Partly CloudyDayton, United States Of America
Related Articles
I am beginning to see that there is a difference between eschatology and prophecy. With eschatology, people generally study the obvious end time prophecies in the Bible and then study what is happening geopolitically to answer open questions. With prophecy, we must study the Bible much harder but if we do we will see that the Bible has a way of answering the questions it prompts.
I’ve spent thousands of hours studying eschatology arriving at erroneous conclusions I’ve determined later after many more hours studying prophecy. I once spent many hundreds of hours concluding that America is Babylon the Great and the antichrist kingdom is a Roman Empire only to reverse directions after a deep study of Isaiah ignoring current geopolitics. Please read that article here before continuing.
Now I’ve been re studying my conclusions on the harlot being the Vatican and believe the Vatican is definitely a type of harlot but when I allow the Bible to answer its own questions, I can’t see any way that the Vatican can possibly be the Harlot in Revelation. The case I’m about to lay out is controversial and outside of the ‘norm’ and it is complicated but is also substantial. I pray that you will be able to set aside any preconceived notions on this topic and just look honestly at what the Bible plainly says. I assume at this point that you have read the previous article noted above. If not, please do so before continuing as the antichrist kingdom I lay out in the other article exists hand in hand with the Harlot as the Bible plainly states in a Revelation 17:
7 But the angel said to me, ” Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. Revelation 17:7 (NKJVS)
The Harlot is being carried by the 10 nation kingdom of the antichrist. This empire actually has 11 entities if we include the harlot. Daniel also tells us about an 11 entity empire:
” After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. Daniel 7:7-8 (NKJVS)
Daniel tells us of a 10 horned kingdom that contains an eleventh horn, a small horn, that arises among the ten nation antichrist empire. Keep in mind that horns in Bible prophecy are nations so this small horn is a small nation. Also notice that the small horn is the eleventh entity of this antichrist empire just as the Harlot is the eleventh entity of the antichrist kingdom in Revelation 17. I believe the above verse in Daniel establishes the small horn as the Harlot of Revelation. As such, if the antichrist kingdom is a Middle East kingdom as I establish in summary in my previous article then the Harlot must also be a Middle East nation since it arises from the 10 nation antichrist kingdom. This precludes the Vatican from being the Harlot. Below is the map of the antichrist kingdom laid out from Isaiah 13-24 included in my previous article:
The Harlot must be a small nation that arises among the nations of this empire. What else does the Bible tell us about the Harlot?
Revelation tells us that the 10 nation empire hates the Harlot and will tear her to pieces.
And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. Revelation 17:16 (NKJVS)
Who is the most hated nation in the Middle East throughout history?
The prophet Ezekiel gives us some similar descriptors about a harlot of old.
35 “Now then, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! 36 Thus says the Lord God:”Because your filthiness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your harlotry with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, 37 surely, therefore, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved, and all those you hated; to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as women who break wedlock or shed blood are judged; I will bring blood upon you in fury and jealousy. 39 I will also give you into their hand, and they shall throw down your shrines and break down your high places. They shall also strip you of your clothes, take your beautiful jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. Ezekiel 16:35-39 (NKJVS)
The passage above from Ezekiel is referring to Jerusalem. I can’t say with any certainty that the above prophecy is an end time prophecy but it illustrates what has happened with Israel in the past due to her harlotry and what is very possible to happen again according Ecclesiastes.
That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
” See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us. Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (NKJVS)
The above verse from Revelation 17 tells us that the antichrist empire will attack the Harlot. We also see another verse in Revelation 17 that tells of another attack by the antichrist empire.
“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:12-14 (NKJVS)
There is only one war against the lamb that I am aware of…the battle of Armageddon which is an invasion against Israel.
” Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ” Thus says the Lord God:”On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. Ezekiel 38:14-15 (NKJVS)
Could the attack against the Harlot and the battle of Armageddon, both referenced in Revelation 17, be the same invasion? If so, since the Armageddon invasion is against Israel, Israel must be the Harlot as well. It is difficult to say with certainty that these two invasions are the same but this is nevertheless a noteworthy observation regarding these two invasions.
Revelation 17 gives us another major clue about the identity of the Harlot.
And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18 (NKJVS)
The Harlot is referred to as a great city. We see an identical reference to a great city earlier in Revelation.
7 When they [The Two Witnesses] finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:7-8 (NKJVS)
The same Greek words for ‘great city’ are used in both verses. In the latter verse, the great city is identified as Jerusalem and it is unfavorably compared to Sodom and Egypt. Jerusalem will be in very poor standing with God during the final 7 years. This is not the only time in the Bible that Jerusalem is compared in this way.
44 ” Indeed everyone who quotes proverbs will use this proverb against you:‘Like mother [Israel], like daughter! ’ 45 You are your mother’s daughter, loathing husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite…48 ” As I live,” says the Lord God, “neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom:She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Ezekiel 16:44-49 (NKJVS)
The above verse not only identifies Jerusalem as being more wicked than Sodom at that time but also identifies Israel as the mother.
Revelation 17:18 also identifies the Harlot as the city that ‘rules over’ the kings of the earth. The Greek word for rules literally translates ‘to hold’ and the Greek word for over literally translates ‘on’ or ‘upon’. As a result, the phrase ‘…reigns over the kings of the earth’ literally translates ‘…holds upon the kings of the earth’. Quite a difference. Literally translated, the phrase is further describing the image of the Harlot being carried by the beast.
Going back to Revelation 17, we see a phrase printed on the forehead of the Harlot.
And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Revelation 17:5 (NKJVS)
Some believe this phrase describes the Harlot as Babylon the Great. I don’t believe that interpretation is consistent with what we typically see a name on the forehead to mean.
He [The False Prophet] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, Revelation 13:16 (NKJVS)
1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty- four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:1 (NKJVS)
Both of these verses reference a name on the forehead as a mark of possession. I believe the phrase BABYLON THE GREAT is another mark of possession and indicates that the Harlot belongs to Babylon the Great. The Harlot belongs to the antichrist empire.
Notice also that Revelation 17:5 describes the Harlot as a mother of harlots just as Ezekiel 16 describes Israel as a mother of daughters who are harlots.
I mentioned earlier and in my previous article that Isaiah 13-24 appears to list the 10 nations of the antichrist in proclamations against these nations. This section actually contains one other proclamation…a proclamation against Jerusalem. The following verse denotes the tone of the proclamation.
For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity
By the Lord God of hosts
In the Valley of Vision —
Breaking down the walls
And of crying to the mountain.
6 Elam bore the quiver
With chariots of men and horsemen,
And Kir uncovered the shield. Isaiah 22:5-6 (NKJVS)
This is another clear reference that Jerusalem will be in very poor standing with God in the last 7 years.
Now take another look at the map above. If the small horn (small nation) referenced in Daniel is the Harlot and arises among the 10 horns of the antichrist kingdom, who could that small nation possibly be? Do you think it will be Yemen who we hear nothing about and is barely mentioned in the Bible or do you think it would be the much smaller Israel which is the most prolifically mentioned nation in the Bible and most controversial nation in geopolitics which is routinely described as a harlot by the Old Testament prophets?
Posted with Blogsy
