The Beast and the Harlot
Revelation 17

Lorraine Day, M.D.

 “The visions of Revelation 17-19 constitute a cohesive unit which further amplifies the seventh plague (Rev 16:17-21).” . . . The seventh plague contains the summary statement:  ‘God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of His wrath.”  End-Time Prophecies in the Bible, Hans LaRondelle, pg 396

The judgment on Babylon is the theme of Rev 17-19, they are detailed expansions of the seventh plague.

Rev 17:1 “. . . Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment (sentence) of the great harlot that sits upon many waters (multitudes) with whom the kings of the earth have committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her adulteries.”

When the harlot (the “Christian” world) commits “adultery” with the kings of the earth (the political power), this passage symbolizes the intimate relationship between “church” and “state.”  When church and state combine, those who believe doctrines different from the ones the church and state agree on, will be severely persecuted.  All one has to do is look at history to see that this is so.

The Harlot is the Central Character of Revelation 17

Rev 17:3-5:

“. . . and I saw a woman (a church - this time a false church) sitting upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads (all world rulers who are above the ten kingdoms) and ten horns (the ten kingdoms of the world).

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (man-made adornments as opposed to the good woman, adorned with the stars, etc.) having a golden cup in her hand (used in the sanctuary service - mocking God) full of abominations and filthiness of her adulteries.

And upon her forehead was a name written, ‘MYSTERY (Secret), BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

The Harlot represents the unfaithful church that has entered into an illicit relationship with the political rulers of the world, “the kings of the earth” (17:2).  That is why she is able to persecute all dissenters (She is drunk with the blood of the saints).

The prostitute imagery of Revelation 17 is dependent on Ezekiel 16; 20; 23.  Ezekiel portrayed Israel (including Judah and Jerusalem) as the unfaithful covenant partner of Yahweh, a bloodthirsty, self-glorifying prostitute.  Both Ezekiel and John use the harlot symbol to indict God’s unfaithful covenant partner for:  sexual immorality or idolatry, and oppression and murder OF HER OWN CHILDREN!

Ezekiel 16 and 20 Judgment on the Prostitute	Revelation 17-18 Judgment on the Prostitute
"I adorned you with jewelry.." (16:11) "You became very beatiful and rose to be a queen" (16:13)	"Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave her self. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn' " (18:7)
"You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband!" (16:32)	"With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries" (17:2)
"Therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure,...I will gather them against you from all around and they will see all all your nakedness... Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will tear down you mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewerly and leave you naked and bare. They will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. They will burn down your houses." (16:37-40)	"The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prositute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. (17:16) The first beast (the political power of Jewish Zionism eventually will turn on the prositute (the world-wide "Christian" organized "church") and, after the Jewish Zionist hav USED the "Christian" "Zionist" to accomplish the goals of Jewish Zionism, they will turn on the "Christian" "Zionists" and literally destroy them!

                                                       

“The text that influences the author of Revelation most is Ezek. 16, which is a prophetical attack on Jerusalem. . . His description is as graphic as in Rev 17-18. (Rev.,

Ezekiel reveals what will happen to the apostate church.  The harlot of Rev. 17 appears to be synonymous with the 2^nd beast of Revelation 13.

“The conclusion is inevitable that Revelation 17 depends on Ezekiel 16 because both passages deal with the professed but apostate covenant people of God!  This painful conclusion has been systematically avoided by most Christian theologians and exegetical (interpretive) scholars, just as rabbinical scholars were so shocked by Ezekiel’s severe language that they forbade the reading of Ezekiel 16 in the synagogue (See the Talmud:  Megillah 4:10, in the Mishnah, by H. Danby, p 207).” 

“When Jeremiah, a contemporary of Ezekiel, announced the destruction of Solomon’s temple because of Israel’s apostasy and idolatry, including sacrificing of children to idols), ‘the priests and the cult prophets and all the people seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ “ LaRondelle, p 402, 403.

In both Ezek 16 and 23, as well as in Rev 17, the former lovers are called by God to carry out the punishment for the prostitute!

Verse 16  “they will eat her flesh.”  This shows a close verbal similarity between this phrase and that of 2 Kings 9 which describes Elijah’s prediction of the death of Jezebel, the Queen of Israel:  “On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.”  (verse 36).

Jezebel and her prophetic antitype within the Church was indicated already in Christ’s Letter to the Church in Thyatira:

Nevertheless, I have something against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads my servants to commit fornication and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (Rev 2:20).

