The "great whore," which is the Roman Catholic Church, is shown to be a false religion during the first part of the Tribulation. It will encompass the entire world, including many nations, multitudes of people, many languages, and the kings of the earth. It’s followers do not get raptured.
The Bible never calls it a church, but uses several other names including "the great whore." The name of the false religion, and some of the prophecies, indicate that it is not a new religion, but has been around a long time. The prophecies also depict this false religion as being interwoven with a major, industrialized city: a trading center not far from the sea, which sits on seven hills and dates back to the time before the apostles.
Spiritually, the great prostitute-ref Rev 17:1 NIV, is described as having a golden cup. Every Roman Catholic should be familiar with this cup. The Bible portrays this cup as being full of abominations. Consider a golden cup. On the outside, it is beautiful and glamorous. It seems to illustrate something pure and elegant. The outside of the cup seems to reflect godliness and spirituality. However, this golden cup of the Catholic Church, which is being held in the hand of the city of Rome, is not beautiful on the inside. It is full of death and poison. It is FULL OF ABOMINATIONS (or abominable things). The world will accept the golden cup as beautiful and true-ref Rev 17:4,2. However, God shows it is full of abominations and obscene and filthy things. Note, its biblical name, AND UPON HER FOREHEAD WAS A NAME WRITTEN, (a) MYSTERY (or with a hidden meaning), BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (or prostitutes, or whores) AND (of the) ABOMINATIONS (or obscenities) OF THE EARTH-Rev 17:5.
The Roman Catholic Church is portrayed as a whore and a fornicator against Yahshua the Messiah. Yahshua is the Bridegroom. Those that belong to Yahshua are the bride. The saints of God represent a woman or female. As the wife is to be obedient to her husband, so the church is to be obedient to Yahshua. The man is the head of the woman. Yahshua is the head of the church.
Those in league with this great false religion
are referred to as fornicators or adulterers, as they have chosen to follow a
false religion of deceit rather than Yahshua and the truth. They follow a religion
that uses the name of Yahshua, but is a deception that has been responsible for
killing multitudes of the true followers of Yahshua. They are committing
"fornication" or spiritual whoredom against Yahshua—the true
Bridegroom. God’s opinion of this great false religion can be seen in the
names He uses to describe it. It is a GREAT WHORE or prostitute. Her sins have
reached unto heaven.
This name, "Mystery, Babylon the Great," does clearly denote the Roman Catholic Church.
It is written, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (or prostitutes, or whores) AND (of the) ABOMINATIONS (or obscenities) OF THE EARTH-Rev 17:5. This great false religion has a biblical name. That name is, in part, "The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth."
The second part of the name that God gives to the Roman Catholic Church is staggering. This church is called "The Mother of Harlots" (or prostitutes, or whores). It is "the great whore," "the mother" of all those that malign God’s Word, who deceive people by distorting God’s Word and, thus, lead them astray. As a harlot or prostitute seduces a person into spiritual death, so this church is portrayed as the mother of all cults and false, deceptive teachings. This Babylonian cult is now manifested and handed down by the Roman Catholic Church. This false religion is the mother of abominations of the earth. Many people consider this great false religion as true; yet God describes it as the mother of whores and abominations.
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If
the shoe fits... a commentary by Paul Sides
(18:15)
Pope appeals for Middle East peace and reconciliation
By The
Associated Press
Last Friday,
the pontiff held a day of fasting and prayer as a way of promoting comprehension
and peace among peoples. He invited Catholics as well as faithful from
other religions, in particular Jews and Muslims, to join him.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/12/19/LatestNews/LatestNews.40253.html
Wow! I'd like to ask a question...
Knowing the given nature of our Lord, YAHWEH, who repeatedly declares "have no other gods before me", "I am the Lord, there is no other", and "Yahshua is my ONLY begotten Son", and "I am a jealous God", and on and on and on....
What are the chances His "representative on Earth" (a claim of the Pope which means God Himself "approves" of this act of spiritual prostitution) would call for an inter-faith and no faith at all joint day of prayer & fasting to whatever god? A time of joint worship and dedication to other pagan gods that don't even exist?
An act God plainly identifies with no exception as blasphemy, an abomination, and identifies such acts as "spiritual prostitution" worthy of DEATH.
Would such an act be approved by the God of the Bible?
Hmmmmmm. Let me answer that question for you... NEVER! Completely inconsistent with the God of the Bible. Never, under any circumstances in the Word of God can you demonstrate to me 1 time that God every approved of a "joint worshipping session" to foreign pagan gods. Quite the opposite. God goes to great extremes to forbid such practices and condemns anyone who condones them.
NEVER! Would this act be an approved act of God.
But, in the interest of world unity, unity of religions, and to unite the worlds 3 largest religions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism... (which by definition is the role of the False Prophet) we see the Pope continuing to commit gross acts of "spiritual prostitution" as he calls for worship to other gods, kisses the Koran, worships Satan, promotes idolatry through Mary, and the list (abominations) goes on and on... all the way to Heaven says Revelation.
Wait, I think the Bible has a word for this world leader and his false religion... The Great Whore for just this type of spiritual prostitution.
Keep it up Pope, your standing out as THE leaders of THE largest church on the planet based in the seaport city that sets on 7 hills that has murdered millions of saints. You know, the one arrayed in scarlet and purple, holding the golden cup. Worshipping the "Queen of Heaven". The one that unites all world religions. The one that has impaled a demented starving Yahshua on a stick and parades Him around crucifying Him over and over (strictly prohibited in the Bible). Yea that's the one... The Great Whore. Which makes you, Mr. Pope, The False Prophet.
Nice Purple and Scarlet dress! Nice golden cup. Nice hat with "two horns" like a lamb! Look at all the pomp and majesty. looks nothing like the example left by the Messiah when He commanded in the Great Commission we take no monetary compensation for His word, give up earthly wealth, go town to town and take nothing more than you came in with. Actually, looks just like the description of the Great Whore in Revelation.
Rev 17:4
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.
Whew!!!!! Nailed you right on the head there Mr. Pope. Let's look at some more of your filth (besides condoning pagan worship to other gods and kissing the Koran) ...
And, oh yea. While I'm at it, drop the upside down demonic cross and the "twisted bent cross" and quit worshipping Satan too. Your being too OBVIOUS. If your going to fool me, be more discrete in your blasphemy:
And while your cleaning up your act, you might as well stop substituting Mary in place of Yahshua. She has no place in the God head. She is not the "Queen of Heaven"... uh, that would be Babylonian god. Nor is she the "Mother of God" or the "Co-redemptrix" or the "Queen of this Millennium". That too would be the religion of ancient Babylon. Mary was simply human and now a dead sinner. She was simply a vessel. No doubt she is saved and in Heaven, but nothing more. So let's stop deceiving the Saints and stop all the prostitution already.
"Body born of Mary and offered on the cross"? That's funny. I thought Yahshua was God the Father's only begotten Son and that position was what gave significance to His sacrifice. God gave His only begotten Son so that we may be saved. What is all this "Mary gave her Son on the Cross" talk. That has NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING. No significance whatsoever.
What it is, is idolatry and what all the rest of Catholicism is....
"Prostitution"