world government on a regional basis.”28 The strategy was simple. The countries of the world would first be merged into several regions. This would serve to break down concepts of national sovereignty. Then these regions would be merged into a system of world government.
“However, it was soon realized that regionalized world government would be next to impossible to achieve politically because of resistance to the idea from the world’s people. Therefore, the powers-that-be decided to divide the world into economic regions first, hoping to pave the way for later political unions based on these same geographic boundaries. In order to accomplish this feat, several special task organizations were established to oversee the creation of regional trade associations. The society responsible for Europe’s economic integration would be the Bilderberger Group, better known as the Bilderbergers.”29
Recent history may help us understand the influence of these organizations, such as the CFR, that are working toward a global system of government. Former American ambassador to West Germany George McGhee stated, “The Treaty of Rome which brought the Common Market into being was nurtured at the Bilderberger meetings.”30 On December 31, 1992, Europe began the road to not only economic integration but political union as well, which explains all the debate and push in Europe over a common currency and constitution empowering the EU government in Brussels.
Another one-world government organization is the Club of Rome. In September 1973, they released a report titled “Regionalized and Adaptive Model of the Global World System.” The founder of the Club of Rome states this about the report:
“Their world model, based on new developments of the multilevel hierarchical systems theory, divides the world into ten interdependent and mutually interacting regions of political, economic or environmental coherence. It will be recognized of course that these are still prototype models. Mesarovic and Pestel have assumed a Herculean task. The full implementation of their work will take many years.”31
Is it possible that the woman “Mystery Babylon” could unite with the state, creating the beast, a revived papal church-state system? Could the papacy actually have the world’s kingdoms unite with it and support it?
John Paul II Evaluates the State of the World Lists 8 Challenges that Need Attention
Pope says Politicians Must Conform Civil Laws to God’s law
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 10, 2002 —
In an address to ambassadors at the Vatican, John Paul II urged that the factors leading to terrorism in the world must be confronted in order to avoid future violence. The Pope evaluated the state of the world from a Gospel perspective when he received the 172 ambassadors of countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the Vatican.32
Pope to Dine with World’s Parliamentarians
5,000 for Dinner; 12,000 in All to Celebrate Jubilee
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 30, 2000 —
For the first time, representatives of all the world’s parliaments will be invited to dinner at the Vatican. John Paul II, who decided on the dinner himself, will welcome the participants in the Jubilee of Governors and Parliamentarians on Saturday.
The work of this extraordinary session of the “world’s parliament” will commence in Paul VI Hall. The 5,000 parliamentarians later will go to the Apostolic Palace for dinner, which will be served in the rooms of the first gallery.33
Pope’s 2007 Address on State of the World
“An Opportunity to Strengthen Our Hope and Deepen Our Commitment”
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 8, 2007 —
Here is the Vatican translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to welcome you here today, for this traditional ceremony in which we exchange greetings. Although it is an annual event, it is by no means a mere formality; rather, it is an opportunity to strengthen our hope and to deepen our commitment to serve the cause of peace and the development of individuals and peoples. …
At the start of the year, we are invited to turn our attention to the international situation, so as to focus upon the challenges that we are called to address together.34
From these few statements, it would seem the woman is already influencing the kings of the earth. It is only a matter of time until the woman will once again have the beast or state carrying her. The revived papacy, having world control, will be the beast “that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit,” to which the kings of the earth will unite in one grand confederacy of apostasy from God.
Revelation 17:13
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These have one common policy (opinion, purpose), and they deliver their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:13 AMP)
“These have one mind”
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)
Verse thirteen speaks of a time of global union. What form this union will eventually take we are not told. However, it is obvious from what we see in the prophecies that there will be a radical shift in the thinking of the world’s governments which allows, perhaps even demands, that the Vatican play a major role in the administration of world affairs. This will represent the final confederacy of Satan’s forces in opposition to God. Though appearing outwardly as the greatest benefit and potential for world peace and harmony among nations, in reality it is a warfare that will be waged in the last days in opposition to God’s truth and against God’s people, “who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
And those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers. (Revelation 17:14 AMP)
“These shall make war with the Lamb”
War—to be engaged in warfare, i.e. to battle (literal or figurative).35 Hostility, state of opposition or contest; act of opposition. Enmity; disposition to contention36
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13–14)
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23–25)
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (Revelation 19:19)
This last-day union of religion and state may appear beneficial in many ways. However, the resulting system will exalt the commandments and religion of men. There will be no tolerance for those who manifest their love for God by keeping His commandments. In the last days all must choose between the religion of men or the faith of Jesus. While there is acceptance and tolerance for man-made religion, there will be opposition and hostility against the true religion of Christ.
