The Evolving Woman of False Religion (Rev 17:3-5)

The Woman in Ancient Rome (70-325 AD)

In Revelation 17:1, an angel identifies the Great Whore of false religion sitting on many waters in the modern era. In Revelation 17:3-4, the angel explains where she came from and in Revelation 17:5 he explains who she is. The who and where of her existence begins in the ancient Roman Empire as of 70 AD. In Revelation 17:3, John "saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." The scarlet colored beast is ancient Rome. The red color symbolizes the blood of martyred saints who were persecuted and killed by Rome. The woman of false religion sits on the bloody-red beast to symbolize that she is supported by the Roman Empire and she in turn controls the seven-headed beast of blasphemy that killed the saints from the ancient church of Jesus Christ from at least 70 AD through 325 AD. The scarlet beast in Revelation 17:3 is a symbolic synonym for the First Beast in Revelation 13:1, which also had seven heads, ten horns, and the name of blasphemy on its heads. They are the same beast.

The Woman after Constantine (325-the Reformation)

In Revelation 17:4, the woman of false religion evolves into the darling of ancient Rome. This occurred in 325 AD, when Constantine the Great made Christianity the state religion of the empire. Eventually, Constantine's paganized and false form of Christianity became the only lawful religion of the Roman Empire. As this occurred, the priests and popes were lavished with gifts, position, and power. John describes this evolutionary transition in Revelation 17:4. The same woman representing false religion on the scarlet beast was now "arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls" to indicate her favor within the Roman Empire.

The evolving woman in Revelation 17:4 also had "a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." This describes the long period of the Great Apostasy, when this woman of false religion made herself a harlot by spiritually fornicating with the civil governments in the vast area of the Holy Roman Empire. These spiritually illicit relationships continued until the time of the Protestant Reformation, when the mother church of Rome illegitimately gave birth to many other false religions. She thus became the mother of harlots and abominations in all the earth as described by John in Revelation 17:5.

The Great Whore in the Modern Era (Rev 17:5)

The Great Whore of false religion is identified by several names that describe her attributes in the modern era. Thus, "Upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (Rev 17:5) The Great Whore has her names on her forehead based on a Roman custom for harlots and prostitutes to have their names written or inscribed on their foreheads to publicly identify themselves without shame.

The name-title of Mystery describes the secretive and counterfeit nature of the Great Whore in all her various attributes. The truth about the Great Whore and her false forms of religion can only be known through the spirit by the power of revelation. Unless people seek the true religion through the power of the spirit, they will continue to be seduced through the mysterious and intoxicating philosophies of modern false religions. The Great Whore purports to be the mystery of godliness, but she is actually the mystery of ungodliness and iniquity. To find out more about the evolution of false religion and the attributes of the Great Whore in the modern era, check out my podcasts from June 21 and 23, 2026.

June 21, 2026 — Podcast

June 23, 2026 — Podcast