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While on the Isle of Patmos, God allowed John to look into the future. And he saw something with "great admiration" as recorded In Revelation 17:6. God allowed John to see the Great Whore, the Spiritual Mother of Harlots. John's wonder was NOT coming from the standpoint of desire, but rather of showing intense shock or surprise joined with indignation at her.

Let's take a look as this scene unfolds...


Revelation 17:1 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:

[2] 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.

[3] 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.

[4] 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:

[5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.


*Revelation 17:6 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.

[7] 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.

[8] The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.


*Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.



Rome is known to be built upon seven hills. Rome was said to have been founded when Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, ended up at the foot of the hill Palatine and founded the city. The other six hills are Capitoline (the seat of government), Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine.

History records that a Roman Emperor named Constantine was very instrumental in setting up the First General Council of Churches in 325 A.D., known as the Council of Nicaea. The Church of Rome became the Official Church of the Roman empire with Constantine as its head. This "universal" church with its man made doctrine was established so that EVERY subject of the Empire would belong to the Official Church of Rome.

The THREE PERSON DOCTRINE which later evolved and was very clearly defined as such, was purely an orchestrated effort by Constantine designed to appease both the MONOTHEISTS (One God Christians) and the POLYTHEISTS (Multiple god pagans). From a strictly political standpoint, I guess you might say it was a brilliant move. Constantine stopped the persecution of Christians for a while so I don't guess he was all bad. However, the Roman Emperors were responsible for killing and torturing people (Christians) much like that of Hitler's Nazi death camps. The True Church was literally driven underground. As a matter of fact, the May 1976 revised edition of Halley's Bible Handbook reports on pages 761-763 "...the church was regarded as a secret society..."; "...Christians were hunted in cave and forest; they were burned, thrown to wild beasts, put to death by every torture cruelty could devise." "Christian graves are variously estimated at between 2,000,000 and 7,000,000." Papal Persecutions against Protestants in later centuries far out numbered the Early Christian Martyrs under Pagan Rome.


History also proves that the truth about one God was universally preached by the New Testament Church for many years after Christ, until the development of the "trinity" doctrine by the Roman Catholic Church.


Encyclopedia International, 1975 Edition, Vol.18, p.226 - The doctrine of the "Trinity" did not form part of the apostles' preaching, as this is reported in the New Testament.

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967 Edition, Vol.13, p.1021 - The first use of the Latin word "trinitas" (trinity) with reference to God, is found in Tertullian's writings (about 213 A.D.) He was the first to use the term "persons" (plural) in a Trinitarian context.

Encyclopedia Americana, 1957 Edition, Vol.27, p.69 - The word "Trinity" is not in Scripture. The term "persons" (plural) is not applied in Scripture to the Trinity.

World Book Encyclopedia, 1975 Edition, Vol. T, p.363 - Belief in Father, Son and Holy Ghost was first defined by the earliest general council of churches. This was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

New International Encyclopedia, Vol.22, p.476 - The Catholic faith is this: We worship one God in Trinity, but there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son and another of the Holy Ghost. The Glory equal - the Majesty co-eternal. The doctrine is not found in its fully developed form in the Scriptures. Modern theology does not seek to find it in the Old Testament. At the time of the Reformation the Protestant Church took aver the doctrine of the Trinity without serious examination.

Life Magazine, October 30, 1950, Vol.29, No.18, p.51 - The Catholics made this statement concerning their doctrine of the Trinity, to defend the dogma of the assumption of Mary, in an article written by Graham Greene: "Our opponents sometimes claim that no belief should be held dogmatically which is not explicitly stated in Scripture... But the PROTESTANT CHURCHES have themselves accepted such dogmas as THE TRINITY, for which there is NO SUCH PRECISE AUTHORITY in the Gospels"



It isn't hard to PROVE where the this doctrine originated, when it originated and by whom it originated. Even though most will insist that it came straight from the Bible. Since the Bible does NOT give any SPECIFIC authority for such a belief, MILLIONS are told it is a "MYSTERY" which they must accept by faith, because it cannot be explained or understood.

Interestingly enough the word "Mystery" is the name of the Mother Of Harlots...


Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.


The question becomes: What is the true church, and what should we be looking for?


The Five-Fold Ministry
Ephesians Chapter 4 (KJV)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians Chapter 5 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Gifts of the Spirit
1 Corinthians Chapter 12 (KJV)
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1 Corinthians 12:28 (KJV)
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.


