As I read the previous article about Dominionism by Sarah Leslie, I couldn't help but wonder at the words in the Book of Revelation about the end time church.
Revelation 17:1-6 (KJV)
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.
Mystery Babylon
Thirteen proofs the whore is a religious system:
1. Playing the whore in symbolic language always refers to religious fornication and idolatry (Rev. 17:1-4; Isa. 23:17; 57:3-7; Jer. 3:2-9; Ezek. 16:1-63; 20:30-32; 23:7-49; Hos. 4:12-19; Nah. 3:4; literal fornication must also be understood in some of these).
2. Her causing the many nations to commit fornication with her proves that idolatrous religious practices are being referred to, as in passages above.
3. She is not a political power for she is not classed as one with "the kings of the earth." She only causes the kings and inhabitants of the earth to be drunk with the wine of her fornication (Rev. 17:2,4). Since fornication here refers to religious harlotry then her influence over the nations is through religion.
4. The beast which the woman rides is the 8th kingdom, made up of the many waters or peoples inside the old Roman Empire territory (Rev. 17:1,3,11,15). Since the beast itself is the kingdom, the woman must be religion dominating the kingdom until she is destroyed by it (Rev. 17:12-17).
5. The attire of the great whore identifies her as a religious system or as a whore committing spiritual fornication, duping political powers by her whoredoms and idolatries (Rev. 17:4). The purple, scarlet, precious stones, pearls, and golden vessels indicate the wealth of the system (cp. Ezek. 23:40-41).
6. The golden cup in her hand, full of her uncleanness, spiritual fornication and abominations by which she dupes political powers, proves her to be a religious power (cp. Ezek. 23:29-31).
7. Her name, "MYSTERY BABYLON," indicates that she is not literal Babylon. The word "mystery" identifies her with the religious rites and mysteries of ancient Babylon. According to Hislop's "The Two Babylons" (which quotes 260 sources), the ancient Babylonian cult, started by Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, spread among all nations. The objects of worship were the Supreme Father, the Incarnate Female, or Queen of Heaven, and her Son. The cult claimed the highest wisdom and the most divine secrets. Besides confession to priests there were many mysterious rites. Julius Caesar became head of the Roman branch of the Babylonian Cult in 63 B.C. Other emperors held the office until 376 A.D. when the emperor Gratian, for Christian reasons, refused it because he saw that Babylonianism was idolatrous. Demasus, bishop of the Christian church at Rome, was elected to the headship in 378 A.D. and from here on Babylonianism and organized Christianity became one. The rites of Babylon were soon introduced into the Christian church. Heathen temples were restored, beautified, and their rituals encouraged. Worship and veneration of images, saints, relics, private confessions, penances, scourgings, pilgrimages, sign of the cross, Christmas, Lady Day, Easter, Lent, and other pagan rites and festivals, little by little, became a part of Christian worship.
8. The name, "MOTHER OF HARLOTS," identifies the whore as a religious system (Rev. 17:5). The harlots refer to many branches which have sprung from her and have become as apostate as the great whore herself. She is a symbol of apostate religions being linked together after the rapture of the church to dominate the 10 kings of the Revised Roman Empire until Antichrist comes to full power over the 10 kingdoms by the middle of Daniel's 70th week (Rev. 17:1,3,9-17).
9. The name, "MOTHER OF ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH," identifies her to be a religious system fostering and tolerating all the abominations that go with idolatry and spiritual fornication. The word abominations is used many times of idolatry and whoredoms associated with pagan worship (Dt. 18:9-12; 29:17-18; 32:16-17; 1Ki. 14:24; 2Ki. 16:3-4; 21:2-11; Ezek. 16:22-58; etc.). The great whore of the future tribulation will be the mother of abominations in God's sight because she will exceed all others in wickedness.
10. Her drunkenness -- being drunken with blood of the martyrs of Jesus -- proves beyond doubt that she is a religious institution. Only religion has killed the martyrs of Jesus in all ages. Governments have carried out the dictates of leaders in religion, doing the actual killing of saints because of religion. Although this prophecy speaks of the future drunkenness of mystical Babylon after the rapture of the church, who among us does not know of the martyrdom of 200 million people in the past because they would not conform to organized religion?
11. The hatred and destruction of the great whore by 10 kings inside the Roman Empire territory prove her to be a religious system dominating them until they tire of her and give their power to the Antichrist. They turn on the great whore and destroy her so that the Antichrist might establish beast worship the last 3 1/2 years (Rev. 17:12-17).
12. The woman sits on the beast itself, not on the heads and horns in succession (Rev. 17:1,3,7,15). The 7 heads and 10 horns on the beast are a part of him and this is the only sense in which she rides the heads (Rev. 17:9). Since the beast is the 8th world empire (Rev. 17:11), it is clear that she is something separate from the empire, and only rides or dominates the peoples of that empire. What could she be other than religion?
13. The angelic explanation of the great whore proves her to be a religious system reigning over kings spiritually. The Greek reads, "And the woman whom thou sawest is the city the great, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:18). She has a kingdom within the kingdoms and over them. She is to be a religious system inside the old Roman Empire territory; one that has headquarters in a great city; and one that has a religious kingdom or reign over the kings of the earth.
We must recognize in the symbol two things: a great religious system and a great city where she has headquarters. The great whore will hold power over her loyal subjects, not through superior military forces, but by the deceptions of her spiritual harlotry and abominations.
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.
We must keep in mind here that the true church that preaches only the Gospel that is directed by Paul in 1Cor 15, 1 Corinthians 1:22-23 (KJV) 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; and which has not twisted or perverted the scriptures to further one’s own agenda, will have been raptured by Revelation 4:1 (KJV) 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. "After these things (after writing the things concerning the churches of Rev. 2 -- Rev. 3) I looked ... a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice ... said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be after these things," that is, after the churches (Rev. 4:1).Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.
If the church has been raptured out by Rev 4:1. then we are seeing the church that has been left behind. We are seeing Christian imperialism, taking over the “Seven Mountains” of influence or of society. We are seeing a trend today of Dominionists trying to establish an earthly kingdom. We see the melding of commerce and religion in our churches, the selling of health juice products, and other multi-level schemes to create wealth. We hear teachings of "taking it to the marketplace". The churches are seeing an infestation of the spirit of “New Age” and other doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV) 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (Galatians 1:8-9 (KJV) 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Paul made this very clear, that anyone preaching anything but Christ and Him crucified will be dammed, and certainly will never be raptured. This type of church which has become active today we can assume with the backing of scripture is “the great whore” spoken of in Rev 17. We certainly can’t feel any sorrow for these people that will have to endure the “great tribulation”, most of these don’t believe in the “rapture” anyway. I heard one author personally say, “I don’t want to see the rapture, I just wrote a book”. (this really happened here at an Austin church). These men truly believe, either that, or they are truly deceived in believing that they will bring in the ‘kingdom age’, and when everything is perfect again, then “they” will present the kingdom to Christ Jesus, only then can he return. How blasphemous it that? If man could have done it alone all along, Jesus would have never had to die on the cross for our sins. These men and women who are trying to impress other men and women are playing with their very souls. One other scripture comes to mind. I like what Paul says when men compare themselves with others, 2 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV) 12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. Lastly these men who have themselves puffed up with accolades from their peers, Galatians 1:10 (KJV) 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
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