The Great Harlot

We come now to look at Revelation 17-19.

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Revelation 17:1-2

These three chapters all deal with the great whore Babylon. We come to the conclusion, on a number of factors, that the identity of the harlot is Rome.

Rome Is Babylon

The primary reasoning for our understanding is the Biblical text of Daniel 2. In Daniel 2, the four kingdoms represented all comprise a single statue, of which the head is Babylon. Logically, what you call the head, you also call the foot. Hence, to call Rome Babylon, assuming Rome is the fourth Kingdom, is absolutely scriptural. But, let us look further for the rest of the proof.

Next, we need to define what we mean when we say ‘Rome’.

First, Rome was a nation or an empire. At its height, it ruled the entire known world, and eventually declined and fell apart, with its last official emperor in 476AD.

Second, Rome was a city, the capital of that nation of the same name. The city existed well before the empire began in 31 BC, but was not a world-ruling power.

Third, and finally, Rome was the name of the city of Rome’s chief goddess, or the ‘dea Roma’ (Roma is also the Roman spelling of the other two, and is the word ‘amor’ spelled backwards, which means ‘love’).

It is interesting to note here, though, that more commentators do not pick up this last difference. The Roman goddess was said to personify the city itself, and sometimes, all of civilization as well. She was further depicted on coins as seated upon seven hills, beside waters (namely, the Tiber river), and was deified in the city in many temples. In fact, whenever temples were built in honor of the emperor, they often honored her as well, or, sometimes, greater.

So, consider the description of the harlot,

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:3-7

Now, when we look at the Roman gods, including Roma, we must understand that they did not make up their own gods, but merely reincorporated the existing ones from previous pantheons. Spiritually speaking, these characters and personalities referred to as gods actually referred to specific, demonic entities which were ruling and reigning over the Earth. Simply changing their name didn’t change who they were, and, in the case of Rome, we find the correlation through the house of the gods of other cultures the same personality, namely, in Diana, Artemis, Minerva, Venus, and a host of other identities. Same demon, different dress.

The Harlot’s History

But, what of this particular harlot from the Revelation? We see her seated upon a scarlet beast, indicating the nation of Rome, and also the city. She was said to be the ‘great city’ in Revelation 17:18, and, this is indeed what she was, because Roma personified the city. Further, she was the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the Earth. This, in fact, she was, since she also personified civilization.

But, more interestingly, we see that this same Roma is the same ‘Queen of Heaven’, which was the goddess of Babylon. This, again, links Rome with Babylon, in confirmation of the Daniel 2 text. What this appears to indicate is that while the humanistic governments changed, and went from one government to an inferior government, the ruling principality over the land remained the same. This is, again, why Rome is still Babylon.

What we see, then, is that this is a principality, or ruling power, that has followed the successive empires down through history. While names changed, what this influence was did not. But, what is more striking is where this demon most likely came from.

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.” I asked, “What is it?”

He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

Then I looked up–and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me.

He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

Zechariah 5:5-11

You see, the spiritual wickedness that ruled in Babylon, according to Zechariah 5, seems to have come from Israel itself! What other way for John to be astonished when he sees what is truly ruling Rome.

It only takes a little understanding to see what is really in view here, spiritually. What John sees seated upon the Roman empire, as it would seem, is none other than the same Jezebel who married into the kingly line through Ahab. Remember, when Israel was a nation of its own, the throne of David was the LORD’s throne. So, when Ahab married Jezebel, not only did he sin, but he empowered the demonic force of her in the nation, and enthroned her as well. This marriage gave a one-flesh bond, through Ahab, for the queen of heaven through Jezebel to rule over God’s Kingdom. When the Word says that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord in 1 Kings 16:33 than all that were before him, it really means it.

You will notice, that for nearly all the history of Israel in the time of the first temple, there were golden calves and idol worship. Yet, when it came to the 490 years of Daniel, and the Second Temple, this was virtually absent. They did not build golden calves as they had before, and they didn’t enter, nationally, into the same level of sin that they had before.

What happened, then, to the iniquity on the land? It was taken to Babylon to rule there. Further, was this mercy, or was this judgment? Perhaps it was both. The principality was removed from the vicinity of Jerusalem, but it was brought in to empower the nation that ruled over Israel.

The Mother of Harlots

The Roman goddess Roma, therefore, is Jezebel, or the animating demon behind her, called by the same name. The principality over the city of Rome, personifying the city, was the same wickedness that had been empowered in Israel, and dominated it. This is why it is said that she was the mother of all harlots, because that is who Jezebel is. This is why she was drunk with the blood of the saints, because that is what she is, both historically and then in John’s day. Jezebel is the one who killed the prophets, raised up the prophets of Baal and Asherah.

But, additionally, this is why the beast and the ten kings hate her, according to Revelation 17:16.

Nothing would make a satanically possessed male emperor hate something more than for it to be honored in his own temples as much, and sometimes more, than himself. Nothing would make a spiritual war and rivalry than a luciferian spirit in the same vicinity as a jezebellian one. This is why they, and the ten kings, hate her.

Rome, the city everyone would have thought of as the city on seven hills, was ruled and controlled by Jezebel, much like much of the world today is coming under a similar influence. This is why the parallels to a ‘harlot system religion’ speak so well to what we see forming, because, while the reality of Revelation 17 is fulfilled historically, the same pattern and influence is happening here in the text.

