The Apostle John wrote:Who or what is this “whore” John was shown and what becomes of her?“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” (Rev 17:1-2)
The “great whore” represents a belief system committing spiritual adultery while professing to be the bride of the Lamb. The “waters” upon which she sits (verse 1) represent “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev. 17:15).She is the mother (origin) of all churches that claim to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, but in reality accept and practice the loathsome doctrines of paganism.
The roots of this paganism are found in the “hidden” cults of Babylonian origin, hence the name “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” This false church would claim spiritual leadership over the whole earth, using her power to amass great riches for herself and rulers of this world also.“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Rev 17:5 )What change did this power try to do to the word of God?“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her 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” (Rev 18:2-3).
“Dr. Conyers Middleton of the Episcopal church of England “visited Rome...for the sake of studying the remains of ancient classic antiquity...but that when he reached Rome, so exact did he find the resemblance between the temples, the images and ceremonies of Popery, and those of Paganism, that he came to the just conclusion that he could in no way more effectually increase his familiarity with the latter than by directing his attention to the former” (Dowling's History of Romanism, pp. 112-113).The following teachings are some examples of changes the Roman Catholic Church claims to have had the authority to make, which were taken directly from paganism:
1. The first day of the week substituted for the seventh-day Sabbath as our day for rest and worship.
From the Catholic Mirror, official publication of James Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893: “The Catholic Church,...by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday” (Catholic Mirror).2. When people cease to breathe and life departs, they are not dead but continue to live either in heaven or a place of constant torment called hell...3. Christ was crucified on Friday and resurrected the following Sunday.
4. Christ was born on December 25 (“Christmas”), a day to be highly commemorated.
5. The Mass—doctrine of transubstantiation teaching that the bread and wine of communion is literally changed into the body and blood of Christ.
6. Christ came to earth as God, an immortal and divine being (God reincarnate).
<>7. The Godhead is one God made up of three beings—the Trinity.
8. Baptism by sprinkling is appropriate, even for infants.
<>9. The selling of Indulgences.
10 Heathen festivals (Day of the Dead, and many others).11. Peter as the head of the church.
12. Shrines and idols.
13. Mandatory celibate priesthood.
How would this “whore” come into existence? Christ and his apostles warned God’s church about wolves in sheep’s clothing bringing in false teachings (Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:28-31):Read Fox’s Book of Martyrs for details of this war on those who disagreed with the Roman Church.“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
“Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
“Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of
three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:28-31).“...behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8).
“I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;” (Daniel 7:21).
A “church” that accepts the abominations of paganism and substitutes them as worship to God will not hesitate to embrace atheism in order to line her coffers with gold.“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Dan 7:25).FATE OF THE WHORE The Mother of Harlots attempts to gain control of the world by claiming to be God’s only true representative. Her ambitions will not succeed. The Word of God prophecies that God will punish her terribly for all the false teachings and deception she has brought upon the world.
This power will be “sitting” on a beast with ten horns just before Christ’s return.
The beast represents political governments controlled by the woman. Horns represent leaders or kings of nations.:“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” (Rev 17:3).“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” (Rev. 17:12).
These nations will also be foolish enough to try to stand against Christ when he comes to take over the rule of this world:“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” (Rev. 17:16).Notice that these rulers do not turn on the “beast” (political government) which has helped them to gain power. Perhaps the political side of this “church and state” power will favor political power over religious influence, discarding the pretense of being “Christian” for the more financially profitable role as world conqueror.“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).If millions of her own are sacrificed to her greed, what matters that to her? She already has the blood of all the martyrs on her hands because of her abominations. Loyalty to her own has never been one of her attributes The whore has never been loyal to her own when they stand in the way of her gain.
Just before the fall of this monstrous deception of Satan, a call goes out for those truly deceived to come out of her:
This could also be a call for the true spiritual Church of God to examine itself for any tainting with the abominations of false religion. Trouble for the “whore” will happen suddenly:“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).A day in prophecy is often reckoned as a year (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6). A year, in historical terms, is very short. Whether a day or a year, her judgment will come swiftly.“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” (Rev 18:8).This ruin of the powerful false religious structure will cause a great world depression:
This false religious structure is a mighty, powerful organization, and is called “Babylon” in prophecy, because of her great wickedness. Just as Satan gained strength through the men of Babylon of old, so he has worked through spiritual Babylon since Christ left the earth.“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore; The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing” (Rev. 18:11, 15).The church called Babylon does not receive honor and glory from the Heavenly Father, but claims it on her own merits:
John tells about a mighty angel in Rev. 18:21,24:“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” (Rev. 18:7).Great rejoicing will result when this false religious structure is destroyed:“Took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.... And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”The scarlet colored beast does not admit to be the same “beast” that was put into the bottomless pit or that it is a political organization hungry for world domination.“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation and glory and honor, 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” (Rev. 19:1,2).This beast will impart great power to ten leaders of ten nations.
This will not happen by means of concordats. In return for recognition as great powers, these nations will give their “power and strength unto the beast” (Rev. 17:13).The scarlet beast claims authority to empower nations because it professes to be the representative of God on earth. Hence, the Bible says the beast is full “of names of blasphemy” (Rev. 17:3).
