The Great Harlot

And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot sitting on the many waters, [‘waters’ are peoples and crowds, folk and languages] (Rev 17:1)

‘The judgment of the Great Harlot’; who is this harlot? Verse 4 tells us: The woman wore purple and scarlet clothes and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable things and the impurities of her immorality. – This is how the Catholic Church popes and cardinals are dressed. The harlot in question seems to be the Catholic church. More hints: The Great Harlot sits on many waters. Verse 15 explains what they mean: The waters that you saw where the Harlot is, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. The Catholic Church is the world’s largest church with members over a billion!

17:2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her immorality.
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was filled with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns.

I have presented the generally accepted idea of the identity of the harlot; it is the Catholic church. If that is the case, it is to be assumed that the Beast is doctrinally close to the faith represented by the harlot. If, on the other hand, the beast is, for example, an option advocated by many – Islam – it is not plausible that a Catholic Christian church should be allowed to sit on its back. Beast-power, however, hates the harlot, which would be understandable if a different religion of the earthly beast and the religious harlot church would cause discord. When Islam is the Beast, the harlot should be sought from the Islamic world. Mecca has been suggested. Here, the reader can decide whichever one meets the Bible criteria for the city of the beast, Rome or Mecca. In fact, for the comparison of evidence, you can take some other city as well, but here it is a comparison between Rome and the Mecca:

Rev 17:1 The angel also said to me, The waters you saw, on which the harlot is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

Christianity represented by Rome is the largest Christian denomination; in it and its ‘daughters’, i.e other than Catholic Christian churches, there are a total of over a billion people. The Islam represented by Mecca has also more than a billion Muslims. Both meet the condition.

17:2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her immorality. – The Church of Rome has certainly been with the kings of the land plotting, both in politics and faith. As far as Islam is concerned, I cannot say with certainty, although it is divided by the doctrinal disputes and it forms two main camps that are in dispute with each other.

17:4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothes and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable things and the impurities of her immorality. – Rome is full of the external splendor that the Bible best describes. The description, in fact, also resembles the garments of the highest priests of Israel and their decorations. Mecca’s religious leaders may not be so dressy. Mecca does not fulfill the Bible’s condition in this respect.

17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her. – Rome fulfills the condition clearly; how it has in the past persecuted people with apostolic faith over the centuries. Lots of people with different faith have lost their lives in persecution. With regard to the Mecca, it can be said that the Koran expects Muslims to persecute Christians and other dissidents, but does not necessarily and straightforwardly persuade them. A Christian can survive by paying tax on his life and submitting to humiliating treatment. Rome is yes ‘the winner’.

17:9 This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. – Rome is built on seven hills. The hill is not exactly the same as the mountain, but the clear distinctive character of Rome is the seven hills.

The seven mountains are Aventinus, Caelius, Capitolium, Esquilinus, Palatium, Quirinalis and Viminalis. All the hills are located inside the Servius wall, meaning the very heart of old Rome. The wall is believed to have been built by Servius Tullius in 400 B.C. Together with the other hints of the Bible, I think it is perfectly justified to consider that the city we are looking for is the city of Rome and the Roman Empire.

Mecca is not known for this feature.

Rev 18:3 For all the nations have drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her. The merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her luxury. – Rome was the center of the world at the time of John and probably also the world trade center. The description is correct at that time, and now Rome is still a million city after two thousand years. Mecca, I do not understand, has never been such an important trading venue where traders would be so enriched.

Mecca, if I understand right, has never been such an important trading venue where traders would get so rich.

18:17 For in one hour all this wealth has been destroyed! Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living by the sea stood far away.
18 When they saw the smoke from her fire, they began to cry out, “What city was like the great city?
19 Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich because of her wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!

– The city is located by the sea as seafarers mourn that the city has lost the wealth. Rome fulfills the condition, but Mecca does not, as it is about 80 km inland.

Rome fills the Biblical description of the city of Harlot, but Mecca does not.

Rev 17:5 On her forehead was written a secret name: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

The secret of the Great Babylon has been tried by many to find out. For centuries, it has long been clear that it is a Catholic church and that great city is Rome. With the rise of Islam, many scholars have chosen the Harlot of Revelation to be Islam and the city be one of the great cities of Islam world such as Mecca.

Hanoch Ben Keshet presents Jerusalem as the city. He states that Jerusalem, at the time of Ezekiel and Isaiah, was accused of being a harlot: Isa 1:21 Oh how the faithful city has become a harlot! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it. But now, murderers! – Rome is out of the question, because there was no such thing as Rome, at the time of these two prophets saying Jerusalem has become a harlot. Hanoch Ben Keshet seems to forget that this is a vision of the future that was shown to John during the Roman Empire. If we place Jerusalem on the above comparison between Rome and Mecca, we can conclude that Jerusalem does not fulfill the qualities brought forth by many verses. Yet it is true that, in God’s eyes, Jerusalem has lost its early-time position as God’s loyal capital.

The scholar says however he has heard from the National Radio Station Voice of Israel that Jerusalem has literally been built on seven mountains. At least this description seems to be true for Jerusalem. But what about the other features I compared between Rome and the Mecca?

Rev 17:18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. – John was told in the vision of the Harlot and the city of Harlot, that it is a great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. At that time, Israel was a remote Roman province, and Jerusalem could not be described as a great city and far from having the sovereignty of the kings of the earth. If the vision has to be placed at the end of time, the meaning of Jerusalem has not changed. Jerusalem is not the dwelling place of any kingdom of the earth and even less a dwelling place of many kings. On the contrary, the ten kings of countries surrounding Israel make a covenant with the aim of destroying Israel and Jerusalem.

