The Revelation of John 17

¹ 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:

² 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.

³ 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.

⁴ 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:

⁵ And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

⁸ The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

⁹ And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

¹⁰ And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

¹¹ And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

¹² And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

¹³ These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

¹⁴ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

¹⁵ And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The Destruction of the Great City

In the Book of Revelation, we read about Babylon the Great or the Great City, and chapters 17 and 18 describe its fall and destruction. A careful reading of the text raises an essential question: how many times is the Great City destroyed? Only once, or multiple times?

To answer this question, we must carefully analyze the cause, the agents, and the timing of each described destruction. We will observe that there are three distinct episodes, each playing a well-defined role in the unfolding of the events in Revelation.

1. The First Destruction – Revelation 17:16-17

Who destroys the Great City?

In Revelation 17:16, it is clearly stated that the beast from the Abyss and the ten kings of the first beast are the ones who destroy her:
"The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire."

Why do they destroy her?
Revelation 17:17 explains that this destruction is part of God's plan:
"For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose: to agree to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled."
Thus, the destruction is executed by the beast and the kings, but it is allowed and orchestrated by God.

How is the destruction described?

• "They will hate her"→ indicates a clear separation from her influence

• "They will make her desolate and naked"→ signifies the collapse of her influence

• "They will eat her flesh"→ symbolic expression of total destruction

• "They will burn her with fire"→ fire symbolizes judgment and final condemnation

What happens after the destruction?

After the City is destroyed by the beast and the kings, they hand over their power to the beast (Revelation 17:17). This indicates a shift in power: Babylon falls, but the Beast from the Abyss takes full control.
This is a critical point: the prostitute / the Great City has no authority after this destruction. The Beast holds all the power.

2. The Second Destruction – Revelation 18

After the Great City is destroyed by the beast and the kings, chapter 18 describes another destruction, but this time carried out by God through a sudden and surprising action. It is important to note that the text does not clearly describe how Babylon is destroyed, but only presents the consequences: the global economy is deeply affected. Therefore, to understand who and how this economic Babylon is destroyed, we need to carefully examine other related texts.

Who destroys the Great City here?

Revelation 18:8 states clearly:
"Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her."
If in Revelation 17 the destruction is carried out by the beast and the kings, here it is not specified exactly how it happens.

How is the destruction described?

Revelation 18 uses dramatic imagery to describe this downfall:

• "In one hour your doom has come"(Revelation 18:10)

• "In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin"(Revelation 18:17)

• "Her plagues will come in one day"(Revelation 18:8)
  This is a swift and irreversible judgment.

3. Why are there two separate destructions?

Differences between the two destructions of the Great City:

First Destruction – Revelation 17:16-17

• Who destroys it?The Beast and the ten kings.

• Motivation for destruction:God puts this plan into their hearts, and they hand over their power to the Beast from the Abyss.

• Consequences:Babylon as a religious and moral system is destroyed, and the Beast from the Abyss takes global control.

• Type of destruction:Political and Religious.

Second Destruction – Revelation 18

• Who destroys it?God Himself.

• Motivation for destruction:It is divine judgment on Babylon’s entire economic system.

• Consequences:Everything remaining of Babylon (economic, political) is completely annihilated.

• Type of destruction:Economic and Social.

4. A third destruction in Revelation 16?

In Revelation 16:19, during the pouring out of the seventh bowl, it says:
"The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath."
This suggests that, at the moment of the seventh bowl, Babylon still exists, although no longer in its original form. This raises the question of whether Babylon is somehow rebuilt after the second destruction or if it is simply a symbol of human authority that remains active until the end of divine judgments. I will explore this in the next chapter.

Contradictions and Inconsistencies

Revelation 17 contains a series of symbolic descriptions concerning a woman riding a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The angel explains to John the meaning of the vision, but the text as presented contains a number of nonsensical elements and contradictions that prevent a clear and coherent understanding of the message.

1. The Problem of the Beast that “is not,” but is seen by John

In Revelation 17:3, John says he sees a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. Yet in Revelation 17:8, the angel tells him that the beast “was, and is not,” but will ascend from the Abyss.

