Revelation 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.
"Horns, on the other hand, are the symbol of might, strength, and power. The beast carrying the harlot has seven heads of authority and ten horns of power! Seven and ten are both complete numbers. Seven is a sacred number in this respect, that it generally is used of the perfection of spiritual realities and the completeness of God’s purposes and kingdom. It denotes fullness in the things of God. In our text, however, it is used with a negative application, signifying the fullness of that authority which purports to be, claims to be, pretends to be the authority of Christ, but is in reality the fullness of the carnal mind usurping the place of Christ’s authority in the church!"
Much more in the link:
17th letter of alphabet
The woman is the Catholic Church.
The woman is in every church, except the perfected church of Jesus Christ, the process of removing Babylon is still gong on in God's people. If we make Babylon this sect or that sect, we fail to see it in ourselves.
Name one other church that has all the blood of the saints in it. Real people, really murdered, by a real harlot church.
And you are dishonoring the sacrifice they made for the Lord.
The true church is spiritual Andy, we're in all denominations and in no denominations, we follow Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
These are the sons of God, you should aspire to be of this camp, kings and priests......................
144,000 is not a literal number, it symbolizes a great number who follow the Lamb, 12 x12 has to do with government, we're governed by the king of heaven only,
The beast has nothing in that church andy, they have been beheaded, they no longer follow their own head, they suffer bloodshed from the carnal system, but they count it joy to be numbered with Christ.
Have a good weekend Andy!
The true church is spiritual Andy
The false church killed real Christians are you denying this?
These are the sons of God
The 144,000 are the Jewish remnant, 12 tribes times 12,000 people. It even tells you what tribes they come from. Your understanding of the Bible is nil.
The beast has nothing in that church andy, they have been beheaded, they no longer follow their own head, they suffer bloodshed from the carnal system, but they count it joy to be numbered with Christ.
They cry out from under the altar for vengeance.
Have a good weekend Andy!
You too.
It is interesting but not any of Revelation is talking about physical world things including the killings and vengeance.
This chapter came to mind while thinking of your question.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
"Only the deep dealings of God can strip away the garish adornment of the whore and transform us into the pure gold of HIS DIVINE NATURE. Of the beautiful bride of Christ it is written, “…and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass” (Rev. 21:18). The harlot wears gold. The bride is gold."
Horns, on the other hand, are the symbol of might, strength, and power. The beast carrying the harlot has seven heads of authority and ten horns of power!
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings
Do you guys like shoot up before the service?
"The same crowd is all about us today. They look for an outward warfare between the kings and the Lamb, with an outward victory. They want deliverance from the government, from persecution, from socialism, from the antichrist, from terrorism, from the Jews, from the Moslems, from the Catholics, from the banking system, from the abortionists, from liberal politicians, and from all kinds of political conspiracies that are steadily pushing our nation and the world down into the dark abyss and nightmare of godlessness and tyranny. But I do not hesitate to tell you that none of these are the problem! The most powerful kings that rule in the world today are those that rule inwardly — and it is only as the kingdom of God takes its rightful place in our lives, that these kings are subdued and deposed. In the soul-realm we have the dominant king of self-will which has usurped control and ridden roughshod over the ways of God. There are religious kings of static creeds, false doctrines, traditions, commandments of men, carnal-minded methods, and sectarianism. There are kings of passion and desire, bringing the dominion of the flesh. There are kings of emotion which usurp unholy sway over people of God. There are religious kings of static creeds, false doctrines, traditions, commandments of men, carnal-minded methods, and sectarianism. There are kings of passion and desire, bringing the dominion of the flesh. There are kings of emotion which usurp unholy sway over people of God. There are kings of ruling thoughts and imaginations which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. There are kings of doubt and fear that destroy faith and rob men of victory. But, praise God! There is a Lamb upon the throne in the heavens of the Spirit of the Lord and He is mighty within — King of kings, Lord of lords — and He arises within us in the power of righteous conquest and dominion. This means victory! The old Roman conquerors, when celebrating a brilliant conquest, rode down the avenues of the Imperial City upon a snow-white steed, and received the plaudits of the people. And so Jesus Christ, in the spirit and by the spirit, astride a snow-white charger of righteousness and power rides in swiftness and strength into our earth, into our inner land. I have heard the hoofs of His horse thundering through the corridors of my soul as He has marched into my land conquering and to conquer, bringing all into submission to Him. The harlot’s beast with his ten horns of fleshly power, might, and strength are no match for the King of kings and the Lord of lords!"
