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Revelation 17 symbolically condemns the Roman Catholic Church by calling it in verse 5: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Verse one has one of the seven angels that had one of the seven vials that contained one of the last plagues showing John the judgment of the great whore who sits on many waters which could be interpreted as the oceans of the world. The rulers of the world commit fornication with her.

The angel takes John into the wilderness where he sees the woman sitting upon a scarlet colored beast full of names of blasphemy that has seven heads and ten horns. Verse four describes her as wearing purple and scarlet and decked in gold, precious stones, and pearls. She is also carrying a golden cup full of abomination and the filthiness of her fornication. The colors and other things associated with her remind me of what the Pope wears and what powerful archbishops may also wear. That could be why people compare her to the Roman Catholic Church.

Verse six could refer to the persecution of believers the Roman Catholic Church was involved with which was to eventually be in the future after the book was written. She drinks the blood of believers that she has killed.

The beast she rides comes from the bottomless pit where Satan will eventually be bound for a thousand years in. Those who are not believers will marvel when they see the beast. The seven heads are symbolic of the seven hills of Rome in verse 9 amd the seven kings mentioned in verse 10 have been considered ten rulers of Rome with five that have lived and died, one still in power, and the seventh one yet to come to power. Verse 11 mentions that the beast is the eighth ruler of Rome. These few verses were purposely written vaguely so that the book could be read in churches without the Roman Empire coming down hard on them. The readers understood the symbolism while the Roman authorities didn't.

The ten horns referred to ten kings that were yet to come to power. They could be ten Holy Roman Emperors that would rule long after John was dead. They will do the bidding of the Roman Catholic Church and go against true believers. But they will not be able to crush Christianity.

The ten horns mentioned in verse 16 hate the Roman Catholic Church and consume her. They could be ten future rulers who attack the Church but still give their kingdoms to it. But the whore is also described as Rome and she rules over the kings of the earth.

At the time John was writing the book of Revelation, the Roman Catholic Church was in its infancy. There was a Pope at the time. It could be that the religion was a heretical sect of Christianity that John was warning believers about. He also wanted to warn the believers of upcoming persecution by the Roman Empire as well as the heretical religion that would eventually become a world powerbroker. It's no wonder the Roman Catholic Church doesn't read from the book of Revelation.

Learn more about this author, Rick Badman.
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