- Verse 18 is even clearer in your chosen translation if you’d rather use the KJV. “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” The woman is Rome. The harlot has been not only described but has even been plainly defined. Rome, at the time this was written was the great city. In human history, there has never been a greater empire than Rome. The RCC is not a great city, doesn’t reign over kings or other world leaders and only loosely fits the geographical description given in chapter 17. The Vatican doesn’t sit on the seven hills, Rome does!
Again, when this was written, it made perfect sense. All of the descriptions fit perfectly with Rome and the Roman Empire. Christians were being persecuted and had to worship in secret (often in catacombs).
Let’s look at Chapter 18:
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
2 He cried out in a mighty voice: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, [a cage for every unclean] and disgusting [beast].
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her licentious passion. The kings of earth had intercourse with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her drive for luxury."
- These words are reminiscent of OT passages foretelling the destruction of hostile cities (Isaiah 13:21-22; 21:9; Jer 50:30; Ezek 43:3-5). Part of what brought about the ruin of Rome was unbridled sexual indulgence. Does that sound more like pagan Rome or more like the RCC where priests take a vow of chastity? What sounds more like Sodom and Gomorrah, pagan Rome roman-empire.net/society/soc-household.html or the RCC?
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Depart from her, my people, so as not to take part in her sins and receive a share in her plagues,
- Jer 51:6: “Flee from the midst of Babylon, let every man save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance.”
- Or Jer 51:45: “Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every man save his life from the fierce anger of the Lord!”
- Did the Babylonian Empire and Babylon have more in common with Rome and the Roman Empire or with the Catholic Church? Intellectual honesty required.
5 for her sins are piled up to the sky, and God remembers her crimes.
6 Pay her back as she has paid others. Pay her back double for her deeds. Into her cup pour double what she poured.
7 To the measure of her boasting and wantonness repay her in torment and grief; for she said to herself, ‘I sit enthroned as queen; I am no widow, and I will never know grief.’
8 Therefore, her plagues will come in one day, pestilence, grief, and famine; she will be consumed by fire. For mighty is the Lord God who judges her."
9 The kings of the earth who had intercourse with her in their wantonness will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her pyre.
10 They will keep their distance for fear of the torment inflicted on her, and they will say: “Alas, alas, great city, Babylon, mighty city. In one hour your judgment has come.”
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her, because there will be no more markets for their cargo:
- I’m not certain that merchants would weep if the RCC collapsed, but I am certain that they did when Rome fell. Ships carrying valuable cargo, spices and such were turned away. Study the Dark Ages and see how huge of an impact this had on the area that had been the Roman Empire.
12 their cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant wood of every kind, all articles of ivory and all articles of the most expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
- Again, see Rome before the Dark ages with its great structures, wealth, etc.
13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human beings.
- This one is fairly revealing as well. Aside from incense and wine and a small amount of olive oil, what exactly does the RCC share with this description? Take cinnamon for instance: It was commonly used on funeral pyres in Rome, and the Emperor Nero is said to have burned a year’s supply of cinnamon at the funeral for his wife in 65 AD. I don’t think it has any known connection to the RCC.
- Horses and chariots? I haven’t seen a pope riding a chariot in my life, but I can imagine that chariots were probably used in ancient Rome. Again, the people who were around when Revelation was written knew what was being referred to. Intellectual honesty required.
14 “The fruit you craved has left you. All your luxury and splendor are gone, never again will one find them.”
15 The merchants who deal in these goods, who grew rich from her, will keep their distance for fear of the torment inflicted on her. Weeping and mourning,
16 they cry out: "Alas, alas, great city, wearing fine linen, purple and scarlet, adorned [in] gold, precious stones, and pearls.
- I’m going to stop here, but if you continue to read chapter 18, you’ll see nothing that matches well with the RCC, but instead aligns perfectly with the Roman Empire.
It’d be a good exercise to list what we know of the harlot and then place a checkmark everywhere it matches with the RCC and everywhere it matches with the Roman Empire. For fun, and as a control group, also check everywhere it matches the USA. If you perform this exercise with intellectual honesty and historical accuracy, the results will not even be close.
