The Bible is awash in symbolism and literalism. However, unless one is a theologian, it is quite difficult to understand the many symbolic meanings of the Bible. For example, the book of Revelation describes “A fiery red dragon waiting to devour a child of the woman giving birth”, “A beast that rises from the sea with seven heads and ten horns”, or “The great harlot who made the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication”. What do those symbols mean? For the purposes of this article, I will focus on the identity of the Great Harlot. Who is she and what clues does the Bible give in describing her?
In ancient Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans had an organized religious system, sometimes referred to as “mysteries.” Those behind the Babylonian religious system started the “Mysteries”. In his book, The Two Babylons, author Alexander Hishop argues that the Babylonian “mysteries” required the people to be bound head to toe to the priest because “the priests were the only depositions of religious knowledge; they (the priests) had only the true tradition of how religion could be interpreted and without blind and implicit submission to the priest of Babylon, what was necessary for salvation could not be known by the people.” Many say that the Roman Catholic Church represents the Great Harlot. Is it possible that the Harlot represents something else?
Revelation further explains: “The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and shone with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had in her hand a golden cup, full of abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written in her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Rev. 17:4-5)” How does the Great Harlot intoxicate the inhabitants of the world? We must go back a little, let us remember that Babylon is famous for the Tower of Babel, where Nimrod organized a rebellion against God. Due to this rebellion, God scattered the people and mixed their language. However, the scattered people retained the knowledge of pagan religion. Not to mention that the inhabitants of Babylon had common knowledge of a prophetic scripture: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will bruise you and stamp on your head, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15). Although this scripture was fulfilled once Jesus Christ defeated Satan on the cross, the people of Babylon distorted the truth of writing. They knew that “the seed of a woman” (not a man and a woman) would miraculously bring forth a Son (the Messiah). The Babylonians unjustly worshiped Semiramis, a woman deity and her son Tammuz. From Babylon they followed extending to the ends of the Earth the origin of the cult of a Mother and Child deity.In Egypt, the woman deity and her child were worshiped under the names of Isis and Osiris.In India, Isi and Iswara, in Asia, as Cybele and Deoius, Shing Moo, the Holy Mother in China (Hislop) Most interestingly, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Virgin Mary follows the same pattern.
Just consider the symbolic description of the Great Harlot: A woman holding a cup of wine that makes the whole world drunk. In 1825, Pope Leo XII minted a medal that had his own image on one side and that of the Church of Rome symbolized as a “Woman” on the other, holding a cross in her left hand, and a CUP in her right. . , with the legend around it “Sedet Super Universum”, which translates as “The whole world is her seat”. Every time someone claims to see an image of the Virgin Mary, news organizations clamor to televise it. This year alone, someone paid more than $20,000 for a piece of bread that was supposed to contain her image. Sightings of apparitions of the Virgin Mary have increased over the centuries. The Roman Catholic Church venerates Mary. Would it surprise you to know that Muslims also revere Mary? Both Catholics and Muslims use the rosary, also known as a “sibhah” to Muslims. Rev. Charles Dickson, Ph.D., explains that Mary has a universal appeal that transcends cultural, geographic, and even religious boundaries. Many believe that the Virgin Mary will be used as a springboard to connect one universal religion to one world under the same umbrella.
People get emotional just by seeing an image of the Virgin Mary and when these images speak, the world seems to be spellbound. Hislop states in his book: “The image of the beast is said to be the Virgin Mother or the Virgin. This is not difficult to understand: many worship and pray to Mary through the Catholic Church. The image will have life and voice. , and will be an effective agent of the papal clergy, who will make him speak exactly as they please.” People need to consider who they are praying to. According to the Bible, neither the Virgin Mary, nor the saints (Paul, Peter, Thomas, etc.), nor Allah, can offer salvation. Because the Bible says: “And there is salvation in no one else, because there is no other name (Jesus Christ of Nazareth) under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)”.
What is the fate of the Great Harlot? “And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast [be the very ones to] hate the harlot (the idolatrous woman); they will leave her sad (desperate, desolate), and they will strip her naked and devour her flesh and completely consume her with fire. For God has put it into his hearts to carry out his own purpose by acting in harmony by handing over his royal power and authority to the beast, until the prophetic words (intentions and promises) of God are fulfilled” (Rev. 17:16). -17). The ten horns are the confederate kingdoms of the Antichrist and for whatever reason he turns against the harlot and consumes her with fire.
Revelation describes the future Babylon with the same characteristics of the Harlot before her final destruction. “For all nations have drunk the wine of her passionate unchastity, and the rulers and leaders of the land have joined her in committing fornication (idolatry), and the merchants of the land have become rich from the wealth of her excessive luxury and debauchery. .” (Rev. 18:3) Pastor John Hagee put this into perspective: “Babel ushered in the first organized idolatrous religious system in world history. That is why the apostle John calls Babylon the Mother of harlots (Rev. 17:5). Babylon was the birthplace (mother) of spiritual adultery.” It makes sense that the Great Harlot would end up where she began.
For many, the symbolism throughout Revelation is an impediment, people saying they don’t understand it. However, Revelation makes a promise that few books of the Bible do. Jesus promises: “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed (happy and enviable) is he who watches, puts in his heart, and keeps the truths of prophecy (predictions, consolations, and warnings) contained in this [little] book.” (Rev. 7) You are blessed for simply reading the book of Revelation, read it. You may understand it more than you think.