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Identifying Other Characters of Revelation Chapter 17 .

Contents

Revelation 17:1-3

Revelation 17:4-6

Revelation 17:7-11

Revelation 17:12-17

Some parts of this appendix are somewhat complex and you may need to go over it a few times. There may well be more light yet to shine on these difficult passages of Revelation. We need to keep an open mind. Certainly we can expect to have a clearer understanding of the end-time prophecies of Revelation as the events begin to unfold (cf. Jn. 14: 29). We need to stay close to Jesus and study our Bibles sincerely and prayerfully lest we be led astray like the Jewish leaders were at the time of Christ's first coming. These Jewish leaders had built up a false system of prophecy, based on erroneous assumptions, which influenced them to reject the Saviour.

Please read through chapter 17 a couple of times noting especially the different characters that are associated with the whore named Babylon. 

Revelation 17:1-3:

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.

Re. 17:1 says, "... I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters".

The "many waters" are mentioned immediately after "the great whore [harlot, prostitute]". We are plainly told in verse 15 of this chapter that these waters represent "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" Comparing this phrase with Re. 5:9; 10:11 and 14:6 confirms that it is talking about the general population of the globe. That is, the waters symbolise the people of the world. 

The waters would then be equivalent to "the inhabitants of the earth" (vs. 2). They are made drunk with the wine of Babylon's fornication and are also referred to as "all nations" (Re. 14:8;18:3).

We now need to ask a question. What did the angel actually show John? In Re. 17:3 it says, "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." So John saw a woman (the harlot) sitting on a scarlet beast. But did he also see the "many waters"? Yes, for we read in Re. 17:15, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth...". So apparently John saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with the beast standing in water. From the scenarios portrayed in Daniel 7:1-7 and Re. 13:1 we can see that this scarlet beast may well have arisen out of the waters and then the woman sat on it. 

We know from a previous study Babylon is fallen that the woman, who is called Babylon, represents an evil, religious confederacy consisting of the dragon, beast and false prophet (symbolising Satan, the Papacy and Protestant USA). We also know from this previous study that the religious confederacy controls and cooperates with a civil confederacy in warring against God and His people. We also learnt that the civil confederacy is described variously as the kings of the earth (Re. 17:2; 16:14; 19:19), the cities of the nations (Re. 16:19)  or the scarlet beast with 7 heads and 10 horns (Re.17:3). Re. 17:1-3 actually presents the picture of a religious confederacy joined to a civil confederacy twice, in different ways. This is illustrated on the following table:

Bible Reference  Re. 17:1,2 Re. 17:3
Religious confederacy Prostitute Woman
Civil confederacy Kings of the earth Scarlet beast
Symbol of union Fornication Woman seated on the beast

So, putting all this together we have a civil confederacy (kings of the earth or scarlet beast) forming from the peoples and nations of the world (the many waters) and being controlled by a religious confederacy called Babylon. It is Babylon that leads out in this formation using miracle-working demons (Re. 16:13,14), seduction (resulting in fornication, Re.17:2; 18:3), and intoxicating wine ( Re. 14:8;17:2; 18:3). 

This is quite a lot of information about these evil powers. But the chapter contains more details about both the religious confederacy and the civil confederacy.   In the next three verses further information is given about the religious confederacy.

Revelation 17: 4-6:

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 [amazement].

The details given here reveal that the Papacy is the member of the unholy trinity playing the leading part in the end-time battle. Unfortunately what is about to follow will offend some -- probably many -- people. It is not a pleasant duty to give the following information, but somebody has to do it. Remember that it is God who gave us these details in the Bible -- to warn us. If you are aware of a "better" interpretation of these verses then please let me know. We must each be true to our conscience and to what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures. Please remember too, that the Bible is here pointing out an unhealthy system -- out of love and concern for those who may be hurt by it. We do not wish to condemn the sincerity of any individual involved with this system. 

The following is a sample of evidence from reliable Roman Catholic sources that you can easily verify.

