Chapter Thirty-Three -Judging the Infamous Harlot

Conclusion of A Name, a Mystery

Look now at what the harlot has in her hand.  John must have gasped at the sight of it-a golden cup "full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her fornication" with which she has made all the nations drunk.  (Revelation 14:8; 17:2)   It looks rich on the outside, but its contents are disgusting, unclean.  (Compare Matthew 23:25, 26.) It contains all the filthy practices and lies that the great harlot has used to seduce the nations and bring them under her influence. Even more revolting, John sees that the harlot herself is inebriated, drunk with the blood of God's servants!  In fact, we later read that "in her was found the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth." (Revelation 18:24)  What massive bloodguilt!

Over the centuries, the world empire of false religion has shed oceans of blood. For example, in medieval Japan, temples in Kyoto were transformed into fortresses, and warrior-monks, invoking "the holy name of Buddha," battled one another until the streets ran red with blood. In this 20th century, the clergy of Christendom have marched  with the armies of their respective  countries, and these have slaughtered on another, with  the loss of at least a hundred million lives.  In October 1987 former U.S. president Nixon said:  "The 20th century has been the  bloodiest in history. More people have been killed in the wars of the this century than in all the wars fought before the century began."  The religions of the world are judged adversely by God for their share in all of this!  Jehovah detests "hands that are shedding innocent blood."  (Proverbs 6:16, 17)  Earlier, John heard a cry from the altar:  "Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from  judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth? "  (Revelation 6:10)  Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth will be deeply involved when the time comes to answer that question. 

Next time:  Chapter Thirty-Four -An Awesome Mystery Solved

From the book of Revelation