Rev. 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:

She Sits On The Masses

John will be invited to look at the punishment of Babylon the mother, the great religious prostitute who sits on many waters. This is a revelation of what Elohim plans to do with this harlot religious system.waters represent great masses of people. They represent people, nations, and tongues. The fact that this wicked woman is pictured as sitting upon these great masses is an indication that she will be supported by them, and she will exercise control over them during the Tribulation Period.

Something to Ponder---> Understand that Pope John Paul II is a proponent of religious unity. However, he fears the form of unity that is taking shape around him. He saw unity coming and would like for it to be more Christian than it appears it will be. He opposed the falling away that he was seen taking place. Unfortunately, powers inside the Vatican are trying to transform them Roman Catholic Church from a sacred institution to a secular institution - from an institution that promotes Christ and Christian values to an institution that promotes the world approved social values. In other words, they want to transform it into a prostitute system. Instead of taking the Christian view on abortion, gay marriages, women in the priesthood, etc. it will promote the secular view.

Remember this ----> The Church in heaven looked like a sea of glass.
The Tribulation Saints in heaven looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire.
Babylon the Great (mother) will sit on the masses of the world.

Rev. 17:2 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.

No More Separation of Church and State

The harlot religious system will commit adultery with the kings of the earth. She will conspire with world leaders to produce a merger of religion and government. Here it finally is! A religious system united with a political system to manipulate the people of the earth into a false government-approved religion.

Something to Ponder----> Pope John Paul II was in favor of a one-world religion, but he wanted it to come about under his terms. He wanted to be the one who decided what this one-world religion will stand for, and what it will reject. For example, he did not want Catholics to become Protestants. He wanted Protestants to become Catholics. He was for unity, but under his leadership and his terms. He believed whoever replaced him as the next pope will not be as committed as he is. He believed he would be replaced by someone who would relinquish church beliefs for a secular worldview. And he believed he would be the last faithful Pope. The next pope could be the False Prophet.
Some experts take a very anti-Catholic stance on Revelation. I have tried to avoid that. The one-world religion will have a lot of Catholics in it, but it will also have a lot of Protestants and other religions too. The saved, regardless of religion or denomination, will be Raptured, and the lost regardless of their religious beliefs will be left behind!

Rev. 17:3 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.

The Woman Rides The Beast

John was taken in the Spirit to a desert where he saw something strange - a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. We already know the beast with seven heads and ten horns is the Antichrist. Since the woman will be sitting on the beast, we must assume that her prostitute religion and the Antichrist will exist on earth at the same time.great city, Babylon. We see from this that all three - the false religious system, the city of Babylon, and the Antichrist - will exist during the first half of the Tribulation Period.

Rev. 17:4 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:

The Holy Grail?

The purple and scarlet clothing with glittering jewels indicate she will be a prostitute of royal stature. She will be adorned in the trappings of her rich lovers, and appear enticing and appealing to the world.
Look at the golden cup she will be holding. Will it be the Holy Grail? Will she take communion with it? She may want the world to think that, but she will really be holding a cup filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. When the false religions drink from this cup, they will drink the wine of adultery - symbolic of deceiving spirits and demons.
Today, many people think out modern society is too enlightened to believe in the existence of demons. More conservative Christians disagree. Those who accept the authority of the Scriptures accept the existence of demons. They are no less dangerous than Satan, for they are his cohorts doing his will. All who have not accepted Christ are subject to their evil influence. It is unfortunate, but this includes many of the world's religious and political leaders.

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

Birthplace Of Abominations

The prostitute's title reveals where she will come from and what she will do. She will come from Babylon and be associated with Babylon again during the Tribulation Period. She will be known as the Mother of Prostitutes and the Mother of Abominations. Many evil and adulterous practices will flow from her.

Remember This ----> The Prostitute, which is the one - world religious system, originated at the Tower of Babel which is located at Old Testament Babylon. Babylon was destroyed, but it is being rebuilt along with the Tower of Babel in Iraq. The prostitute is going full circle. She was born in Babylon and she will go back there before she dies.

Rev. 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Yahusha: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Drunk With The Blood Of Her Victims

The prostitute will not only make others drunk, but she, too, will be drunk on the blood of the Tribulation Saints. This great ecumenical religious system will be actively involved in the persecution and death of Elohim's people. She will be so determined to establish her one-world religion that she will actually be filled with the blood of the saints.

Rev. 17:7 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.

Confusion

Elohim's angel perceived that John was astonished and maybe even confused, so he told John he would explain two things: the mystery of the woman, and the mystery of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns. The remaining verses of Chapter 17 are about this - the meaning of the beast and identity of the woman.

Rev. 17:8 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.

Out Of The Abyss

The beast existed prior to John's lifetime - once was, did not exist when John received this revelation - now is not, but will reappear at some unspecified time in the future - will come. The beast will have Satanic ties to the subterranean abode of demonic spirits since he will come out of the Abyss. He will eventually go to his destruction since Elohim will cast him into the Lake of Fire. And he will take his followers, the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world, with him.

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

Put On Your Spiritual Wisdom Cap

Interpreting this verse requires a spiritual understanding of the Scriptures (not of world geography). The seven heads on the beast are seven hills on which the woman sits. This seems simple enough, but it is not as it appears. Revelation 17:10 tells us these seven hills are not seven actual hills but are seven kings (kingdoms of world governments). Herein lies the problem. Is this:
1.) a religious system/city that sits on seven hills
2.) seven kings
3.) both?
The Bible tells us that hills or mountains is a symbol of kingdoms. Therefore, the seven hills must be seven kings or kingdoms.
Still, some experts say the seven hills is a reference to Rome (the city on seven hills). Even if right, this is only saying the prostitute will control, and be supported by, Rome.