• Nonsense: If the beast “is not,” then how can John see it? The angel confirms that he showed the beast to John—so how can he simultaneously say that it no longer exists? An entity cannot be visible and nonexistent at the same time.

2. The Problem of the Heads and the Beast’s Existence

In Revelation 17:9-10, the angel explains that the seven heads are seven mountains and also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, and the other is yet to come for a short while.

• Nonsense: If the beast “is not,” but one of its heads “is” at that moment, then how can the beast not exist? The heads are part of the beast—if one of the heads exists, then the beast exists. If the beast does not exist, neither can its heads.

3. The Problem of the Beast and the “Eighth King”

In Revelation 17:11, we are told that the beast itself is “an eighth king,” but “belongs to the seven.”

• Nonsense: The beast has seven heads, not eight. How can the beast be an eighth if it only has seven heads? If the beast is the “eighth head,” then there should be an eighth head, but the text clearly states there are only seven heads.

4. The Problem of the Wilderness and the Waters

In Revelation 17:3, John says he was taken into the wilderness, where he saw the woman on the scarlet beast. However, in Revelation 17:15, the angel tells him that “the waters you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.”

• Nonsense: If the woman is in the wilderness, where there are no waters, how can she be sitting on waters? If she sits on waters (i.e., on peoples and nations), then she is not in the wilderness. These two elements are mutually exclusive.

5. The Problem of the Alliance Between the Horns and the Beast

In Revelation 17:16, the angel explains that the ten horns will hate the woman, make her desolate, and burn her. But he also says these horns will unite with the beast that rises from the Abyss.

• Nonsense: The horns are part of the scarlet beast. If the scarlet beast is the same as the beast that rises from the Abyss, why would the horns need to “ally” with the beast? They are already part of the beast. An alliance only makes sense if there are two distinct entities.
• This clearly implies that the beast rising from the Abyss is a second beast, different from the scarlet beast. The ten horns belong to the first beast, but they shift their allegiance from the woman and unite with the beast from the Abyss. This means that in Revelation 17, the angel is referring to both beasts from Revelation 13, because the judgment of the woman involves both the horns of the first beast and the second beast that rises from the earthly wilderness.

Conclusion

Revelation 17, as it is currently written, contains several logical contradictions that obstruct coherent interpretation:

• The beast “is not,” yet it is clearly seen by John.

• The beast “is not,” yet one of its heads “is” at that very moment.

• The beast has seven heads, but becomes the “eighth king” without an eighth head.

• The woman is seen in the wilderness, but the angel says she sits on waters.

• The horns belong to the scarlet beast, yet they unite with another beast, suggesting there are two different beasts.

All these issues demonstrate that the current form of Revelation 17 contains elements that, as they stand, cannot be harmonized. Once these contradictions are clearly understood, we can begin to seek an explanation that resolves them in a coherent way.

The Judgment of the Woman

A Clear and Coherent Analysis

Revelation 17 presents one of the most enigmatic prophetic images: a harlot woman, sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. This vision is followed by the explanations of an angel, who details the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides. However, the text contains contradictions, generating confusion about the true meaning of the prophecy.
This analysis shows that the reason for these contradictions is the misplacement of a key phrase within the text, which distorts the correct understanding of the chapter. Once this error is corrected, everything makes sense, and the judgment of the woman is clearly explained.

1. Identifying the Beasts from Revelation 13 and 17

To understand Revelation 17 correctly, we must first correctly identify the beasts in Revelation 13:

The First Beast (Revelation 13:1)

• Rises from the sea

• Has seven heads and ten horns

• Is given a mouth speaking blasphemies

• Reigns for 1260 years
  This is the scarlet beast that John sees in Revelation 17.

The Second Beast (Revelation 13:11)

• Rises from the earth (wilderness)

• Has two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon

• Appears after the first beast and plays an important role in the final events
  This is the beast who “was, and is not, and will come” from Revelation 17:8.

2. The Problem of Verse Order in Revelation 17

The text of Revelation 17 contains an anomaly. Here is what the text says:

• Revelation 17:3 – “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast...”

