The woman riding the beast is a symbol of the mystery Babylon last days religious system depending on the last days political system in the first half of the tribulation and the time leading up to that to some extent. The mystery Babylon system is the woman particularly a prostitute and the beast is the Antichrist or last days political leader. According to some sources in the European Union the European Union has their own goddess which is the Greek goddess Europa. In Greek Mythology one of the main roles she has is to ride the Greek god Zeus who becomes a bull and goes in to the sea and swims from Greece to the Greek island of Crete. This is a woman riding a beast as in Revelation and with the name Europa from which of course the name of the continent Europe is derived. This is therefore a very fitting and biblical system of Europe especially for the last days when the European Union will lead to the Europe centred government of the Antichrist. The scripture reference of the beast rising out of the sea and the woman sitting on the beast to represent the last days religious system depending on the Antichrist's political system in the tribulation is as follows:
And I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. ... So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 13:1, 17:3
First this system is called a whore or harlot meaning it was a or like a woman that was a wife or one man but had sexual relations with other men which is symbolic of the false church led by the Roman Catholic Church which claims to be the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ but also incorporates many elements of idolatry or paganism or worship of other gods such as praying to saints, angels and Mary, praying for the dead and giving the priest the supposed power to turn the host or wafer into the body of Jesus Christ and assigning the supposed power to the pope as the substitute of Jesus Christ on earth that actually is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit. The statement that the whore sits on many waters means she exists and operates on many continents between many seas or oceans. This last days system will include not just the Roman Catholic system itself but under its leadership also the other churches involved in the ecumenical church through the World Council of Churches for which the Roman Catholic church is as observer and is becoming increasingly active to have common ties and with other religions such as Buddhism through the Dalai Lama, with Judaism through meetings with the pope and chief rabbis and other Jews with Muslims and with others. The statement with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication means with whom the Mystery Babylon Church led by the Roman Catholic church have exercised power to get world leaders to conform to its teaching or authority through its edicts and meetings of the pope or other high Roman Catholic leaders with earthly kings or other world leaders. Fornication again means the professing Church including the Roman Catholic Church has compromised its loyalty to God and Jesus Christ by trying to also build worldly power or relations with earthly kings or authorities including presidents and prime ministers. The inhabitants of the earth being made drunk with the wine of her fornication. An example of this, although he did many good things in upholding morality etc., was the late Pope John Paul 2 that developed much widespread popularity with many people on earth Roman Catholic or otherwise by getting very involved in politics including his fight against communism, world peace and against secularism. Most of these things are good but according to God's Word the Holy Bible the role of Christian leaders is to pray for and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with anybody including world leaders not try to achieve political solutions. This is a major way in which many people became drunk with the wine of the fornication of the Mystery Babylon Church led by the popes and although a bit true with the current pope will probably be even more true with the final pope probably Peter the Roman and the 112th pope of Saint Malachy's prophecy and the beast or Antichrist. This scripture also says the woman was arrayed or clothed with scarlet and purple. These were the two colours of the Caesars who ruled over the Roman Empire and were incorporated into the clothing of the leaders of the Roman Catholic church when the civic power of the Roman Empire were combined with the spiritual or religious system of the church especially starting with some supposedly Christian Caesars like Constantine in the early 300s AD. Scarlet is the colour of the cardinals and purple is the colour of the bishops in the Roman Catholic Church to this day. Gold, silver and precious stones are also used in decorations in the Roman Catholic Church. The golden cup in her hand speaks of the golden cup used in the initiation into the mysteries in the pagan Roman religion associated with the goddess Venus the mother goddess associated with sexual immorality and eventually back to Babylon originally with Semiramis the mother of Nimrod who built the tower of Babel and this Semiramis who conceived the whole primary system of idolatry including the mother goddess and the Babylonian idolatry. The contents of the golden cup originally included an intoxicating mix that included alcohol, honey and flour. This led in these mystery religions to much physical sexual immorality or fornication in the name of religion which is a symbol of the spiritual counterpart in the last days Mystery Babylon system with its idolatry led by the Roman Catholic Church. It was a custom in the ancient world for a label or name to be written in the forehead of a harlot identifying her as a harlot (prostitute). The name was mystery referring to the mystery religions or secret societies or ancient Rome that were derived from Babylon. The name was also Babylon the Great meaning it was like Babylon but was perhaps an even more extensive system of the same type. This name of this mystery Babylon church also calls it the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth meaning it was the source and primary example of the falsely professing or idolatrous especially falsely professing Christian systems of the world with much abominations including through easy forgiveness in the name of a priest of people that hadn't been transformed by the Holy Spirit of God in their hearts and so fall right back into sin or abominations. The woman drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus refers to all the persecution and killing of true believers who stand for salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone according to God's Word- the Holy Bible. This killing was done by the false Christian religious system led by the Roman Catholic Church especially just after the Protestant Reformation and to some extent still now by the backdoor stirring up of world events by the Jesuits and Black Pope and Illuminati. The woman received a perverse satisfaction from this killing and was addicted to it and wanted more or was drunk from it. The beast that carried her is the beast of Revelation 13 and the Antichrist and man of sin of 2 Thessalonians 2 and one that causes abomination of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24. The ten horns are ten kings probably the same of the ten magna region mentioned on the web site of the world constitution and parliament association associated with ten regions of the world and the seven heads are probably seven nations associated with Israel that all had immoral, idolatrous religious systems involving the mother child cult namely Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and finally the last days revived Roman Empire of the Antichrist or Beast. The scripture reference in Revelation 17 of some of these identifying features of the Mystery Babylon religious system of the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel as the one world idolatrous religious system led by the Roman Catholic Church and including other apostate or not Biblically faithful Christian churches and other religions is as follows:
