The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to to, " come, I will show you the judgement of the notorious prostitute who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality." So he carried me away in the Spirit to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile and with the impurities of her prostitution. On her forehead a cryptic name was written:

Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the vile things of the earth.

Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her I was greatly astonished. Revelation 17:1-6

This woman represents the false church adored with pomp and glory, sitting on many waters, which represent the nations of people.

Some point out that her colours are those of the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church yet there are more churches that have compromised even now, teaching a false doctrine, one that suits the ears of the hearers.

Prostitution represents promotion of an idolatrous faith, one which enthroned self above Christ.

This so called church persecuted the saints, the true believers. This so called faith was very popular with political leaders, probably because it did not challenge their lifestyles wi the truth of the gospel.

The seven heads have to do with spiritually complete, and the ten denotes world power and horns authority.

The gold cup signifies inside the church and it is filled with everything vile. We are already seeing priests being prosecuted for sexual Impropriety, what more is hidden?

This can be a warning to us who belong to church to not allow ourselves to swallow a false, watered down gospel.