• Revelation 17:15 – “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.”

• Revelation 17:8 – “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the Abyss...”

The Contradiction:

• John sees the beast in the wilderness (v.3)

• But the angel says the woman sits on many waters (v.15)

• The beast is clearly visible, but the angel says the beast “is not” (v.8)

The Solution:

If the phrase “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness”is moved to verse 8, everything becomes clear.

The woman’s judgment takes place through a conflict:

• The 10 horns, which are part of the scarlet beast, betray her

• They ally with the beast who “was, and is not, and will come” (i.e., the second beast from Revelation 13)

• This alliance leads to the woman’s destruction (Revelation 17:16–17)

This interpretation is the only one that explains why both beasts from Revelation 13 appear in the judgment of the woman and why the horns must ally with another beast in order to destroy her.

Conclusion

• The first beast from Revelation 13 is the scarlet beast in Revelation 17

• The second beast from Revelation 13 is the beast that rises from the Abyss in Revelation 17

• The ten horns belong to the first beast, but they ally with the second beast to destroy the woman

• The phrase “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness”was moved to verse 3, but its correct place is verse 8

• Once this error is corrected, the text becomes perfectly clear

This analysis demonstrates that the text of Revelation 17 was altered by relocating a key phrase, thereby disrupting the correct understanding of the prophecy. Once this error is identified and corrected, the judgment of the woman becomes completely clear.

The Seven Heads of the Beast

Imperial Ideological Systems with Religious Claims

Revelation 17:9–10 says that the beast has seven heads, which are "seven mountains on which the woman sits" and "seven kings: five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while."
The text combines geographical symbolism (mountains) with ideological and historical symbolism (kings). These heads do not represent individual leaders, but systems of religious or ideological authority that have established themselves as global forms of worship, each bearing a "name of blasphemy"—that is, a claim to divine authority or a usurpation of God's role.

The list of the seven heads (in chronological and logical order):

1. The Religion of Egypt– a theocratic system in which the pharaoh was considered the son of the gods, the incarnation of Ra.
   Name of blasphemy: the claim to divinity by a human being.
2. The Assyro-Babylonian Religion– worship of the mother goddess, magic and astrology, religious and political syncretism. Name of blasphemy: the blending of the sacred with spiritual manipulation.
3. Persian Zoroastrianism– a dualistic religion in which good and evil are seen as equal forces. Name of blasphemy: denial of the Creator's absolute sovereignty.
4. Apostate Judaism– the religion that received the revelation but rejected the Anointed One and attributed His work to a satanic origin (Matthew 12:24). This is the head "wounded to death."
5. Greek Religion (Pagan and Philosophical)– a combination of polytheism and rationalism. Name of blasphemy: worship of the impersonal Logos, reason as the supreme divinity, and belief in the immortality of the soul.
6. Pagan Rome (Imperial)– a civil and religious empire where Caesar was considered "lord and god." Name of blasphemy: "Caesar is lord" – a title in direct opposition to the Anointed One.
7. Imperial (Syncretic) Christianity– the institutionalized form of religion after Constantine the Great, which adopted the Roman political structure and transformed the Church into an apparatus of power. Name of blasphemy:the imposition of a political image of Christ through imperial decree and human religious hierarchy.

Key to interpretation: “One is…”

In John’s time (1st century AD), the active head was the Roman Empire (the sixth), while the seventh—imperialized Christianity—was yet to come, and “when it comes, it must remain a little while.” This system gradually became dominant by merging with the state, inaugurating the stage that would later allow the woman to ride the beast—meaning the institutionalization of religious and philosophical syncretism into politico-religious structures.

The Wounded Head – Judaism That Rejected the Anointed One

Revelation 13:3 mentions that “one of the heads of the beast seemed to have a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.” The only head that matches this scenario both prophetically and historically is apostate Judaism. It was wounded after the crucifixion of Jesus, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the abolition of the Temple—that is, precisely when the “child” in Revelation 12 was “caught up to God,” and the woman fled into the wilderness.

