We have covered sixteen out of twenty-two chapters in Revelation, but some of the most interesting and controversial material lies in the last six chapters of the book. You will soon read exactly what I mean. Revelation 17:1-18 describes the universal religious system of this evil age. The angel described and defined to John Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots. The word mystery has to refer to a religious (mysterious) system. That is what religion is. And let me say here that Christianity is not a religion. Religion is manmade (with the devil’s help, of course). Real Bible Christianity is a living organism, not an organization. It is the Living Body of Christ, made up of Jesus Christ and genuine born-again believers. However, many have turned real Christianity into fake churchianity.
The word harlot (or whore) definitely proves the woman robed in scarlet and riding on a scarlet beast is a religious system. The nation of Israel was pictured as a harlot in many Old Testament Scripture passages because she repeatedly turned away from God to worship one false god after another. Thus, harlotry is biblically associated with religion. Therefore, Mystery Babylon, the Mother of all Harlots, definitely describes the overall religious system that has dominated the human race since the fall of Adam. The seven-headed beast the woman was riding represents the majority of the human race in history. More on that later.
But, chapter seventeen not only identifies what that woman represents but also reveals that she will be destroyed during the Tribulation. The ten horns on one of the heads of the beast—that head being the final Gentile kingdom which will attempt to dominate the entire world—will hate the whore, and destroy her. In verse one, the angel told John that he was about to show him the judgement of the great whore. Verse six says the woman—that religious system ruling over mankind from early on—was drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus Christ. If you study history you will find that it has been religious groups that have been the primary persecutors of God’s people.
Although the military is often used to do that persecuting, the prevailing religious group in a society is usually the primary push behind the military action. Roman soldiers carried out the religious wishes of the unbelieving Jews, first against Jesus Christ, and then His followers. After the Jewish nation was dispersed throughout the world in A.D. 70, the fanatical Roman religious groups took over the persecution of the church. You can read about some of that in the Book of Acts. You will also find that religious harlotry is often connected to literal physical harlotry. Some whorish women of Moab allured some of the Jewish leaders into literal fornication, and to worship their Moabite gods. See Numbers 25:1-3, 6-9 and Revelation 2:14. Religion leads one to whoredom and to blasphemy against God. Blasphemous names were upon both the beast and that mystery woman.
(Ron Craig is pastor, teacher and author of Christian books; and these articles. You may view all the books by logging onto www.livingwayfellowshiponline.org. While logged on the website you can even listen to audio Bible-lesson podcasts. You may also send your questions or comments to ronwritercraig@gmail.com)
