“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show 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).

It would appear from these words, “I will show thee the judgment of that great harlot,” etc., spoken by the revealing angel to St. John, that this woman, designated the great harlot, had been seen in visions by St. John before. The fact that the name Babylon had been mentioned in connection with preceding visions (Revelation 14:8, 16:19), and that this name was emblazoned on the forehead of the great “Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:5), together with the fact that the actions or deeds of the harlot are mentioned in the past tense, would seem to establish the conclusion that in some way the Revelator’s attention had already been drawn to this symbolic woman. This fact has been noted by commentators; one of them has observed: “It is apparent from the representation, that the woman had already been beheld by the Apostle sitting where there were seven mountains and many waters; that she was exhibited in that scene in a vision which is not recorded, and for the reason doubtless that her agency with the kings, who were exhibited in connection with her, was unsuitable for description.”

We shall be confined in this chapter chiefly to a consideration of the harlot woman. Let us note first the significance of the words of verse 3: “And he [the angel] conducted me, in spirit, into a desert.” The spirit that St. John is represented as being in, and the desert or wilderness into which he was conducted, are doubtless symbolical and have special reference to the state and viewpoint necessary for one in order to understand the vision. The significance of this expression has thus been noted:

“And this fact is recognized by the Revelator, who shows that all who would get a true view of Babylon must, in spirit, take their position with the true people of God ‘in the wilderness’ — in the condition of separation from the world and worldly ideas and mere forms of godliness, and in the condition of entire consecration and faithfulness to and dependence upon God alone. ‘So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman … Babylon’ (Revelation 17:1-5).”

That St. John seeing the vision is symbolical of the Church seeing the fulfillment is thus suggested:

“The vision of this chapter 17 is one introductory to the judgments of Babylon, and explanatory to St. John (to St. John as the symbolic man) of its causes and reasonableness. Such is God’s usual method, when about to execute any very notable act of vengeance. He shows his Church its justice beforehand; thereby at once vindicating His own honor, and giving warning to such of His people as may thus far have been deceived by the offending party, to separate from it, and so escape its imminent doom” (E. B. Elliott).

We may learn in a general way what the harlot woman represents by contrasting her with another symbolic woman that St. John saw (Revelation 12:1). A woman is a common symbol employed in the New Testament Scriptures to represent the Church of Christ. Especially is this true in the Revelation. The pure Church is represented by a pure, chaste woman, indeed, a virgin; the false Church by an impure, fallen woman.

We have first the true Church described as a woman clothed in a robe of sunlight, crowned with twelve stars, occupying a station above the moon; and again as clothed in fine linen, clean and white. This signifies that the pure Church is robed in the righteousness of her Lord, and is resplendent with heavenly Truth, having twelve special light bearers (stars), the twelve Apostles (Revelation 12:1, 19:8). This picture, while from God’s standpoint and from the standpoint of a truly enlightened Christian describes the true Church throughout her long career, yet she has never been seen by the world or any one as being united in one congregation or in any one system since shortly after Pentecost,¹ the tares beginning to be seen amongst the wheat at that time. The “mystery of iniquity,” was in evidence even in St. Paul’s day, and finally resulted in a union with human governments.

In contrast with the true Church we have in the vision under consideration the harlot woman robed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, precious stones, and pearls. This in general is a symbol of the glittering splendor of earth, of worldly grandeur — thus in another way picturing her apostasy (Revelation 17:4).

Again we have the pure Church described as a chaste and pure virgin espoused to Christ (Revelation 14:4, 2 Corinthians 11:2); on the other hand we see the fallen Church as a “Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:5). In another vision we have the pure Church represented as being persecuted, pursued by the dragon into the symbolic wilderness and almost overwhelmed (Revelation 12:6,13-17); further on in this vision we see the harlot represented as drunken with the blood of the saints, and seated upon a beast that received its power from the same dragon (Revelation 17:3,6, 13:2).

(1) The work of the harvest period is that of separating unto the Lord and not into another sect or organization.

The true and virtuous woman dwells alone in the symbolic wilderness, not in favor with the kings (Revelation 12:6); the harlot exercises a subtle authority over the kings and is in illicit union with them (Revelation 17:2,18). The pure woman is finally seen as the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife, and is hailed as such by a great multitude (Revelation 19:6,7); the harlot is seen stripped of her robe of worldly splendor, and hated, insulted, and torn by the very kings who once upheld her (Revelation 17:16).