Rev. 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Seven Kingdoms

The seven heads are seven hills, and they are also seven kings. The word "kings" can also be translated "kingdoms." It makes more sense, in this case, to say the seven heads are seven kingdoms because history and Scripture reveal that there have been seven Gentile world kingdoms.
Five have fallen and the five Gentile world kingdoms (Assyrian, Medo-Persian, Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian) that existed before John's lifetime. One is referred to the sixth kingdom (Roman) that existed during John's lifetime, and The other has not yet come refers to a seventh future kingdom (the Revived Roman Empire) which will exist after John's lifetime. This seventh kingdom will remain (He must remain for a little while) for the duration of the seven-year Tribulation Period.

Remember this ---->The seventh future kingdom, the Revived Roman Empire, will last for seven years (one week of years) from the day the Antichrist signs a seven-year covenant to protect Israel. Seven years will be the length of the Tribulation Period.

Rev. 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

An Eighth King

The beast who once was, and now is not is the Antichrist. He is an eighth king (or kingdom). He belongs to the seven means he will be one of the seven already mentioned. Since he is yet to come, he must come out of the seventh Gentile world kingdom which will be the Revived Roman Empire.
As an eighth king, he will take over the seventh Gentile world kingdom and establish his own brand of world government - a New World Order. The Antichrist will rise to power in that government, take it over, and transform it into a Satanic state.

Remember This----->The beast who once was, and now is not, is the beast that will come out of the Abyss - the Antichrist.

Rev. 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

An Hour Of Trial

The ten horns are ten kings that will rule with the Antichrist. This presents a picture of what the end-time world government will be like. The Antichrist will rule the world which will be divided into ten divisions. In charge of each division will be a separate leader who will answer to the Antichrist.
Another significant point: The ten kings will receive authority for one hour. One hour is a Biblical term that means a short time. In this case, it means the ten kings will reign with the Antichrist for the duration of the Tribulation Period. The significance of this is the fact that Yahusha promised to keep faithful believers from the hour of trial that is coming upon the world. Obviously there will be a pre-Tribulation Rapture (Revelation 3:10). The Church will not be on earth during the one hour reign of the ten kings with the Antichrist.

Remember this -----> Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth (Revelation 3:10).

Rev. 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Puppet Kings

Dictators usually come to power by using one or more of these tactics: violence, force, or political trickery. After coming to power, they usually have to continue to use force to stay in power. Because of that they usually outlaw basic freedoms of worship. According to the Bible, the Antichrist will do these things too, but he will be worse than any previous dictator.

Rev. 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Called, Chosen, And Faithful At the end of the Tribulation Period the Antichrist and his ten puppet kings will make war against the Lamb and his called, chosen, and faithful followers. Unfortunately for them, the outcome was determined long ago. The Lamb will defeat them in the Battle of Armageddon because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings.

Rev. 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Worldwide Deception

The waters that the prostitute sits on in (Revelation 17:1) are peoples, multitudes, nation, and languages. This base of power and support will give the prostitute religious system tremendous control. She will ensnare and deceive people on a worldwide scale.

Rev. 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest 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.

Babylon, The Mother, No More

During the first half of the Tribulation Period the Antichrist (the beast) will be submissive to Babylon (the mother and her false religious system, and the city and its one-world government). Now John tells us that the Antichrist and his ten puppets kings (the ten horns) will rise up against Babylon at the mid-point of the Tribulation Period.
The Antichrist will enter the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. Obviously there is no more room for Babylon and her one-world religion and one-world government. The Antichrist cannot be Elohim and subject to those who worship him at the same time. So someone must go! The Antichrist and his allies will destroy the prostitute's religious system. They will confiscate her expensive clothing, gold, and precious stones, and they will persecute and kill her poor deceived people. The fact that they will (eat her flesh and burn her with fire) is indicative of the intensity and totality of the prostitute's end. Nothing will remain.

Rev. 17:17 For Elohim hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of Elohim shall be fulfilled.

Antichrist, The Puppet

This is an interesting verse. The Antichrist doesn't know it, but he really is a puppet king just like the men under him. Elohim will plant the idea of destroying the false religious system into his heart and the hearts of his ten puppet kings. Destruction of the prostitute religious system is the reason Elohim will agree to give them power. They will be instruments in his hand to accomplish his purpose and fulfil his words.

Rev. 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Babylon, The City, Rebuilt

This verse identifies the woman. She is the great city that rules over the earth. Unfortunately, this is not clear enough for some experts because they want to spiritualize everything in Revelation. Depending upon who the expert in this city could be Rome, Jerusalem, New York, the United States, part of the European group of nations, or a nation in control of those nations.
I believe this woman is the actual ancient city of Babylon and that her reconstruction is near completion. There are several prophecies about literal Babylon that must be fulfilled. Chapter 18 covers the fulfilment of those prophecies. We must not attempt to spiritualize these verses that clearly teach that Babylon will literally be rebuilt.

Remember This----->Sometime during the 1980's Iraq started rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon with the hope of turning it into a major tourist attraction. About $6 million a year was being spent on archaeological work and construction. At the same time, Hussein was looking for a way to stir Iraqi anger against the Iranians. He remembered that Persia (Iran) helped destroy ancient Babylon. He decided to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into rebuilding Babylon and to use it as a reminder that Iran had previously attacked the city. Many of the ancient buildings, including the famous Tower of Babel, has now been rebuilt and currently, all countries are pouring in money to help finish rebuilding Babylon as we speak..