Lesson #44

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #44
THE GREAT HARLOT, THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION – REV 17

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 17:14

• WE HAVE SPENT SOME WEEKS LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR STUDY OF REVELATION 17.
• WE HAVE SEEN THE ROOTS OF MYSTERY BABYLON IN GEN 10 AT THE TOWER OF BABEL.
• WE HAVE EXAMINED AN APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY THAT IS EVIDENT IN THE LAST DAYS.
• NOW WE MUST IDENTIFY THE SYMBOLS IN REV 17.

• READ REV 17:1-6
• WHO IS THE GREAT HARLOT? (1)
• FOR OVER 350 YEARS CHRISTIANS BELIEVED THAT THE WOMAN WHO RIDES THE BEAST REPRESENTED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH LOCATED IN THE VATICAN IN ROME. THAT INTERPRETATION BECAME UNPOPULAR IN 1959 WITH THE VATICAN II DECLARATION. SINCE THEN, BIBLE INTERPRETERS OF PROPHECY ARE RE-VISITING THAT ORIGINAL INTERPRETATION. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING FACTS:
• THERE ARE SOME ROMAN CATHOLICS WHO ARE TRULY BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS.
• THOSE BORN-AGAIN CATHOLICS WILL GO TO HEAVEN IN THE RAPTURE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• WHAT WILL BE LEFT ON EARTH WILL BE THE VAST RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WITH A WORLD-WIDE INFRA-STRUCTURE AND ITS GREAT WEALTH.
• THE WOMAN WHO RIDES THE BEAST REPRESENTS THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD LED BY THE FALSE PROPHET AND LOCATED IN THE CITY OF ROME (18).
• SHE “sits upon many waters” (1):
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE SEA OF HUMANITY (15) SUPPORTS THIS FALSE RELIGION. WHY?
• ALL HUMAN BEINGS WANT TO WORSHIP SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. THAT IS WHY RELIGION IS FOUND IN EVERY CULTURE OF THE WORLD THROUGH ALL HUMAN HISTORY.
• AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THERE WILL BE A GREAT SPIRITUAL VACUUM.
• THE APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY MIXED WITH THE PAGANISM OF BABYLON WILL BE LEFT AFTER THE RAPTURE TO FILL THAT SPIRITUAL VACUUM.
• THE VAST INFRA-STRUCTURE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL STILL EXIST AFTER THE RAPTURE TO PROVIDE THE MEANS BY WHICH THIS RELIGION WILL GAIN WORLD PROMINENCE.
• “the kings of the earth commit fornication” (2) =
• ALL THE GOVERNMENT LEADERS OF THE WORLD WILL BELIEVE IN THIS RELIGION.
• THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, EVEN TODAY, HAS GREAT POWER AND INFLUENCE WITH THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD.
• THIS WAS EVIDENT AT THE FUNERAL OF POPE JOHN PAUL II WHERE HEADS OF STATE FROM AROUND THE WORLD GATHERED TO PAY RESPECT.
• REV 17:18 SAYS THAT THIS HARLOT RELIGION HAS GREAT POWER OF THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD
• THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE ONLY RELIGION THAT EXCHANGES AMBASSADORS WITH THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.
• “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast” (3) =
• THIS VERSE TELLS US THE ANTI-CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HARLOT:
• SCARLET COLORED BEAST IS THE ANTI-CHRIST OF REV 13:1-10. HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS THE SAME BEAST?
• THE BEAST IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING 7 HEADS AND 10 HORNS. THIS IS THE SAME DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAST IN REV 13:1-10.
• THEREFORE, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL SUPPORT THIS WORLD FALSE RELIGION FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. (3 ½ YEARS OF THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OR LESS). WHY WILL HE SUPPORT THIS RELIGION?
• BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF THIS RELIGION AROUND THE WORLD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL HAVE TO NEUTRALIZE IT AND DESTROY IT BEFORE THE WORLD WILL FOCUS THEIR WORSHIP ON HIM.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL USE THIS WORLD RELIGION AS LONG AS IT SUITS HIS PURPOSES AND BRINGS HIM MORE POWER.
• THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION:
• “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour” (4) =
• PURPLE IS THE SYMBOL OF ROYALTY AND SCARLET IS THE SYMBOL FOR BLOOD.
• IT WAS THE CAESARS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE THAT FIRST BEGAN TO USE THE COLORS OF PURPLE AND SCARLET.
• THE COLORS OF PURPLE AND SCARLET WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WHEN EMPEROR CONSTANTINE CLAIMED TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
• THE COLORS OF PURPLE AND SCARLET IDENTIFY THE CATHOLIC CLERGY. THE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA SAYS, “PURPLE WOOL FOR BISHOPS AND SCARLET WATERED SILK FOR CARDINALS.”
• “decked in gold, precious stones and pearls” (4) =