But the wound was not final. Jewish ideology was healed and repackaged in a universal form by Paul, who combined Judaism with Greek philosophy and autonomous theological concepts—creating a religious-philosophical syncretism that later became the theological foundation of official Christianity.

This theology allowed the wounded beast (the Roman Empire) to regain its ideological authority—and the woman (the official Church) mounted the beast precisely because Paul provided it with the ideological tool: a syncretic Gospel, in which the wound was “healed” and divine authority could once again be claimed.

What is a “Name of Blasphemy”?

On each head, the beast bears “names of blasphemy” (Rev. 13:1). It is not a single name, but each religious or ideological system that usurped God’s place has its own “name of blasphemy.” This is why all seven heads share the same trait: the claim to divine authority or to represent absolute truth in the name of their own structure.

The beast assumes all these names. But only one is “its own name”—the one that also numerically corresponds to 666. And that name, as we have seen, is Lateinos—a label that defines not just the empire, but the entire ruling elite that created, sustained, and globalized this syncretic beast.

Alliance with the Beast from the Abyss

1. The Rebirth of Greece through Philosophy and Revolutions

Revelation 17:8 tells us that the beast “was, and is not, and will ascend” from the Abyss. This detail indicates a power that once existed, disappeared, but returns in another form. Ancient Greece, once a dominant empire, was conquered by Rome, and its influence seemed to vanish. However, that was not the case. Greek philosophy survived in the shadows, only to be rediscovered during the Renaissance.

This rediscovery of Greek thought led to the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that challenged religious authority and placed reason above dogma. Enlightenment ideas were at the core of the French Revolution, which definitively shook the papal structure and established a new political system in Europe. At the same time, the American Revolution (1775–1783) was also shaped by the same principles of Greek philosophy, resulting in the founding of the United States of America (1787, with the adoption of the Constitution).

France and the USA are linked by the common influence of Greek and Enlightenment philosophy. The French Revolution was the first to radically apply the principles of autonomous philosophy, completely eliminating religion’s role in the state. On the other hand, the USA used the same ideas to build a democratic state based on the complete separation of church and state.

Thus, the beast that “was and is not” returned through Greek philosophical thought, which reshaped the entire world order. Until then, Europe was ruled by a syncretic system of church and state, but after these revolutions, the world shifted toward a secular system based on rationalism and political autonomy.

2. Greek Philosophy and the Syncretism of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church used Alexandrian Philosophy—a syncretism between Greek thought and Christian religious tradition. Through this system, Rome managed to create a form of religious authority that included elements from both spheres—revealed faith and logical reasoning.

However, autonomous Greek philosophy never accepted the idea of divine revelation. Regardless of religion, Greek thinking favored reason as the supreme source of knowledge. This is why, once Greek philosophy was rediscovered during the Enlightenment, it was no longer used to support religion but to eliminate it from political and social structures.

Here lies the great difference between the syncretic system of Rome and what happened after the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution. While Rome used philosophy to support its theology, the Enlightenment and modern democracy used it to completely remove religion from the state. The USA, as a product of this thinking, established through its Constitution a clear separation between church and government, creating a new political model based on autonomous philosophy.

3. The Two Beasts in Revelation 13 and Their Connection to Revelation 17

Revelation 13 introduces two beasts. The first rises from the sea, and the second from the earth. These two powers are fundamental to the unfolding events in Revelation 17.

The First Beast – The Syncretic Religious System Revived through Paul’s Gospel

The beast that rises from the sea (Revelation 13:1) has seven heads and ten horns. It is a combination of the four beasts from Daniel 7 and the philosophical horn from Daniel 8. It is an ideological beast, not merely a military one. It receives its power from the Dragon (Revelation 13:2), meaning from Satan himself, and is acknowledged by the people as invincible: “Who is like the beast? Who can fight against it?” One of its heads had been “wounded to death, but its deadly wound was healed.” This wound was not inflicted by a military sword, but by the sword of the Word—“the sword that came out of the mouth of the One who rode the horse.”It is the wound caused by the Anointed One—the child in Revelation 12, who was caught up to God.

