Revelations 17 The Woman Who Rides the Beast God always uses a woman to symbolize a church in scriptures.

He uses a virgin to show forth the true one. "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:2) The Lord also uses a woman to symbolize a back-slidden church or people. A harlot would represent a false church or system. "And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so." (Judges 2:17) The Woman's Identity Both backslidden Christian Protestant and Catholic churches will be riding the end time one world government (and religion) beast. Many self professed Christians will follow the Antichrist system. To properly identify the system one must explore the scriptures about the woman or harlot. Catholicism's role will be explored first. The woman is a great city. "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." (Revelations 17:18) She sits upon many waters. "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:" (Revelations 17:1) Water here means or represents people. "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." (Revelations 17:15) The woman is a city who rules or presides over a vast international system. The beast has seven heads. This has a special meaning. "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." (Revelations 17:9) The woman is a city with seven mountains or hills. Wikipedia clearly states that Rome is a city of seven hills. They are Aventine Hill (Latin, Aventinus; Italian, Aventino), Caelian Hill (Caelius, Celio), Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus, Campidoglio), Esquiline Hill (Esquilinus, Esquilino), Palatine Hill (Palatinus, Palatino), Quirinal Hill (Quirinalis, Quirinale), and Viminal Hill (Viminalis, Viminale). "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." (Revelations 17:4) There are two ruling bodies in the Roman Catholic church. The colleges of Cardinals (red or scarlet) and Bishops (purple). For more information see: "More Than You Wanted To Know About Cardinals." (Criterion, July 1, 1988) The Protestant's Role "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Revelations 17:5) The Catholic church is already been established as a harlot. She came before the Protestant one. And upon their (Protestant's) departure from her (the Catholic or mother church) during the Reformation period, they left with her trinity doctrine established. "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach." (Isaiah 4:1) The daughters (off spring) are also seen as harlots by the Lord, who have backslidden into sin and failed to keep the faith once delivered unto the early saints."Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 1:3) One can safely conclude that many Protestants are also back slidden. The second council of the Vatican (or Vatican 2) issued a statement by the Catholics, to the Protestants. "We the mother church are opening our arms for our Protestant daughters to return

home." There was a lot of dispute as to how the Protestants should be known as from the Roman Catholic perspective. So a note was published to clarify the matter. "It must always be clear, when the expression 'sister churches' is used in this proper sense that the one, holy, Catholic church is not sister but mother of all particular churches." (Cardinal Ratzinger) Excerpt was from item number 10, June 30, 2000 (CatholicCulture.org). The former cardinal is the present Pope, Benedict the 16th. He believes that the Roman Catholic church is the mother church and the Protestants ones are her daughters. Past Persecutions Both Catholics and Protestants attacked one another. Here are but two historical times of such persecutions. 1) In 1563, Protestants persecuted the Catholics when Foxes Book of Martyr's was published. 2) During the Inquisition, and even prior to it when the Justinian Laws were enacted, many Protestants or non-Catholics were killed by Catholics. The Solution "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelations 18:4) "Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the LORD." (Isaiah 52:11) In our time as well, God's people are commanded to depart from Babylon. The children of Israel were instructed to flee physical Babylon, and His children or people from spiritual Babylon (confusion). The doctrine of the trinity is confusion. God is not the Author of it. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1 Corinthians 14:33) When Jesus is lifted up, and He draws all men to Him for His name sake. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:14-16) How does He do it? He's drawing His people together from those false churches to serve Him. "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21) We may not participate in the false religions that surround us, but instead serve the Lord in truth and righteousness. History proves that the trinity was adopted by the Catholic church to convert pagans. Wherever she went, she has always compromised and adopted pagan ideas in order to convert them. This is nothing more than hypocrisy. Her's a partial list of some of her practices that are not found in the word of God or scriptures. The Book "The Two Babylons" by Hislop, also shows forth the Catholic-Babylonian compromise connection. 1. Prayers for the dead, began about ........................................................................... 300 2. Making the sign of the cross ..................................................................................... 300 3. The Trinity is adopted .................................................................................................... 325 4. Veneration of angels and dead saints and use of images ........................................ 375 5. The Mass, as a daily celebration............................................................................... 394 6. The term Mary Mother of God first used .............................................................. 431 7. Priests began to dress differently from laymen ....................................................... 500 8. Extreme Unction (last sacrament) ............................................................................ 526 9. The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I................................................ 593 10. Latin language, used in prayer and worship imposed by Gregory I ......................... 600 11. Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints and angels.................................................... 600 12. Title of pope, or universal bishop, given to Boniface III by Emperor Phocas ........... 610 13. Kissing the popes feet began with pope Constantine ............................................. 709

14. Temporal power of the popes, conferred by Pepin, King of France ........................ 750 15. Worship of the cross, images, and relics authorized................................................ 786 16. Holy water mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest ................................ 850 17. Worship of St. Joseph ............................................................................................... 890 18. College of Cardinals established ............................................................................... 927 19. Baptism of bells, instituted by pope John XIV .......................................................... 965 20. Canonization of dead saints, first by pope John XV.................................................. 995 21. Fasting on Fridays and during Lent ........................................................................... 998 22. The Mass, developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory in the 11th century 23. Celibacy of the priesthood (priests cannot marry) decreed by pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand) ......................................................................................................... 1079 24. The Rosary, mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit ......... 1090 25. The Inquisition, instituted by the Council of Verona.............................................. 1184 26. Sale of Indulgences ................................................................................................. 1190 The name of Jesus alone will deliver, save and forgive a person. It is commanded for everything we do. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only." (Matthew 17:8) "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17) "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:10-12) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus Christ), and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28) "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18) "Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)" (Acts 10:36) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:36-38)