But, Revelation 17 is not the prophecy for our day, but that day, but it is God’s Word, speaking of the same circumstances, but we must seek Him for His instruction for our own time.

Many have made too much of a deal of the both Revelation 11 and Revelation 17 calling things the ‘great city’. In all deference, this is an inaccurate and slightly misleading statement that many people make. Simply because both chapters call something a ‘great city’ does mean much more than saying both New York and Los Angeles are big. But, rather, what are the two chapters saying? Revelation 11:8 is talking about the “great city … wherein their Lord was crucified”, and Revelation 17:18 is talking about the “great city which reigneth over the kings of the Earth”. The qualifier is not just “great city”, but is the entire phrase, and should be taken as such, in our opinion. We can call New York the “big city on the East coast” and Los Angeles the “big city of California”. Both are “big”, but they are not the same city.

The Seven Heads

Settling, therefore, both historically and Biblically on the identity of Rome as Babylon, we see the seven heads of the beast as the first seven emperors, not counting the three who died in the same year in the ‘year of the four emperors’. These three, all who reigned only a short time, can be said to have never reigned in Judea. John, writing to his audience, is merely recording what he is told to, and overlooks these three emperors.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

Revelation 17:9-11

The hills, of course, are the hills of the city of Rome. The fifth emperor was Nero, and the one at the time of the writing was Vespasian. The one to come would be his son, the destroyer, Titus, who reigned only for two years and three months. The eighth, as was in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7, is Domitian, regarded as Nero back from the dead, who had died of a self-inflicted head-wound.

The Ten Horns or Kings

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Revelation 17:12-14

The ten horns, most likely, would refer to the ten persecutions of the church before the time of Constantine. It is assumed by many futurist commentators that these must reign concurrently, but this does not follow from the text. Rather, these ten future kings, not having yet received a kingdom, reigned for their ‘hour’ upon the earth, and gave their ruling power to the demonic beast of the nation of Rome, the fourth beast of Daniel 7. There is a free interchange of symbols that is not always expressed in the text, although context makes it clear. These, indeed, made war with the Lamb, but the Lamb overcame them, and the church of Christ did not fail.

These ten persecutions were,

Under Nero A.D. 54-68
Under Domition A.D. 81- 96
Under Trajan A.D. 98-117
Under Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus A.D. 138-180
Under Severus A.D. 193 – 211
Under Maximus A.D. 235-238
Under Decius A.D. 249-251
Under Valerian A.D. 253-260
Under Aurelian A.D. 274-287
Under Diocletian A.D. 292-304

With the possible exception of Nero, since he was earlier, making the ten comprised of Antonius and Marcus, these ten emperors all persecuted the church.

The Lament And Praise of Babylon’s Fall

Revelation 18 records the lament at the fall of Babylon, as well as it’s prophesied utter destruction and perpetual desolation. Here, we see two possibilities, as the city of Rome is still inhabited. In the first, there could yet be coming a desolation to the city of Rome, in particular, the Vatican. This is one possibility. In the other, the focus of the prophecy could have shifted to the original city of Babylon, without indication, which is not without precedent, Biblically. The literal city of Babylon fits the description of Revelation 18:21-24.

Finally, Revelation 19 records the rejoicing of the saints as Babylon’s, Rome’s, ultimate fall. This would mark the first time since Nebuchadnezzar that there was not a ‘one-world government’ upon the Earth. The statue of Daniel 2 had been completely broken, and the church would begin to grow throughout the whole Earth.

One last point of interest in this chapter is the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19:17-21

Here, we see the final conquest of Constantine over the rival emperor.

When Constantine, the first Christian Emperor in Rome, ruled over the nation, it marked the spiritual defeat of the beast of Rome. In a vision, Constantine saw a cross, and was told ‘in this sign conquer’, meaning the emblem of the cross. Placing it upon his shields, he became the emperor, and the power of fourth beast of Daniel 7 was overthrown.

Interestingly, coins were minted at this time, showing Constantine riding a horse atop a serpent on the Earth, piercing it with a spear. They understood, in some form or another, that the dragon had been cast down, and, indeed, for the next 1,000 years, Christians were relatively free from persecution.

Summary

Babylon, the great whore, is Rome, or, more specifically, the goddess Rome (Roma), aka, Jezebel.
Roma was the ruling principality of this city, and is none other than the queen of heaven from Babylon.
She was depicted on coins as seated on the seven hills of Rome and beside the waters (of the Tiber).
She personified the city of Rome (and the empire), as well as ‘civilization itself’.
This diety was worshipped along with the emperor, hence, hatred.
By interpretation, Zecheriah 5 seems to indicate that the reason Roma came to power originally was through her marriage to Ahab. Roma is the woman, wickedness, in the basket taken to Babylon.
The term ‘Great City’ is not a unique qualifier. Revelation 11 and Revelation 17 speak of two different cities.
The seven heads are the seven hills of Rome.
They are also the seven emperors of Rome, not counting the three short-lived ones. Domitian is the eighth.
The ten kings are likely the emperors who persecuted the church before Constantine.
The final overthrow of Babylon in Revelation 18 is either a yet future judgment or switches context back to the original city of Babylon, which was left utterly desolated around that time, and has never been re-inhabited.