Chapter 1

Identifying
the Bloody Woman

The high-minded man must care more

for the truth than for what people think.

—Aristotle, Greek philosopher

As we begin our journey seeking to decode Revelation 17, the best place to start is at the beginning. The first verse opens with these sober words:

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 . . .” Revelation 17:1

Significantly, the angel who talked to John at the beginning of Revelation 17 was “one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls” of God’s wrath that will eventually be poured out upon those who receive “the mark of the beast” (compare with Revelation 16:1–2) just prior to the return of Jesus. Therefore, starting with Revelation 17, verse 1, we know that this chapter has an end-time context. Later on in this book, I will provide information about “the mark of the beast” itself—but not yet. At this point, I simply want you to realize that Revelation 17 begins in the context of an end-time “judgment” slated to fall upon “the great harlot who sits upon many waters.”

Another critical point to realize is that when John is “carried” away “in the Spirit” (verse 3) in Revelation 17, his attention is drawn to a woman who has already acted wickedly. In other words, Revelation 17 doesn’t start with a prediction of the future rising of this Lady, looking forward from John’s own time, which was around ad 96. Instead, it starts by annoucing an end-time judgment slated to fall upon “the great harlot” who has already existed for centuries and who will soon be judged for her past crimes. Thus, in the vision of Revelation 17, John is transported into the distant future, far beyond his own time when he lived as a prisoner on the Greek island of Patmos in the first century.

“Come,” the angel beckoned, “I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.” This “great harlot” looms large in Revelation’s end-time prophecies. A harlot is seductive. Through her tempting charms, she entices men into forbidden paths. It is the same with “the great harlot” of Revelation 17. She also seduces humans, who find her pleasurable. Yet because she leads men and women away from the Bible, she will someday be destroyed by a sin-hating God when His fierce judgments suddenly drop upon her. What does it mean that she “sits on many waters”? We don’t need to guess. The angel who talked to John soon became an interpreter with this clear explanation:

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

This explanation reveals a key principle I have accepted in my study of Revelation 17, which is this: When an angel interprets the meaning of a symbol, he does so by providing a literal explanation. In this case, “The waters . . . where the harlot sits”—which are symbolic—represent literal “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues [languages].” As you will soon see, this From Symbol to Literal Principle is rock solid. I will give more examples of it soon. It is one of the keys to correctly unlocking Revelation 17’s mysterious prophecies.

“The great harlot” “sits” upon “many waters” symbolizing vast numbers of “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Another key lesson we can learn from this is that the Great Whore has acquired global influence. Thus, as we seek to correctly identify this sinister female, we must look for something well-known to earth’s teeming inhabitants. Yet until God’s “judgment” finally falls upon her during the seven last plagues, the world’s “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” don’t realize that they have been devoting themselves to a deceiving Enchantress.

If they did, they wouldn’t support her.

The angel continued:

“. . . with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Revelation 17:2

Here we discover that the Great Whore has been committing “fornication” with “the kings of the earth,” which means she has had illicit relations with royalty. Thus as we seek to identify The Harlot, we must look for a Mistress who has been publicly involved with “the kings of the earth”—which would include influential queens, Heads of State, distinguished diplomats, royal personages, ambassadors, and embassies.

In other words, this captivating lady’s activities aren’t hidden like a rat lurking in a dark underground sewer. No, no. Instead, they are conducted in the full light of day and are even widely reported by respected media outlets. The statement in the latter part of verse 2, that “the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication,” shows that her illicit activities have become wholly respectable in the eyes of earth’s dazzled masses. This truth is critical to correctly interpreting this startling prophecy. More clues to help us identify this Wicked Woman can be discovered by carefully reading verses 3–6. Look closely:

So he [God’s angel] carried me [John] away [from John’s time into the distant future] in the Spirit [this was a supernatural revelation] into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:

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

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Revelation 17:3–6

The next principle I have adopted in my study of Revelation 17 is called The Weight of Evidence Principle. The idea is that in order to correctly identify the Seducer, we must look at the weight of evidence by piecing all the clues together. One clue isn’t enough. We must gather them all. Only then can we detect the Harlot’s true identity.

Here are twelve clues found in Revelation 17:1–6:

1. She is a “woman.” In the New Testament, a “woman” often represents a church (see Matthew 25:1–13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 12:1, 3, 17; 19:7–8).
2. This woman is particularly dressed “in purple and scarlet” colors, which will help us to identify her.
3. She is associated with vast wealth, being “adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.”
4. She holds “in her hand a golden cup.”
5. Her golden cup is “full of abominations.”
6. She is a “whore” (indicating that she is an unfaithful church). She is also described as “fallen” (see Revelation 18:2), which indicates that at an earlier point she stood upright and pure, but she has departed from the revealed truth of God.
7. She is called “THE MOTHER” (only one church on earth calls itself The Mother Church).
8. She is the “Mother of Harlots,” showing that—from the perspective of this vision—she has previously given birth to harlot daughters (churches) who originally came out of her (because of her errors) but who have followed her poor example of unfaithfulness to God’s truth.
9. She has already committed spiritual fornication with “the kings of the earth” (indicating that she is often involved with world leaders).
10. The “inhabitants of the earth” have become “drunk” (confused and deceived) by her “wine” (which represents her false teachings).
11. She sits upon “many waters” (representing vast groups of people), implying that she has achieved global influence.
12. She has become a deadly, persecuting woman who has already shed the blood of countless “martyrs” of Jesus Christ. So much so, that she is considered to be “drunk with the blood of the saints.”

We will look at more clues soon, but that’s enough for now.

Who is “the great harlot”?

By now, the correct answer should be pressing itself into your head. Honestly, upon sober reflection—in the light of historical facts— that truth becomes obvious. Best-selling evangelical author Dave Hunt, whose twenty-plus books have combined sales of over three million copies, has tackled this topic head-on in his penetrating book, A Woman Rides the Beast: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days, published by Harvest House. Chapter titles include: Mystery Babylon, Unholy Mother, A City on Seven Hills, Dominion over Kings, Blood of Martyrs, and The Reformation Betrayed. Marshaling a vast amount of evidence from Scripture, church history, and from the Protestant Reformation, Mr. Hunt accurately reports that “The leaders of the Reformation [in the 1500s] were certain that she [the harlot of Revelation 17] represented the Roman Catholic Church.”*

Based on how the prophecy of Revelation 17 fits so perfectly with history, Hunt agrees with those ancient Protestants. With a pen dipped in concern for both Protestants (who seem to have lost their...