We see that God is the One who placed the above in His Church. And we're even told why He did. However, not everyone believes that. But, I've never met anyone who doesn't believe it who can provide Scripture(s) for when, where OR why God removes any of it from His Church. Granted, the churches of the wide gate and broad way do NOT embrace all of the above. However, the one true Church that Jesus established (the strait gate and narrow way) certainly does. Actually, the above documentation can be used as a litmus test while evaluating the beliefs of the thousands of different denominations and religious organizations in existence, today. And, in addition to that, another VERY good (and very quick) test is to determine whether they embrace the Apostles One God Monotheistic Doctrine, OR "pluralistic monotheism", that evolved out of (and traced back to) the First General Council of Churches (the Council of Nicaea) in 325 A.D. Pluralistic monotheism is a dogmatically held "theory" that is embraced by ALL of the organized (orthodox) denominations and religious organizations, today (including both Catholics and Protestants).


Thanks, and God bless!

One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. - Revelation 13:3

One of the methods of interpreting figurative animals in the Bible, outlined in the book of Daniel, is to understand they represent organizations, nations and systems.   If we use the template given to us in the book of Daniel, we see that the beast mentioned in Revelation 13:3 represents an organization - specifically a religious organization.   

A head of this religious organization is predicted to suffer a head wound and will then be miraculously healed.

The head of an organization is typically an office - as in president or pope.  When the head is injured, the Bible is predicting a temporary removal of the head of a religious organization from power.

February 1808 - French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte annexes the city of Rome to French authority.  Napoleon ARRESTED the pope and imprisoned him in France.  This action REMOVED all temporal political authority, as well as Vatican real estate, from the authority of the pope.  The head of the Roman Catholic church was thus wounded even as Revelation 13:3 predicted.

Temporal authority of the pope did not return even after the pope was later rescued from prison by Austrian soldiers following the defeat of Napoleon in battle. The actual physical property or real estate of the Vatican wasn't restored to papal administration until much later. 

The popular attitude of papal authority was that it was like a toothless animal.  This attitude was reflected in the book PILGRIM'S PROGRESS by John Bunyan.

In 1929 Benito Mussolini, fascist dictator of Italy, participated in the "Lateran Pacts" which restored the physical property of the Vatican in Rome to the pope as well as papal authority.  The head wound was thus healed - exactly as predicted by Revelation 13:3.

The eclipse of papal temporal power during the 19th century was accompanied by a recovery of papal prestige. - Wikipedia

The events of history prove the efficacy of Biblical prophecy.   The beast, as certified by both Biblical internal reference as well as history, is the Papacy.

Finally, the reader should be aware that prophecy of Revelation suggests that the Mother of Harlots (churches/Papacy) would at some time in the future be betrayed either by those it sought to enslave or by anti-Christ or a combination of both (depending upon interpretation).  This event is still in our future, but is looking more and more likely these days. 

Papal authority and the respect of church leaders has been under attack for years.  TV ads by opportunistic legal firms are now asking people, who've been abused or attacked by church leaders or its organization, to come forward and execute litigation against the church.  The vultures and rats are beginning to snip away at the body of the harlot.

The future will be very interesting to watch....

that's me, hollering from the choir loft...

Quote from: user on Mon Aug 19, 2019 - 14:13:28While on the Isle of Patmos, God allowed John to look into the future. And he saw something with "great admiration" as recorded In Revelation 17:6. God allowed John to see the Great Whore, the Spiritual Mother of Harlots. John's wonder was NOT coming from the standpoint of desire, but rather of showing intense shock or surprise joined with indignation at her.

Let's take a look as this scene unfolds...


Revelation 17:1 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:

[2] 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.

[3] 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.

[4] 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:

[5] And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.


*Revelation 17:6 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.

[7] 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.

[8] The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.


*Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.



Rome is known to be built upon seven hills. Rome was said to have been founded when Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, ended up at the foot of the hill Palatine and founded the city. The other six hills are Capitoline (the seat of government), Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine.

History records that a Roman Emperor named Constantine was very instrumental in setting up the First General Council of Churches in 325 A.D., known as the Council of Nicaea. The Church of Rome became the Official Church of the Roman empire with Constantine as its head. This "universal" church with its man made doctrine was established so that EVERY subject of the Empire would belong to the Official Church of Rome.

