V - THE MYSTERY REVEALED – (REVELATION 17:6)

REVELATION 17:6-
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus..."
:
"The Babylon thus described represents Rome, that apostate church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ."
Spirit of Prophecy, vol 4, p 233.

This only shows that this Woman which is the same beast in Revelation 13:1-2, 7, 15, Daniel 7:25 (Roman Catholic Church) is a persecuting power (See GC 54-55, 271-272, 283-284).

REVELATION 17:6-
"and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."

“Many Protestants suppose that the Catholic religion is unattractive and that its worship is a dull, meaningless round of ceremony. Here they mistake. While Romanism is based upon deception, it is not a coarse and clumsy imposture. The religious service of the Roman Church is a most impressive ceremonial. Its gor¬geous display and solemn rites fascinate the senses of the people and silence the voice of reason and of conscience. The eye is charmed. Magnificent churches, im¬posing processions, golden altars, jeweled shrines, choice paintings, and exquisite sculpture appeal to the love of beauty. The ear also is captivated. The music is unsurpassed. The rich notes of the deep-toned organ, blending with the melody of many voices as it swells through the lofty domes and pillared aisles of her grand cathedrals, cannot fail to impress the mind with awe and reverence... The pomp and ceremony of the Catholic worship has a seductive, bewitching power, by which many are deceived; and they come to look upon the Roman Church as the very gate of heaven.''
Great Controversy, p 566-567.

"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 blas¬phemy..." Revelation 17:3.

This beast that John saw in the wilderness is the same beast that he saw ascending from the bottomless pit (Revelation 17:8).

Who is this Beast from the wilderness that ascended from the bottomless pit? First let us define these terms:
Wilderness - uncultivated or uninhabited region (Webster's Dictionary: see also GC 658).
Bottomless pit — from the Greek word abvssos, which is defined "deep, bottomless, profound, desolate and uncultivated place."

"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
“And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit."
Revelation 9:1-2.

“That the expression "bottomless pit" represents the earth in a state of con¬fusion and darkness is evident from other scriptures. Concerning the condition of the earth "in the beginning," the Bible record says that it "was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." [THE HEBREW WORD HERE TRANS¬LATED "DEEP" IS RENDERED IN THE SEPTUAGINT (GREEK) TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW OLD TESTAMENT BY THE SAME WORD RENDERED "BOTTOM¬LESS PIT” IN REVELATION 20:1-3.] Genesis 1:2. Prophecy teaches that it will be brought back, partially at least, to this condition. Looking forward to the great day of God, the prophet Jeremiah declares: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down.” Jeremiah 4:23-26."
Great Controversy. p 658-659.

Confusion - in the sense that the church during her flight into the wilderness (Revelation 12:6, 14) was under sieged by the Roman power (Babylon) which in 4SOP 232 means, confusion.
Darkness - in the sense that the church experienced the 1260 years of bondage and persecution. Which prophecy and history (GC 55, 439-440) termed as the “Dark Ages".
So this beast of Revelation 17 came out from confusion and darkness or as the Bible termed it “bottomless pit or wilderness".

"The forty and two months are the same as the "time, and times and the dividing of time," three years and a half, or 1260 days, of Daniel 7— the time during which the papal power was to oppress God's people. This period, as stated in pre¬ceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A. D. 538, and terminated in 1798."
Great Controversy, p 439.

In the year 1798, the Pope was made captive by the French Army, the Papal power received its deadly wound (Revelation 13:3), and the prediction was fulfilled. "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity". Revelation 13:3 also says that the deadly wound was healed; when this prophecy was fulfilled what beast came into power?
"At this point another symbol is introduced. Says the prophet: "I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb." Verse 11. Both the appearance of this beast and the manner of its rise indicate that the nation which it represents is unlike those presented under the preceding symbols. The great kingdoms that have ruled the world were presented to the prophet Daniel as beasts of prey, rising when "the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea." Daniel 7:2. In Revelation 17 an angel explained that waters represent "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms have attained to power.
“But the beast with lamblike horns was seen "coming up out of the earth". Instead of overthrowing other powers to establish itself, the nation thus represented must arise in territory previously unoccupied and grow up gradually and peace¬fully. It could not, then, arise among the crowded and struggling nationalities of the Old World—that turbulent sea of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." It must be sought in the Western Continent.
"What nation in 1798 rose into power, giving promise of strength and greatness, and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question, "One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America."
Great Controversy, p 439-440.

The prophecy of Revelation 13:3 says that his deadly wound was healed. But why is it that the United States of America came into the stage of action. For the simple reason that AMERICA according to Revelation 13:11-12 spake as a dragon and exerciseth all the powers of the first beast (Revelation 13:1-2) which is the Ro¬man Catholic Church.

“At that time the French army under the generalship of Berthier entered Rome and made the pope a prisoner, where he died in exile. Though a new pope was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy has never since been able to wield the power which it before possessed."
Great Controversy, p 266.

“I saw that the two-horned beast had a dragon's mouth, and that his power was in his head, and that the decree would go out of his mouth. Then I saw the Mother of Harlots; that the mother was not the daughters, but separate and distinct from them. She has had her day, and it is past, and her daughters, the Protes¬tant sects, were the next to come on the stage and act out the same mind that the mother had when she persecuted the saints. I saw that as the mother has been declining in power, the daughters had been growing, and soon they will exercise the power once exercised by the mother."
Spalding and Magan, p 1.