There are religious kings of static creeds, false doctrines, traditions, commandments of men, carnal-minded methods, and sectarianism. There are kings of passion and desire, bringing the dominion of the flesh. There are kings of emotion which usurp unholy sway over people of God.
I would add "psychotic private interpretations" to that list.
"From the mists of the long ago Eden we read, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1). The word “serpent” in our language comes from the Latin serpo meaning “to creep,” but the Hebrew term has no relation to the form or motion of any external attribute of a serpent. The word used here for serpent is the Hebrew word nachash which is a primitive root meaning “to hiss or whisper.” It, furthermore, means “to search or scrutinize closely, to find out by experiment, to practice divination, augury, incantation, or enchantment.” According to Webster incantation means “the chanting of special words or a formula in magic spells or rites.” Incantation may speak in addition to hypnotism. The serpent, then, is a HISSER, a WHISPERER, a DIVINER, an EXPERIMENTOR, an ENCHANTER, a MAGICIAN, and a HYPNOTIST! And all this activity takes place from within! Now we understand how it was so easy for mother Eve to be deceived! The “inner voice,” the “carnal reasonings,” the “soulical suggestions” of the natural mind, yea, the religious mind, sounded so plausible, so logical, so spiritual, so divine — it just had to be the word of God and the way of the Lord! It had to be the very highest truth! As she listened to this voice Eve was enchanted, hypnotized, mesmerized — by this high revelation!"
"Yet — purple is a mixed color — it is compounded of blue and red. And what a revelation that is! In its spiritual significance it represents the mixture or confusion of the heavenly blue with the earthly red of Edom. And at this time all the church systems of man unite the earthly and the heavenly, joining flesh with spirit, mingling the anointing with carnal efforts and methods, mixing truth with error. False doctrine is for the most part a corruption of divine truth — error overlaid with a thin layer of truth, like base metal gilded. That very mixture yields a royal purple which is so awe-inspiring, powerful, and captivating to the souls of men! Gold, precious stones, and pearls are emblematic of spiritual truths and of the wondrous revelations of the riches in Christ Jesus. And who can deny that all the believers in all the churches have truly received from the Lord gifts of grace, truth, and salvation! Oh, yes, God Himself has enriched them with multiplied blessings according to their faith. The problem is, however, that even these are now employed by this woman, along with her other attire of the harlot, to attract people to her lewdness, thus prostituting even those beautiful truths and graces she has received and proclaims!"
"Now, as we consider this truth, we should especially notice these significant statements made a little further on in chapter seventeen concerning these same ten horns. “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. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 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” (Rev. 17:12-14). Some portions of this passage we will address later, but at this time I would draw your reverent attention to the statement, “These shall make war with the Lamb.” Now I query this of you: How do these “kings” make war against Christ, the Lamb of God? Do they make war against Him in the flesh, as the Jews did? Are they literal armies of nations coming against the Lamb of God with tanks and guns and bullets and bombs? They cannot, of course, seeing He is risen and ascended up far above all heavens! Everywhere in the Revelation the Lamb is seen only in heaven and upon the heavenly mount Zion! Therefore, I would ask you, how these ten kings make war against the Lamb, unless it be in the spirit — against His light, against His truth, against His life, against His spirit, against His nature, and against His will, way, and purpose!"
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:5).
"Let us not pass from this thought of Babylon’s “cup of abominations” without also noting another of the characteristics of the Babylon system. I do not believe there is any way to fully explain, imagine, or understand all the ways this MYSTERY BABYLON works. The word “Babylon” means confusion. When we consider the vast array of church denominations with their varied organizational systems, creeds, liturgies, disciplines, and methods there is one title that can be written across the whole — MYSTERY CONFUSION. It is the mixture of good and evil, of truth and error, of flesh and spirit that brings such confusion. So interwoven is truth with error, endeavoring to uplift and bless mankind while building a kingdom for self, good works that are a blessing to many, while promoting one’s own name, reputation, and power, that it becomes difficult to discern which is right and which is wrong."