“The bitter results are the same in the old and in the new Jezebel:  the political, legalized murder of the saints of God. “Just as Jezebel of old used her husband, King Ahab, to persecute Elijah and the followers of Yahweh, so will the apocalyptic Jezebel use the political rulers to persecute the followers of Christ.” LaRondelle, p 404

“they will burn her with fire” (17:16; see also 18:8).  In the law of Moses this punishment was reserved only for the sexual immorality of the daughter of a priest:

“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire” (Lev. 21:9).

While the traditional punishment for adultery by a married woman was stoning (Deut 22:23,24; John 8:5), in case of prostitution by a priest’s daughter the penalty was burning.

John’s reaction to the vision

“When I saw her (the harlot), I was greatly astonished” (Rev 17:6).  He was in fact, “dumbfounded” or “greatly perplexed.”  This is hard to follow if John had seen only the persecuting Roman Emperors or a hostile leaders in Jerusalem.  That was all familiar to his own experience.  However, if he had seen the change that would take place in the institutional church of Christ, the apostolic church, that the pure woman would become intolerant and bloodthirsty, that would have been truly dumbfounding.  LaRondelle p 405

The church of Christ is going to repeat the history of ancient Israel, which by and large was a history of apostasy.  The apostle Paul expressed his justified fear in this ominous prediction when he addressed the church elders of Ephesus:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard!  Acts 20:29-31

The apostasy started in the 1^st century A.D and it started in the “Church”!

Clearly, Paul was concerned about the leaders in the apostolic Church reverting to “another (different) gospel” (2 Cor 11:4), the gospel that would deny Paul’s main message:  Universal Restoration.

John’s Apocalypse, however, develops the theme of the apostasy systematically in Rev 12 through 19.  Here the institutional church is pictured as a “prostitute,” because being the “woman” of Christ, she would unlawfully unite herself with the kings of the earth:

With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries (17:2).

Certainly the phrase “kings of the earth” include the Ten Kingdoms of the whole earth who have “united” with both the Vatican and the Protestant churches, including the Seventh Day Adventist world church, under the auspices of ADRA. Also, the Under-Secretary General of the U.N. was the guest speaker at the last General Conference of SDA’s.  These partnerships are expanding under the new federal grants to religious groups signed into law by George W. Bush.

Some acknowledge that the harlot of Revelation 17 represents the professed covenant people of God and their unfaithfulness to the covenant God.  Josephine M. Ford explains:  “It is the covenant which makes the bride, the breaking of it which makes the adulteress”  (Revelation, p 285).

The word “mystery” or more literally, “secret” suggest that this religious/political power operates secretly, not openly.  The Zionist Jews control the secret societies and organizations, such as the Illuminati, Freemasonry, New Age philosophy, the Jesuits/Vatican, and  Judaism/Talmudism, Communism, all world-wide politico-religious groups.  They ALL have the same goal:  1)  the worship of MAN (human reason - secular humanism) and, 2)  the elimination of Jesus Christ as Saviour - plus the utter destruction of true Christianity and true followers of Christ.

Notice also that since the woman on the scarlet beast is the “Mother” of harlots, she must have daughters who resemble her a lot but may not be identical.  In other words, other organizations that may have much the same “mission” but not be identical to the “woman”, such as other religions that combine with the “harlot.” 

We have learned that the Second Beast of Revelation 13 is a world-wide religious group that looks like “a lamb, but speaks as a dragon.”  The “lamb” in the New Testament is Jesus Christ.  Those who appear to be Christ’s followers, “Christians” but “speak as a dragon”, (the dragon also controls the First Beast – which is Jewish Zionism), are controlled from behind the scenes by the First Beast, according to Revelation 13.

This describes “Christian Zionism” or Evangelical “Christianity”, the world-wide “Christian” group with which all other “churches” will eventually unite.  So the Second Beast of Revelation 13 appears to be the same entity as the Harlot of Revelation 17.

“The beast that you saw was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into destruction.”  Rev 17:8

The Greek words for “bottomless pit” are the same words that are used for the condition of the earth before God created, or actually RE-created it (the earth), and created humanity (for the first time).  Here is the literal translation of Genesis 1:1,2

“In a beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.  And the earth BECAME  chaos and an abyss. . . 

There is no word for “was” in the Hebrew.  Every time this same Hebrew word is used in the Old Testament, it is always translated “became”, except for this one instance.  God NEVER creates chaos.  His creation is always perfect.  Whenever chaos is seen, it is always the result of Satan’s presence and activity.  “Chaos and an abyss” are always associated with Satan.  (For more information on this issue, see “Does Forever Really Mean Forever?” at www.goodnewsaboutgod.com)

“Ascending out of the bottomless pit” clearly denotes that it is of Satan.

