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A theory recently making the rounds in Christian theological circles is that The Woman that Rides the Beast in Revelation 17 is Jerusalem. In order to come to this conclusion the theorists have to perform some Scriptural gymnastics and actually alter the meaning of the word "Mother".
Therefore, until one of these theorists can produce real scriptural evidence to refute what I am now going to present, Jerusalem is NOT "that great city" of Revelation 17. And, if you were thinking Rome, think again, because there is only ONE city that fits the bill, Satan's city: Babylon
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
"BABYLON THE GREAT, the MOTHER of the harlots and the MOTHER of abominations of the earth” which is written on the woman's forehead, was a secret sign or symbol. It does not, of course, mean that this is an actual woman, so let's get that out of the way. The explanation of what the woman represented is not given until the very last verse of the chapter, so until then the meaning of the name was a secret. Then at the end of the chapter it is revealed that it referred to "that great city" (Revelation 17:18). The word Mystery here or musterion means simply a secret.
In Revelation 17:5-6, the woman's name is a secret SIGN and means something deeper than the name itself could convey. So, in Revelation 17:18 we see that the name was the name, NOT of a woman, but of a city, "that great city". And I believe that city is Babylon. Why? Now follow me on this…THIS Babylon, is not signified merely by the material city itself, BUT by the ENORMOUS SYSTEM of idolatry connected with it. That is why the explanation to the secret sign name follows, and that is "the MOTHER of harlots and the MOTHER of abominations of the earth."
It is important at this point to understand the definition or meaning of the word MOTHER. According to Webster’s Dictionary as well as Dictionary .com, the definition of the word Mother includes: something or someone that gives rise to, or exercises protecting care over, something else; The Mother is the origin or the source. In order for the “Jerusalem is the Woman” theorists to make their theory work, this definition is twisted to mean any woman.
Back on point, so, what we have here shown in Revelation 17 is "the MOTHER of harlots and the MOTHER of abominations of the earth." That is, the MOTHER, or ORIGINATOR, the fountain-head, of ALL the systems of idolatry which have since covered "the earth" from that one great source. Therefore, Jerusalem, Rome, London, even Washington, are only a part. This here is the secret of "the mystery of iniquity" referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2:7. It was Babylon that was the fountain-head of ALL idolatry.
"And Cush begat NIMROD: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was BAB-EL, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the LAND OF SHINAR." Genesis 10:8-10
I refer you to Zechariah, “And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a WOMAN that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, THIS IS WICKEDNESS. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the LAND OF SHINAR: and it shall be ESTABLISHED, and set there upon her own base.” Zechariah 5:7-11
So back to Revelation 17, we have here two things, ONE is the reality of the city itself, which is “That Great City" which will be SEEN by those NOT YET initiated into Satanic worship; and TWO, The Woman, which is the "secret sign" of what that means. Think of the image of the woman like the Stage Curtain. Those that HAVE been initiated into the worship of Satan are those who will be allowed behind the curtain, in order to learn "the depths of Satan", while the uninitiated will see only the stage curtain, which is the wonderful city. Proverbs 9:13-18, gives a view of this where both are shown.
"A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call passengers who go right on their ways:
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell." Proverbs 9:13-18
Ok, next point, IDOLATRY was not a sin into which people gradually sunk, but it was the creation, by Satan, of a huge complicated system of methods, which he intended to lead to his own worship. So how did it get perfected, where is it's MOTHER?
It was NIMROD that was used as the founder of this scheme of Satan. And, as you saw previously from Genesis 10, BABYLON was his city (Genesis 10:10). Now consider this…wouldn't Cain's city, before the flood, be of the same type to the people of his day? And Cain's city comes to the same end as Babylon does afterwards (Genesis 4:17). Each of these cities would be the capital of their respective idolatrous systems.
Therefore, the words "Cain went out from the presence of the Lord" are very significant. Also significant is the name of Cain's city. He called it Enoch, which actually means INITIATED (coming from the root: chahnak, meaning to initiate or dedicate). The corruption of the human race spoken of in Genesis 6 led to monsters, which would account for the half-human, or super-human beings, which became the Nephilim, the Rephaim, and the Anakim of Scripture, (the Titans of Greek Mythology). Then came the worship of these monsters as Ishtar, Isis, Ashtaroth, and all the abominations of Spiritual Harlotry.
So from ALL this we can see how "that great city," BABYLON, founded by Nimrod, was the SOURCE or the MOTHER of all idolatry.
This CANNOT be said of Egypt, Rome, Jerusalem, London, etc. The idolatry being carried out in Jerusalem or Rome are only parts of the system; part of the polluted streams from that SOURCE, BABYLON. It is just not possible that one of the many streams can be the source of all the streams.
Then consider this, wasn't there idolatry before Jerusalem, before Rome, before Athens? You have to ask yourself, where did the worship of Moloch, and Remphan, and Chium, come from? They had to ORIGINATE, and be MOTHERED somewhere BEFORE they were practiced in the wilderness (Acts 7:43. Amos 5:25-26). And then consider the worship of Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians, and Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites, and Milcom, the abomination of the children of Ammon, all of which were introduced by Solomon (1 Kings 11:5, 2 Kings 23:11), but certainly had existed BEFORE Solomon? Was JERUSALEM the MOTHER of these?
So what have we learned?
We have learned that the descriptions seen in these verses of Revelation 17 goes all the way back to the ORIGIN, the MOTHER of ALL the abominations of heathen idolatry. Jerusalem's place in history makes this an absolute impossibility. It would be just as ridiculous to say that the Zionist movement of our day was the SOURCE or the MOTHER of the Nation of Israel!
Now, let's take a look at something further. The Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar's day, is NOT the Babylon being referenced in Revelation 17! And for the same reason that it is NOT Jerusalem, Egypt, Rome, etc. THESE cities do NOT date back far enough. We must go back further, and we do indeed find the TRUE Source or MOTHER in Genesis 10:8-10 and Genesis 11:9. There we find the MOTHER of harlots in the LAND OF SHINAR.
Under NIMROD the work in the spirit of Antichrist began. Nimrod's object was to build a city, and make for HIS People a name, so that they might not be scattered. BABYLON was founded in rebellion against God.
Nimrod was "a mighty one on the earth" (Genesis 10:8). He called his city Bab-El. Some interpreters take this to mean the court or gate of God; because Nimrod, like his FUTURE, antitype, would phonily exalt himself (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
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In Ephesians 1:13 the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declares that men are saved and sealed by hearing and BELIEVING the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. Therefore, here, now, is declared unto you the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: "that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. BELIEVE today. The time is short.
So There You Have it!
Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide.
Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.
In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry
Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
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