The healing of the wound came through the intervention of another woman—not the one fleeing into the wilderness, but a woman who came from “the waters”—that is, a religious authority born from the peoples of the world. This is the church formed through Paul’s theological syncretism, which transformed the Jewish heritage into a universal religion acceptable to the Roman Empire. This woman mounted the beast while it was wounded and began to ride it, legitimizing its religious authority through dogmas. She is the Woman of Revelation 17—called “the great harlot”—who came to rule over the kings of the earth for 1260 years.

The Second Beast – The United States and the Revival of Autonomous Greek Philosophy

The beast that rises from the earth (Revelation 13:11) does not emerge from the peoples (the sea), but from a sparsely populated territory—that is, a “new land.” It has two horns like a lamb (symbols of civil and religious liberty), but it speaks like a dragon—with deception, mimicking truth while promoting ideological confusion. It does not receive power from God, nor from the sea beast, but works “with all the power of the first beast before it”—meaning it imitates it.

This beast comes from the “Abyss,” just like the locusts (Revelation 9 and 11). It is the expression of revived autonomous philosophy—begun in Greece, interrupted by Rome, but reactivated in the modern era through the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. For this reason, the second beast is historically and ideologically linked to the United States, the nation built on the foundations of Greek democracy, with an emphasis on human rights and individual freedom—a “secular religion”of reason.

Who Killed the Woman?

In Revelation 17:16, the beast that rises from the Abyss and the ten horns “will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”This is a precise description of the fall of religious Rome during the French Revolution. Paris—the capital of modern philosophy—in alliance with other European powers, destroyed the authority of the Papacy in 1798, exactly at the end of the 1260 years.

The United States, the second beast, was ideologically aligned with this movement and supported it politically and economically (see the Louisiana Purchase, the Statue of Liberty, etc.). From that moment, ideological authority passed into the hands of autonomous philosophy, not religion. A new order emerged: a secular, global order, without theocratic claims, yet exercising total control over values, education, and the meaning of life.

A New Image – In the Name of “Divine” Authority

The second beast commands people to “make an image to the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.”This marks a return to the original syncretic ideology—but this time imposed “democratically,” from the bottom up. It is no longer the Woman (the religious institution) who speaks, but the image—meaning a new global ideological authority claiming to represent the original beast.

This image speaks, enforces a mark, and demands worship. But it is not worship of God—it is worship of a globalized ideological beast, willingly accepted by humanity. Truth is mixed with lies. Instead of divine revelation, we have philosophical authority. Instead of the Spirit, we have “signs” and “wonders.” And instead of freedom, we have a new form of bondage—a spiritual, globalized bondage, freely accepted and subtly imposed through ideological control.

4. The Alliance Between the Ten Horns and the Beast from the Abyss

Revelation 17:12–13 speaks of “ten kings” who had not yet received a kingdom, but will receive authority “for one hour” together with the beast. These ten horns symbolize the European kingdoms that emerged after the fall of Western Rome.
These powers supported the Papacy for a long time, but eventually allied with the beast from the Abyss (philosophical Greece) to destroy it.

• During the French Revolution, France—the most loyal protector of the Papacy—was the one that delivered the fatal blow.
  
• The USA then took over world leadership under a secular model, eliminating the old system of religious-state syncretism and imposing a system based on democracy and individual liberty.
  
• Thus, the Papacy, which once controlled the beast, became irrelevant in the global power structure.
  

The beast from the Abyss is not just an empire, but a way of thinking—an ideology that changed the entire structure of world power. The world shifted from a system dominated by religion to one led by autonomous philosophical ideas, establishing a new world order in which religion no longer dominates politics, but is subordinated to it.

Jerusalem Becomes Babylon the Great

1. Jerusalem in the Old Testament – Spiritual Adultery

• In the Old Testament, only Jerusalem is described as a “harlot” in the spiritual sense—an entity that had a covenant with God and betrayed it through idolatry and corrupt political alliances.
• Relevant passages: Isaiah 1:21, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 23, Jeremiah 3:6–10.
• In contrast, Babylon is never called a “harlot” in the Old Testament. Instead, it is referred to as a “virgin” (Isaiah 47:1), symbolizing worldly power and idolatry, but without any covenantal relationship with God.

