This chapter begins with one of the angels who poured out a judgment bowl calling John to see a "great prostitute." The woman (prostitute) is a great city. Furthermore, she is a city built on seven hills. Only one city has for more than 2000 years been known as the city on seven hills. That city is Rome. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined.” Vatican City claims to have been the worldwide headquarters of Christianity since its beginning and maintains that claim to this day. Her pope enthroned in Rome claims to be the exclusive representative of God, the vicar of Christ.
Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world; otherwise my servants would fight.” The popes, however, have fought with armies and navies in the name of Christ to build a huge kingdom which is very much of this world. And to amass their earthly empire, they have repeatedly engaged in spiritual fornication with emperors, kings, and princes. Claiming to be the bride of Christ, the Roman Catholic Church has been in bed with godless rulers down through history, and these adulterous relationships continue to this day.
The incredible wealth of this woman caught John’s attention next. She was dressed “in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4). The colors of purple and scarlet once again identify the woman with both pagan and Christian Rome. These were the colors of the Roman caesars with which the soldiers mockingly robed Christ as “King” (see Matthew 27:28 and John 19:2,5), which the Vatican took to itself. The woman’s colors are literally still the colors of the Catholic clergy:
“A cloak with a long train and a hooded shoulder cape … [it] was purple wool for bishops; for cardinals, it was scarlet watered silk (for Advent, Lent, Good Friday, and the conclave, purple wool); and rose watered silk for Gaudete and Lactate Sundays; and for the pope, it was red velvet for Christmas Matins, red serge at other times. The close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by the Catholic clergy as their official garb…. The color for bishops and other prelates is purple, for cardinals scarlet...
The “golden cup [chalice] in her hand” again identifies the woman with the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Encyclopedia declares of the chalice: “[It is] the most important of the sacred vessels…. [It] may be of gold or silver, and if the latter, then the inside must be surfaced with gold.” Rome has practiced evil to gather her wealth, for the “golden cup” is filled with “abominations and filthiness.” Much of the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church was acquired through the confiscation of the property of the victims of the Inquisitions. Even the dead were exhumed to face trial and property was taken from their heirs by the Church. However, most of Rome’s wealth has been acquired through the sale of salvation. Untold billions of dollars have been paid to her by those who thought they were purchasing heaven on the installment plan for themselves or loved ones. The practice continues to this day – blatantly where Catholicism is in control, less obviously here in the United States. No greater deception or abomination could be perpetrated.
In addition to such perversions of the gospel which have led hundreds of millions astray, there are the further abominations of corrupt banking practices, laundering of drug money, trading in counterfeit securities, and dealings with the Mafia (fully documented in police and court records), which the Vatican and her representatives around the world have long employed. Nino Lo Bello, former Business Week correspondent in Rome and Rome bureau chief for New York Journal of Commerce, writes that the Vatican is so closely allied with the Mafia in Italy that “many people … believe that Sicily … is nothing more than a Vatican holding.”
Christ and His disciples lived in poverty. He told His followers not to lay up treasure on this earth but in heaven. The Roman Catholic Church has disobeyed that command and has accumulated a plethora of riches without equal, of which “the Roman Pontiff is the supreme administrator and steward...There is no church, no city which is a spiritual entity, no religious institution past or present which even comes close to possessing the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church.
John’s attention is drawn to the inscription boldly emblazoned upon the woman’s forehead: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:5). The great apostle Paul was a celibate and recommended that life to others who wanted to devote themselves fully to serving Christ. He did not, however, make it a condition for church leadership as the Catholic Church has done, thereby imposing an unnatural burden upon all clergy that very few could bear. On the contrary, he wrote that a bishop should be “the husband of one wife” (I Timothy 3:2) and set the same requirement for elders (Titus 1:5,6). Peter, whom the Catholics erroneously claim was the first pope, was married. So were at least some of the other apostles. This fact was not the chance result of their having been married before Christ called them, but it was accepted as an ongoing norm. Paul himself argued that he had the right to marry like the rest: “Have we not power [Greek exousia, the right or privilege or authority] to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles and as the brethren [half-brothers, sons of Mary and Joseph] of the Lord, and as Cephas [Peter]?” (I Corinthians 9:5).
The Roman Catholic Church, however, has insisted upon celibacy even though many Popes, among them Sergius III (904-11), John X (914-28), John XII (955-63), Benedict V (964), Innocent VIII (1484-92), Urban VIII (1623-44), and Innocent X (1644-55), as well as millions of cardinals, bishops, archbishops, monks, and priests throughout history, have repeatedly violated such vows. Not only has celibacy made sinners of the clergy who engage in fornication, but it makes harlots out of those with whom they secretly cohabit. Rome is indeed “the mother of harlots”! Her identification as such is unmistakable. No other city, church, or institution in the history of the world is her rival in this particular evil.