The Bride is last seen in the enjoyment of heavenly glory (Revelation 21:10-27); the harlot is lost sight of, as like a great millstone cast into the sea she sinks out of sight, and is found no more forever (Revelation 18:21).

The Woman Sitting on Seven Mountains

To those familiar with Church history there would seem to be no need of a Divine interpretation concerning what particular church is described by the Babylonian harlot. In view of the fact, however, that it is prophesied that all nations would be deceived into thinking that the church system represented was the true Church, the revealing angel gives the information concerning what church is referred to in the words: “The woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” The angel’s words clearly point to but one city, and that is Rome, for Rome was the only city that reigned over the kings of the earth in St. John’s day, or since. It is the only church that has taken the name of a city. It is the only city that has had a church hierarchy that has exercised such a far-reaching dominion over nations and peoples and tongues. Furthermore, the Roman city is identified in the further explanation of the angel: “The seven heads are seven mountains [hills] on which the woman sitteth.” Who is not aware that this is a well known feature of the city of Rome. “All the Latin poets for five hundred years speak of Rome as the seven-hilled city. Rome is depicted on her imperial coins as sitting on seven hills. Among the early Fathers, Tertullian and Jerome may be cited as referring to this feature. ‘I appeal,’ says Tertullian, ‘to the citizens of Rome, the populace that dwells on the seven hills.’ Jerome, when urging Marcella to quit Rome for Bethlehem, writes: ‘Read what is said in the Apocalypse of the seven hills.’ The names of the seven hills are the Palatine, Quirinal, Aventine, Coelian, Viminal, Esquiline and Janiculan.”

We have frequently in previous chapters called attention to the fact that the early commentators (those who wrote before 1850), with one or two notable exceptions, did not see what is so apparent today, namely the fall of Protestantism; and therefore they would naturally apply these various symbols of anti-Christian apostasy to the various aspects of the Romish Church system, only. The Romish apostasy was from its beginning seen by a few of the Lord’s saints, and in the Reformation the fact of its apostasy became to a very large extent known throughout Europe. There, doubtless, the first call out of Babylon was heard by God’s saints; and now, finally comes the call out of both the great Babylonian mother system and the daughter systems (the image of the beast), as well. Concerning the significance of the name “Mother of Harlots” the following comment by Mr. Russell is instructive:

“Names were formerly given as expressions of character or work; as, for instance, Mary was commanded to call her child’s name Jesus, which means Deliverer or Savior, because he should save his people from their sins. The name Babylon, applied by the Spirit to the Church of Rome, expresses her character, for Babylon means mixture — confusion (see Leviticus 18:23). This union of the woman [Church] with the beast [empire] constitutes the spiritual harlotry of which she is guilty.

“But the same [Babylon] applies to her entire family; her daughters inherit both her nature and name, for she is a ‘mother of harlots,’ and her works they do. Some of her daughters have followed very closely in her footsteps, in mixing church and state. Such are ‘The Church of England’ and other state churches. And such would other daughters be, also, if they could find empires willing to support them.

“The same spirit of confusion — the Church walking in unlawful union with the world — is seen on every hand. The Church (nominal) and the world walk hand in hand, unite their interests, and make merry together. It is the worldly element and its wealth that is sought by every sect to support and sustain the Church in the degree of luxury she wishes to enjoy. Alas, the name Babylon is emblazoned on the brow of every sectarian system the world over! [Let every true saint consider these words.]”

Another very instructive and forceful description of this Babylon, “Mother of Harlots” symbol is thus expressed:

“‘The Babylonish Church has the outward body, or form of religion, but not the inward spirit of vital piety; consequently the Babylonish Church is spiritually dead.’