• THIS REPRESENTS THE WEALTH OF THE WORLD.
• THE EARLY CATHOLIC CHURCH GAINED ITS WEALTH BY CONFISCATING THE PROPERTY OF THE PEOPLE IT PUT ON TRIAL IN THE GREAT INQUISITIONS.
• TODAY THE VATICAN HAS ITS OWN VAST BANKING SYSTEM COMPETING WITH THE OTHER LARGE BANKS OF THE WORLD.
• THE VATICAN IS LARGEST SINGLE HOLDER OF STOCKS AND BONDS IN THE WORLD.
• “having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (4) =
• ABOMINATIONS, FILTHINESS, AND FORNICATION REFER TO IMMORAL PRACTICES AND UNGODLINESS.
• THE GOLDEN CUP (OR CHALICE) IS THE MOST SACRED OF ROMAN CATHOLIC OBJECTS BECAUSE IT IS THE LOCATION WHERE THE BREAD AND THE WINE CHANGE IN REALITY TO THE BODY AND THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
• “And upon her forehead was a name written ” (5) =
• HARLOTS OF ANCIENT ROME WOULD IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR NAME WRITTEN ON A LABEL AND PLACED ON THE FOREHEAD.
• THE NAME WRITTEN ON THIS WOMAN IN REV 17 IS: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH“.
• THE WORD, “MYSTERY” IS PART OF HER NAME. THE WORD LINKS HER TO THE MYSTERY CULTS THAT CAME OUT OF ANCIENT BABYLON.
• THE TERM, “MYSTERY” ALSO RELATES TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:
• THE LATIN WORDS, “MYSTERIUM FIDE” IS PRONOUNCED AT EVERY CATHOLIC MASS IN LATIN. IT REFERS TO THE MIRACLE THAT CHANGES THE BREAD AND WINE TO THE ACTUAL BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
• THE CATHOLIC CATECHISM SAYS THAT THIS LITURGY, “AIMS TO INITIATE SOULS INTO THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST”, AND THAT ALL THE CHURCH’S LITURGY IS “MYSTERY”.
• “I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints” (6) =
• THIS PHRASE REFERS TO THE ENJOYMENT OF PERSECUTING AND KILLING THE TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH DURING THE INQUISITION PERIOD IS STAINED WITH THE BLOOD OF TRUE BELIEVERS MARTYRED FOR THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. FOXE’S BOOK OF MARTYRS GIVES A DESCRIPTION OF THOUSANDS OF THEM.
• 1790 – 1792 IN SPAIN ALONE, THERE WERE 300,000 MARTYRS BURNED AT THE STAKE.
• THE OLD OFFICE OF THE INQUISITION STILL OCCUPIES THE PALACE OF THE INQUISITION ADJACENT TO THE VATICAN, THOUGH IT HAS A NEW NAME.
• READ REV 17:7-13
• “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition” (8)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST IS ALIVE, THEN DEAD FROM A HEAD WOUND, THEN RISES AGAIN WITH SATANIC POWER AS HE IS INDWELT BY SATAN. HE WILL END IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
• “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains” (9) =
• THERE ARE TWO INTERPRETATIONS FOR THE MEANING OF THE 7 MOUNTAINS:
• =1= THE 7 MOUNTAINS REFER TO THE CITY OF BABYLON BECAUSE SHE IS CALLED “MYSTERY BABYLON”.
• THE PROBLEM WITH THIS INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE CITY OF BABYLON IS NOT LOCATED ON 7 MOUNTAINS.
• =2= THE 7 MOUNTAINS REFER TO THE 7 HILLS OF ROME.
• ROME IS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND THROUGHOUT HISTORY AS A CITY ON SEVEN HILLS.
• COINS ISSUED IN THE OLD ROMAN EMPIRE HAD ON THEM THE MOTTO, “THE CITY ON 7 HILLS”.
• EVEN THE CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA SAYS, “IT IS WITHIN THE CITY OF ROME, CALLED THE CITY ON 7 HILLS, THAT THE ENTIRE AREA OF VATICAN STATE PROPER IS NOW CONFINED.”
• EVEN IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES, THE CITY OF ROME WAS SYMBOLICALLY CALLED BABYLON.
• READ 1PET 5:13.
• PETER WAS WRITING FROM THE CITY OF ROME.
• ROME IS THE LOCATION OF THE VATICAN CORRESPONDING TO THE OTHER SYMBOLS IN REV 17.
• “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.” (10) =
• WHO ARE THE SEVEN KINGS?
• THE FIVE FALLEN KINGS (KINGDOMS):
• EGYPT (EXO 1-2)
• ASSYRIA (2KIN 17)
• BABYLON (2KIN 24)
• PERSIA (EST 3)
• GREECE (DAN 11)
• THE ONE KING (KINGDOM) THAT IS:
• ROME (LUK 21)
• WHEN JOHN WROTE THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THE KINGDOM THAT EXISTED AT THAT TIME WAS THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
• THE ONE KING (KINGDOM) NOT YET COME:
• THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OF 10 NATIONS (DAN 2, 7, 8 REV 17:2)
• THE ONE THAT MUST CONTINUE A SHORT SPACE (OF TIME) =
• THE ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM THAT END IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
• HE IS THE EIGHTH KINGDOM. (11)
• THE TEN HORNS AND THE TEN KINGS (12) =
• THESE ARE THE 10 NATIONS OF THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE. THEY RECEIVE POWER AS KINGS ONE HOUR WITH THE BEAST.
• THESE NATIONS ARE NOT POLITICALLY UNITED AS A KINGDOM UNTIL THE ANTI-CHRIST UNITES THEM.AND RULES THEM FOR A SHORT TIME AS THE SOLE LEADER.
• HOW LONG PROPHETICALLY IS ONE HOUR?
• IF ONE PROPHETIC WEEK = 7 YEARS, THEN ONE PROPHETIC HOUR = ABOUT 15 DAYS.
• THESE NATIONS GIVE THE ANTI-CHRIST THE BOOST HE NEEDS TO GAIN WORLD POWER.

