The Mother Whore represents the mother of all church's. The harlots are her children, church's that broke from the mother church that are in apostasy. Isreal was called a harlot when in apostasy. Thus we see Christianity in Apostasy here. John is being shown the judgement of the great whore, the angel with 7 vials of God's wrath is telling John these things, its end time language.
Woman in the Bible represents a church here in this case its the Mother church, Roman Catholism.
The beast she is riding represents a political power, notice she is riding the beast. You can not ride a horse untless the horse is under you. Both go together in history. The church is riding the political power. The Papacy is unique in that it is a church and a government power, we are seeing church and state here.
John was told he was seeing the woman slaughtering Gods people in the wilderness setting. We also saw this wilderness setting in Revelation 12 as the dragon chases the woman into the wilderness for an alloted time of 1260 years.
John was surprises to see the woman killing God's people. The angel said he would show JOhn the mystery. The angel told John what he had just seen "was" the beast that thou sawest "was" referring to the killing John saw. This places the 1260 years we see in the wilderness setting as past tense in the vision "was"
John was then told the beast "is not" this refers to the political power of the Papacy as lost political power as prior to 1798. Notice it mentions it shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. Bottomless it is a fit symbol of restraint imposed on a political power. After 1798 the Papacy was restrained from controling the kings, also it was restrained in persecuting God's people. The time phase of this restraint is called "is not", yet John was told it will become "yet is" or 8th.that goes into perditon. War is made on God's people during the time of the 8th "Yet it". AS 10 kings Ellen white describes as a confederation of protestants that give their power and authority to the beast to make war.
It must be noted there is only two references made to war.
1. Revelation 13 during the 1260 years war in made on the saints and they are overcome.
2. Revelation 17 the ten kings give their power and authority to the beast to make war on the lamb, but the lamb overcomes the beast here. This takes place under the 8th "yet is"
Between the phase "was" 538-1798 and "yet is" 8th we see the phase "is not" So we find the 7 kings mentioned in Revelation 17 as between 1798 and the 8th "yet is"
Since the 7 kings appear between 1798 "was" and the 8th "Yet is" we must look for an explanation of who these 7 kings are.
In Daniel 7 we see a Leopard beast representing Greece, the leopard had four heads representing the division that took place after Alexanders death. Yet notice the four heads are still Greek, they have not changed hands until the dreadful and terrible beast comes on the scene of action. The rule establish here is that heads on a beast belong to the beast represented in a vision.
The 7 heads on the scarlet colored beast belong to the beast represented. Ellen white makes it clear the 10 horns on the beast are a confederation of protestants that give their power and authority to the beast (Papapacy) to make war. Ellen quotes Revelation and uses the word Papacy here. So we know she is referring to the scarlet beast as the Papacy.
Since the rule in Daniel 7 establishes that heads on a beast belong to the beast represented, then we know the 7 heads on the scarlet colored beast we identitified as the Papacy belong to the Papacy. Also note in Daniel the heads and horns on a beast all go forward in time, non go backward in time. This rule established in Daniel points to the fact that the heads and horns in Revelation also go forward in time and not backward as many supposed.
This establishes the fact that the 7 heads on the scarlet colored beast are Papal, not Assyria, Eygpt, Babylon, etc. some have a differnent order.
We also noted these 7 heads are between 1798 "was' and "yet is" 8th. This places the 7 heads after 1798. The decreed death of the Papacy toik place Feb 15, 1798, some say Feb 10, 1798. Pius VI was captured days later and died at the hands of the French.
To understand the 7 heads we must look at the structure of the Papacy. The Papapcy is a Monarchy just like England where we have king Henry XII,, with the Papacy its Pius I or II etc. They have used 79 Papal name's in history and 265 individual pope's. When we look at Daniel we see the angel speaks of 4 kings, referring to the 4 world kingdoms Babylon, Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome. We know the first king the angel makes referece to Babylon, we also know Babylon had more than one king, there was a line of kings in Bablylon, just as there were a line of kings in Persia, Greece, and Pagan Rome.
Like wise when the angel referred to 7 kings or heads on the beast the angel was referencing the same idea, 7 lines of kings, specificllay to the phase "is not" after the decreed death of the Papacy on Feb 15, 1798.
7 kings or lines of kings in a Monarchy. After the Decreed death of the Papapcy we see Pius VI in power in Rome still. Pius is the first name used after Feb 15, 1798. There were other head Pius popes elected after that point in time. Here are the first five Papal name's used by the Papacy after 1798. 1. Pius 2. Leo 3. Gregory 4. Benedict 5. John After 1798 there was a joistling of these first five name's until we came to the 6th Papal name "Paul". After the Papal name Paul was elected we never again saw the previous Papal name's the angel said they were fallen, never again to be used in history.
John was seeing the vision from the stand point of the 6th Papal name since 1798 "one is" why?
Paul goes down in History as pushingthe ecumenical movement to reunite protestants back to Rome, this we see takes place under the 8th "yet is' as described by Ellen White as the 10 kings she calls a confederation of protestants that give their power and authority to the Papacy to make war.