"Charles Beecher, in a sermon in the year 1846, declared that the ministry of "the evangelical Protestant denominations" is "not only formed all the way up under a tremendous pressure of merely human fear, but they live, and move, and breathe in a state of things radically corrupt, and appealing every hour to every baser element of their nature to hush up the truth, and bow the knee to the power of apos¬tasy. Was not this the way things went with Rome? Are we not living her life over again?"
Great Controversy, p 444-445.

Other Beast or Kingdoms that had ruled the world were presented to prophet Daniel as beast of prey, rising when the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea. But there is only one kingdom that was seen as coming up out of the earth, territory previously unoccupied, wilderness or bottomless pit in 1798, and that is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA under the symbol of the lamb-like beast in Revela¬tion 13:11-12. The beast in Revelation 11:7 was also seen by John as ascending out of the bottomless pit. And also experiences the persecution during the Dark Ages or the 1260 years of Papal rule (Revelation 13:3). Other people especially false teach¬ers and infiltrators say that the beast of Revelation 11 is the same with the beast of Revelation 17, which they conclude as the Illuminati, but the word of God will not warrant this baseless conclusion. They even use the statements of the pioneers to prove their falsehoods. Statements that are not based on a plain "thus saith the Lord". Well, I myself believed and respected the faith of our pioneers, provided, that it is based on undeniable facts and founded on the unquestionable word of God (please see CWE 45).
"But another power —the beast from the bottomless pit—was to arise to make open, avowed war upon the word of God. According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the year 1798 some power of satanic origin and charac¬ter would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony of God's two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh and the licentiousness of Sodom,
"This prophecy has received a most exact and striking fulfillment in the history of France."
Great Controversy, p 269-270.
(See also GC 286-287, 271, 273-274)

So the beast in Revelation 11, was NOT the Illuminati BUT France. Others say that this beast is atheistical and licentious; therefore it refers to the Illuminati. But GC 269-270 says that atheism and licentiousness were just the pre-imminent char¬acteristic of this beast but not the beast itself. The Illuminati does not fit the descrip¬tion as a beast because a beast symbolizes a kingdom, a nation, and a city (see 4BC 1168-9; Revelation 18:10). Some false teachers and infiltrators say that a beast is a power and a religion, Illuminati is a power and a religion, therefore, Illuminati is a beast. This very poor argument runs the same with this very poor logic: all monkeys eat bananas, false teachers and infiltrators eat bananas, therefore, all false teachers and infiltrators are monkeys. The Illuminati is a secret society within a secret society. Religion, power and morality are just some of its pre-imminent characteristics.
We can NOW safely conclude that the beast of Revelation 17 is not the Illuminati, it is not the Civil Power of Rome, it is not any other kingdom but it points definitely and precisely to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Let's go back to Revelation 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."

Why seven heads and ten horns?
Because this beast is identical with the fourth beast of Daniel 7:7, the dragon ''in Revelation 12:3, and the leopard-like beast (Papal Rome) of Revelation 13:1-2 which also have 7 heads and 10 horns. And according to Revelation 13:11-12, America has the voice of the dragon (Pagan Rome) and exerciseth all the power of the first beast (Papal Rome). Therefore, the seven heads and the ten horns found in the beast of Revelation 17 (AMERICA) is the same seven heads and ten horns of Pagan Rome (Revelation 12:3) and Papa! Rome (Revelation 13:1-2).

Again in Revelation 17:3, "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast ..."

In Revelation 12:3 the colour of the dragon (Pagan Rome) is red. The Greek word used here is "purrhos" and translates ''fire-like or flame-colored (yellow¬ish red)." Let us remember that the dragon gave his power, seat, and authority (Revelation 13:1-2). Now since the woman in Revelation 17:4 whose colour is purple (bluish red) and scarlet (bright red) is identical with the beast of Revelation 13:1-2 (Roman Catholic Church), it follows that the colour of the Leopard-like beast is also red. And also since the Lamb-like beast (America) of Revelation 13:11-12 exerciseth all the power and authority of the leopard-like beast, it follows then that the beast of Revelation 17 is also red or scarlet.

"The papacy is just what prophecy declared that she would be, the apostasy of the latter times. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4. It is a part of her policy to assume the character which will best accomplish her purpose; but beneath the variable appear¬ance of the chameleon she conceals the invariable venom of the serpent."
Great Controversy, p 571.

(Webster's Dictionary defines a chameleon as a small lizard whose skin changes colour especially according to its surroundings.)
The colour of this beast changes from time to time, from yellowish red to bluish red and then to bright red, but it is still red. Meaning, that the beast changes and assumes a character and appearance which will best accomplish her purpose but it is the same power that controls from the beginning to the end.
"The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments: but she is unchanged."
Great Controversy, p 571.

"And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes."
Great Controversy, p 581.

Why does Satan like colour red?
"The Roman Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments: but she is unchanged."
Great Controversy, p 571.

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth Judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a ves¬ture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God."
Revelation 19:11-13.

"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.”
Matthew 27: 27-28.

Some say that the Leopard-like beast of Revelation 13:1-2 is yellow in colour. We are not studying here literal animals with their literal colour but a beast that symbolizes a kingdom and a nation.
"The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed."
Great Controversy, p.598.

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