Remember, the Law of Recap is at play here. The Holy Spirit is returning back to a certain point again and again to fill in more details. Chapters 6-18 are all about the seven year tribulation. We are again brought back to the middle of the tribulation period for this passage. Chapter 17 deals with the judgment of the apostate church, known as religious Babylon. Chapter 18 will deal with commercial Babylon.
What is this Babylon? She is a false religious system that is hungry for power, wealth, and control. She is the one-world church that will unite during the tribulation period. There will be a union between the church, Europe, and the Beast. The Beast will let her ride for the first three and a half years, as he has come promising peace to Israel. Then, he will break his promise and destroy her completely, leaving only himself demanding the world's worship.
Who is this woman? She was to be the bride of Christ, His church, but instead, she rejected Christ and became a harlot, or prostitute, selling herself to the world in spiritual fornication. The true church has been raptured and removed from the earth. It is thought that those left are reunited under the revived Roman Empire and Roman Catholic church. She sits on seven hills, a common term for the city of Rome. She also wears scarlet and purple, the colors of Roman imperialism and Catholicism. The blaspheming names reveal just how far false religion is departed from the living Christ.
Interesting, she is named "mystery" also because of her origins. Nimrod was a real character that was known as the founder of Babylonian religion. He was a hunter against God- a rebel always looking for a way to get around God's rules, boundaries, and processes. He even built the Tower of Babel in a search to find his own way to get to heaven. That's all in the Bible. What's not in the Bible, is the legend of his family. As the myth is told, Nimrod had a wife named Samarramus. She declared she was miraculously pregnant by the Spirit. She was known as the "queen of heaven". She gave birth to a son named Tammus on December 25. He died on Easter, but was resurrected and went up to heaven. Tammus is thought to be Nimrod reincarnated. She claimed if you would just pay homage to her, she would talk to him on your behalf. If you burn incense to her, you will have favor with him. This is all quite Satanic, in that it is an imitating counterfeit to Christ-and it predates Christianity. It's Catholicism at its roots. It's Babylonian religion.
When Constantine proclaimed the Edict of Toleration in 314ad to gain election into government, he adopted Christianity as Rome's religion. He simply changed the names of the myth. Tammus was Jesus. Saturnylia turned into Christmas. Ishtar went to Easter. This is a horrible mixing of very dark practices being introduced into the church. It's a great compromise of truth in the quest for power and wealth. Today, the Vatican is reported as being a most wealthy and influential hub. The Catholic church is reported to have killed over 10 million Christians in its history. That's the woman drunk with the blood of the saints in Revelation 17. She reigns on seven hills of Rome, in power over the kings of the earth. She sits on many waters- a reference to the peoples and nations of the world.
The Beast is Antichrist, coming out the pit, raised from the dead in a counterfeit resurrection of Christ. The people are amazed and worship him. The 7 heads are the 7 hills and 7 kings or kingdoms of the world. The 10 horns are 10 more kings. The 5 kingdoms that have fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. The 5 kings that have fallen are Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. The king that is current in John's writing this book is Domitian. The one yet to come is the Beast- the king of the revived Roman Empire.
How can we apply prophesy about the future to our lives today? One bit of encouragement is that God is still in control. This passage describes the darkest hour the world has ever known and yet He is still directing its redemption. In these current, complicated times, we need reminding that God is still in control of things. We also need to identify with Christ and His Word. Be true to Him and don't play footsies with the world. Don't love anything else more than Him. If something else is taking up your energy, focus, time, money, or heart, it may be an adulterous activity. Whatever is not rooted and grounded in Jesus will be devoured. The church should never make alliances with the government, thinking they will be sustained, have power, and change the world into a better place. Read the Book, don't wait for the movie. We know where this place is going. We know how His story unfolds. It's a deceptive trick to think we can control this evil world. Don't buy into the lie.
So what are we to do? Live simple, focused, and free lives. Don't compromise. Love Jesus and walk with Him every day. Love other people like He does. It's a life identified with Christ- a life that's simply about Jesus- nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.