“All fallen sects, from which the inward spirit of vital religion has departed (or is departing), bear upon their foreheads the likeness or semblance of the ‘Mother of Harlots,’ and of all abominations. It is admitted that the Papal Church is the first in the transgression, consequently the designation, ‘Mother of Harlots,’ applies only to her. Hence, the symbolic description of the great harlot will apply to every apostate sect that bears her likeness or semblance. Let us note carefully the marks of apostasy in the Babylonish [Mother] Church. She is proud, haughty, high-minded, seeks worldly power and greatness; says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. [Revelation 18:7.] She is artificially and gaudily attired, arrayed in gold and pearls. [Revelation 18:16.] She is rich, lives deliciously, and makes rich the merchants because of her costliness. [Revelation 18:15.] She despises and persecutes the true saints of God. [Revelation 17:6.] She seeks the friendship of the world, and is guilty of spiritual fornication. She fellowships the world, provides carnal entertainments for them, invites them to God’s holy temple to engage in festivals, lotteries, fairs, and carnal devices, thus making of God’s house a den of thieves. These are the marks of apostasy, and wherever they bear sway and predominate, be it in ‘beast,’ [or image or wherever found], and the spirit of mystic Babylon; and the command of God is, ‘Come out of her, my people,’ etc. (Revelation 18:4).”

The harlot woman is represented also as being seated on many waters (verse 1). This symbol is explained to St. John by the revealing angel in the words: “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (verse 15). We quote another:

“The Babylonian harlot is represented as enthroned upon many waters, which are nations and peoples. She is not only a church, but a church ruling nations; that is, she claims a temporal as well as a spiritual sway. She governs the beast and his ten horns; and so unites a civil and a religious supremacy. Now this is one of the most striking characteristics of the Church of Rome, and of that Church only. Other churches may be so united to the state that the state assumes the unlawful right to govern them; but no other church assumes the right to govern the state, yea, and all states, and to make all men her subjects. Rome did this, and does so still, even in her decrepitude and decay. She claims two swords, she holds two keys, she crowns her Pontiff with two crowns, the one a mitre of universal bishopric; the other, a tiara, of universal dominion. ‘There is indeed a mystery on the forehead of the Church of Rome, in the union of these two supremacies; and it has often proved a mystery of iniquity. It has made the holiest mysteries subservient to the worst passions; it has excited rebellion on the plea of religion; it has interdicted the last spiritual consolations to the dying, and Christian interment to the dead, for the sake of revenge, or from the lust of power. It has forbidden to marry, and yet has licensed the unholiest marriages. It has professed friendship for kings, and has invoked blessings on regicides and usurpers. Pius IX, in the year 1848, addressed the people of Rome thus:

“‘It is one of the many great blessings which God has lavished on Italy, that our three millions of subjects should have two hundred millions of brother subjects of every language and nation.’ So that to the present day, Rome, by her extravagant and guilty claims, does all in her power to identify herself with the harlot of the Apocalypse, who sits upon many waters, which are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues’ (see Hyslop’s Two Babylons)” (H. G. Guinness).

Identified by her Characteristic Attire

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls” (verse 4).

We have already seen what the clothing and ornamentation of this harlot woman in a general way were designed to represent. This description of her attire is in perfect keeping with that of a literal harlot. We believe that this representation is designed to teach how the mother system uses all the seductive arts and worldly attractions that wealth can purchase to allure and blind all but true worshipers to bow down at her altars. Some of the daughter systems have followed the example of the mother.

We identify the Romish Church as the “Mother of Harlots” of the Apocalypse by her characteristic attire. The characteristic dress of the popes, cardinals, arch-bishops, etc., is of purple, scarlet, and gold, adorned with precious stones and pearls. This is the manner in which they dress in their churches, in their conclaves and in their processions. The robes and mitres of Romish popes and bishops are covered with gold and silver, and adorned with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, jaspers, pearls, and all kinds of jewels and precious stones. The Papal diadem or crown surpasses all those of other monarchs. The Church of Rome, alone in these particulars meets all the requirements described of the Mother of Harlots of the Apocalypse.