“And the Lamb shall overcome them”
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:11–15)
The inhabitants of the world will not make war against the beast, for “they worshipped the beast saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4). They do all in their power to hinder the truth of Christ and persecute His faithful people. Yet this exaltation of human religion will be short-lived, for as the seven last plagues fall, they will crush the hopes and dreams of “Mystery Babylon,” who “saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow” (Revelation 18:7). Once the pride of man has been humbled by the devastation of the plagues, Christ will come to redeem the saints and call the righteous dead from the grave, bringing to an end the wicked reign of men united with Satan.
“They that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful”
Called—invited, i.e. appointed, or specially a saint37
Chosen—select; by implication favorite38
Faithful—trustworthy, trustful39 “Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to allegiance. Constant in the performance of duties or services40
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)
Throughout time God has called all men to Himself. In the last days, before the door of mercy shuts, He will come with a message given through a Spirit-filled remnant, “having great power; and the earth was lightened with His glory. And He cried mightily with a strong voice,” calling all to repent, and to separate from sin (Revelation 18:1–2.) However, relatively few of the earth’s vast billions will respond to His call and become the chosen of the Lord, whose redemption is manifested not by profession alone but also by faithfulness. At a time when the entire world wonders after the beast, and as the leaders of the world give their power and strength unto the beast, Christ will have a people, described in Revelation 14:12 and seen by John in Revelation 15 in vision. These are the called and chosen who will stand firmly for Christ and for His truth, gaining the victory over the beast and the corrupt age in which they lived.
Revelation 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
“Waters … where the whore sitteth”
And it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. (Revelation 13:7–8)
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her [Babylon’s] fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Revelation 18:3)
The waters that “Mystery Babylon” sits upon are a symbol of the people of the world, showing the worldwide scope and influence and domination of this system of religious apostasy. This development of the last days is so important that much of Revelation 13, 17, and 18 are devoted to this theme. In addition, there is the call in Revelation 14 to separate from Babylon and the warning against receiving the mark of the beast. It is imperative that we understand from Scripture who the actors are in this final drama, discern rightly the times in which we live, and make heart preparation to be among the called, chosen, and faithful of the Lord.
Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
“These shall hate the whore … and shall make her desolate”
Then Saul and all the people with him rallied and went into the battle, and behold every [Philistine’s] sword was against his fellow and wild confusion. (1 Samuel 14:20 AMP)
While Gideon’s men were blowing their trumpets, the Lord made the enemy troops attack each other with their swords. They ran toward Zarethan as far as Beth Shittah, as far as the town of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. (Judges 7:22 TEV)
Now the people of Ammon, Moab, and Edom have attacked us. When our ancestors came out of Egypt, you [O Lord] did not allow them to enter those lands, so our ancestors went around them and did not destroy them. This is how they repay us—they come to drive us out of the land you gave us. You are our God! Punish them, for we are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help.
The Ammonites and the Moabites attacked the Edomite army and completely destroyed it, and then they turned on each other in savage fighting. When the Judean army reached a tower that was in the desert, they looked toward the enemy and saw that they were all lying on the ground dead. Not one had escaped. (2 Chronicles 20:10–12, 23–24 TEV)
Therefore shall her [Babylon’s] plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. (Revelation 18:8)
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (Revelation 19:1–2)
The timing of this turn of events is at the sixth plague, when the waters of the Euphrates are dried up, indicating that much of the support for Babylon is withdrawn. (See Revelation 16:12.) The woman “Mystery Babylon” stands largely alone, as the kings of the earth who have supported this system begin to turn their rage against Babylon, as their eyes are now open to the deception and lies they have been following. Sadly, however, it will not be true repentance for that time is past.
God did something similar in Old Testament times, when the enemies of Israel turned their rage upon themselves. This is why Revelation 18 and 19 indicate that this judgment is the judgment of God, though He uses the whore’s former associates—the kings of the earth—to accomplish this task.
