His Inheritance Ministries

Study on Revelation 17

SITTING ON MANY WATERS

REV 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

This GREAT HARLOT (Babylon) “sits on many waters”. (Definition: To sit, to be seated, to dwell) This would seem to indicate that she dwells in many places, possibly a worldwide realm. An explanation is given some verses later:

REV 17:15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

From the “STUDY BIBLE”
“The imagery of “sitting on many waters” suggests dominion and influence over a vast area or multitude of peoples. In ancient times, cities like Babylon were situated by rivers, which were sources of life and commerce, symbolizing power and wealth. The phrase “many waters” is later explained in Revelation 17:15 as representing peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages, indicating the widespread influence and control of the entity symbolized by the great prostitute. This imagery connects to the Old Testament, where waters often symbolize chaos and nations (e.g., Isaiah 17:12-13, Jeremiah 51:13).”

This “entity” is an organization, an apostate religion that leads people away from the ONE TRUE GOD, YHWH.

Pulpit Commentary (on REV 17:3): “I will show thee… the great harlot,” identifies this woman with the harlot … This woman represents the faithless portion of the Church … that part which, following after worldly things, has thereby rendered to the beast the love and honour due to God alone.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: great whore. A whore properly signifies one that is married, and is false to her husband’s bed; and so very well suits the Church of Rome, …. but is long since turned idolatrous …

Harlot in the Old Testament

The term “harlot” is used frequently in the OT to show when the Israelites were unfaithful to God. Yet they are His people!

JER 2:12 “Be astonished, O heavens, at this,
And be horribly afraid;
Be very desolate,” says the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters*,
And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.

[* Another example, of the Yeshua being God, as He compared Himself to this fountain (John 4:10; John 7:38)]

JER 3:14a “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you…

This picture from Jeremiah is of a bride being spiritually adulterous. Yet the LORD in His great mercy desires her to come back! Those who are truly His, will return to Him!

And just as in the Book of Revelation, when He says …

REV 18:4 …. “Come out of her, My people …

The LORD calls true Christians back to Him!

So then, Church, heed the warning!

“Come out of her [Babylon], My people …

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS

REV 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.

Many Bible commentaries describe the “great harlot” as the Roman Catholic Church, but I would say this would be the hierarchy mainly. Now, there are true Christians in the RCC! However, they need to be educated as to just how corrupt the hierarchy of this church is! (See articles under “Destroying Mountain” especially the abominable actions of the popes!)

This commentary goes further, and includes the “whole apostate Church” which for the most part was in the past part of the RCC.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: “It cannot be pagan Rome, but papal Rome, if a particular seat of error be meant, but I incline to think that the judgment (Re 18:2) and the spiritual fornication (Re 18:3), though finding their culmination in Rome, are not restricted to it, but comprise the whole apostate Church, Roman, Greek, and even Protestant, so far as it has been seduced from its “first love” (Re 2:4) to Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, and given its affections to worldly pomps and idols.”

The consequences of losing their “first love” was that the Ephesians would lose their lampstand! It is possible that they lost their first love by switching it over to Mary who may have lived in Ephesus. They built a religion to her. (See LEAVING THE FIRST LOVE .)

(Incidentally, in Ephesus, there is a statue of Mary now. However, there are plans to build a gigantic statue of Mary in the future. Of course, this is against the Holy Scriptures!)

REBUKES FROM THE LORD

The Church in Ephesus was cautioned about leaving their “first love” but other churches also have rebukes from the LORD. The church of Pergamum and the church in Thyatira, in Revelation 2, could certainly represent some of these heretical churches in this current day.

“Profane Pergamum” received a rebuke from the LORD for their greed, eating things sacrificed to idols, and committing sexual immorality. (REV 2:14) This memory-aid “profane” could mean “secular” or it could mean “irreverant” or it could mean “blasphemous”.  Perhaps Pergamum was all three! The word “Pergamum” means “elevation”.  Dictators, secular & religious, think they are “elevated”, above all. Many in the RCC considers themselves to be the only true church or “elevated”, but it is not so. After all, the LORD gave messages to seven churches!

The “Too-Tolerant Thyatira” church was rebuked for also eating things sacrificed to idols, committing sexual immorality, among other things. Nowadays, this would include this “anything-goes” in terms of sexual partners! (REV 2:20)

Also, many “churches” are now in favor of killing a child in the womb! The false deity Baal required child sacrifice – which is what abortion is.  This is against everything Christian.

TRUE CHRISTIANS & NON-BELIEVERS

To be a true Christian and believer in the Messiah, one must be spiritually born from above. However, true Christians & non-believers are mingled in many churches. They may talk the talk, but do their actions betray the non-believers?

Maybe some unbelievers are curious and checking things out in a church. OR they may be infiltrators. The infiltrators could steer others into ungodly pagan practices. Sincere Christians may be misled by subtle infiltrators. There has been a whole lot of infiltrating done in recent years. For example, yoga in churches. Another example, “Christian” tarot cards! However, Christians should know eventually through the Holy Spirit that something is not quite kosher!

CONCLUSION

This GREAT HARLOT who sits “on many waters” has a worldwide influence over people. She has an effect on politics, which we will learn about in the next post. She has an effect on the cultures of the masses. Pagan practices have been introduced to the church through her. One sometimes doesn’t even realize that these things come from the harlot. For example, Halloween. (Uh-oh. Have I stepped on some toes?) Halloween is the devil’s holiday and great evils are done on Halloween. Research it.

Reason #1: “on many waters”. The GREAT HARLOT is this apostate religion that has a worldwide influence.

Reason #2: THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS. Many denominations came out of the Roman Catholic Church. Some Christians left the RCC for righteous reasons. However, eventually the devil got a hold of many denominations through infiltrators coming into the church through the years! Many of these “children” may have some of the same pagan practices and they might allow for perversions and the killing of babies in the womb.

I hope to list other reasons based on Scripture (mostly in REV 17) in posts to follow.

Part of a series:

#1 – “on many waters” – worldwide influence

#2 – THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS – some denominations

Next article in this series: The Great Harlot & Kings

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