1. Concerning "purple and scarlet colour":

Regarding the Papal office of Auxiliary Bishop The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "He enjoys the same honorific privileges (with a few exceptions, viz. throne, cappa magna, mozzetta, and rochet worn without mantelletta, and crosier), pontifical ornaments, and titles, as does the diocesan. He can and must use the prelatial dress, as in the Roman Curia, to wit: rochet over the purple soutane with purple mantelletta, in his attendance in the cathedral..." (emphasis supplied).1

"The cells of the cardinals are covered with cloth, purple if they are of the last pope's 'creation', green if not." (emphasis supplied).2

Purple was also used in the coronation of monarchs by a Papal church representative.3

Regarding the nomination of Roman Catholic cardinals: "In the afternoon of the same day the newly-created cardinals meet in the pope's apartments, in the antechamger of which the scarlet zucchetta, or skull-cap, is handed to them; thereafter the scarlet biretta is placed by the pope on the head of each.... If the creation of a cardinal takes place outside of Italy, the scarlet zucchetta is sent him by one of the pope's Guardie Nobili (Noble Guards), and the scarlet biretta by a special ablegate." (bold emphasis supplied). 4

Regarding the rights of cardinals: "They also wear the red (scarlet) biretta, that was granted to them, probably, by Paul II (1464-71). They also have the right to wear scarlet, particularly a scarlet mantle, which according to tradition was probably granted them by Boniface VIII (1294-1303)." (emphasis supplied). 5

2. Concerning being "decked with gold and precious stones and pearls":

"As to the various kinds of metalwork used in the Church, the 'Liber pontificalis' mentions the following in addition to chalice and paten as in use in the lifetime of Pope Sylvester:

"Our Lady of Lincoln is frequently mentioned among the sanctuaries which were regarded by the English with special veneration. In the inventory of the treasures of the cathedral appropriated by Henry VIII, there is mention of the image of Our Lady, sitting in a chair, silver and gilt, having a crown on her head, silver and gilt, set with stones and pearls, and her Child sitting on her knee with one crown upon His head, with a diadem set with pearls and stones, having a ball with a cross, silver and gilt, in His left hand" (emphasis supplied)7

Regarding "St. Thomas a Becket", Archbishop of Canterbury: "His sacred body, at first buried in the lower part of the church, was shortly after taken up and laid in a sumptuous shrine in the east end. Innumerable miracles were wrought at his tomb and pilgrims from all parts of England and the continent flocked thither to implore his aid. So great were the offerings made by them that the church abounded with more than princely riches. The shrine was covered with plates of gold and enriched with jewels, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and great oriental pearls" (emphasis supplied)8

Regarding the "golden rose" The Catholic Encyclopedia says it is, "A precious and sacred ornament made of pure gold by skilled artificers, which  the popes have been accustomed for centuries to bless each year, and occasionally confer upon illustrious churches and sanctuaries as a token of special reverence and devotion, upon Catholic kings or queens, princes or princesses, renowned generals or other distinguished personages, upon governments or cities conspicuous for their Catholic spirit and loyalty to the Holy See, as a mark of esteem and paternal affection." (emphasis supplied) 9

3. Concerning "a golden cup":

The chalice is the cup used in the Papal mass and contains alcoholic wine. 

"But the tendency to use by preference the precious metals developed early. St. Augustine speaks of two golden and six silver chalices dug up at Cirta in Africa, (Contra Crescon., III, c. xxix), and St. Chrysostom of a golden chalice set with gems (Hom. 1 in Matt.)." (emphasis supplied)10

"The earliest specimen of a chalice of whose original purpose we can feel reasonably confident is the chalice of Chelles, preserved until the French Revolution and believed to have been wrought by, or at least to date from the time of, the famous artificer St. Eligius of Noyon, who died in 659. The material was gold, richly decorated with enamels and precious stones. In shape it was without handles and like a celery glass, with a very deep cup and no stem, but the cup was joined to the base by a knop, which under the name of nodus or pomellum became a very characteristic feature in the chalices of the Middle Ages." (bold emphasis supplied)11

"In a rude and barbarous age the practical difficulties of Communion under species of wine must have been considerable, and it is not wonderful that from the Carolingian period onwards the device was frequently adopted of using a pipe or reed (known by a variety of names, fistula, tuellus, canna, arundo, pipa, calamus, siphon, etc.) for the Communion of both clergy and people. To this day at the solemn papal high Mass, the chalice is brought from the altar to the pope at his throne, and the pontiff absorbs its contents through a golden pipe." (bold emphasis supplied)12