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters. 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. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 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: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:1-7
Although the seven heads on the beast can also be interpreted as seven empires that will seek to oppress God's chosen earthly people Israel namely Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome and finally the revived Roman Empire under the Antichrist or the the Beast, the seven mountains can also be viewed as seven literal mountains or hills. One famous city known to have seven hills or mountains, at least in its central and oldest part, is Rome, Italy that of course was the heart and capital or the Roman Empire. Namely, these seven hills are: The Palatine Hill, The Quirinal Hill, The Viminal Hill, The Esquiline Hill, The Aventine Hill, The Capitoline Hill and The Caelian Hill according to Unger's Bible Dictionary. It is still a significant city in the world including being the capital or the nation of Italy, the site of some of the central treaties of the European Union and the site of Vatican City the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. This passage in verse 9 says these seven mountains are where the woman meaning Babylon mother of harlots sits or dwells. Babylon means literally confusion which is a good term for the Roman Catholic Church and it being in the forefront of combining old Roman or other non-Christian paganism with the Bible or Biblical Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church will probably and in some ways is in the process or joining other churches, especially those involved in the ecumenical movement or that seek church unity at the expense or truth or doctrine, into a non-biblical unity with the Roman Catholic Church and the pope at its head which will be the mystery Babylon church. It could also involve non-Christian religions which especially recent popes and some Roman Catholic organizations have been seeking to reach out to to bring under the Roman Catholic Church umbrella. In verse 15 it says the woman will have a worldwide scope of being on many waters or oceans and seas and involve many peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues which is and will likely be true of the Roman Catholic Church or a unity church with the Roman Catholic Church and the pope and the Vatican on the seven hills of Rome at its centre. The ten horns are the ten horns on the beast and they will be ten kings that will rule the world with the beast or Antichrist for the 3 1/2 year second half of the tribulation. I personally believe as I state more clearly on my web pages about the Image and Ten Toes of Daniel and The Antichrist that these ten horns are also the ten horns in Daniel and the ten toes of the image in Daniel and represent ten kings that will reign over ten regions comprising all the earth. There are maps and descriptions available from both one world government secular people and Bible prophecy people mentioning how the world will be divided into ten regions. Anyway the beast or antichrist won't be tolerant of the harlot church led by the Roman Catholic Church and will turn against her at the beginning of the second half of the tribulation after the beast or antichrist and the false prophet assume worldwide control including of religion. I don't know whether these ten kills that are allied with the beast or Antichrist will actually kill and set fire on the harlot church and its followers or directors but in some way they will quite completely destroy the harlot church and take power from her. In verse 17 the scripture says that this is of God that the ten kings turn against the harlot church because God would be angry and offended at the harlot Church relying on their traditions, the authority of popes, Mary and of saints or angels for things God wants to rest in Him, His Word-the Holy Bible and His Son Jesus Christ or His Holy Spirit alone. These ten kings will also give their kingdom to the beast or antichrist until the end of his rule at the glorious second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ when Jesus will take the beast and put him in the lake of fire. The harlot woman is also identified as this great city which is the one of seven hills or mountains namely Rome and speaks of the Roman Catholic Church and in the tribulation the apostate ecumenical system centred on the Roman Catholic Church that will be based on a manmade unity instead of in the Lord Jesus Christ and God's Word- the Holy Bible and salvation through Jesus by faith in Him and God's grace through Him apart from our good works. Although Rome reigns to some degree and certaintly has in the past over kings of the earth, she will to a great degree again through to the beginning of the second half of the tribulation. There are some movements like The Emerging Church Movement and perhaps the Purpose Driven Movement, although they have their good points are not discerning about the importance of Bible truth and doctrine and could and probably will lead many people to become part of this apostate church that could also involve feelings too much instead of faith in God and Jesus based fully on His Word - the Holy Bible. The scripture reference from Revelation 17 of the seven mountains be associated with the woman of the harlot church and her central city of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church centred system is as follows:
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. ... And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:9, 15-18
I heard recently on an investment show (July 2005) that many investors don't want to invest in the stock markets because of the poor return and many investments based on interest rates such as treasury bills, mutual funds or guaranteed investment certificates are still not attractive because of the low interest rates so many investors have been investing in real estate especially residential real estate like houses and condominiums. There hasn't been as much investment in office space or commericial real estate because of the bust of the commercial real estate bubble in 1989 in the west but also in the Far East and other parts of the world. Now however I heard that 80% of the people even in some real estate organizations think the real estate sector is heavily overextended with too many people dependent on it and the prices overinflated to unsustainable levels that is likely to burst soon with prices to take a serious tumble and many investors both professional and small scale including people with low interest rates and little or no downpayments who can't really afford homes but bought them anyway losing much money and in some cases then getting out of the real estate market. This will leave silver and gold as one of the few remaining profitable and attractive areas of investment. This is even more so since they are a good source of investment in unstable political times as we have now with ongoing Islamic terrorism and because the American dollar especially is overvalued and precious metals are a more stable investment. Also inflation and the decline of the dollar and other currencies soon is likely with the increasing price of oil due to the supply/demand problems for oil. All these things will probably continue and intensify in the tribulation making silver and gold popular sources of investment then. This will include the use of silver and gold for idols or statues or other religious objects including India now being the foremost buyer of gold probably especially for idols and it will probably be including in the Mystery Babylon Church under the Vatican and Rome in the Tribulation and will bring all its idols into the then completely false or apostate church. The reference to silver and gold being part of the investment of the last days Mystery Babylon Church including all Christians and churches left behind after the rapture and probably all religions especially those interested in the interfaith cooperative movement in Revelation 18 is as follows:
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine, and manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, Revelation 18:9-12
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