Whore of Babylon
Revelation 17 presents a symbolic yet detailed portrait of a woman called "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots", riding a scarlet beast. She is portrayed as seductive, powerful, spiritually corrupt, and responsible for the persecution and death of God's faithful. This study identifies who she is—based on clear biblical markers, historical evidence, and prophetic insight.
Identity 1: She Sits on Many Waters
“I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” — Revelation 17:1
“The waters... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” — Revelation 17:15
The waters represent global influence. To sit on them means to exercise control over many nations and peoples. This woman is a worldwide power, ruling over multitudes from all over the earth.
📌 Who fits this?
The Roman Catholic Church—with over 1 billion members across almost every country—has the widest global religious reach of any institution in history.
Identity 2: She Commits Fornication With Kings
“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication…” — Revelation 17:2
This refers to the union of church and state, where spiritual authority is misused for political control. Fornication in prophecy symbolizes unfaithful alliances between the church and civil rulers.
📚 Historical record:
Popes crowned kings and controlled empires. During the Dark Ages, the Papacy used civil power to persecute heretics and dissenters.
📰 “The Catholic Church is the only religious institution that can enter into diplomatic relations...” — Monsignor Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State (Zenit, 2007)
To this day, the Vatican remains the only religious body recognized as a sovereign state, maintaining formal relations with nearly all world governments.
Identity 3: Drunk With the Wine of Her Fornication
“...the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” — Revelation 17:2
Her “wine” represents false teachings and spiritual confusion—doctrines that intoxicate and deceive the world.
Even most Protestant churches today continue to drink of her wine:
- The Trinity doctrine
- Sunday sacredness
- Eternal torment in hell
- The immortal soul
- Prayers to saints and Mary
- Celibate priesthood
- Lent, holy water, purgatory, penance, and more
These teachings were borrowed from paganism, then sanctified by Rome, and are now held by nearly every denomination.
Identity 4: Clothed in Purple and Scarlet, Decked With Gold
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls…” — Revelation 17:4
These are the official colors of Catholic bishops (purple) and cardinals (scarlet). The church is renowned for its wealth, with gold-covered cathedrals and priceless treasures.
🔍 Some Vatican coins and art depict a woman holding a golden cup, eerily echoing Revelation’s imagery.
Identity 5: She Holds a Golden Cup Full of Abominations
“...having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness...” — Revelation 17:4
Though outwardly majestic, her cup is filled with idolatry, false worship, and perversion of the gospel. This includes:
- Image worship
- The Mass as a repeated sacrifice
- Saint veneration
- Mary exalted as Queen of Heaven
- Confession to priests instead of God
She blends Christianity with pagan rituals, corrupting the purity of God’s Word.
Identity 6: Called “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots”
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS…” — Revelation 17:5
She is not only a harlot, but the mother of harlots. This means she has daughter churches—those who came from her yet retained her false doctrines.
🛑 Today, many Protestant denominations (Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Evangelical, etc.) have abandoned the protest, returned to Rome, and joined the ecumenical movement.
Any church that holds Rome’s errors or aligns with her spiritually is part of Babylon. God is calling His people out.
Identity 7: Drunk With the Blood of the Saints
“I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” — Revelation 17:6
She is not just guilty of shedding blood—she is drunk with it. History confirms this:
📚 Tens of millions were tortured, burned, or slain during the Inquisitions, Crusades, and papal persecutions. These were faithful Christians who refused to submit to Rome’s authority.
Identity 8: She Is a City That Reigns Over Kings
“And the woman... is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” — Revelation 17:18
While some speculate Babylon is a modern city like New York, Revelation identifies it as a religio-political power.
The only “city” that is also a church and a sovereign state is Vatican City, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.
📰 “Her large diplomatic corps maintains relations with more than 100 nations.” — U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 30, 1978
Identity 9: John Was Astonished by Her
“And when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration [astonishment].” — Revelation 17:6
Why was John so shocked?
Because this persecuting power appeared Christian. It wasn’t Pagan Rome this time—it was a church claiming to follow Christ, yet killing His people.
This spiritual betrayal is what left the apostle in astonishment.
Identity 10: She Rides a Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns
“And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast... having seven heads and ten horns.” — Revelation 17:3
The beast represents civil power, and the woman controls it. This beast ties back to Revelation 12 (red dragon = Satan working through Rome) and Revelation 13 (the papal beast).
The Papacy received its seat and authority from Pagan Rome. The ten horns symbolize the European kings that gave power to the church during the Dark Ages—and will do so again in the final crisis (Rev. 17:12–13).
Conclusion: The Mother of Harlots and God’s Call Out of Babylon
The Whore of Babylon is not simply the Roman Catholic Church—it represents a global apostate religious system. She is the mother of all churches that depart from biblical truth and substitute human authority for God’s.
This includes her Protestant daughters, who have returned to her traditions and joined hands with her through the ecumenical movement. Together, they form the spiritual Babylon of the last days.
“Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” — Revelation 18:4
⏳ Revelation 18:4 — Not Yet Fulfilled
While this verse is God’s final call, it has not reached its complete fulfillment yet. The loud cry of Revelation 18 will come during the time of the mark of the beast, when Babylon’s sins are full and her judgment is about to fall.
Yet the call is already sounding in principle. The final warning is soon, but for those with spiritual discernment, now is the time to separate from false systems that have already corrupted God’s truth.
🔍 Why Leave Now?
Even today, most churches—Catholic or Protestant—are teaching serious errors, including:
- The Trinity (a non-biblical concept never taught by Jesus or the apostles)
- Sunday observance (a man-made tradition replacing God’s Sabbath)
- Immortal soul, eternal hellfire, and other unbiblical teachings
These are Babylon’s “wine,” and drinking from it will cloud minds and corrupt faith.
While visiting some churches occasionally for outreach or fellowship may be fine, becoming an active member or submitting to their doctrines is dangerous. These systems are spiritually fallen.
📢 God Is Already Calling
Though the final call is yet future, God is calling His people now—before the crisis erupts. If your church promotes ecumenism, downplays Scripture, or teaches Catholic errors, now is the time to leave and stand fully on the Word of God.
“The one who understands the messages but does not receive the gospel will be lost.”
🕊️ Choose Christ, Not Confusion
This is not merely about leaving a building—it’s about leaving spiritual compromise, doctrinal error, and false worship.
Let us follow the Lamb, heed the voice of truth, and separate from Babylon before her final fall.
“Choose you this day whom you will serve.” — Joshua 24:15