In this last quote the Catholic writer notes correctly the dangers inherent with using alcoholic wine in the services of the church. In the Bible fermentation is a symbol for sin13 and therefore it is a terrible practice to use fermented grape juice instead of the correct non-fermented, pure grape juice in the celebration of Church ordinances. In the Bible the word "wine" can mean either fermented or non-fermented grape juice and the context makes clear which is being referred to. When celebrating the sacred Jewish Passover, all yeast (causing fermentation), the symbol of sin and corruption, was strictly forbidden.14 Thus it is obvious that Jesus used non-fermented grape juice when he was celebrating the Passover with His disciples and, at the same time, instituting "the Lord's supper" in which the wine (pure grape juice) was symbolic of His sinless divine-human blood. Alcoholic wine, symbolic of sin and corruption, awakening the cravings of the alcoholic and drunkard, is a fit symbol for the abominable teachings of the Babylonian harlot contained in her golden cup. It is more than a coincidence that in Daniel chapter 5 it was alcoholic wine that was served by the Babylonian king in the vessels of the Lord when they were praising their gods. What did God say to the priests  about alcoholic wine? " And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean" (Le. 10: 8-10, cf. Le. 10:1-3).

Regarding golden chalices given to "Roman basilicas" by the emperor Constantine:

"To the Vatican basilica he presented seven large chalices (scyphi) of the purest gold, each of which weighed ten (Roman) pounds; furthermore forty smaller chalices of pure gold, each weighing one pound.

"The church of St. Agnes received a chalice of solid gold weighing ten pounds, five silver chalices of ten pounds each, and two silver patens (metal plates for the Eucharistic bread) of thirty pounds each.

"The patens are often mentioned in connection with the chalices; thus the Lateran basilica received seven gold and sixteen silver patens of thirty pounds each." (emphasis supplied)15

4. Concerning the title "MOTHER OF HARLOTS":

The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "Thus in the 'Catechetical Discourses' of St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 347) he insists on the one hand (sect. 26): 'And if ever thou art sojourning in any city, inquire not simply where the Lord's house is--for the sects of the profane also attempt to call their own dens, houses of the Lord--nor merely where the church is, but where is the Catholic Church. For this is the peculiar name of the holy body the mother of us all.' " (emphasis supplied)16

"The Christian Anglo-Saxons knew no other Liturgy than that of the Mother Church of Rome." (emphasis supplied) 17

" The constant divisions and ceaseless disintegration which have been going on within Protestantism since it separated from the Mother Church..." (emphasis supplied)18

Who are the daughters of the harlot Mother? They can be none other than the church bodies that have come out of this "Mother Church" but have still ended up teaching and promoting the same deadly errors.

5. Concerning being "drunken with the blood of the saints": Please see Appendix Four- Bible Prophecies of Daniel Chapter 7 fulfilled.

Revelation 17: 7-11:

7 ¶ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

These verses give us more details about the end-time civil confederacy. This confederacy is described in Re. 17:3 as a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, having 7 heads and 10 horns. Who is this beast of Revelation 17? 

John sees this harlot woman arrayed in purple and scarlet sitting on this scarlet beast with 7 heads and 10 horns (and apparently with the beast itself in water). He sees the woman drunk with the blood of the saints (Re. 17:6) and is amazed. Then the angel says he will explain what John saw and begins his explanation in Re. 17:8. The angel says "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." 

The first thing the angel says to help us understand the scarlet beast of Revelation 17 is to point us back to the sea-beast of chapter 13. Note the similarities between Re. 17: 8 and the description of the sea-beast in chapter 13:

Scarlet Beast, Revelation 17: 8.

Sea-Beast, Revelation 13.

" …and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,...

" …and all the world wondered …"(vs. 3).

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, …"(vs. 8).

"... whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,...

"… whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (vs. 8).

"... when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed… " (vs. 3).

"the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." (vs. 14).

Not only do we have the above parallels, but both powers persecute God's true people, both have names of blasphemy written on them, and both have seven heads and 10 horns. Also, while the scarlet beast of chapter 17 is sitting in water, the sea-beast of chapter 13 comes out of water. So there is a strong connection between the scarlet beast of Revelation 17 and the sea-beast of Revelation 13.

What this connection is will be revealed through a study of the seven heads on the scarlet beast. Re.17: 10 says that the heads represent seven kings and that five have fallen, one is ruling presently and one is yet to come. We need to understand that these heads refer to kingdoms, nations or powerful organisations rather than to individual kings. How do we know this? For the following reasons:

1.  Re. 17: 9 says that the seven heads are also seven mountains. A mountain in prophecy is used to refer to the kingdom of Babylon (Je. 51: 24-26) and the eternal kingdom of Christ (Dan. 2: 35), but not to any individual.  
2.  We know that the heads on the sea-beast are representative of the kingdoms of Daniel chapter 7.19 
3. The heads on the dragon (of Revelation Chapter 12) are best understood to be great powers or kingdoms that oppress God's people. We studied in Babylon is fallen how the dragon is clearly described in Revelation chapters 12 and 13 as using the powers of Imperial Rome, Papal Rome and Protestant USA -- indicating that these powers are three of its heads.20
4. In Re. 17: 11 the scarlet beast is described as being one of the 7 heads, and being itself an eighth power. That is, the beast is another manifestation of one of the 7 heads and is itself the last eighth power. Beasts usually refer in prophecy to a great power (such as a nation or kingdom) that is oppressing the people of God, rather than an individual ruler (Dan. 7:23). The only exception is the dragon which is clearly identified as Satan (Re. 12:9 etc.).