 John tells us that the beast “was” but “is not” {has been “undercover?” for a time- operating in secret?) but will appear again in the end, or may have been present all along but not as openly visible as it will be at the end.  This could certainly apply to Jewish Zionism – the diabolical plan for the Zionists to rule the world and destroy true Christianity, true Christians, and EVERYONE who is not an elitist Zionist Jew.

Verse 9,10:  The seven heads are seven mountains (kings or world powers) on which the woman sits.  There are seven kings; five have fallen, and one is and the other is not yet come.  And when he comes (the seventh head), he must continue a short time. “

The seventh head continues for a short time before the EIGHTH beast appears.

The seven heads belong equally to the dragon (Rev 12), to the sea beast (Rev 13), and to the scarlet beast from the abyss (Rev 17).  Many Bible scholars believe that these represent the exercise of the beast’s oppressive rule through one head at a time in the course of history.

However, there is possibly another option to consider.  The number 7 is employed in the Apocalypse in a symbolic sense for completeness, therefore the heads can refer to ALL the secret organizations that exalt man above God, or exalt man to the exclusion of  God.

Verse 11:  “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven. . .”

The angel makes three parallel statements concerning the revived beast:

He “will come up out of the Abyss” (17:8a)/
“And ye (he) will come” (17:8c)
He ‘is an eighth king” (17:11).

Combining these declarations, we see that his being counted as “eighth” applies to the beast’s emergence from the Abyss, that is, to its resurrection, possibly a counterfeit parallel to the resurrection of Christ.

The final world power will be an amalgamation of every wicked characteristic of all the other previous world powers and the present day demonic secret societies, all rolled into one, including their attempts to rid the world of Christ and true Christianit (righteousness and truth).

Verse 12:  “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings (the ten kingdoms of the One World Government) which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.”

This “one hour” may man “a short time” or it may be a reference to prophetic time.

One hour in prophetic time = 15 days, or approximately two weeks.

A prophetic year contains 360 days.  One day contains 24 hours.  One prophetic “hour” equals 1/24th of a 360 day year (360 divided by 24) which is 15 literal days.

Verse 13,14:  These have one mind, and shall give their power and authority unto the beast.  These shall make war with the Lamb (God’s true people), and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, (not self-designated) and chosen, (these are the TRUE “chosen” people) and faithful (they believe that God WILL do what He has promised to do).

Verse 15:  And he said unto me, The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are people, and multitudes and nations, and tongues.  (Here is the confirmation of what “waters” means in Revelation, whether it be “sea”  (Rev 13:1)  “river”  (Rev 16:12), or a “lake” (See texts to follow).

The word “lake is #3041 in Strong’s Concordance: “limne, pronounced limnay, defined as a pond, giving the idea of the nearness of shore.  It comes from the word harbor or haven, limen, #3040.”

The word “lake” appears in only three types of passages in the Bible: 1)  Luke 5:1,2  when Jesus taught the throng while sitting in a boat of the Lake of Galilee.   He was very CLOSE to the people.  2)  Luke 8:22-25 where Jesus was asleep in the boat during the raging storm.  Then He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging water. (He was WITH the disciples THROUGH the storm), 3)  Rev 19:20; 20:10, 14,15; 21:8

The “lake of fire” where the following are thrown:  the beast, the false prophet, the devil, death, hell (literally the grave = the unseen), and those who are not found written in the book of life.

This “fire” obviously is a symbolic “fire” because it is impossible to “throw” death and hell (the grave or unseen) into a literal fire!  This is the Second Death:  a purification of sin by reaping what one has sown.

It’s important to notice that this phenomenon is called a “lake” denoting that the shore is close by.  In Rev 14:10, in the Third Angel’s message, those who take the Mark of the Beast are in the fire and brimstone “in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb (Jesus).”  This means that Jesus will go THROUGH the fire (fiery trials) WITH them, as He went THROUGH the fire with Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  He will be very close by (on the shore of the “lake” of fire) because He will “NEVER leave us nor forsake us.”

