Revelation 17:1-6

Babylon and the great Harlot Revelation 17:1-6: The Harlot sits upon many waters or controls many people. The judgment of God against the Harlot or the spiritually corrupt Rome was certain. She was guilty of spiritual fornication. The Devil started his work long before the Messiah came. Now the Devil had a tremendous influence through the nation of Rome. Rome was that nation, "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Those that had not become children of God had been affected by the false worship and persecuting power of Rome.

Many people try to identify the great Harlot with the Roman Catholic Church, but false religion is not limited to one church. We are not to believe, even for a moment that even though Rome and its devilish system fell that Satan was finished. This is not the end of evil by any means.

The Harlot is dressed like a queen. The picture is that of a queen, but it is not a picture of beauty. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." (Revelation 17:4) This evil Harlot was drunk with the blood of saints. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." (Revelation 17:6) Now we know that the purpose of the Harlot was to draw saints away from God and destroy them spiritually. The entire figure of Babylon and the Harlot is that of worldliness. Worldliness is the greatest power that the Devil has over the children of God.

In John's day the great Harlot was Rome. But remember that the book of Revelation gives principles that fit all through history. The great Harlot also pictures any anti-Christian seduction at any time in history. The Devil is always busy trying to allure saints from the fold of God.