2. Jerusalem and the Blood of the Saints

Jesus directly accuses Jerusalem of being guilty of the blood of the prophets and saints:

• Luke 13:34–35 – “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets…”

• Matthew 23:37 – “All the righteous blood… will be charged to this generation.”

• Acts 7:52 – Stephen says the prophets were killed by the religious leaders of Jerusalem.

In Revelation 17:6, the woman called Babylon the Great is “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus,” which aligns with the accusations made against Jerusalem in the Gospels and Acts.

3. John’s Amazement – Why Was He “Greatly Astonished”?

• John already knew that Jerusalem was the “harlot” and that it had persecuted prophets and saints.
• What surprised him? The fact that this “harlot” (Jerusalem) was riding the beast.
• The seven-headed beast was already known from Daniel 7, where it represented the Roman Empire. But in Daniel, there was no woman riding the beast.
• If the woman had been Rome itself, John would not have been astonished. But he sees something else: the harlot woman (Jerusalem) riding the Roman Empire, suggesting she had come to exert spiritual control and influence over Rome.

4. The Woman’s Statement: “I Sit as Queen, I Am No Widow” (Revelation 18:7)

• The phrase “I am no widow” refers to an entity that claims to still be in covenant with God.
• In Jewish theology, Israel was seen as the “wife” of God, and Paul in Romans 11 affirms that Israel, though “cut off,” is not entirely abandoned by God.
• Apostate Jerusalem continues to see itself as “God’s chosen,” even though it rejected the Messiah.

5. Jerusalem “Conquers” Rome – Imperial Christianity

• After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, surviving Jews and their spiritual influence turned toward Rome.
• Christianity, born in a Jewish context, came to be adopted by the Roman Empire as a state religion under Constantine the Great.
• Thus, symbolically, the “harlot” (apostate Jerusalem) was not completely destroyed, but transformed and came to spiritually dominate the Roman Empire.
• This explains why the woman “rides” the beast—not only did she collaborate with Rome, but came to spiritually control it.

6. Babylon the Great Is Apostate Jerusalem, Not Pagan Rome

• Although Rome was referred to as “Babylon” in the apostolic letters, it was never called a “harlot.”
• Spiritual adultery implies a prior covenant with God, which Rome never had.
• Jerusalem, on the other hand, had a covenant but repeatedly violated it.

Conclusion

• The woman in Revelation 17 is not pagan Rome, but apostate Jerusalem that relocated to Rome.
• John was astonished because he did not expect to see Jerusalem in a position of influence over the Roman Empire.
• Apostate Jerusalem, physically destroyed by Rome, continued its “adultery” through its spiritual influence on imperial Christianity.
• Thus, Babylon the Great in Revelation 17 is not Rome, but Jerusalem transformed into a global religious influence, giving birth to corrupt religious systems.

The Transformation of Christianity

How Did the “Mother of Harlots” Come Into Being?

• To understand this process, we must look at what survived from the Old Testament and how it influenced the development of Christianity.
• After the rejection of Christ, apostate Judaism became a source of opposition to Christianity.
• The idea that Israel remains the “chosen people” without Christ is a key element of the “wine of fornication,” as it contradicts the New Covenant.
• The first conflicts in the New Testament show that Jews who rejected Christ were considered spiritual “harlots”:

  • Stephen accuses the Jewish leaders of having rejected God throughout their history (Acts 7).

  • Peter calls them to repent and be baptized in order to enter the New Covenant (Acts 2).

Who Is the “Harlot” in Revelation 17?

• She is an extension of the Old Testament “harlot” (apostate Israel).
• She became a “mother” by spreading her religious influence.
• The “wine of her fornication” represents the mixture of the Gospel with ideas from Judaism, paganism, and philosophy.
• Her “daughters” are groups that adopted this corrupted theology.

Connection with the Theology of the “Chosen People”:

• The idea that Israel remains the chosen people is a major component of the wine of fornication.
• It has been a source of confusion and has influenced the theological history of Christianity.
• In the end, the Bride and the Harlot are two opposing entities:

  • The Bride→ The Church faithful to Christ.

