Revelation 17

The Angel says to John, "Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgement of THE GREAT WHORE that sitteth upon many waters."

That's an odd invitation. THE GREAT WHORE was never mentioned before. She must be really someone identified already but who eventually turned away from God. In Rev. 18, she is portrayed so: "FOR SHE SAITH IN HER HEART, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."

She is actually the church of Laodicea, of whom it is written, "BECAUSE THOU SAYEST, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." She is the church which has lost her way running after things that do not profit. She is as the Scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees in the days of Jesus Christ. She is a system of splintered groups, of denominations engaged in intellectual pursuit of the Bible, but of people who lack the spirit of Christ, of leaders who serve only to congregate with powerful heads of state in photo-opportunities.

She is the personification of everyone in every denomination who has allowed the things of this world to cloud their spiritual discernment. She is altogether everyone of them whose character will be on full display before the Second Advent.

Her name, written on her forehead, is interesting: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

That the name begins with "MYSTERY" means it is symbolic, accessible only to the wise, the spiritually discerning, those who know the truth, those acquainted with the word of God (Mat. 13:11 & Rev. 13:18).

Who then is "BABYLON THE GREAT"?

"MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER ….." is the Church that has allowed the demons of hell to rise to the top and control her. She sits in the midst of the entire "seven churches of candlesticks" growing further and further away from God, until her most vile state of Laodicea: drunk with the blood of the saints.

She is depicted in Rev. 13 as the "beast of the earth" with two horns like a lamb but who spoke like a dragon. The two horns are the competing factions in the Family, those who are of God and those who are of the dragon; but surprisingly, the dragon controls the mouth, and so the heart and her actions. Her entire focus is on the dragon. She is enamored of him and lives for his glory. Following after him, she begins to destroy the saints of God in her midst. She is depicted in Rev. 2 as Jezebel of Thyatira and the Nicolaitans of Ephesus. She is the spirit of worldliness rampant in Laodicea.

She is the world body of Christianity delighting in grand services, outward pretensions, great buildings, impressive forms and ceremonies, highly intellectual conferences and seminars … but cold towards the less fortunate.

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