The THREE PERSON DOCTRINE which later evolved and was very clearly defined as such, was purely an orchestrated effort by Constantine designed to appease both the MONOTHEISTS (One God Christians) and the POLYTHEISTS (Multiple god pagans). From a strictly political standpoint, I guess you might say it was a brilliant move. Constantine stopped the persecution of Christians for a while so I don't guess he was all bad. However, the Roman Emperors were responsible for killing and torturing people (Christians) much like that of Hitler's Nazi death camps. The True Church was literally driven underground. As a matter of fact, the May 1976 revised edition of Halley's Bible Handbook reports on pages 761-763 "...the church was regarded as a secret society..."; "...Christians were hunted in cave and forest; they were burned, thrown to wild beasts, put to death by every torture cruelty could devise." "Christian graves are variously estimated at between 2,000,000 and 7,000,000." Papal Persecutions against Protestants in later centuries far out numbered the Early Christian Martyrs under Pagan Rome.


History also proves that the truth about one God was universally preached by the New Testament Church for many years after Christ, until the development of the "trinity" doctrine by the Roman Catholic Church.


Encyclopedia International, 1975 Edition, Vol.18, p.226 - The doctrine of the "Trinity" did not form part of the apostles' preaching, as this is reported in the New Testament.

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967 Edition, Vol.13, p.1021 - The first use of the Latin word "trinitas" (trinity) with reference to God, is found in Tertullian's writings (about 213 A.D.) He was the first to use the term "persons" (plural) in a Trinitarian context.

Encyclopedia Americana, 1957 Edition, Vol.27, p.69 - The word "Trinity" is not in Scripture. The term "persons" (plural) is not applied in Scripture to the Trinity.

World Book Encyclopedia, 1975 Edition, Vol. T, p.363 - Belief in Father, Son and Holy Ghost was first defined by the earliest general council of churches. This was the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.

New International Encyclopedia, Vol.22, p.476 - The Catholic faith is this: We worship one God in Trinity, but there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son and another of the Holy Ghost. The Glory equal - the Majesty co-eternal. The doctrine is not found in its fully developed form in the Scriptures. Modern theology does not seek to find it in the Old Testament. At the time of the Reformation the Protestant Church took aver the doctrine of the Trinity without serious examination.

Life Magazine, October 30, 1950, Vol.29, No.18, p.51 - The Catholics made this statement concerning their doctrine of the Trinity, to defend the dogma of the assumption of Mary, in an article written by Graham Greene: "Our opponents sometimes claim that no belief should be held dogmatically which is not explicitly stated in Scripture... But the PROTESTANT CHURCHES have themselves accepted such dogmas as THE TRINITY, for which there is NO SUCH PRECISE AUTHORITY in the Gospels"



It isn't hard to PROVE where the this doctrine originated, when it originated and by whom it originated. Even though most will insist that it came straight from the Bible. Since the Bible does NOT give any SPECIFIC authority for such a belief, MILLIONS are told it is a "MYSTERY" which they must accept by faith, because it cannot be explained or understood.

Interestingly enough the word "Mystery" is the name of the Mother Of Harlots...


Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.


The question becomes: What is the true church, and what should we be looking for?


The Five-Fold Ministry
Ephesians Chapter 4 (KJV)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians Chapter 5 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The Gifts of the Spirit
1 Corinthians Chapter 12 (KJV)
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1 Corinthians 12:28 (KJV)
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.


We see that God is the One who placed the above in His Church. And we're even told why He did. However, not everyone believes that. But, I've never met anyone who doesn't believe it who can provide Scripture(s) for when, where OR why God removes any of it from His Church. Granted, the churches of the wide gate and broad way do NOT embrace all of the above. However, the one true Church that Jesus established (the strait gate and narrow way) certainly does. Actually, the above documentation can be used as a litmus test while evaluating the beliefs of the thousands of different denominations and religious organizations in existence, today. And, in addition to that, another VERY good (and very quick) test is to determine whether they embrace the Apostles One God Monotheistic Doctrine, OR "pluralistic monotheism", that evolved out of (and traced back to) the First General Council of Churches (the Council of Nicaea) in 325 A.D. Pluralistic monotheism is a dogmatically held "theory" that is embraced by ALL of the organized (orthodox) denominations and religious organizations, today (including both Catholics and Protestants).