The next descriptive symbol seen by St. John was a golden cup in the harlot’s hand, full of abominations and impurities of her fornication (verse 4). A cup, when employed as a symbol in the Scriptures, has various meanings. In this Scripture it would seem to represent the boastful claim of the Roman Catholic Church system to be the only repository and dispenser of Divine Truth.¹ In her case, however, the contents of the cup alone proves the falsity of the claim. It seems also to denote the enticing means and specious pretenses by which this system allures people to idolatry. It is used in this sense by the Apostle Paul when contrasting idolatry and its rites with the memorial cup of our Lord: “Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). One has said that the harlot’s name and cup represent her idolatry and artful agency in seducing the nations to apostasy. Mr. Elliott sees the “woman” here depicted before St. John “as a double character, viz., as a harlot to the ten kings, and a vintner or tavern-hostess vending wines to the common people (just according to the custom of earlier times, in which the harlot and the hostess of a tavern were characters frequently united), so, the Church of Rome answered to the symbol in either point of view; interchanging mutual favors, such as might suit their respective circumstances and characters, with the kings of Antichristendom; and to the common people dealing out for sale the wine of the poison of her fornication, her indulgences, relics, transubstantiation-cup, as if the cup of salvation, therewith drugging, and making them [figuratively] besotted and drunk.”

Another expositor has said: “What is that chalice [cup] which the woman lifts aloft? ‘Having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.’ Idolatry and spiritual apostasy are clearly symbolized here” (A. J. Gordon).

Comparing Jeremiah 51:7, where this same symbol is employed, with this Revelation symbol, this writer proceeds:

“Euphratean Babylon was the prolific mother of idolatry — that idolatry which Scripture clearly shows to be the liturgy of demons — and with this she seduced God’s ancient people into spiritual fornication. And now the Church, having become paganized by absorbing into herself the literal elements of this ancient heathenism, is photographed as mystical Babylon, in her turn enticing to idolatry and spiritual unchastity.

(1) The Scriptures never recognize but one — that mentioned in Ephesians 1:22,23.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the Eucharistic cup which Rome now puts to the lips of her communicants [priests] with its mixture of miracle and magic, resembles more nearly the chalice of the ancient Chaldean ‘Mysteries,’ than it does the chaste and simple memorial cup which Christ left in the hands of his [prospective] Bride, the Church; and, in view of the transformation which has taken place, what startling significance is there for Romanizers in the Apostle’s saying: ‘Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and the table of demons’! (1 Corinthians 10:21) — startling, if it indeed be true, that the Bride of Christ, who in the beginning is described as having ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and wait for His Son from heaven,’ is become such that she is now turning men from God to serve idols, seducing them to make an image of the sacrament, before which they fall down in worship.”

On Her Forehead a Name Written

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF Harlots AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (verse 5).

“In symbolic prophecy, the term Babylon is applied at times only to the Church of Rome, called ‘Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots.’ The name could apply only to her for centuries, so long as she was the only mixed system and would tolerate no others; but other ecclesiastical systems, not so great as the ‘Mother,’ nor yet so wicked, nor so radically wrong, sprang up out of her, through various attempted though imperfect reforms. Errors, tares, and worldliness in these also largely predominating, the name Babylon is used as a general or family name for all the nominal Christian systems, and now includes not only the Church of Rome, but all Protestant sects as well; for, since Papacy is designated the Mother system, we must regard the various Protestant systems which descended from her as the daughters — a fact very generally admitted by Protestants [so-called], and sometimes with pride” (C. T. Russell).

It will thus be seen that while the “mother” system, because of her greatness, unity, and idolatrous rites and ceremonies, is very clearly distinguished from all others, it is not so easy a matter to see all of those who make up the daughters. These can be discovered only by their spirit — in some respects like the “mother’s” — manifested sometimes in claims to be “the channel,” God’s chosen “arrangement.” There are other ways of distinguishing the daughters, but it would seem that this is a most prominent one.

(1) “If any shall say that this holy sacrament should not be adored, nor carried about in processions, nor held up publicly to the people to adore it, or that its worshipers are idolaters, let him be accursed” (Council of Trent).”

“The Revelator intimated that it would not be difficult to discover this great mystical city [the mother system — See Revelation 17:18], because her name is in her forehead; that is, she is prominently marked, so that we cannot fail to see her unless we shut our eyes and refuse to look.”

“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” (verse 6).