"Ten stands for the maximum limit to which man can reach — ten fingers, ten toes, ten commandments — fullness in a limited realm! Ten is a number which is frequently employed in scripture, and it often occurs in the book of Revelation. Ten horns is the fullness of power, yet it is a power that is limited — it can only reach so far and continue so long according to God’s allotment."
"Ten horns is the fullness of power, yet it is a power that is limited — it can only reach so far and continue so long according to God’s allotment. The ten horns of power signify that the beast carrying (thus including) the woman has just exactly as much power as God has allowed him — no more and no less. They are not ten separate, literal kingdoms anywhere on earth at any time, but bespeak the usurpation of the might and power of the Holy Spirit by the strength of the flesh in any man or in any movement of the Lord’s people! And when God’s time comes for Great Babylon to fall within us and within the world, fall she will!"
"In contrast to this, in one of his articles Bob Torango wrote of God’s called and chosen elect in these descriptive words: “We must, like Abraham, look for a city, dear hearts. A city with foundations, a rich heritage in God, a place where our children and our children’s children can learn of the ways of the Lord without fear and confusion. No more mixture, no more flesh, no more wanton money grabbing and fleecing, but righteous priests and honorable kings of the most high God that dispense the riches of His kingdom to all that are hungry and thirsty. A city with walls upon which the watchmen of the Lord cry out, ‘The King is in Jerusalem and all is well!’ In Babylon all is ruined and inwardly corrupt. In Babylon the priests are there for profit and fame. In Babylon it is business operated by cutthroats and crooks. But I see another city, the mother of all that are born from above, whose children are free. We are that city, and God sits upon the throne of our hearts. Reign O mighty King in Righteousness and Peace!”
"If these ten symbolical kings cannot war against the Lamb in the flesh, if you confess that He is exalted high above all principalities and powers, then do not such war against Him in His life, and against Him in His light, and against Him in His purpose, and against Him within His people? Indeed, the powers of the flesh and the carnal mind warring against the spirit of Christ, and against the spiritual mind, and against the spiritual life, bringing a man into captivity to the flesh, and to the fleshly mind, and to the fleshly life, with its law of sin and death — just there the battle rages! Obviously these kings are not outward kings of literal nations on earth! Obviously they have nothing to do with the outward warfare of military machines! Nearly all expositors of the book of Revelation assert that they are earthly rulers — either historical characters, or future rulers still to arise at the end of time. Many have been the efforts to identify them historically, or to speculate who they will be in some future “end-time” scheme of things. The revealing fact is that there are as many opinions about their identities as there are expositors!"
"Ah, therein lies the deception of the whore within us, in those things where we would not expect her she deceives us, and herein is plainly seen her mystical apparition."
"It is not in the gross sins of the flesh that the harlot is known, for she has a name written in her forehead — MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT. She is very mystical, so that indeed, upon the workings of her mind and the intent of her soul there is written “MYSTERY”. This whore works in a mystery, that is, in an enigma, a puzzle, a riddle, in ambiguousness — inscrutableness. You find her where you don’t expect and in a way that seemeth right, and therein lies the deception!"
"The harlot religious systems have indeed been phenomenally successful when measured in terms of untold millions of members, inestimable wealth, costly buildings and ornate temples, impressive rituals and ceremonies, pomp, splendor, and worldly honor. It is successful because it is worldly minded; it loves pleasure more than it loves God; it loves feasting more than it loves fasting; it loves entertainment more than it loves repentance and waiting upon the Lord. It compasses land and sea to make one proselyte and frequently the proselytes are two-fold more the children of the devil than they were in the beginning. Previously they were sinners; now they have become deceivers. Caught in her web of enchantment, those whom the harlot system “wins to the Lord” by teaching them the word of God according to the precepts of men, these babes are imprisoned within her fortress of forms, traditions, religious works, and organizational structures until they become hideously dwarfed and but grotesque caricatures of what a child of the living God should be like!"