Not all will have turned against Babylon, however. Even those who lament what happens realize that it is an indication of their own soon-coming doom. For we read:
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. (Revelation 18:9–11)
Revelation 17:17
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
For God has placed in their hearts the will to carry out his purpose by acting together and giving to the beast their power to rule until God’s words come true. (Revelation 17:17 TEV)
For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His own purpose by acting in harmony in surrendering their royal power and authority to the beast, until the prophetic words (intentions and promises) of God shall be fulfilled. (Revelation 17:17 AMP)
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will”
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. (Ezekiel 26:3)
Because that, when they [men who hold the truth in unrighteousness] 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 uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. (Romans 1:21–24)
Is God forcing the kings of the earth to join with the apostate beast political system that is under the control of a revived papacy? Is it God who forces the kings to turn against the woman who is controlling the beast the church and state? No. God forces no one. But when individuals and kingdoms reject Him, He leaves them to their own devices. Their own sinfulness and rebellion often work out their own destruction. In addition, when men have rejected God, He turns their wicked devices to His advantage by utilizing them as instruments of wrath and judgment against the ungodly. Revelation 17:17 is the working out of the following scriptural principles, which men may neglect but are all too true. “Behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8).
Revelation 17:18
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
And the women that you saw is herself the great city which dominates and controls the rulers and the leaders of the earth. (Revelation 17:18 AMP)
“That great city”
And many nations shall pass by this city [Jerusalem], and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them. (Jeremiah 22:8–9)
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. (Jonah 1:2)
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Revelation 14:8)
A city is an organized and integrated association of people. Babylon prophetically is called a great city, and is a symbol for the universal, apostate religious/political organization of the last days.
In every case save one, the term “great city” in the Bible refers to cities, kingdoms, and the people who make up the city, as cities of apostasy and rebellion. Thus it is with Babylon, the mother of harlots. While applying to Vatican City, centered in the ancient seven-hilled city of Rome, it refers as well to the collective nature of the apostasy at the end of time, which has stood in opposition to God, His Word, and His law. The true great city is New Jerusalem, the home of the saved and a representation of God’s eternal kingdom and glory.
The great cities of apostasy have often stood as counterfeits in the world, for a time eclipsing the great city of God, New Jerusalem. However, the prophecy is sure: Babylon, that great city and center of rebellion, will at last come to an end. One of the angels who brings the plagues of God upon Babylon has spoken, and his word is sure and true, for it is the word of God. One of the angels who is to pour out the plagues describes for us the true great city, the home of the redeemed.
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Revelation 21:9–11, 22–23)
Friends, what city are you preparing to be a citizen of? Babylon, the city of earthly glory, which is fallen from God, or the New Jerusalem, an eternal city made up of only those who love and obey God?
Endnotes
1. James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987).
2. Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1991), 175, 178.
3. Greek Lexicon, in The Online Bible CD-Rom, Macintosh Version 2.5.3 (Niagara Falls, NY: Cross Country Software, www.online-bible.com, 1996).
4. Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language. (San Francisco, California: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1967).
5. James Strong, op. cit.
6. Noah Webster, op. cit.
7. James Strong, op. cit.
8. Noah Webster, op. cit.
9. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, January 6, 2001, Section 12.
10. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paulines (Gweru Zimbabwe: Mambo Press, 1994) p. 281, paragraph 1075.
11. James Strong, op. cit.
12. Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on “Romanism” by “Bible Christians” (Ignatius Press, 1988), p. 200. Cited in Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1994)
13. Noah Webster, op. cit.
14. October 1, 2002, Vatican City, Zenit News.
15. May 9, 2003, Vatican City, Zenit News.
16. February 5, 2004, Vatican City, Zenit News.
17. June 2002, Vatican City, Zenit News.
18. May 19, 2003, Vatican City, Zenit News.
19. October 26, 1999, Vatican City, Zenit News.
20. R. W. Thompson, The Papacy and the Civil Power (New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1876). p. 553
21. J. A Wylie, The History of the Reformation, Vol. 1., 146 (Rapidan, Virginia: Hartland Publications, 2002).
22. J. A Wylie, The History of the Reformation, Vol. 1., 187
23. Ibid., 163
24. R.W. Thompson, op. cit., p. 82.
25. Peter De Rosa, Vicars of Christ: the Dark Side of the Papacy, (New York: Crown Publishers, 1988) pp. 20–21.
26. Pope Benidict XVI Encyclical Letter “Caritas in Veritate” Number 67 Italics in Original [146] Cf. Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, New York, 18 April 2008. [147] Cf. John XXIII, Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, loc. cit., 293; Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 441. [148] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, 82.
27. James Strong, op. cit.
28. Garry Kah, Enroute To Global Occupation (Huntington House Publishers, 1991) p. 38.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid., 39.
31. Ibid., 41.
32. January 10, 2002, Vatican City, Zenit News.
33. October 30, 2000, Vatican City, Zenit News.
34. January 8, 2007, Vatican City, Zenit News.
35. James Strong, op. cit.
36. Noah Webster, op. cit.
37. James Strong, op. cit.
38. Ibid.
39. Ibid.
40. Noah Webster, op. cit.
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