Trinity Apologetics

Is the Roman Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon?

Is there a better fulfillment of the whore of Babylon as described in Revelation 17 & 18 than the Church of Rome? The name written upon her forehead was, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:5). Like Israel who went a whoring after other gods, committing idolatry and spiritual adultery (e.g. Judges 2:17), this whore is full of abominations, filthiness and adultery (Rev. 17:4). She is described as arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, decked with gold and precious stones, committing fornication with the kings of the earth, making the merchants of the earth rich through the abundance of her delicacies, being drunk with the blood of saints (Rev. 17:6 cf. 18:24), and even trading in the souls of men (Rev. 18:13) and deceiving all nations by her sorceries (v.23). A whore is an unfaithful and adulterous woman who cheats on her husband. A church that is perverting the gospel, idolatrous in worship or merely formal in holiness or opposed to true godliness--compromising to worldliness and greed--is a spiritual adulterer. Idolatrous and unfaithful Israel was called an adulterer and harlot (e.g. Jeremiah 3:7-9). The highest fulfillment of the whore of Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church in her pomp, tyranny, idolatry, greed and bloodshed of millions. But yes, it can apply even to Protestant churches who are unfaithful to Christ. Perhaps the big kicker is that this whore sits on seven hills (Rev. 17:9) and Rome was known as the City of Seven Hills. The Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the pope's official church/cathedral and the highest-ranking church in Rome, is on Caelian Hill today, one of the seven hills.