An angel spiritually carried John into the wilderness to show him the judgment of the great whore that “sitteth upon many waters” (Revelation 17:1). He lifted the veil that covered the woman’s face. On her forehead was written, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5). John “marveled” (Revelation 17:9) at this beautiful mysterious woman, “arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,” riding a scarlet colored beast with “seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3, 4). Who is this great whore and why is she to be judged?
The precious stones and pearls adorning the great whore (Revelation 17:6) signify the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church. Rome, the headquarters of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church is that great city known as the City of Seven Hills. The great whore is destined to rule over the kings and nations of the earth for a short space. (Revelation 17:10)
“Rome herself claims to rule over the kings of the earth. . . . The Roman Catholic Church believes that popes have the right to remove kings and emperors. . . . Scarlet (red) is the color worn by the cardinals. Non-cardinal arch bishops and bishops wear purple. (The Criterion, July 1, 1988.) The cardinals, archbishops and bishops make up the hierarchy of the Roman church.” (Irvin Baxter, Understanding the End Time, p 95.)
Another angel said the great whore and the kings of the earth committed fornication (Revelation 18:3). John remembered Ezekiel’s words condemning whoredom. “And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon. . . . Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them” (Ezekiel 16:16, 17). The great whore decked with gold and precious stones will be burned to death (Revelation 18:8) because she drank “of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9-10).
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