Mystery Woman of Revelation 17

Mystery Woman: 

    Who is this woman that has enchanted and mystified prophecy students for nearly 2,000 years? She sits in the wilderness with her companion, the scarlet beast at the end of world history, spreading her filth into the earth. She is even given royal treatment, carried upon  seven heads of the beast; seven world kingdoms.  

   And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me saying, come hither; I will show you the judgement of the great whore πόρνης (Greek: commercially corrupt one) that sits upon many waters. Revelation 17:1

   So, who or what is this great prostitute; the commercially corrupt one? 

    To partially answer this question, we need to look at the final verse in Revelation 17, which summarizes the entire chapter. This is the final 'clue' that the angel gave John; "I will tell you the mystery of the woman"... It is the ‘big’ picture that will define the woman and  chapter 17 and 18 with more clarity. We may not be able to identify her at this time in history but, there are many clues; so while she is being prepared, we will be able to recognize her for what she will become.  

    This interpretation is based upon scripture and the writings of the prophets which will omit the interpretation presented by Alexander Hislop taught within the church today.

    If you are not familiar with Alexander Hislop but have listened to modern Bible teachers interpret Revelation 17 as a harlot church, you are listening to, and learning the teachings of Alexander Hislop. Hislop's theories are based upon fables, mythology, reincarnation and the various gods and goddesses that ruled the Mesopotamia, and later, the Greek and Roman cultures. These teachings are taught as actual historical and biblical narratives in the majority of churches today. These are the same teachings that Paul warned about: 

   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they will turn away their ears from the Truth and (truth) shall be turned into fables (myths). 2 Timothy 4:3,4 

    When Revelation 17 is reiterated using authentic historical context and scripture, it reveals something completely different. Modern day bible teachers are misleading the flock by teaching the Nimrod, Semiramis, Tammuz fables as historical and biblical doctrine. There is a major blind spot in biblical theology when it comes to the theories of Alexander Hislop. 

   Today we will look at prophecy based upon the Bible and actual historical events and not Alexander Hislop's con of time travel and reincarnation. When all the fables and mythology are removed, we discover that this is what John was detailing: 

   Revelation 17:18  And the woman (γυνη) that thou saw is that great (mega) city (polis); which reigns (Greek- βασιλείαν has kingship) over the kings of the earth.  

    Well, isn’t that interesting? 

    The woman is a metaphor for a city. The commercially corrupt one is a city. 

    We have seen this type of metaphoric descriptions used several times in biblical scripture; a city or specific kingdoms such as Judah or Israel described in the feminine, as women. Cities were often described metaphorically as women, depicting specific characteristics using feminine pronouns. Metaphors were used to describe cities with human traits that are familiar to the average person. This makes it easy to grasp what the author is stating. 

   She, her, sister, daughter, mistress, widow, harlot, bride or wife are common references used to define cities or Israel, while a mountain, (or beast in Daniel's case), was used in  reference to kingdoms. 

   This type of feminine metaphorical description is most evident in Revelation 17 and 18, where John defines the characteristics of a corrupt city using feminine pronouns and metaphorical verbiage. The woman in Revelation 17 is eerily similar to Nahum 3:4, which describes Nineveh as a mistress of witchcraft; a well-favored harlot that sells the nations by her harlotries and families by her sorceries. Nineveh was destroyed similar to the destruction that we find in Revelation 18 which details the judgement of the woman found  in Revelation 17. Revelation 18 adds more information about the city in question.   

   This may be why it is so hard for so many to grasp and understand Revelation 17. The  entire chapter is full of symbolic metaphors from the old testament, but people add more to scripture than what John detailed. People make it complicated, adding code words, alterations, and outside sources such as the teachings of Alexander Hislop. Using the hypothesis of Hislop, a city of religious harlotry and commercial corruption becomes a church, her golden cup is transformed into a golden chalice or a golden sun-disk, and the seven heads where the woman sits, defined as seven mountains or seven world kingdoms, are reduced to seven mounds of dirt, seven hills. 

   Scripture interprets scripture but one has to actually search for meaning and forfeit those outside sources. I think that is the intention; to become a Berean, you have to act like one, and search for the meaning within the Bible itself, and stop relying on faulty interpretation handed over on a golden platter. 

   And once you see it, you can't unsee it. 

    When a great city is metaphorically defined as a woman, we should remember that these types of metaphorical descriptions or depictions, were commonly used within the prophetic text of the Old Testament – which John would have studied. 

   Cities were commonly defined as women, depicting specific characteristics described in feminine pronouns. Metaphoric symbolism was used by various prophets to describe cities, nations and kingdoms with feminine traits. She, her, mistress, harlot, sister, widow, bride or wife were references to cities or geographical areas. This is consistent throughout scripture. 

• Nineveh was a mistress of witchcraft who sold to the nations. She was a well favored harlot involved in witchcraft, sorcery and human trafficking. 
• Judah and Israel were often called the wife of Yahweh showing her position and favor in the eyes of God. These areas were often called harlots when they turned their backs on the God of the Bible and seduced or flaunted themselves before other nations. 
• Babylon was described by Isaiah as the dethroned queen thrown to the dust to wallow in her sorrow. Babylon was also the city who relied upon her sorcery and multiple  enchantments - rejecting the God of the Bible.  
• Sodom was a sister city with many daughter cities in Ezekiel 16. 
• The woman in Revelation 17 is a great merchant city clothed in scarlet and purple, sin, bloodshed and religious royalty, tied to the mark of the beast. 
• Jerusalem played the harlot with Assyria Ezekiel 16
• Tyre is a harlot city Isaiah 23
• New Jerusalem is the bride or wife of the Lamb at the end of the tribulation period. 