So Re.17: 10 describes seven kingdoms or powers, five that have fallen, one that is ruling now, and one that is yet to come.  We also have the description in Re. 17: 11 of the scarlet beast ruling as the eighth power and yet being one of the seven heads. Which one of the seven previous heads does this last, eighth beast-power represent? The only beast in Daniel and Revelation that has a resurrection from the dead, that is, a second manifestation, is the sea-beast of chapter 13 (Re. 13: 3,14). When the sea-beast rules again it will manifest itself as the eighth scarlet beast-power and "they that dwell on the earth shall wonder " (vs. 8). This is the connection between the scarlet beast of Revelation 17 and the sea-beast of Revelation 13. This is why the angel began its explanation of the scarlet beast by referring us, in verse 8, back to the sea-beast. This is why there are so many similarities between the scarlet beast of Revelation 17 and the sea-beast of Revelation 13.

Notice here an interesting thing. The sea-beast (papal power) is the key figure in the end-time confederacy described in Revelation 17. Not only is it the most prominent member of the unholy trinity comprising Babylon, but in its resurrected state, it appears as the scarlet beast upon which Babylon sits. The sea-beast is a church-state union. Its religious side is the most prominent part of Babylon and its political side is the scarlet beast.21 What actually is necessary for the revival of the Papacy (the beginning of the rule of the eight power)? The most logical answer is: The re-establishment of its status as an oppressive church-state entity. This would mean that various nations would need to begin to formally support and enforce her instructions. 

So how are we to understand the "five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come" (vs. 10)? The key things to remember here are:

a). We should expect the kingdoms (heads) to begin with Babylon because it is the first kingdom to be mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. This would be in harmony with the identification of the seven heads on the other two seven-headed beasts in Revelation (see the footnotes below entitled The Seven Heads of the Sea-Beast and The Seven Heads of the Dragon.) 

b). The seventh power only reigns "a short space [time]" (vs. 10) before that power is replaced by the eighth -- which is the beast itself (vs. 11).

c) Apart from the dragon (which represents Satan) and this scarlet beast of Revelation Chapter 17, there are seven other "beast powers" mentioned in the books of Daniel and Revelation which symbolise great powers that oppress God's people: 

1. Babylon (lion of Dan. 7).
2. Medo-Persia (bear of Dan. 7, ram of Dan. 8).
3. Greece (leopard of Dan. 7, goat of Dan. 8).
4. Imperial Rome (monster of Dan. 7).
5. Papal Rome (sea-beast of Re. 13).
6. Atheism (the beast from the bottomless pit of Re. 11: 7). For more detail on this beast see Revelation Chapter 11 and Atheism.
7. Protestant USA (land-beast of Re. 13). 

d). Where is John in time when the angel says to him "five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come"? Here we need to remember:

i). John does not necessarily have to be in the time of his exile at Patmos. For example, in the explanation of the great multitude in white robes by the elder to John in Revelation 7: 13-17, John is addressed in future time rather than his own time.22

ii). In Re.17: 8 the beast is described as in its "is not" phase. When was the sea-beast in its "is not" phase? From the time it received its deadly wound in 1798, until the time it takes on its end-time revived status as the eighth power.

iii). John is described as being taken to the wilderness (Re. 17:1). From Revelation chapter 12 we learn that the wilderness period is the 1260-year time period (538 AD -- 1798 AD).23

iv). The 10 horns and the eighth beast have not received their kingdom as yet (Re. 17: 12). That is, although John views the end-time confederacy when the eighth power is ruling (verses 1-6)24, he is not in that time period when the angel explains the vision to him. The angel describes, in verse 12, their rule as being in the future.