Thanks, and God bless!

The God head is one of the deep things of God, and we will spend eons of eternity studying..

Some here have simply been listening to false prophets...

1 Tim 3:16
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
KJV

Matt 1:21-23
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel", which being interpreted is, God with us.
KJV

I would offer another way to approach Revelation 17.

Jesus warned that an unbelieving generation seeks after signs before it will believe. The last sign given was the sign of Jonah, the three days and three nights demonstration fulfilled in Christ.

The Garden.

The Cross.

The Tomb.

After that, believers are not called to live by signs and wonders but by faith in the written Word of God.

When asked for signs, Jesus continually pointed back to what was already written. When Satan tempted Him, the answer was not a miracle but, "It is written." Again and again the living Word overcame the father of lies.

Therefore I am cautious whenever Revelation is reduced to identifying geographical hills, mountains, or earthly locations alone.

In Scripture, mountains often symbolize kingdoms and powers. The kingdoms of this world are repeatedly set in contrast to the kingdom of God.

The spirit of this world continues to offer alternatives to the written Word. False prophets, false apostles, and false teachers seek authority through signs, traditions, visions, and oral teachings that cannot be established by Scripture.

But believers need not chase signs or marvel after wonders.

The sign of Jonah has been fulfilled.

The prophecy has been given.

The gospel has been written.

The Good Shepherd has prepared green pastures beside the still waters of His Word.

Therefore we look not to signs, wonders, or earthly powers, but to the unseen things of God revealed in Scripture.

"As it is written."

That remains the answer to every temptation and every doctrine until the last day.


 

The Babylon Harlot of Revelation 17 isn't about Rome at all.

It's about JERUSALEM at the end of this world in a false worship state with the coming false-Messiah proclaiming himself as God and over all that is called God, or that is worshiped, like Apostle Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2.

The last verse of Revelation 17 tells us the Harlot is a "great city". In Revelation 11:8, it is revealed that Jerusalem is called the "great city" where Jesus was crucified.

Jerusalem has seven hills also, but the idea of seven hills is not what the "seven mountains" of Revelation 17 means. It is about seven different areas of the earth. Back in Revelation 12:3-4 we were shown a 'previous'... beast kingdom that had seven heads, ten horns, but only seven crowns instead of ten. The end time beast kingdom is to have "ten crowns" per Revelation 13:1. And associated with that previous beast kingdom of Rev.12 is the event when Lucifer drew one third of the angels ("stars") in rebellion with him. That happened even before the time of Adam and Eve in God's Garden.

The five kings which Apostle John said were past involve the previous beast kingdoms and beast kings of history. The 6th one that was in John's day was the Roman emperor Domitian, as testified by the early disciples of Christ's Church. The 7th king had not appeared yet, nor has that 7th king appeared yet to this day. That 7th king will be the coming false-Messiah to Jerusalem during the upcoming "great tribulation" that Lord Jesus and Apostle Paul warned the Church about (Matthew 24:23-26; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9).

Dont know but it seems the magistrate from Rome is the one guiding world leaders as you can see...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/04/lampedusa-island-gateway-europe-pope-leo-calls-protecting-migrants/

Quote from: Hobie on Sat Jul 04, 2026 - 19:11:18Dont know but it seems the magistrate from Rome is the one guiding world leaders as you can see...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/04/lampedusa-island-gateway-europe-pope-leo-calls-protecting-migrants/

Supposition without Biblical evidence.

The Orthodox Jews today do not want anyone to point to Jerusalem as the end time Babylon Harlot fallen in false worship. Tough I say, because God's Word as written points directly to Jerusalem for the end times having fallen into false worship. What else do brethren think the unbelieving Jews getting ready to build their 3rd temple and start up old covenant sacrifices again means?? How deluded can brethren be?

Quote from: dpr on Thu Jul 09, 2026 - 12:16:10Supposition without Biblical evidence.

The Orthodox Jews today do not want anyone to point to Jerusalem as the end time Babylon Harlot fallen in false worship. Tough I say, because God's Word as written points directly to Jerusalem for the end times having fallen into false worship. What else do brethren think the unbelieving Jews getting ready to build their 3rd temple and start up old covenant sacrifices again means?? How deluded can brethren be?

Here we are. You show me how Jerusalem is influencing, or controlling the world, and I'll show you how the Roman Church is. Let's see which claim is mere supposition.