History is replete with sayings that mocked the church’s false claim to celibacy and revealed the truth: “The holiest hermit has his whore” and “Rome has more prostitutes than any other city because she has the most celibates” are examples. Pius II declared that Rome was “the only city run by bastards” [sons of popes and cardinals]. Catholic historian and former Jesuit Peter de Rosa writes:
“Popes had mistresses of fifteen years of age, were guilty of incest and sexual perversions of every sort, had innumerable children, were murdered in the very act of adultery [by jealous husbands who found them in bed with their wives]…. In the old Catholic phrase, why be holier than the pope?” 16
John next notices that the woman is drunk – and not with an alcoholic beverage. She is drunk with “the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…” (Revelation 17:6). The picture is a horrible one. It is not merely her hands that are red with this blood, but she is drunk with it! The slaughter of innocents who, for conscience’ sake, would not yield to her totalitarian demands has so refreshed and exhilarated her that she reels in ecstasy. Pagan Rome made sport of throwing to the lions, burning and otherwise killing thousands of Christians and not a few Jews. Yet “Christian” Rome slaughtered many times that number of both Christians and Jews. Beside those victims of the Inquisition, there were Huguenots, Albigenses, Waldenses, and other Christians who were massacred, tortured, and burned at the stake by the hundreds of thousands simply because they refused to align themselves with the Roman Catholic Church and its corruption and heretical dogmas and practices. Out of conscience, they tried to follow the teachings of Christ and the apostles independent of Rome, and for that crime they were maligned, hunted, imprisoned, tortured, and slain.
Finally, the angel reveals to John that the woman “is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18). Popes crowned and deposed kings and emperors, exacting obedience by threatening them with excommunication. The Vatican is acknowledged as a sovereign state in its own right, separate and distinct from the nation of Italy surrounding it. There is no other city in history of which this has been true, and such is still the case today.
That the popes reigned over kings is an undisputed fact of history that, in doing so, horrible abominations were committed, as John foresaw. Pope Nicholas I (858-67) declared: “We [popes] alone have the power to bind and to loose, to absolve Nero and to condemn him; and Christians cannot, under penalty of excommunication, execute other judgment than ours, which alone is infallible.” In commanding one king to destroy another, Nicholas wrote:
“We order you, in the name of religion, to invade his states, burn his cities, and massacre his people...”
The qualifying information which John gives us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for identifying this woman, who is a city, is specific, conclusive, and irrefutable. There is no city upon earth, past or present, which meets all of these criteria except Catholic Rome and now Vatican City.
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.
(Ancient Babylon evolved into ancient Rome, which eventually produced the Popedom or Papacy, Vatican City, etc.)
2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery (spiritual adultery), and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
(The ecumenical movement in 1986 saw Pope John II gather in Assisi, Italy, with leaders of the world's major religions to pray for peace: snake worshippers, fire worshippers, spiritists, animists, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and North American Indian witch doctors. All to the “same God.”)
Scriptures often represent a city under the image of a woman - a pure and holy city under the image of a virgin or chaste female; a corrupt, idolatrous, and wicked city under the image of an abandoned or lewd woman).
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 (city) was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.
(The color for bishops and other prelates is purple, for cardinals scarlet...”)
She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
(This could include the sacrifice of the Mass, the very heart of Roman Catholicism, and a denial of the completed work of the cross. Hundreds of thousands of Christians throughout history, for instance, were burned at the stake for refusing to participate in the Mass)
(The Warren Cup is an ancient Greco-Roman silver drinking cup or goblet dated to 5 AD that sports an image of a guy casually molesting a child.
5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
(The Scriptures clearly reveal that this woman is a symbol of a “great city”, and some believe this city is the Vatican City - the seat of the Roman Catholic Church - an epitome of Church and City combined (just like Babylon)-
(The Roman Catholic Church has its headquarters (the Vatican) situated on seven hills. In the Encyclopedia Britannica, Rome is identified as, “The city of the seven hills, of treasures and tourists…” (Vol. 26, p. 980). The Catholic Encyclopedia states, “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined.”)
Babylon the Great
The Mother of Prostitutes
(As well as spiritual harlots, Roman Catholicism has created literal harlots (prostitutes) by the millions. For centuries it was a favorite joke that Rome had more prostitutes than any other city because she had the most celibates. Catholic historian and former Jesuit Peter de Rosa writes: "Popes had mistresses of fifteen years of age, were guilty of incest and sexual perversions of every sort, had innumerable children, were murdered in the very act of adultery [by jealous husbands who found them in bed with their wives]...")
and of the abominations of the earth.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
(Peter, Paul, and many other Christians were murdered by ancient Rome; Emperor Nero punished Christians by nailing them to crosses, burning them as torches for light after sundown, and covering them in animal skins so they could be eaten by dogs.)
7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.
-Was: Ancient Rome/ Babylon
-Now is not: Rome no longer a superpower
-Will come: Revived Roman empire in future tribulation period
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
(The Seven Hills of Rome lie east of river Tiber. Located within the walls of the city, the hills form the geographical heart of Rome. The Seven Hills of Rome are Esquiline Hill, Aventine Hill, Quirinal Hill, Caelin Hill, Viminal Hill, Capitoline Hill, and Palatine Hill.)
The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined."
10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
(Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece (five fallen), Rome (one is), and a future world kingdom (revived Rome).
11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
The rise of the Antichrist out of the conglomeration of the Revived Roman Empire:
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour (short time) will receive authority as kings along with the beast.
13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
(They give their power and authority to the beast so that he can become “all in all,” being the sole focus both in political and religious realms. Because the Beast accepted the offer from Satan which Jesus refused (Luke Luke 4:6), he is given ultimate authority above all else on earth—even claiming to be God (2Th. 2Th. 2:4). For this to occur requires that all other authorities submit to his rule)
14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
(They war against the Lamb in a doomed attempt to forestall His taking back that which is rightfully His)
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (worldwide population).
16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.
18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”