If Satan appeared as the great deceiver he really is, not many would follow him. In order to be able to do his work, he must assume a protective coloring or disguise, like a chameleon.
Those who earnestly seek truth and live in it, however, will recognize Satan's work. Any person or organization that proclaims to be religious but does not keep the commandments of God is none of his “The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).
Zechariah declared that wickedness was established in the land of Shinar and was set “upon her own base” (Zech. 5:5-11). All wickedness originates in man’s desire to do as he pleases instead of obeying his Creator. “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23).
The great whore has “glorified herself” (Rev. 18:7). False religions of paganism do exactly that. She has no foundation except the foundation she built for herself derived from the “traditions of men” and mixed with some scriptural truth. Her followers are led to believe that God accepts her teachings yet God's Word clearly warns them about false teachings.
The “beast” (or government) on which the whore rides was banished to the bottomless pit [(had its authority taken). When it came up from this pit, it retained the same authority but is camouflaged as a religious rather than political power.
PARALLELS IN HISTORY
Can we find any evidence in history that end-time prophecies of scripture have come to pass, either in part or whole?
Eventually, lured by the prospect of gaining new members and increased wealth, many in God’s church accepted the teachings of idolatry, thereby becoming prostitutes to paganism.
Comparatively few believers remained true to the teachings of Christ. The apostate church declared them to be heretics and hunted them like wild animals. This tyrannical power killed millions of prophets and saints because of their beliefs.
Anyone who opposed the Roman Church which proclaimed to be “God’s church” was at risk. One of the histories recording these atrocities was Fox's Book of Martyrs.
“When the reformed religion began to diffuse the Gospel light throughout Europe, Pope Innocent III entertained great fear for the Romish Church. He accordingly instituted a number of inquisitors, or persons who were to make inquiry after, apprehend, and punish, heretics, as the reformed were called by the papists....Courts of Inquisition were now erected in several countries;” (Fox's Book of Martyrs, pg. 60).“Of all the inventions of popish cruelty the Holy Inquisition is the masterpiece...we must refer to any, or all of the authentic works of Llorente, Puigblanch, Limborch, Stockdale, Geddes, Dellon, and other historians of the Inquisition. All that we shall undertake will be a brief description of the treatment, tortures, and burnings of the unfortunate beings who writhed under its iron rod of oppression.” (Page 567 Dowlings History of Romanism).
We know the temporal power of the Roman Church was taken from her in 1870. The “New Century Book of Facts” (page 1045) states:In the Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 14, page 267, the same record is given with different wording.“The temporal power of the popes came to an end in 1870 with the occupation of Rome by Victor Emmanuel.”In February, 1929, this temporal power was restored to the Roman Church by Mussolini with the Lateran Treaty. This concordat was the establishing of the “beast that was, and is not, and yet is” of Revelation 17:8. The Vatican is one of the most powerful political influences in the world today, although not advertised as such.
It staggers the imagination to think the Vatican as a “representative of God” would make treaties with powers that are atheistic, but it certainly must be in the near future. Scripture prophecies that ten nations will organize in an effort to gain world domination and will turn against the religious power that reigns over them.
It has been so long ago that the Vatican has been a known political power that we hesitate to think she would try any of her underhanded machinations in this day and age. The fact that the Vatican was allied with Hitler and Mussolini during World War Two is hushed up or whitewashed to such an extent that the majority of the people in civilized nations ignore it.
Worse than that is in the future of the “Mother of Harlots” that has blinded the eyes of men with her witchcraft's and idolatries. Because she is a false religious organization, based on all the ungodly imaginations of man’s mind, she entices all the nations of the earth to follow her:
History tells us how this organization has killed the saints down through the ages. She is to be “desolate and naked.” The ten nations allied with her will destroy her completely, for they “shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Rev. 17:16). God will move them to do this:“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her 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...For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double into her according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her” (Rev. 18:3,5,6,20).This alignment of the Vatican and the ten nations would not normally be expected, but it is accomplished by the will of God, not man.“For God hath put it 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” (Rev. 17:17).The “beast” (Vatican) that the Roman Catholic Church is “riding,” today enters into the politics of all nations. Instructions have gone out from Rome for her people to quickly position themselves in the higher ranks of government, schools, and communications. Soon she will have her ten satellites. When the ten satellites turn on and destroy the “religious” part of the organization, paganism will still exist in the world. Thousands of other sects having no professed belief in the God of the Bible or his Christ also practice paganism.
Acceptance of any religious belief not approved by the Word of God is spiritual fornication. The person that accepts the word of man over the teachings of the Bible is not a child of God. He is a fornicator just as surely as the children of Israel were fornicators when they wandered away to worship idols (2 Chr. 21:11).
The “Wrath of God,” when dispensed through the seven last plagues, will punish those who have the mark of the beast in their forehead or hand. Those who believe (symbolized by the forehead) or practice (symbolized by the hand) paganism in any form will be those who suffer these plagues.
Today God’s warning remains:
That is also the message of the Third Angel:“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4).The world will never have another world ruler until Christ returns. According to prophecy, there is to be only five world kingdoms. There have been four. The fifth one is to be the kingdom of God, when Christ returns to take over this world and rule for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4; Daniel 2: 37-44).“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:” (Rev. 14:9,10).Are You Ready?
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