Revelation 17:1; Judgment of the Great Whore
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:
Each year on the last Lord’s Day of October the church remembers the 16th century Protestant Reformation. “Next to the introduction of Christianity”, says the church historian Philip Schaff, “the greatest event in history”. It marks the end of the Dark Ages and the beginning of the light of the gospel shining in the hearts of men and women. Truth will triumph against falsehood.
Once again, since 31 October 1517, the message of salvation continues to be proclaimed boldly and freely, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2).
On 31 October 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses exposing the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.
Some Roman Catholic Heresies and Inventions and the dates of their adoption over a period of 1,650 years [1]
1. Prayers for the dead: began about A.D. 300.
2. Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images: A.D. 375.
3. The Mass, as a daily celebration: A.D. 394.
4. Beginning of the exaltation of Mary, the term “Mother of God” first applied to her by the Council of Ephesus: A.D. 431.
5. Extreme Unction: A.D. 526.
6. The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I: A.D. 593.
7. Latin language, used in prayer and worship, imposed by Gregory I: A.D. 600.
8. Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints, and angels: about A.D. 600.
9. Title of pope, or universal bishop, given to Boniface III by emperor Phocas: A.D. 607.
10. Worship of the cross, images, and relics: authorized in A.D. 786.
11. Worship of St. Joseph: A.D. 890.
12. The Mass, developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.
13. Celibacy of the priesthood, decreed by pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand): A.D. 1079.
14. The Rosary, mechanical praying with beads, invented by Peter the Hermit: A.D. 1090.
15. The Inquisition, instituted by the Council of Verona: A.D. 1184.
16. Sale of Indulgences: A.D. 1190.
17. Transubstantiation, proclaimed by Pope Innocent III: a.d. 1215.
18. Auricular Confession of sins to a priest instead of to God, instituted by Pope Innocent III, in Lateran Council: A.D. 1215.
19. Bible forbidden to laymen, placed on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Council of Toulouse: A.D. 1229.
20. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma by the Council of Florence: A.D. 1439.
21. Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible by the Council of Trent: A.D. 1545.
22. Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals, proclaimed by the Vatican Council: A.D. 1870.
23. Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI: A.D. 1965.
During the days leading to and ensuing the Protestant Reformation, many were burned at the stake for holding to the faith of the Bible.
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
The 16thcentury Protestant Reformation was a movement raised by God to bring the deviant Medieval church back to the “old paths, where is the good way”. It was a movement back to the Bible. A movement back to the old faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). It was an awakening for the church to purpose her heart that the Bible alone is the believers’ final authority for rule of faith and practice. The Bible alone is sufficient to govern the life of believers and the church. Until then, the church had forbid the lay people to read and study the Scripture on their own. Through the Reformation, the Scripture was translated to the vernacular language that people could understand.
In 1522, Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. In 1525, William Tyndale translated it into English for England. The man in the street, the ordinary ploughman, could now read and understand the Holy Scripture in his own language for the first time. The Word of God, the foundation and basis of the Christian faith was now freely given to sinners and saints. It was a great moment in church history when the shackles of darkness were dispelled, the Light of Scripture shone through to illuminate the hearts of countless multitudes in Europe.
It was through the Reformation that the church, with the Bible in their hands, learned the right way of salvation. Salvation is by Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone, Sola Christus-Christ alone, Sola fide – Faith alone, Sola gratia – Grace alone, Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God alone.
It was through the Reformation that the preaching of God’s Word was revived, the old paths restored, the good way pointed out clearly and the people found rest in their souls. The singing of hymns became the means of congregation praise and worship. It was at that time that the German Reformer Martin Luther composed hymns and sang them in church. One such hymn is “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. The spirit of the Reformation was well articulated in that hymn. The cause for the Reformation burned in the hearts of men and women who were raised of God to earnestly contend for the faith. Many were burned at the stake, standing up for the faith. It was a holy courage that the Spirit of God laid upon these Reformers, as Martin Luther expressed it so well – “the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”
The persecution of Christians were confined to Europe. Revelation 17 records for us a future time when there will be world-wide persecution of believers and God’s judgment upon this false global religion. This is described as the religious system of Babylon. Revelation 17 and 18 goes together, describing religious and political Babylon and economic Babylon respectively.
This is described for us in the portrayal of the woman in this chapter, the symbol of false religion.
Herman Hoyt observed well, “By careful examination of the Scriptures it will be found that a woman is used as a symbol of religion, false or true. Four such women appear in the Bible. Jezebel represents paganism and idolatrous worship (Rev. 2:20; 1 Kings 16:31). The scarlet woman represents false religion in general. The bride of Christ represents the true church (Rev. 19). And the sun-clad woman represents Judaism and the nation of Israel (Rev. 12). ”
[1] Lorraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1962, 7-9.