The angel then tells John the 7th had not yet come, here the angel is predicting a new Papal name since the name had not come in history before, the 7th Papal name since 1798 John Paul. The combining of two name' John and Paul makes a new Papal name. The angel say he would only continue a short space. John Paul I = 1 month and John Paul II 24 years goes down in vatican record as shortest reigning Papal name. Remember this is a Monarchy and kings are names. Lines of kings notice two John Paul's. Also notice each name used after 1798 has lines of names' Pius name has 12 pope's in history. Pius is the Monarchy name and 12 is the number of pope's using that Monarchy name. This is the structure of the Papacy.
So we see 7 Papal Monarchy name's used since Feb 15, 1798. 1. Pius 2. Leo 3. Gregory 4. Benedict 5. John 6. Paul 7 John Paul.
John was told the 8th was in sequence to the 7 and was called the "yet is' it was the same persecuting power as the "was" previous to 1798.
The 8th Papal name since 1798 will be another name non of the previous name's. A well know scripture used is John 5:43 Jesus said. I have come in my Fathers name and you have not received me, another will come in his own name him you will recieve. It appears from the statement the next pope uses his own name. Who is the runner up now in the new's and interent, his name is Jean Marie Lustiger a Jew from Paris, France. John Paul II right hand cardinal. He is literally called Pope Lustiger, notice his own name. It fits for sure, Daniel 11 and he shall plant the tablernacles of his palace between the sea's of the Glorious Holy Mountain and he shall come to his end and no one help him. James White saw the power here as the Papacy.
Now lets connect the word Wisdom found in Revelation 13 Wisdom to count the number of the beast for its the number of a man 666. And lets connect the same words wisdom in Revelation 17, the mind with wisdom the 7 heads on the scarlet beast are 7, mountains, and 7 kings. Theword Wisdom connect these two scriptures regarding Babylon.
So lets look at Babylon! Babylon had 36 gods in a mountain abode of the gods, they counted there gods like this 1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +15 +16 +17 +18 +19 +20 +21 +22 +23 +24 +25 +26 +27 +28 +29 +30 +31 +32 +33 +34 +35 +36 = 666 the number was given to the supreme god the sun god 666. So Revelation says to count or add just like they did in Babylon. The instructions are to count specifically the lines of Papal name's used by the Papacy since Feb 15, 1798. The first name is Pius, so we count all the pope's using the name Pius 1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 = count of 78 notice the first Pius I was elected in AD 140 just a few years after John wrote Revelation. You would count the same way for all the other 6 Papal name's. with the next name used Leo we have 13 so we count like this the same as the Babylon count 1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +11 +12 +13 = count of 91 after counting all the lines of popes throught all the Vatican history we get a count of 665 as of John Paul II the 7th name since 1798. We lack but a count of 1 or New 8th Papal name to complete the count of 666 man. Now Ellen White's statement in word to the little flock mades sense. The 666 number is applied to the image beast, Revelaton 13 and he tells the whole world to make and image to the beast. We see here a world wide image beast formed under the last Bishop of Rome who's total count is 666.
See
http://www.666man.net for the full study.
In summary
1 "was" 538-1798 makes war
2. "is not" we see 7 Papal Monarchy names
3. "yet is' 8th makes war
Its a perfect Historical match!!
The idea that the 7 heads are Assyria, Eygpt,Babylon, Pesia, etc or what ever order is not present truth, Revelation 17 is for the last generation and is present truth. It changes the way we see prophecy!! It explains the 7 heads and 10 horns as present truth.
Never in one place in Daniel do the beasts heads, or horns go backward in time, always forward in time. This rule applied to Revelation changes the way we see prophecy and makes prophecy present truth.
This presentation stun's the public, look if the next pope is the last, and he is now in his 70"s what does that tell you about time left? An SDA Evanglist in Orlando Florida already is presenting this study and back's it 100%. He has showed a friend of his who is a popluar TV/personality, and the TV personality who I will not give here has stated WOW! When the next new Papal name comes to power he will personally put it on Public air ways!!
I have made a audio CD that goes into any stero system and what an impact its having on our church, we have people coming to our church from this message. They are sharing this message all over town!! NON SDA's sharing the messsage.
I have also had the scientist at the atomic energy center in Las Almos review the math and they say this is not a coincidence!! Many SDA's are now are sharing this message in thier churchs and town. My church has voted 100% to back me on this and they purchase the CD's for me to burn as are others.
Wendell Slattery who taught computers at Union College is helping me with my web site at
http://www.666man.net he is doing a wonderful job.
SDA's in Brazil have translated it into Portuguese, SDA's in Caracas Venazuela translated it into Spanish, and an SDA pastor uploaded sound to the site, he was healed while presenting the message to him! The SDA church in San Fransico has translated it into Tagola or Philipino language for their people, etc. The stories go on.
Ronald Johnston
http://www.666man.net===========
Reformatting only - Daryl
[ September 08, 2003, 03:19 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]