Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
17 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
Babylon the Great
The Mother of Prostitutes
and of the Abominations of the Earth.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
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As a child growing up in the City of Boston, MA, I was exposed to a lot of History. My Parents took us to all the historic places, and I have fond memories of The Freedom Trail, Bunker Hill, and Old Ironsides. In my Teenage Years, I was a Guide in The New Boston City Hall (Ugliest Building in the Universe!) and also guided tours on the Freedom Trail itself. One of Boston's many nicknames was "The City on Seven Hills".
"I only count a couple of hills!," some tourist would always ask. "Beacon Hill, Bunker Hill...and maybe one more. Where are the Seven Hills?"
Patiently, in my La-Di-Dah Boston Accent, I would explain that Boston was originally a peninsula, bordered by the Harbor, The Charles River, and a noisome swamp called The Back Bay.
In the early 19th Century the Back Bay was filled in to provide more living space in the City. Where did they get the landfill? By leveling a couple of the Seven Hills! Of Course, Beacon Hill was spared, as it had this pesky thing called the Massachusetts State House sitting on top of it. To this day, if you wish to air a grievance at the State House, you have to walk all the way up Beacon Hill, and then a HUGE flight of stairs to make your petition. I think that was by design. In any case, Boston is "The City of Seven Hills" no more.
In First Year Latin (Seventh Grade) I learned that Rome was also called "The City of Seven Hills". Rome, of course, is a lot older than Boston, so they had it first. But further research shows that many cities make that claim:(Cities With Seven Hills), including Mecca and Tehran!
For 2000 years, people have argued over the identity of the Harlot. Their opinions are reflected in the art available for this Chapter, with easily identifiable buildings to sway the viewer's opinion one way or the other. (and, no, the Massachusetts State House is not among them!). What these artists don't seem to get is that she is a Mystery. I personally believe that she does not represent just one City, but a World Religion that has all the trappings of Christianity but is in service to the One-World Government and under Satanic Control.
Two Thousand years ago, this was an impossibility, and so people came up with theories as to her identity which, coincincidentally, happened to be their enemy at the time.
So, if you see a dome or a building that you recognize in the "Mystery Babylon" illustrations, please do not take it personally!
Come and Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem, For Our FRiends in Need, For Persecuted Believers, and For Our Beloved Nation.
"He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:25)
God Bless America.
Blessings To All Who Visit This Garden of Prayer.
Hallelujah and Amen
ML/LTOS