  • The Harlot→ A corrupt religious system that betrays the covenant.

 Thus, the “harlot” in Revelation 17 is the continuation of apostate Israel, expanded globally through its theological and historical influence on Christianity and other religions.

The Transformation of Christianity into a Global Religious Empire

• Christianity Becomes an Imperial Religion:

  • 313 AD– Constantine the Great issues the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity.

  • 381 AD– Theodosius I makes Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

• Catholicism Becomes the “Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:5):
  • Imperial Christianity becomes a global religion based on Pauline theology.
  • It combines faith with politics, power, and religious corruption.
  • Catholicism imposes its creed and declares it universally valid (from the Greek katholikos).
• “The Daughters of the Harlot” – Churches That Continued This Catholic-Pauline Theology:

  • Orthodoxy– Split in 1054, but retains the same fundamental doctrines.

  • Protestantism– Reformed Catholicism but kept the doctrine of original sin and the idea of universalism.

All modern Christian churches derive from this tradition and maintain Pauline theology as their foundation.

Paul’s Theology and the Wine of Babylon

Paul is the only apostle who develops a complex theology regarding Israel, sin, grace, and the relationship between Law and Gospel.
Here are some of his key ideas:

• Justification by faith (Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16)

• The dual nature of Christ (Philippians 2:5–11, Colossians 1:15–20)

• Original sin (Romans 5:12–21)

• The Trinity (developed later based on his writings)

• Israel’s place in God’s plan (Romans 9–11)

Among all the apostles, only Paul expands on the theme of Israel as the chosen people, developing a complex theology in Romans 9–11. The other apostles (Peter, James, John) no longer treat Israel as the “chosen people” and focus instead on the Church. This reveals a significant divergence between Paul’s teaching and that of the other apostles.

Paul’s Theology and Its Development in Christianity

Several major theological concepts in mainstream Christianity originate with Paul:

• Original Sin– Paul claims that sin entered the world through Adam (Romans 5:12), and Augustine later establishes it as dogma.

• The Trinity– Paul speaks of Christ’s divinity and the role of the Holy Spirit, which later develops into the doctrine of the Trinity.

• Justification by Faith– Paul teaches that salvation comes through faith, and Luther later separates it completely from works.

• The Dual Nature of Christ– Paul affirms that Christ is both God and man, leading to the dogmatic definition at the Council of Chalcedon (451).

• Israel as the Chosen People– Paul leaves open the possibility of Israel’s restoration, an idea later echoed in modern theology.

Conclusion:Mainstream Christianity is built on Paul’s theology, which was later reinterpreted and amplified.

The Contradiction Between God (Genesis) and Paul (Romans)

• Genesis 4:7– God tells Cain that he can do what is right and that he has the power to master sin.

• Romans 3:10–12; 7:18–19– Paul claims that humans are completely incapable of doing good without God’s grace.

The Problem: If God tells Cain that he can overcome sin, but Paul says humans are slaves to sin, then Paul clearly contradicts what God says in the Old Testament.

Theological Attempts to Reconcile This Tension:

• Texts are "spiritualized" in order to justify Paul’s theology.

• It’s claimed that Genesis refers to an individual case (Cain), while Paul refers to a universal condition.

But Paul blatantly contradicts what God says. If we spiritualize, we only do so to preserve Paul’s theology.

The Contradiction Between Genesis and Paul

• The Problem of “Sinful Nature”
  • God states in Genesis 3:22 that man has become “like one of Us, knowing good and evil.”
  • This is not described as a “sinful nature” but as a divine capacity.
  • Paul introduces the idea of an inherited “sinful nature,” which is not found in the Old Testament and is, in fact, a Greek philosophical influence.
• If the dogma of Adam’s sin collapses, Paul’s theology collapses with it:

  • Justification by faith loses its meaning, because there is no inherited guilt requiring a universal solution.

  • The sinful nature becomes a theological invention, since according to Genesis, man became “like God.”

  • Paul clearly contradicts Ezekiel 18:20, where God says that each person is responsible only for their own sin.