• READ REV 17:14-18
• WAR WITH THE LAMB
• THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION, THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE, AND THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL MAKE WAR AGAINST ANY BELIEF IN JESUS CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD.
• FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, IT WILL BE UNPOPULAR TO BE A CHRISTIAN.
• “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.” (16) =
• THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE WILL HATE THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION ONCE THE ANTI-CHRIST IS IN CONTROL OF THE 10 NATIONS.
• WHEN THE ANTI-CHRIST NO LONGER BENEFITS FROM HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION, HE WILL DESTROY IT. HE MAKES HER DESOLATE. HE WILL BURN THE CITY OF ROME TO DESTROY THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION.
• THIS EVENT WILL OCCUR AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.

HOMEWORK
MORE DETAILS OF MYSTERY BABYLON
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE GREAT HARLOT, THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION OF REV 17
• PRAY THIS WEEK FOR ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS THAT YOU KNOW WHO ARE INVOLVED IN CATHOLICISM AND ARE NOT BORN AGAIN IN JESUS CHRIST.

• PREPARATION FOR A STUDY OF MORE DETAILS OF MYSTERY BABYLON
• READ ZEC 5:5-11
• SEE IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY SOME OF THE SYMBOLS HERE:
• THE WOMAN SITTING IN THE MIDST OF THE EPHAH (BUSHEL BASKET) =

• THE EPHAH (BUSHEL BASKET) =

• THE TWO WOMEN (VS. 9) =

• THE LAND OF SHINAR (VS. 11) =

• MEMORY VERSE: 1JOH 4:1