    

   John had used this type of metaphoric description when describing Israel. In Revelation 12, John depicts Israel as the woman arrayed in the sun, heavy in labor while the red dragon stands before her to devour her child. This description indicates the rise in enmity, placed between the woman's seed, and the seed of the serpent in Genesis 3:15, which carried into the world. This age old conflict continues today, as antisemitism rises. During the time of  tribulation, antisemitism will rise to unbearable heights as the world embraces wickedness, and turns against Israel, and the remnant of her seed. 

   When the woman (Israel) flees into the wilderness protected by God, the hatred emanating from antichrist and those who join the beast kingdom, will focus on Christians, and those who carry the gospel of Christ Jesus: Revelation 12:17.

    In Revelation 21:2, New Jerusalem is a bride adorned for her husband, and the wife of the Lamb in verse 9b. She is the holy city intimately connected to Christ Jesus. 

    Babylon, in contrast, will be  prepared for the antichrist kingdom, an unholy city for an unholy kingdom. Babylon will be the earthly carnal city that is intimately joined to the beast kingdom as Satan is the great imitator and, copies what God does. New Jerusalem is the heavenly city. adorned in gold and precious stones, whereas the merchant city is also adorned in gold and precious stones, focusing on man's earthy desires.

   But in his estate (home, dominion) shall he honor the god of forces: and a god whom his father knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. Daniel 11:38 

    Both are cities; one is holy, the other is wicked, the exact opposite of New Jerusalem. In a time when evil is called good and good becomes evil, wickedness will rule the world. 

   The Greek word John used for woman in Revelation 17:18 is γυνη, meaning woman, wife or bride; suggesting a deep, intimate relationship between the great city and the beast - just as the description of New Jerusalem depicts the bride of the Lamb, Babylon depicts the antichrist-tribulation city. Babylon the Great is the evil city which mocks and replicates God's holy city. Babylon will be wicked, having kingship over a world ruled by evil men. 

    Not only is the woman of Revelation 17 referred to as a city of extreme commercial and spiritual harlotry but she is described as a great city, a megas, megalē, megalēs city, a city of enormous physical size and importance, the mother city of many. She is enormous in size and volume, a supercity – a megacity. By definition, she would be the most important religious, judicial and economic city of the world with daughter cities, other cities that ship vile abominations to the inhabitants of the world.

    By scriptural position, she will be the headquarter city of antichrist, housing the beast system of buying and selling which controls all nations, people and tongues; the capitol city of the new world. The great city rules over the seven kingdoms that unite with the beast,  issuing decrees of lawless moral codes, human trafficking, ritual murders, sorceries,  (pharmakeia, witchcraft) idolatry and demon worship. This is seen by her royal seating arrangement: she sits upon the seven heads of the beast, seven world kingdoms, ruling over the kings of the earth, in the last days. 

    Understanding these basic concepts through the pages of scripture helps to clarify the end time role of Babylon; which gives us the insight to decode the harlot merchant city by a Biblical interpretation. 

   When God is the narrator, there is no confusion. 

   Chapter 18 continues with this revelation. The woman is an enormous commercialized, economically based city, with a huge amount of cargo passing through her merchant port.  

   What she transports is wickedness; the buying and selling dependent on religious worship, pharmakeia and human trafficking. 18:13b,23 

   The kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality. Revelation 18:3

    She works through a religious system tied to the buying and selling but, she is not a church. John had written seven letters to seven angels who watched over the seven churches in Turkey. He knew what a church was. But, he documents that she is a merchant city (Greek: πολις polis) filled with bloodlust and harlotry, not an assembly of God worshiping people: an ekklésia or ecclesia -which is an assembly or gathering for those who are called out -- generally translated to church from the Greek. 

   She is a city that mimics the holiness of  New Jerusalem, the bride or wife of the Lamb. In a world that is upside down, evil becomes good and good becomes evil. The harlot city is a merchant port, a temptress of wicked pleasure, the carnal desires of man. She is a city of lavishness, worldly wealth and wonder; a deadly snare of enchantment that poisons the entire world. A city that caters to a people held together by the laws that define citizenship for the beast kingdom. 

    And, there followed another angel saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8 

    I have no clue as to why so many go through the Book of Revelation to cross out Babylon and replace Babylon with Rome; or why a commercially corrupt city in Revelation 17 has been replaced with a church. This is a spiritual war and confusion is a deadly weapon. Look here, don't look there mentality, leaving people spiritually blind, unprepared for the future. 

   And, there followed another angel saying, "Babylon Rome is fallen, is fallen, that great city, church, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:8 

   There is also a switching of the nouns with objects as well. In this little switcheroo game, the seven heads of the beast kingdom aka: mountains (kingdoms) become hills and the golden cup is replaced with a golden chalice and sometimes, dependent on who is teaching the sermon, a golden sun-disk. 

    Did John get it wrong? Did the angel who took John into the spirit to show him the great merchant city who sits upon the seven heads of the beast kingdom misguide him? Of course not. Man is fallible, even deceptive, but God's Word is trustworthy and true. 

    The woman in purple and scarlet is a great city who rises to world power just prior to the tribulation period or, during the early days of the tribulation. She will be prepared for her king to come, adorned in gold, pearls and precious stones for an evil king, committing horrendous acts of immorality, waring with the saints.  

My only objective is to dissect the interpretation of scripture; the overall big picture of what John was conveying, without all that Hislop mumbo jumbo redefining scripture or presenting it with a conclusion already in place.