Many ask will the church go through the tribulation?
The answer is YES and NO.
The believers of today will not go through it, but there is a church that will, we were introduced to it when we looked at the seven churches - the Church of Thyatira.
This church becomes a world church, a one world religion. This chapter and the following one deal with this subject.
We see here the Woman that rides the Beast, the identity of this woman is not completely clear, and there are many people that have different opinions as to who she is.
There are at least ten clues as to who this woman may be.
1. She is a harlot - unfaithfulness to God
2. Her influence spreads throughout the world.
3. She is sitting on the Beast and dominate it, until she is destroyed by it in the end.
4. She is covered in purple, scarlet, gold and jewels - she is very wealthy
5. She is carrying a golden cup, linked with a utensil used in God’s service
6. She has a mystery title - Babylon the Great - links her with the Babylon of Nimrod.
7. She is the mother of harlots - she has spiritual offspring.
8. She is the persecutor of Christians. There is no other organisation than the Roman Catholic Church that has murdered more Christians, one Pope, in one afternoon murdered more Christians that all the Roman Emperors put together
9. She is associated with a city of seven hills - most people presume that this is Rome.
10. The city she is linked with rules over the earth. In John’s day this was Rome, Many note that the Vatican today is a separate nation.
We will come across Babylon in these next two chapters.
The Bible can be viewed as a tale of two cities - The City of Man and The City of God.
The city of God is introduced first in Genesis 14 as Salem, it becomes Jerusalem and it’s destiny is to become the New Jerusalem. It is the place where God chose.
The city of man is Babylon. It is first mentioned in Genesis 2, it is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible, it is the location of the first world dictator. All occult practices have their roots in Babylon. Many of these practices were integrated into the early Roman church. With many of our Christians festivals being on the dates of festivals for their false gods, with practices performed today being directly linked to idol worship.
Verse 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:”
We have finished the seven bowl judgements.
When it refers to the ‘whore’ it implies a false devotion or flattery. It is used here in spiritual terms. She will be called a harlot 4 times in this chapter, and she will be called ‘the great city’ 8 times in this chapter and the next together.
The term “sitteth upon many waters” can be strange, but we have it explained to us later in the chapter in verse 15.
Verse 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.”
This is one of the places where Lenin’s quote is very appropriate. He said “religion is the opium of the people.” The kings of the earth dealt with her and she ruled them. Down through history the Roman Catholic church had controlled the people, and nations, and the people followed her in blind faith.
Verse 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.”
It is strange that John had to be carried away, he seems to have to be detached from Heaven.
Notice that the woman is sitting on the beast, we have already seen who this beast is in a previous chapter.
Verse 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:”
Purple was the colour of the Roman authority. Scarlet is the colour that has been adapted by the Vatican. The golden cup is understood, by most commentators, to represent the religion of the anti-church. Her fornication refers to accepting and integrating into her belief, false idol beliefs.
Verse 5
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
The word “mystery” here is the Greek word “musterion” meaning ‘a secret revealed’, it has been secret up until now and it is now being revealed.
Notice the word harlot is plural. It is “the mother of harlots”, all denominations came from the Roman Catholice church, many of which do not truly worship God, many who are teaching of how to get to Heaven.
Verse 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.”
This is a serious phrase, she has killed that many Christians that she is drunk on the blood. If we look back through history we can see that not one organisation has killed more Christians than the Roman Catholic church. During the Inquisition the Jesuits wiped out town after town, leaving not a soul alive.
Why would John wonder? The word admiration is misleading, due to the meaning we give it today, the meaning is closer to “amazement” If it was pagan Rome that he saw he would not be surprised, Christians were already being killed. The suggestion is that he saw what was being done, and that it was being done under the banner of Christ.
Verse 7-8
“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 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.”
So this ties in with the ideas of most commentators that Rome will revive again into a world power, an empire, but this over simplifies it, because it’s revival comes from Hell itself.
Verse 9
“ And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth.”
This is one of the first identities, an easy one. Rome is built on seven hills, and has been referred down through the ages as the city on seven hills.
Verse 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.”
In history there have been 6 empires, 1st Egypt, 2nd Assyria, 3rd Babylon, 4th Persia, 5th Greece, 6th Rome. Rome being in power when John is writing- 5 Fallen, 1 is - then we have the 7th to come. - Rome phase 2.
Verse 11
“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”
This refers to the ‘little horn’ the world ruler to come. He takes over from the 7th, the religious world leader.
Verse 12-13
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet;
but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.”
“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
They support the anti-christ in all he does, we learn from other verses that 3 did not go along with him, but were put down, ensuring he had complete power.
Verse 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.”
This refers to the final battle- the battle of Armageddon.
Notice where the called, chosen and faithful are - with him - with the Lamb.
Verse 15-16
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples,
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
“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.”
The kingdoms that are in control, that the harlot was using, turn on her and destroy her.
Verse 17
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom
unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”
The kings think that they are in control of themselves, but God still have the ultimate control.
Verse 18
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
The great city of John’s day was Rome.
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