Question about Revelation 17:5

[Gigglin4God]

Who exactly is this woman that they are referring to as this very mean and ugly way of describing her?

 

[Gigglin4God]

Guess no one knows?

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

I think John is comparing Babylon with the idolatrous ways of pagon Rome. Others think it is Jerusalem.

These might help:

Hunting The Whore of Babylon

The Whore of Babylon

Catholic Answers has a lot more articles on the subject.

 

[COPLAND_3]

Who exactly is this woman that they are referring to as this very mean and ugly way of describing her?

St. Andrew of Caesarea understands that she is, “either the earthly kingdom generally, depicted as in one body, or that city that is ruled until the arrival of the Anti-christ.” He rejects that it is old Rome bacause it 'lost its power a long time ago."

Oecumenius understands her to be all those who have, are , and will rebel against God and persecute His people. But he does suggest Rome because “she had fornicated, that is, apostatized from God.”

Primasius and St. Bede understand the woman to be simply the multitude of the lost who have allowed themselves to be lurred by demons and abandon God.

Tertullian understood it to be the city of Rome, but he was not specific. St. Jerome sees it as an example because of the distractions that such city can cause probelms to the monastic life. Still, not specific.

Nicolas of Lyra understood it to relate to the Sarcean sect, that was the kingdom of the Turks and Egyptians.

 

[Gigglin4God]

Why do the Protastants believe that it is the Catholic Church it is referring to?

 

[COPLAND_3]

Why do the Protastants believe that it is the Catholic Church it is referring to?

Anti-Catholic Protestants will sometimes adopt that belief. I rejected that belief when I was a Southern Baptist. Usually it is believed by those who are taught that sort of non-sense from somebody who is bitter towards the Catholic Church. I have a friend who believes it, and he was taught that from his father, and he has taught his sons the same thing. I have found that many Independent Baptists are prone to have a very bitter attitude towards the Catholic Church.

 

[Todd_Easton]

Why do the Protastants believe that it is the Catholic Church it is referring to?

If the Catholic Church is “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and all the world’s abominations” (Rev 17:5), then there is a Scriptural basis for leaving the Church in Rev 17:4:
Depart from her, my people, for fear of sinning with her and sharing the plagues inflicted on her!
Otherwise, those who leave the Catholic Church would be considered antichrists by 1 John 2:18-19:
Children, it is the final hour; just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many such antichrists have appeared. This makes us certain that it is the final hour. It was from our ranks that they took their leave—not that they really belonged to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. It only served to show that none of them was ours.