• Conclusion:
  • Paul introduces a theology that differs from the Old Testament, reinterpreting Genesis and adding Greek philosophical elements.
  • If Adam’s sin is not real or does not have universal consequences, Paul’s theology completely falls apart, as it depends entirely on this premise.
  • This calls into question many Christian doctrines that are based on his writings.

Why Do Churches Dislike the Book of Revelation?

• Revelation contains a theology that is different from Paul’s.

• Instead of focusing on original sin, Revelation shows that death is the result of losing access to the Tree of Life—it doesn’t blame Adam for any sin.

• Instead of promoting legal justification by faith alone, Revelation emphasizes faithfulness, spiritual victory, and obedience to Jesus.

• Revelation condemns corrupt religious systems that have compromised the truth—precisely the institutions whose doctrine is based on Paul.

• Revelation “throws out” Paul’s theologybecause it returns to a simple and clear message: active faith, spiritual victory, and eternal life through the Tree of Life.

• Jesus praises those who rejected false apostles (Revelation 2:2), which matches the fact that the church in Asia rejected Paul (2 Timothy 1:15).

• The “Harlot” and her daughters represent corrupt religious systemsthat have inherited false teachings and use anathemas to maintain their authority—exactly as Paul did.

The Judgment of the Woman in Revelation 17

A Clear and Coherent Analysis

Revelation 17 presents one of the most enigmatic prophetic images: a harlot woman sitting on a scarlet beast, having seven heads and ten horns. This vision is followed by explanations from an angel, who details the mystery of the woman and the beast she rides. However, the text contains contradictions, which create confusion about the true meaning of the prophecy.

This study demonstrates that the source of these contradictions is the relocation of a key phrase to the wrong position in the text, which distorts the correct understanding of the chapter. Once this textual shift is corrected, everything makes sense, and the judgment of the woman is clearly explained.

1. Identifying the Beasts in Revelation 13 and 17

To correctly understand Revelation 17, one must first properly identify the beasts from Revelation 13:

The first beast (Revelation 13:1):

• Rises from the sea,

• Has seven heads and ten horns,

• Is given a mouth speaking blasphemies,

• Reigns for 1,260 years.

This is the scarlet beast seen by John in Revelation 17.

The second beast (Revelation 13:11):

• Rises from the earth (wilderness),

• Has two horns like a lamb but speaks like a dragon,

• Appears after the first beast and plays an important role in the final events.

This is the beast that “was, and is not, and will come” from Revelation 17:8.

2. The Problem of Verse Order in Revelation 17

The text of Revelation 17 contains an anomaly. Here is what it says:

• Revelation 17:3:“Then he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast...”

• Revelation 17:15:“The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.”

• Revelation 17:8:“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the Abyss.”

The contradiction:

• John sees the beast in the wilderness (v.3),

• But the angel says the woman sits on many waters (v.15),

• The beast is visibly present, yet the angel says the beast “is not” (v.8).

The solution:If the phrase “He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness” is moved to verse 8, the entire sequence becomes coherent.

3. The Woman’s Judgment: The Betrayal by the Scarlet Beast

The judgment of the woman is accomplished through a conflict:

• The ten horns, which belong to the scarlet beast, betray her.

• They ally with the beast “that was, and is not, and will come” (i.e., the second beast from Revelation 13).

• This alliance leads to the destruction of the woman (Rev. 17:16–17).

This interpretation is the only one that explains why both beasts from Revelation 13 appear in the judgment of the woman, and why the horns must align with another beast in order to destroy her.

4. Conclusion

• The first beast of Revelation 13 is the scarlet beast of Revelation 17.

• The second beast of Revelation 13 is the beast that rises from the Abyss in Revelation 17.

• The ten horns belong to the first beast, but they form an alliance with the second beast to destroy the woman.

• The phrase “He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness” was moved to verse 3, but its proper place should have been in verse 8.

Once this error is corrected, the text becomes perfectly clear.

This analysis shows that Revelation 17 was altered through the displacement of a key phrase, which obscured the proper understanding of the prophecy. Once this textual shift is identified, the judgment of the woman becomes entirely coherent.