The Mother of Harlots.
So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement. – Revelation 17:3-6. NLT
John stared at the vision in amazement. He knows the colours are the colours of the sanctuary and High Priest’s robe.One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues offers to show John the judgment of the harlot who sat on many waters. When John sees her, she is riding the scarlet beast.
As John is carried in vision into the wilderness, he sees a woman on a scarlet beast. While the harlot represents a religious entity, the beast symbolizes a political power. The picture of religion riding the secular and political powers points to two separate entities, something that was not the case in the past, when religion and politics were integrated. The prophecy shows, however, that these two entities will join together at the end time. The concept of riding a beast denotes dominance; as the rider of the scarlet beast, this end-time religious system will dominate the secular and political powers.
The harlot is pictured as extravagantly arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with ornaments of gold, precious stones, and pearls; such adornment was a practice of harlots in antiquity to enhance their power of seduction (Jer. 4:30). As the color of blood, scarlet corresponds to the oppressive character of this religious system. The harlot’s dress counterfeits the attire of the high priest in the Old Testament, attire that included the colours purple, scarlet, and gold (Exod. 28:5, 6).
Any interpretation that ignores the importance of the Old Testament sanctuary system of worship and instruction has missed a basic rule for understanding Revelation.
The sanctuary was God’s dwelling place with the children of Israel. It was a reminder of their lost inheritance and was therefore modelled on Eden. It outlined the entire plan of salvation, focusing on Jesus who became the embodiment of the sanctuary when he “tabernacled” with us on earth. Luke clearly showed us that Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sept/Oct). It amazes me how the church missed this in its scramble to paganise Christianity. Jesus said, “destroy this building and I will raise it up again in 3 days.” (John 2:19, Matt 26:61) Revelation ends by saying that He will again tabernacle, dwell with His people. (Rev 21:3)
Is it any surprise then, given its importance, that the devil has a counterfeit for the sanctuary and its high priestly ministry? In today’s text, a beautiful woman is dressed in clothing reminiscent of Israel’s High Priest adorned with precious stones, mimicking the breastplate of the High Priest whose clothing was a shadow of the sanctuary. She is wearing the colours of the sanctuary. (see Ex 25: 4; 28:5,6,36-38; Num 4: 7-12; 15:38-39) Scarlet is the colour of sacrifice, purple is the colour of divinity. The missing sanctuary colour in the counterfeit is blue, which stood for obedience to the law.
The blasphemous inscription on the harlot’s forehead also replaces the priestly inscription, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” on the mitre of the high priest (Exod.28:36-38). The cup in her hand reminds us of the vessels of the sanctuary which Belshazzar drank from, the night before Babylon’s fall (Dan 5). The cup in the harlot’s hand uses the appearance of truth to conceal the wine, (the falsehoods of Satan’s end-time religious system) in order to seduce the world away from God. If you will be tasting and sipping of Babylon’s golden goblet–you must resolve to receive Babylon’s plagues!
She is Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes. The separated brethren she calls them. Not everyone who names the name of God is serving Him. We should never place our full trust in human beings and institutions. God’s Word is our safest guide. (See Matt:7:21-28 for a solemn warning from the sermon on the mount.)