Whether the city of the Harlot is Rome, Mecca, Jerusalem, or any other, the fate of the Harlot city is explained in Rev 17:16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the harlot. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire.

Catholic Rome has a leading role in the world, now mainly in religious but in the future, also in the political sense. Whether the leading city is Rome, Mecca or some other, Rev 17:18 depicts the forces of the predominant beast of this great religious city and its kings: the Harlot sits on the back of the Beast. This illustrates the fact that religious leadership is dominating the earthly and the military Beast. When we consider the city of Harlot, it is important to remember this remarkable city feature; the administration of the kingdom of the Beast is probably in this Harlot city. Jerusalem cannot be a Harlot meant by Daniel and Revelation because the Harlot in the religious sense dominates (rides) the Beast or the union of ten states. The Harlot is sitting on the back of the beast, which I think is proof of this close relationship. But the beast and his king cannot tolerate this interference in their affairs. The end of the Harlot comes after the short power period, by the troops of the beast.

Israel and Jerusalem can be described as a harlot because they have been unfaithful to the covenant with God and the prophets have warned of the consequences. Israel is described as an unfaithful wife and called to return to his God. The unbelieving Jerusalem is punished, but the humble and the little residue that believes in the Messiah will be preserved. Old Jerusalem will be replaced by New Jerusalem and God will fulfill his covenant with this city.

Eze 16:58 You are bearing your wickedness and your abominations, declares Jehovah. 59 For so says the Lord Jehovah: I will even deal with you as you have done, who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

60 But I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will raise up to you an everlasting covenant.

Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel coming down out of Heaven having great authority, and the earth was lighted up from his glory.
2 And he cried in a strong, great voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen! It has fallen, and it has become a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, even having been hated,
3 For all the nations have drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her. The merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her luxury.

18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you don’t participate in her sins and suffer from her plagues.

Christians are urged to distinguish themselves from the excruciating power of the world order of the Beast (the Antichrist) and the deceiving religion that the Harlot church declares in the end. The Catholic Church and its Harlot daughters have many doctrines that are not in the Bible. How can a person know whether or not something has been taught, or so, when the learned have so many disagreements? The salvation does not depend on whether you have understood right everything the Bible says. God only warns you by saying this: go away from the Harlot church, but if you do not leave, you will become part of Harlot’s sins and you will suffer from the scourges of the Harlot. God has previously warned his people about Babylon:

Jer 51:6 Flee out of the middle of Babylon; yea, each man deliver his soul. Do not be silenced in her iniquity, for the time of the vengeance of Jehovah is here; He will give her a just reward.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of Jehovah, making all the earth drunk. The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations rage.
8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen, and it is broken. Wail for her, take balm for her pain, if perhaps she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go, each one into his own country. For her judgment reaches to the heavens, and is lifted up to the skies.

2 Cor 6:17 Because of this, come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing, and I will receive you.

At the end-times, many feel important to believe and to assure themselves and their loved ones of salvation. Someone may well experience that the Church does not offer him the truth and finds himself elsewhere. Even the churches will not remain idle; they summarize their declaration and take a stronger hold on their members. Without personally acquired information, people are dependent on the information provided by their church priests and the information they filter. Those preachers receive the greatest masses of hearers who proclaim such promises what people want to hear.

– For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. Then all who have not believed the truth but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. (2 The 2:11-12)

Rev 18:5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Do to her as she herself has done. Give her double for her deeds. Mix a double drink for her in the cup she mixed.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.
8 For this reason her plagues of death, misery, and famine will come in a single day. She will be burned up in a fire, because powerful is the Lord God who judges her.
9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from her fire.
10 Frightened by her torture, they will stand far away and say, How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon! For in one hour your judgment has come!

Rev 18:9 and 18:18 ‘the smoke of her burning’ the verses 10 and 19 ‘in one hour she has been laid waste’ may very well mean the destruction caused by nuclear weapons. What else could destroy a major city in one moment?

18:11 The merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her because no one buys their cargo anymore,
15 Frightened by her torture, the merchants of these wares who had become rich from her will stand far away. They will cry and mourn,
16 saying, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls!
17 For in one hour all this wealth has been destroyed! Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living by the sea stood far away.

19 Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning, How terrible, how terrible it is for the great city, where all who had ships at sea became rich because of her wealth! For in one hour she has been destroyed!

18:21 Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, The great city Babylon will be thrown down with violent force—and will never be found again.

The great city in question, Babylon, is probably Rome. Rome was named Babylon in order to keep the location of the congregation hidden from persecution. 1 Peter 5:13 KJV “The church that is at Babylon [Rome], elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son”.

17:16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire, – This verse of the Revelation tells about the relationship between the Harlot and the Beast; kings and their leader the Beast hate the Harlot (the religious leader of the world) and “eat his flesh” and “burn him in fire”. The end of the Harlot is, according to the description, taken place in one instant. Burning fire is likely to come from a nuclear weapon that is shot by the Beast troops. There is no longer Harlot riding on the beast. Why would the Beast hate the Harlot that rides on its back? They should work together. Perhaps the secular state union does not like it being controlled by a religious actor, especially if their religion is different.

The destiny of Satan, the Beast, and the False prophet is clear: The beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf. By these signs, the false prophet had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur [brimstone]. (Rev 19:20)