seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 17:1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
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Here's a link to the commentary I read. I encourage you to go to the link and read the rest of the commentary. This is complicated stuff!
I will show you the judgment of the great harlot: Her judgment is assured at the outset. There is never any doubt regarding the fate — and ultimate failure — of Babylon.
As a religious system, Babylon came into being long before Christianity, but in Satanic imitation it anticipated the coming true Messiah. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship, and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother Semiramis holding the savior-infant Tammuz, which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local, Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz.
Who sits on many waters: Here, Babylon sits on many waters; that is, she presides over many nations (compare with Revelation 17:15). She has a universal, international character.
This is unification of all false, idolatrous religion, with representatives from apostate Catholicism, Protestantism, as well as a smorgasbord of other religions of the world.
“The woman pictures false religion that will dominate the world in the tribulation period.” (Hocking) Many people like to identify this great harlot with the Roman Catholic Church, but false religion is not limited to any one church.
“That Rome and the Romish system are involved, may readily be admitted; but that this is all, and that the sudden fall of Great Babylon is simply the fall of Romanism, or the utter destruction of the city of Rome, must be emphatically denied.” (Seiss)
The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk: Religious Babylon intoxicates kings and peoples. Karl Marx was partly right when he said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He was partly right because empty religion is the opium of the masses.
Made drunk with the wine of her fornication: The idea of fornication often has strong associations throughout the Bible with idolatry. Since this is a well-accepted religious system, it is likely to appear as attractive and spiritual, though not necessarily moral.
He carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness: John is carried away into the wilderness; the desolate nature of the wilderness is an appropriate setting for a vision of judgment.
Sitting on a scarlet beast: The harlot rides the same beast (seven heads and ten horns) that was previously seen in Revelation 13:1 — the Antichrist and his dictatorship.
“Her position, that of riding the beast, indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast, and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast.” (Walvoord)
Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and have the “faith” everybody wants.
Purple and scarlet were colors of splendor and magnificence; the dyes to make fabric these colors were rare and costly.
“We find in the course of church history that one of the deadliest marks of ecclesiastical corruption is the lust for temporal power.” (Barnhouse) Purple and scarlet were the colors of rulers, whether economic or political.
On her forehead a name was written: The name on her forehead identifies her in more ways than one. Roman prostitutes frequently wore a headband with their name engraved upon it.
“In spite of all her glamour she is nothing but a prostitute.” (Johnson)
There is a stark contrast between the woman of Revelation 12 (representing Israel, God’s people), and this woman (representing idolatrous, false religion).
“These two Women, thus related, and set over one against the other as opposites and rivals, must necessarily be interpreted in the same way. As Antichrist corresponds to Christ as a rival and antagonist of Christ, so Great Babylon corresponds to the Woman that bears the Man-child, as her rival and antagonist.” (Seiss)
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT: This title is not for literal Babylon; but its spiritual (mystery) representation, which is the source (mother) of all idolatry (abominations) and spiritual adultery (harlots).
This harlot must be larger than any one branch of a religious institution. She is the embodiment of Satan’s own ecumenical movement — the religion of the world system.
Our world, strong with the philosophy that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe, is prepared for the harlot’s seduction. We see the casual disregard for the truth crippling the church today.
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Well, I'll pause right here. The first five verses seem to give me a dividing point. Although the whole chapter is only 18 verses, the content is really heavy man! Please take a few moments and read the commentary for yourself. It will help.
The woman riding the red beast represents the opposite of Mary.
When Satan realized that Jesus would be born, then leave, then return.... well Satan had to come up with a good answer... So, he made his own "messiah". He claims his son will be born, then leave, then return.
Mary was accused of being a whore, punishable by death. Jesus was accused of being a Bastard Child of Mary. See, since this was an Immaculate Conception, God was the father but no one would put God's name on that line on the census records. So, since Jesus didn't have a human father, the church considered Jesus to be a Bastard.
Now prostitutes... well, that was different. If they had a child, nine times out of ten, they couldn't [or wouldn't] identify the father. "Unknown" has a different connotation.
So... since Satan seems to be trying to copy God.... Satan also has to have his own church [or churches] where geo-political and global economics take center stage and idolatry can rule.
While Mary was represented as the woman who went into hiding to protect her son.... the whore of Babylon was all out there... riding a mysterious beast who claims to have conquered death as well.
So.... this whore needed a place to do her dirty work. She picked the same churches Christians set up and set up some of her own.
Do you know what "Apostate" means? I googled it.
Apostate
noun
a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle:
"after fifty years as an apostate he returned to the faith"
adjective
abandoning a religious or political belief or principle:
"an apostate Roman Catholic"
IMHO.... the word "Apostate" should be regularly defined in Sermons.
Apostate Churches are fakes!!!!! Apostate Churches will not shelter people who have lost everything in a storm. They will direct them to the nearest public shelter because they just had the carpets cleaned. Apostate Churches are set up to be used as a tax shelter... and teach it's smart not to pay taxes. Apostate Churches will never have a food bank. Apostate Churches are too good to be host to the poor, even for the few minutes it requires for a handout.
Apostate Churches must all have clean carpets and no need for pantries. I wonder if their baptismal pool is filled with Perie water to display the opulence they worship.
Which church would you attend? Would you attend the local church with the preacher who drives a Yugo or the big opulent church with the preacher who drives the loaded-up Cadillac?
Do you know what Apostate means? Or... are you surprised to learn the Apostate Church is really a fake church by definition?
Do you know Apostate means Fake????
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