Taking into account all of the above factors leads to the conclusion that John was taken forward, in the spirit, to 1798. Atheism rose to power in France in the 1790's during the 1260-year wilderness period (for more detail see Revelation Chapter 11 and Atheism). Then, through Napoleon's general, Atheism attacked the Papacy in 1798, right at the end of the wilderness period, and the papal power (sea-beast) received its deadly wound and entered its "is not" phrase. This date 1798 is also the beginning of the "time of the end" spoken of in the book of Daniel.25 The time of the end is when Daniel's prophecies were to be unsealed (Dan. 12:9). So, as you will notice below, John was taken forward to the time of the change-over between the sea-beast and Atheism right at the end of 1260-year wilderness period.

So then, the five fallen powers (heads) are:

(1) Babylon. 605 - 538 BC.

(2) Medo-Persia. 538 - 331 BC.

(3) Greece. 331 - 168 BC.

(4) Imperial Rome. 168 BC - 538 AD.26

(5) Papal Rome. 538 - 1798 AD.

The one is, that has just taken over from papal Rome, is:

(6) Atheism. 1798 - 1991 AD.

The one that is to come, and which is to reign for but a short time is:

(7) The United States of America 1991-? 27

Atheism was the power during the French Revolution which attacked and wounded the Papacy in 1798. Revelation Chapter 11 and Atheism

We have one other symbol to identify -- the ten horns. They are described in Re. 17: 12-17.

Revelation 17: 12-17

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 ¶ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

What do these ten horns represent? The above verses give us the following characteristics:

1.  They "have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." This suggests that they don't actually start reigning until the scarlet beast does, or that they start reigning simultaneously with the beast (when the Papacy is fully revived).

2.  "These have one mind". This indicates that they are united in purpose and opinion. 

3.  They "shall give their power and strength unto the beast". They all lend their influence and power in support of the revived Papacy.

4. They "shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire". They end up hating the harlot and destroying her.  The vision of Re. 17: 3 makes it clear that these horns along with the scarlet beast are under the control of the harlot at some point. But then something happens to turn these kings against the religious confederacy.

Caution is necessary in proposing an identification for these horns and an associated end time scenario because the exact fulfillment of this prophecy may not become clear until the events are fulfilled.

However, with the available information, I think the most reasonable explanation is that these ten horns basically represent the nations of the globe and are equivalent to the "kings of the earth" Re. 17: 3.

But there appears to be a deeper meaning to the symbol. Notice the angel says they "have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (Re. 17:12). Do these ten kings represent civil powers that exist today or are they only going to come into being at the time when the scarlet beast (revived Papacy) reigns as the eighth power -- which has not happened as yet [this is December 2001]?  The construction of the sentence in Re. 17:12 (which gives a similar sense in the Greek) seems to favour the latter. This could mean that when the Papacy is fully revived, that is, when various nations begin to formally support and enforce her instructions, there is the formation of some new civil entities. These new civil entities would then govern over the existing nations -- or "former" nations if our current country definitions were dissolved! What might such entities be? We cannot say for certain at this stage, but one possibility would be administrative divisions of a global government (New World Order). If the number ten is to be taken literally, this would mean ten administrative divisions of a new global government. 

Notice in Re. 17: 16 that the ten horns end up hating and destroying the harlot. The most obvious interpretation of this is that, in association with the events of Christ's second coming, these civil powers realize that they have been deceived by the miracle-working religious powers of Babylon. Angry at being so terribly deceived they turn on the religious powers to destroy them.

 

The following diagram summarises the various powers depicted in Revelation Chapter 17:


So, shortly before the second coming of Christ, we have a religious union (Babylon) that leads out in the gathering of the nations together to support her plans.  Then Babylon and the nations of the world unite together to war28 against God and His people -- and come to a miserable end. I hope that you and I do not share in the plans, activities and doom of this evil confederacy. How do we escape being caught in their doom? Please see If any man worship the beast and his image..


Footnotes

1.  The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II, Article Auxiliary Bishop, Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.

2. Ibid., Volume IV, Article Conclave.

3.  Ibid., Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV, Article Coronation.

4.The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III, Article Cardinal, Copyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

5. Ibid.

6. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X, ArticleMetalwork in the Service of the Church, Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat,October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

7. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII, Article Shrines of Our Lady and the Saints in Great Britain and Ireland, Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor
Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

8. Ibid.

9.The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VI, Article Golden Rose, Copyright © 1909 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, September 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor, Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.

10.The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III, Article Chalice, Copyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. Please consider carefully the following passages in their context:

Leviticus 2:11, "No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire."
Exodus 34:25, "Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning."
Luke 12:1, "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
1 Corinthians 5:6, "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?"
1 Corinthians 5:7, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"
1 Corinthians 5:8, "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Galatians 5:9, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

14. Ex. 12:19 says, referring to the Passover, "Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land." See also Ex. 12:15.

15. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X, Article Metalwork in the Service of the Church, Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

16. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III. Article Catholic, Copyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. 

17. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII, Article Sarum Rite, Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company, Online Edition Copyright © 1999 by Kevin Knight, Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, D.D., Censor, Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

18.  John O'Brien, (a Roman Catholic "Father"), The Faith of Millions, Huntington, Ind., Our Sunday Visitor, 1938, p.71.

19. The Seven Heads of the Sea-Beast. For the sea-beast the seven heads appear to indicate its pedigree or family tree. What does this mean? Please read Re.13:1,2. These verses reveal that the sea-beast  is made up of parts of all four of the beasts of Daniel chapter 7 -- a lion, a bear, a four-headed leopard, and a monster with 10 horns . If we add up the heads of these beasts we get, 1+1+4+1=7 heads. As noted previously [See 6. Revelation 14:8 - Babylon is fallen under "B. The Beast" points (b) and (c)], the sea-beast inherited characteristics of the kingdoms before it and perpetrated their errors. The four beasts of Daniel 7 represented, in order, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. So the sea-beast in Revelation inherits characteristics of these four empires.

20. The Seven Heads of the Dragon. We have previously looked closely at the identity of the dragon (see Babylon is fallen) and found that it symbolises Satan. So we would expect the seven heads on this beast to represent all the various powers described in Daniel and Revelation which are used by Satan in his war against God's people. Apart from the dragon, there are seven other "beast powers" mentioned in the books of Daniel and Revelation. These are:

1. Babylon (lion of Dan. 7).
2. Medo-Persia (bear of Dan. 7, ram of Dan. 8).
3. Greece (leopard of Dan. 7, goat of Dan. 8).
4. Imperial Rome (monster of Dan. 7).
5. Papal Rome (sea-beast of Re. 13).
6. Atheism (the beast from the bottomless pit of Re. 11: 7). Revelation Chapter 11 and Atheism.
7. Protestant USA (land-beast of Re. 13). 
The scarlet beast of Revelation 17 is an eighth power, but is actually a reappearance of one of the previous seven (as we will discover in more detail later in this study).  As Re. 17: 11 says, "he is the eighth, and is of the seven".

I suggest that the above seven powers are the seven heads of the dragon. All these powers are noteworthy for their oppression of God's people. The seventh power has not yet (Oct. 2001) been so noteworthy as the others in this. But it will soon manifest this attribute in a marked degree -- as predicted in Revelation chapter 13. 

21.  John sees the beast in its final end-time manifestation. A point worth noting here is that when John is shown the woman sitting on the scarlet beast (Re. 17:1-6), he sees the beast in its final end-time manifestation. He sees the Papal power in its resurrected state (as the eighth power). How do we know this? Because the religious powers (Babylon) and the civil powers (scarlet beast) are united (symbolised by the seating arrangement) in the final end-time religio-political conglomerate. 

22.  Check the Greek verbs of vs. 14, 15. Also, please note that we do not go to heaven at death -- see Appendix Seven- What happens when you die?

23. See 4. Revelation 14:7b - The hour of His judgment is come "Daniel Chapter Seven" point (f) and following.

24. See footnote above entitled John sees the beast in its final end-time manifestation.

25.  By studying Daniel 11: 35 and 12: 7-10 along with Daniel 7: 25 we can see that the time of the end when Daniel's prophecies were to be unsealed started at the end of the 1260 years of persecution ie. 1798. At this time the prophecies in the book of Daniel were to be understood and also prophecies in Revelation (like chapter 17) more clearly comprehended. 

26. Or you could say "168 BC - 476 AD" and point out that the period 476 to 538 was an interlude as the Papacy gathered power.  The Western Roman Empire is "officially" classed as coming to an end in 476 AD. The Eastern Emperors continued to reign until 538 AD and beyond.  538 AD was when the Papacy was effectively established as the next persecuting power.

27. The understanding of the seven heads presented here (and also the identity of the eighth power) was first brought to my attention by: Januik J, Great Controversy Endgame, Book One, Australia, John Janiuk PO Box 244 Alstonville, NSW 2477 Australia, 1999, Chapter 6. 

28. The nature of this war is outlined in Revelation 14-9-11 -- If any man worship the beast and his image.

29. Information source: Tucker J&P, Nature Quest, Washington, Review and Herald, 1994, Reading for Aug.12th.