IV - THE MYSTERY REVEALED (REVELATION 17:1-5)

Is Revelation 17 a mystery?
"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."
Revelation 17:7.

The Mystery Revealed
REVELATION 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 show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:"

What does water symbolize in prophecy?
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Revelation 17:15.

Who is the woman or the great whore?
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18.
Who is this great city?
"Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.”
Revelation 18:10.

"In Revelation 17, Babylon is represented as a woman, a figure which is used in the Scriptures as the symbol of a church. A virtuous woman represents a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church. Babylon is said to be a harlot; and the prophet beheld her drunken with the blood of saints and martyrs. The Babylon thus described represents Rome, that apostate church which has so cruelly perse¬cuted the followers of Christ. But Babylon the harlot is the mother of daughters who follow her example of corruption. Thus are represented those churches that cling to the doctrines and traditions of Rome and follow her worldly practices, and whose fall is announced in the second angel's message."
Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 233.

REVELATION 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."

Who is this power with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication?
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
Revelation 18:3.

According to Revelation 18:10 this power is the great city Babylon which in 4SOP 233 tells us refer to Rome or specifically the Roman Catholic Church.

What is meant by the word “her fornication"?
"God denounces Babylon ‘because she made ail nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ This means that she has disregarded the only com¬mandment, which points out the true God, and has torn down the Sabbath, God's memorial of creation.
"God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, sanctions this day, and setting it apart from all others as holy to Himself, to be observed by His people throughout their generations.
"But the man of sin, exalting himself above God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God, thought to change times and laws. This power, thinking to prove that it was not only equal to God, but above God, changed the rest day, placing the first day of the week where the seventh should be. And the Protes¬tant world has taken this child of the papacy to be regarded as sacred. In the Word of God this is called her fornication."
SDA Bible Commentary, vol 7, p 979.

What is this wine of errors?
"Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God's holy and sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, 'For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'”
Testimonies to Ministers, p 61-62.

How is this wrath created?
"It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presi¬dents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and satanic heresies which exalt the false sabbath, and lead men to trample underfoot God's memorial."
Testimonies to Ministers, p 62.

REVELATION 17:3-
"...and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,..."

This woman is identical with the Whore of Revelation 17:1 and the Great City of Revelation 17:18. It is also identical with the beast of Revelation 13:1, which is the Roman Catholic Church that has the name of blasphemy on her head.

REVELATION 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:"

This woman refers again to the Roman Catholic Church according to Revelation 18:16, 4SOP 233, and GC 382 which says:
"The woman (Babylon) of Revelation 17 is described as "arrayed In purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness:...and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots." Says the prophet. "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." Babylon is further declared to be "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:4-6, 18. The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom is Rome. The purple and scarlet color, the gold and precious stones and pearls, vividly picture the magnificence and more than kingly pomp affected by the haughty see of Rome. And no other power could be so truly declared "drunken with the blood of the saints" as that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ.”

REVELATION 17:5 -
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMI¬NATIONS OF THE EARTH."

"The Babylon thus described represents Rome, that apostate church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ. But Babylon the harlot is the mother of daughters who follow her example of corruption. Thus are represented those churches that cling to the doctrines and traditions of Rome and follow her worldly practices, and whose fall is announced in the second angel's message."
Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 233.

"Babylon is said to be "the mother of harlots." By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her ex¬ample of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. Furthermore, in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God's people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith."
Great Controversy, p 382-383.

This is not exempting the SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH which Mrs. E.G. White calls a protestant in 5T 716, 6T 403 and a harlot which refers to Babylon in 8T 247-250, 4SOP 233.

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