Why I Think Revelation Dedicated Two Chapters to the Whore of Babylon

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Studying Revelation can't work together on a purely historical view without considering that not every event has been fulfilled. There are events that were fulfilled such as the seven churches yet we must consider that many churches today can be categorized as such. Now, a curious figure in Revelation is Babylon the Great. J. Vernon McGee has the view of having an ecclesiastical Babylon and a commercial Babylon. To say that the Great Whore will only surface during the first 3.5 years of Revelation (at least for me) seems nonsensical. Revelation requires a study of both history and current events to understand it better. We have types of antichrists, many antichrists, and the coming Antichrist. I reject the idea of the Antichrist being every Pope in Rome even if I do consider the Pope to be an antichrist. The Reformers' historicist view of Antichrist just feels awkward. Good thing later Reformed theology preachers like Arthur W. Pink rejected the rather mind-numbing idea because the papal dynasty ruled the world for more than seven literal years?

Why two chapters? I think the two chapters would tell us that the Whore of Babylon is really an ongoing historical event. I don't think she will just appear during the Tribulation period and be destroyed at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Instead, this apostate church is an ongoing fraudulent church claiming to be the true Church. I don't find any other religious institution today to match the vileness of this harlot than the Roman Catholic institution. I remembered a former Bible teacher of mine said many theologians think it's such because of Rome teaching many unbiblical doctrines like praying to saints and Mary. Not to mention, Roman Catholicism is the false gospel of salvation by works and Mary. That was very sensitive information when many students studying in the Baptist school are from Roman Catholic backgrounds. Sadly, some of them still remained as Roman Catholics even after they supposedly said a prayer. Salvation is not in the sinner's prayer but trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation as Lord and Savior.

One could consider the descriptions from Revelation 17-18 that has me convinced that the Whore of Babylon is an ongoing prophecy:
  • She is drunk with the saints and drunk with the martyrs of Jesus in Revelation 17:6. The word martyr here is taken from the Greek word "martus" which Strong's Definition as somehow who is a recorded witness. The Merriam-Webster's dictionary also defines martyr as "a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion". The martyrs are the persecuted witnesses. I believe why Revelation uses the term saints and martyrs differently is because of this. One, saints who were killed or martyred but were not preachers are distinct from those martyrs of Jesus who were killed for preaching. The New International Version uses the term "bore testimony" or were preachers. 
  • Revelation 18:3 says that the nations have drunk the wine of her fornication. I don't think 3.5 years is enough to get everyone that drunk. The rulers of the Earth have committed spiritual fornication with her and the merchants of this world are waxed rich by her. It's already been recorded in real church history that the rulers of the world seek their blessings from the Pope. Any kingdom that didn't submit to the Vatican was put in danger. That's why the wicked Henry VIII was later excommunicated. That's why Queen Elizabeth Tudor had her life in danger. That's why King James' rule was full of threats when they wanted to present the King James Bible that we have today. Today, the practice still goes on as the Vatican still has the Pope in high regard with the world rulers. Doesn't that sound like what Jesus condemned in Matthew 23 about the Pharisees loving the greetings of men? Not to mention, many times the Pope is Caiaphas and any government around the world today is Pilate. All the Pope needs to do is to alert his followers and cause a ruckus to make any Pilate-like ruler of a nation succumb to citizen pressure. 
  • Revelation 18:5 says that the Whore of Babylon has her sins piled up as high as Heaven which makes me think it's impossible to accomplish that much sin in such short period of time. Anybody can live a life of sin but can't really match it up as high as Heaven. For the sins of Babylon to be as high as Heaven - it has to be done in literal centuries. The brutal history of Roman Catholicism such as the Inquisition and the Jesuit murders for centuries would make her drunk with the blood of the real saints who died in the Inquisition as well as the preachers who had died. Who can remember the deaths of Jan Hus, Girolamo Savonarola, and William Tyndale to name a few? The Christian martyrs during the Dark Ages really had caused a huge bloodbath. God has certainly remembered her crimes that's why He calls those whom He foreknew and predestined out of her. 
  • Revelation 18:7 describes the whore to have lived deliciously. Just imagine how much popularity the Vatican gets. Guess which ruler of the world gets the most coverage and people bowing down to him? The Pope! Guess who's got more money than Bill Gates and all the richest men in the world combined? The Vatican! Guess who considers herself a mother and a queen? The Vatican! She has the status of a queen. Any true church of Christ will not enjoy the lifestyle of a queen, to live deliciously, and be able to boast that she will see no sorrow. The Pharisees in Jesus' day enjoyed devouring widows' houses (Matthew 23:14 but not in other translations, but found in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47) while making up long prayers. Today, we've got the Pharisees of Rome doing the same thing. Besides, every sacrament for salvation requires money. As a former Catholic, I remembered alms were required for confession, first communion (that was paying the priest aside from paying the venue), and prayers for the dead stil require a lot of money. The doctrine of priests save souls makes easy, filthy money!
  • Not to mention, the city is set on seven hills. Quite interestingly, there are other cities set on seven hills. However, Rome fits the picture better not just because of the seven hills but the fact that she has much power over world affairs. The Vatican City is facing Rome where the seven hills are. She figuratively sits on them with how often the Vatican is very impossible to separate from Rome.

I think about why are there kings of the earth who are mourning over the loss of Babylon. Yesterday, the Roman Catholic institution had its huge share of popularity. I think the "prophecy" of the Roman Catholic mystic Malachy about Petrus Romanus and the terrible judge (who I see as the Antichrist) might be for real. The ten world rulers loyal to the Antichrist will soon destroy the Whore of Revelation. I would see it that the Antichrist no longer needs the apostate church which is competing with his popularity. Antichrist has no need for her so he eventually destroys her to establish his remaining 3.5 years rule in Jerusalem where he now invades the Third Jewish Temple. I think that the ten kings join with the Antichrist out of loyalty. Meanwhile, the other kings who haven't decided yet will soon mourn to see the very spot of their popularity destroyed into ashes.

Though Revelation 18:20 also has me thinking about why are apostles and prophets mentioned. I think it's because the prophets have seen her coming. The apostles had seen her coming. It might suggest that the harlot has changed headquarters from literal Babylon to the second Babylon. Then again, the corrupt Jewish system in Jesus' day might have been the start of the Great Whore that ultimately ended up corrupting the world. One can view Diotrophes in 3 John as a type of a Pope. However, I'd give that honor to Caiaphas and the Pharisees since their religion looked like it'd eventually evolve not into present-day Judaism but Roman Catholicism. Judaism may be a false religion but the modern-day Caiaphas is not found in Israel or any synagogue today but in the Vatican.

I believe that her wickedness is so great throughout the centuries that she has outdone whatever wickedness will be done during the seven-year reign of the Antichrist. The Antichrist may be the most charismatic evil man to surface defeating the likes of history's greatest godless politicians, the False Prophet may beat other false prophets recorded in the past, but these guys only have seven years to do such evil. The Whore of Babylon is historically present for centuries. She's proof that God has given Satan permission to wickedness. However, what we should be comforted is that God doesn't let Satan do anything without a good reason and we can read that in Job. Job couldn't be afflicted by Satan without God allowing it. God has His timing which is indeed a great comfort. The Whore of Babylon will be judged someday according to God's perfect timing.

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