Delving into Clues about "Mother of Harlots"

Truly “the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7) but then the prophecies recorded in scriptures are more often than not couched in oblique language.  The apparently-enigmatic messianic passages found in different Old Testament books are a case in point: Christians are nowadays able to grasp the import of these precious verses only because they have the benefit of hindsight to follow the fulfilment of every prediction regarding the manifold aspects of the Messiah’s ministry on earth (from incarnation to resurrection followed by ascension).  Also pertinent is the narrative — tucked amidst all the missionary trips meticulously chronicled by Luke — where the Ethiopian eunuch, whilst contemplating the messianic prophecies compiled by Isaiah, must have been grateful for the unexpected arrival of Philip the Evangelist whose opening line to this learned pre-believer is: “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:25)

 

Of interest in the present discussion is the equally-cryptic prophecy concerning the great harlot arising during the end-times.  Many a scholar has sought to identify the woman who will appear in future as per Revelation 17-18 even though the imagery requires much unravelling and remains quite confounding.  Fortunately for believers, there are various clues furnished by John when penning the book of Revelation — under, of course, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

 

What are the clues that Revelation 17 provides in respect of Babylon (which the chapter has designated as, inter alia, the “mother of harlots”)?

(a)   Scriptures frequently depict an apostate entity as a harlot; for example, “O Ephraim, you commit harlotry; Israel is defiled” (Hosea 5:3) and “Judah, through her causal harlotry, ... committed adultery with stones and trees” (Jeremiah 3:9) since “they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land” (I Chronicles 5:25).  The context of such biblical references does not intimate that a particular leader (however sacrilegious or nefarious) is to be singled out.

(b)   Just as significant is the angel’s explanation that “the waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues” (Revelation 17:15).  Curiously, Jerusalem does not seem to fit the bill here.  Instead, this clue points to some expansive entity being able in future to dominate over a diversity of peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues — not unlike what the ancient empires did millennia ago.

(c)   A helpful clue for making sense of the harlot being portrayed as “that great city” (Revelation 17:18) is available from historical annals: with the Holy Roman Empire holding sway in the Western world over a thousand-year span, wherever the reigning Emperor resided was its capital.  By this reckoning, “that great city” is likely the headquarters of the apostate entity which is so expansive that the tendency is to identify it by mentioning wherever its overall leader/council sits (rather than enumerating all its constituents).

(d)   The chapter ends with the after-note that “the great harlot … reigns over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18).  Without a doubt, all of the political leaders living at the time will be paying obeisance in some form or other to this apostate entity.

(e)   The fact that John saw the “woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3) indicates that the kings symbolised by the 7 heads and 10 horns of the beast will likewise pay obeisance to this apostate entity during the initial phase of the vision.

(f)    Eventually, however, “the beast will hate the harlot … and burn her with fire” (Revelation 17:16).  Perhaps this is when “the son of perdition opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thessalonians 2:3-4).

 

A brief digression is called for at this juncture.  Taking into account Paul’s exposition that spiritual “blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25) coupled with the assurance that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29) as regards the chosen race’s salvation route, Jerusalem will in due time be populated with messianic Hebrews whose faith will be clearly manifest to many peoples; in fact, there is a prophecy in the Old Testament that “in those days, 10 men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘We have heard that God is with you. Let us go with you’ [to Jerusalem]” (Zechariah 8:23).  It may accordingly be inferred that the holy city (so described in, for instance, Daniel 9:24 and Matthew 27:53) cannot supposedly be “the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:5) then.

 

What are the clues additionally provided by the ensuing chapter of Revelation 18 where the emphasis is on the irreversible fall of Babylon?

(1)   Given that “the kings of the earth have committed fornication” (Revelation 18:3) with Babylon which “has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird” (Revelation 18:2), the influence wielded by this great city does not appear to be based on a bedrock of political power — especially when the reference to “the wine of … her fornication” (Revelation 18:3) harks back to the image in the preceding chapter where she is pictured as “holding a golden cup full of abominations” (Revelation 17:4).

(2)   According to the vision, “the kings of the earth … will weep and lament for her when they see the smoke of her burning” (Revelation 18:9).  This essentially affirms that the apostate entity is distinct from the political leaders who even remain unscathed — prior to the unfolding of the events foretold in Revelation 19 — after the punitive devastation of “Babylon that mighty city” (Revelation 18:10).

(3)   The accusation that “in her was found the blood of prophets and saints” (Revelation 18:24) hints more of religious (and less of political) persecution.  Also worthy of note is that “all the nations were deceived by your sorcery” (Revelation 18:23) rather than by any duplicitous promises of diplomatic or military allegiance.

 

From the totality of these clues emerges the conclusion that indeed “His judgments are true and righteous because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her” (Revelation 19:2).  Several verses thereafter, attention switches over to the announcement that “the marriage of the Lamb has come” (Revelation 19:7) where “blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).  That the two contrary images of harlot and bride are placed by John alongside each other cannot be dismissively presumed as being due to happenchance.

 

 

  

NB:  Certain commentators have unsurprisingly proposed that the great harlot represents Rome as many scholars have already drawn attention to the common practice of Christians during that era in using Babylon as a code-name for Rome; a good example is Peter referring to “she who is in Babylon” (I Peter 5:13).  Also suggestive is the historical narrative of Rome having been founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus from the original settlements situated on 7 hills — seemingly in accord with the angel’s statement that “the 7 heads are 7 mountains on which the woman sits” (Revelation 17:9).  Reinforcing this line of interpretation is the association of the 10 horns observed by John in Revelation 17:12 with the prophecy in the Old Testament where “the 10 horns are 10 kings who shall arise from this [fourth] kingdom” (Daniel 7:24).  Interesting though all these assertions may be, the focus of the present discussion is nevertheless on the great harlot whereas Revelation 17:3 points instead to “a scarlet beast … having 7 heads and 10 horns.”