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What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

FROM: 5/12/02 Radio Program

Question:

In Revelation 17-18, when it speaks of the great harlot "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.....BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.. .... And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth" (Rev. 17:2, 5, 9 - Some versions say "hills" -JJ) is this talking about the Roman Catholic church and the Vatican, and all these sins they have been hiding?

Answer:

No. While we certainly do not condone the wrongdoing which has come to light in recent weeks/months in connection with the Catholic church and their priests, let it be understood that this passage in Revelation 17 was not talking about the Catholics. I have made it clear in past questions that Christ is speaking of the Roman Empire which was in existence at that time, NOT the Roman Catholic church. The first semblances of the Catholic church didn't start until the 3^rd-4^th century, and then a Pope was not recognized until 606 A.D. So, there is no way this is referring to the Catholics, but rather the Roman Empire which was in existence at this time.

For further proof, consider the fact that this "woman" (v. 9) sat on seven mountains (hills). Remembering that this book uses symbolic language (Revelation 1:1), we need to interpret this book in light of that figurative language. "7" was a number used by the Jews to symbolize completeness, or maturity, (like "seven spirits," 3:1, was describing one spirit -The Holy Spirit, esp. the completeness of His work) and "mountain" described governments (see: Daniel 2:35, 44; Jeremiah 51:25). Therefore, the emphasis in this passage is on a world government/power. The emphasis in this passage is on power rather than location. Verse 18 further explains this, for this verse describes the woman as, "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." Does this sound like the Catholic church? No, but it does sound like a description of Rome! Looking into Revelation 18, we read descriptions of merchants lamenting over the fall of this place (v. 2, 11, 15, 17). This is reminiscent of an economic depression, and certainly something which would have occurred in the fall of the Roman empire.

Basically, we have described for us in chapter 17, a world power, or world government which is soon to fall into ruins at the hands of Christ (17:14). Yet, remember that these things described must "shortly come to pass" (1:1, 3, 22:10). Therefore, we are not awaiting such destruction, nor are we looking forward to some coming power, for it has already come and gone in the form of the Roman Empire.

Please understand that the book of Revelation was written to first century Christians to encourage them that they were going to overcome with Christ (Revelation 1:11, 17:14). What Daniel saw in prospect, John was shown as reality. Daniel lived in the days of Babylon, and saw 3 more kingdoms coming (Medo-Persian, Greece, Rome - Dan. 7:7, 23-24), and John lived during the last empire (Rome), and showed the earlier ones had passed away.

Rome, for her sins, was about to pass away into history. The Roman empire does not exist today, and yet Christians remain on this earth! God is faithful! God uses the book of Revelation to describe Rome as well as the "ebb-and-flow", the "back-and-forth" of good vs. evil, and showing that the good/righteous/godly will win! (17:14) While there are some symbols, etc., that are hard for people today to comprehend, rest assured, those people who lived through it understood! Two, please note that we can understand the reason for the book being written, and ought to thank God for His providence and care in making sure this book was preserved for us today.

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