Notice also that the ONLY items that were burned up in the fiery furnace were the ROPES that bound Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, symbolizing the bondage of sin.  The fire did not touch the men themselves.  In fact, they didn’t even smell of smoke.  Only their ropes were burned off – completely! (Daniel 3:24-27)

God is telling us that He will “burn” the sin out of our lives with His “fiery” law (Deut 33:2), by allowing us to get ourselves into terrible trials and tribulations, but this is all for one purpose – to refine us like gold and silver.  (Malachi 3:2)

God uses the same illustration in the Old Testament when He set up the sacrificial service in the Tabernacle in the wilderness.  The Israelite brought a lamb to the Tabernacle and placed his hands on the lamb, symbolically transferring his sins to the lamb.  Then the LAMB was burned up!  (The SIN was burned up!)  NOT the Israelite! 

God burns the SIN out of our life.  He does NOT burn US up!

 

The Time Progression between Revelation 13 and 17

“Although Rev 17 has been considered by some as nothing more than a repetition of Rev 13, a close comparison of the seven-headed beasts in both chapters shows that Rev 17 is not just a doublet of Rev 13.  Three distinct features indicate a historical progression between the sea beast of Rev. 13 and the scarlet beast of Rev 17.

1)  The names of blasphemy, restricted to the heads of the beast in Rev 13:1, now cover the whole body of the scarlet beast (17:3).  This indicates the continuous increase of the antichrist’s boastful claims over time;

2)  The ten horns on the scarlet beast no longer wear crowns (as in Rev 13:1), but they will once again rule as kings with the beast “for one hour” (17:12).

3)  The scarlet beast does not rise out of the sea (as in Rev 13), but from the Abyss or realm of death (17:8; see Rom. 10:7) (where Satan is).  This suggests a resurrection of the beast’s rule.  This rebirth of the antichrist on a universal scale is the unique disclosure of Revelation 17.”  LaRondelle, p 413.

Verse 16:  And the ten horns which you saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

The political power (the beast and it’s kingdoms) will turn on the harlot Babylon, (the religio-political power) and destroy her.  That means that AFTER the Zionist Jews have USED the “Christian” Zionists (Evangelical “Christianity) to unite and control all “Christians”, and have USED the “Christian” Zionists to DESTROY the true Christians who will not join in their apostasy, THEN the Zionist Jews will DESTROY all the “Christians” who have been deceived into believing that the “Jews” are God’s “Chosen people.”  This will include virtually the entire “Christian” world!

So those “Christians” who believed they would find “safety” by joining with the “Christian” apostate world-wide “Church” will find they have been totally deceived, and have been destined for destruction by the Zionist Jews, all along!

‘The correspondence between Ezek 16 (and 23) and Rev. 17 establishes a Christian typology between an apostate Christendom that has adopted pagan forms of Christian worship, has changed God’s covenant law, and has established alliances with the political powers, such as the U.N.  All such ecclesiastical unfaithfulness to Christ is condemned to self-destruction in Rev 17:16.  The civil and political authorities will ultimately expose the shame or guilt of Babylon and act accordingly as the agents of divine retribution (17:16,17).  Revelation 17 functions thus as the ecclesiological fulfillment of Ezekiel 16 and 23.”  LaRondelle, p 417.

Verse 17:  For God has put in their hearts (the 10 kings) to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Clearly, God is in control of EVERYTHING.  He brings opposition to His truth in order to bring attention to it.

Verse 18:  And the woman which you saw is that great city (Babylon) which reigns over the kings of the earth, the Ten Kingdoms of the world under the direction of – first, the U.N. - which is controlled from behind by the Zionist Jews, and then later the Zionist Jews will rule openly.

Rule by the U.N. is the velvet glove covering the iron fist – loss of all of our rights in order to have “security.” But when the elitist Zionist Jews actually “take off their mask”, they will rule with an iron fist and bring on a “time of trouble as “there never has been since the foundation of the world!”

We, here in America, will then be subjected to the same horrible atrocities that are happening in Zimbabwe, the Sudan, and other places of severe persecution in the world.  We will be subjected to planned famines and other methods of diabolical population annihilation, such as the famine in the Ukraine, in the early 1900’s that starved millions of Christian farmers to death during the sadistic reign of Lenin – a Zionist Jew – and Stalin (married to a Zionist Jew), during the Bolshevik Revolution, a revolution planned and executed about by the Zionist Jews!

Their diabolical plan is coming to fruition at this very moment in time – in the United States, as well as in every other country in the world!

Companions of the Lamb

The companions of the Lamb (Rev 17:14) are described as “his called, chosen and faithful followers.”  This description implies that the victorious Christians are not only called and chosen by God (Matt 22:14) but that they also remain loyal to Jesus (Rev 14:12).  They hold on to the “testimony of Jesus” and His lordship in the ultimate test of faith (Rev 12:17; 14:12).