In these words we have the most marvelous characteristic of the Romish Church described: “Drunken with the blood of the saints,” etc. “And when I saw her, I wondered with great wonder,” writes St. John. “And now [says one] that history has filled in every detail of the crimson outline of prophecy, we wonder with even profounder amazement that such a demoniacal tragedy could ever have been enacted in the name of Christianity. But we remember that the woman who did these things was ‘drunken.’ And there is no intoxication so profound as that induced by Pagan superstition tinctured with Christian blood. Even Martin Luther, while yet in the delirium tremens of Popery, raged with this blood thirst. ‘So intoxicated was I, and drenched in Papal dogmas,’ are his words, ‘that I would have been almost ready to murder, or assist others in murdering, any person who should have uttered a syllable against the duty of obedience to the Pope.’ Nay, even those who have been sobered by generations of Protestant abstinence from persecution, if they once return to the cups of the harlot, speedily exhibit symptoms of the old appetite, as witnessed, for example, in the oft-quoted saying of Dr. Manning, now Cardinal [in 1880], when urging Romish aggression in England: ‘It is yours, right reverend fathers, to subjugate and subdue, to bend and to break the will of an imperial race’ ” (A. J. Gordon).

Another has thus commented on these words: “In horror and wonder we ask ourselves, Why did kings, and princes, and emperors, and the people at large, permit such atrocities? Why did they not arise long ago and smite down Antichrist? The answer is found in the Scripture (Revelation 18:3): The nations were drunk (stupefied), they lost their senses in drinking the mixed wine (doctrine, false and true mixed) given them by the apostate Church. They were deceived by the claims of Papacy.”

Mr. Gordon continues: “It has been estimated that the Papacy has directly or indirectly slain fifty millions of martyrs on account of their faith … whose only crime was that they would not own allegiance to Antichrist. Let charity discount the number by one half if it were possible, and let her suggest every conceivable palliation for the murder of the rest, and we still have the most ghastly chapter which the volume of history contains. Would that we might mingle our weeping with floods of repentant tears from the eyes of this cruel mother, if, forsooth, we could thereby mitigate the wrath treasured up against the day of wrath which her crimes have earned. But, alas! we find ‘Te Deums’ sung over Huguenot slaughters, but not one Papal Miserere can we discover. Commemorative medals are still extant signalizing the massacre of St. Bartholomew, but not one monumentum lacrimarum over the event is to be found in all the archives of the seven-hilled city.” Bellarmine, her great cardinal, said that “heretics ought to be visited by the secular powers with temporal punishments, and even with death itself.” In speaking of the saints of God who protested against the iniquities of Rome he stated: “If you shut them in prison or send them into exile, they corrupt those near them with their words, and those at a distance with their books; therefore, the only remedy is to send them betimes into their own place.”

Another writer has said: “Under these maxims Rome has always acted. What a long roll of bloody persecutions is her record! The extirpation of the Albigenses, the massacre of the Waldenses, the martyrdom of the Lollards, the slaughter of the Bohemians, the burning of Huss, Jerome, Savonarola, Frith, Tyndale, Ridley, Hooper, Cranmer, Latimer, and thousands of others as godly and faithful as they, have been her acts. The demoniacal cruelties of the Inquisition were invented by her mind and inflicted by her hand — that inquisition which was for centuries the mighty instrument of her warfare against devoted men and women whose crime was only this, that they ‘kept the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ The ferocious cruelty of the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands; the bloody martyrdoms of Queen Mary’s reign; the extinction by fire and sword of the Reformation in Spain and Italy, in Portugal, and Poland; the massacre of St. Bartholomew; the long and cruel persecutions of the Huguenots and all the infamies and barbarities of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which flung its refugees on every shore of Europe, were perpetrated by Papal Rome. Her victims have been innumerable. In Spain alone Llorente reckons as sufferers of the Inquisition, 31,912 burnt alive, and 291,450 so-called penitents forced into submission ‘by water, weights, fire, pulleys, and screws and all the apparatus by which the sinews could be strained without cracking, and the bones bruised without breaking, and the body racked without giving up the ghost.’ A million perished in the massacre of the Albigenses. In the thirty years which followed the first institution of the Jesuits, nine hundred thousand faithful Christians were slain. Thirty-six thousand were dispatched by the common executioner in the Netherlands, by the direction of the Duke of Alva, who boasted of the deed. Fifty thousand Flemings and Germans were hanged, burnt, or buried alive under Charles V. And when we have added to this the blood shed of the Thirty Years’ War in Germany, and the long agony of other and repeated massacres of Protestants in England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, we have to remember that for all this, ‘no word of censure ever issued from the Vatican, except in the brief interval when statesmen and soldiers grew weary of bloodshed and looked for means to admit the heretics to grace.’”

“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”