MOTHER OF HARLOTS

 Temple Baptist Church - 9-26-2021

Revelation 17:5

 

Introduction:  We will deal with the political system in chapter 18, but the Bible places the religious system first in chapter 17.  This is the reverse of chapter 13 where the beast of the sea, the political system, is mentioned first and the beast of the earth, the religious system is mentioned last.  The Scripture has a reason for the reversal.  It is the religious system that will cause the people of earth to worship the political system (the beast of the sea), by making an image to the beast and causing the image to speak.  Those who will not worship the image of the beast will by martyred.  It should be obvious to even the casual reader that chapter 17 refers to the end-time political system as the Roman Catholic Church. 

 

A.  As we begin tonight, I want to point out that the word “Babel” is a transliteration of the Hebrew word “Babylon”.    These two are the same.  The first World Power, Babel, was a humanistic (the "god of self"), idolatrous (the "gods of imagery and idols), anti-God nation (the "god" of human government) under the dictatorship of Nimrod.  The building of the Tower of Babel was similar in intent with the desire of Lucifer in the Book of Isaiah to overthrow God. 

 

Isaiah 14:13-14  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  (14)  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

 

B.  When God confounded the language, the people of Babel were scattered abroad over all the earth.  Though their language was confounded, those who were scattered over all the earth had the same political and religious systems which they brought with them out of Babel and set up in all parts of the world where they migrated to.  Today's globalism is already set up as it was in the beginning.

 

Genesis 11:3-4  And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.  (4)  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.  (The desire of man is to be unified in rebellion against God while God's desire for men is that they be separated or scattered.)

 

Acts 17:26-27  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;  (27)  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:  (God will allow globalism when it is the appointed time.)

 

C.  Every pagan religion and government in the world sprang from the same religious root, Babel!  They all have the same humanistic, idolatrous, anti-God mentality.  They just mentally rebuilt the same "tower" that sought to do away with the one true God only to be replaced by their inferior little "gods."

 

Genesis 11:8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.  (In our day, globalism is once again bringing these different nations together along with their political and religious systems.)

 

D.  Both the political structure and the religious beliefs were passed down from one world power to the other: from Babel to Assyria (who were idol worshippers), from Assyria to Egypt (who were idol worshippers), from Egypt to Babylon (who were idol worshippers), to Medo-Persia (who were idol worshippers), from Medo-Persia to Greece (who were idol worshippers), and from Greece to Rome (who were idol worshippers), where the Roman Church began as the Roman Catholic Church (which were and continue to be idol worshippers).  All seven world powers are known for their worship of images and idols along with polytheism.  The Roman Catholic Church is polytheistic:  the worship both Mary (Mariolatry) and Jesus Christ!  Every island, every jungle, every nation has its images and idols while their gods are not the God of the Bible.

 

E.  In the end-time, the world will once again be reunited through Globalism into one government and one religion.  The government will be socialism under Antichrist and the religion will be "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" under the False Prophet.

 

F.  The official beginning of the Roman Catholic Church is found in the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.  The Roman Catholic Church was born in the blasphemy and idolatry of Rome and operates contrary to the Word of God.  I do not want to do a history lesson tonight, so I will bring this down to the "Harlot" churches it ultimately produced.  Harlotry produces harlotry!

 

G.  On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest, posted his Ninety-five Theses, propositions for debate concerned with the question of indulgences, written (in Latin) on the door of the Castle Church, Wittenberg, Germany. This event came to be known as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.  Martin Luther tried to reform the Roman Catholic Church from within, but was excommunicated in 1521 by Pope Leo X.

 

H.  Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin were the most noted of the reformers who wanted reform the Catholic Church while remaining within it.  This is contrary to the Scriptures.  It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.  The Word of God teaches separation, not reformation.

 

2 Corinthians 6:14-18  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

 

J.  Though the newly formed Protestant Churches disagreed in many ways with the Roman Catholic Church, they also agreed with some of its false teachings and brought these heretical teachings into these reformed churches: some sacraments, rituals, dress, sprinkling or pouring instead of emersion, pedobaptism, holy communion, etc.

 

K.  Through the years, many of the preachers of Protestant churches preached a clear gospel while maintaining their liturgical services.  As the years passed, they began to revolve back into the false teachings of Roman Catholicism.  Personal merit and baptism were taught as essential to salvation.  Today's Protestant churches bear little resemblance to those of the past centuries and their congregations reflect these changes.

 

L.  One of the most prevalent signs of the end-times has been the change in Baptist churches, especially in the past 100 years.  I do not believe in Baptist Succession!  From the days of Christ, there has been a succession of people who followed the Scriptures and were named Anabaptists by the Roman Catholic Church.  Today's Baptist churches, for the most part, are both liberal and compromised.

 

M.  This next statement will probably get me into trouble with many but one of the men who helped bring about these Harlot churches was the "Reverend Doctor" Billy Graham.  Billy Graham was not a friend of the Bible though he is heralded as such.  As early the 1960's, Roman Catholic priests sat on the stages with Billy Graham while he preached.  Other Catholic priests help deal with the people who came forth during invitations.  If a Catholic came forward during an invitation, he or she was directed to a Catholic priest for help, so they remained both Catholic and lost! 

N.  Research on Billy Graham's actions and statement concerning his affiliation with Roman Catholicism are readily available from numerous sources for those who care to check my preaching.  Billy Graham was given an honorary doctor's degree by the Belmont Abbey in 1967 by Roman Catholic priests.  Billy Graham was also closely associated with the Catholic Pope in Rome along with many other Catholic priests.  He made it alright to be a Christian and Catholic, a state that does not and cannot exist as the two are contrary to one another. 

 

O.  I do not want to spend a lot of time on Billy Graham, but I will say that he was not a friend of the Bible and, therefore, not a friend of the Gospel!  The following statement was made by Billy Graham while being interviewed on Robert Schuller's "Hour of Power" in 1997:

 

“I think that everybody that loves Christ or knows Christ—whether they’re conscious of it or not, they’re members of the Body of Christ,” Billy Graham said. “And that’s what God is doing today. He’s calling people out of the world for His name.”

 

“Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they’ve been called by God,” Graham continued. “They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their heart that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light that they have.”

 

P.  Now, down to our day.  Both Protestant and Baptist churches work together with the Catholic Church.  Most notable would be during the time around Easter.  I personally do not like to use the word "Easter" but had rather used the phrase "Resurrection Sunday."  Forty-one days before "Easter," Shrove Tuesday is celebrated as it is the day before Ash Wednesday or the beginning of Lent.  Shrove Tuesday or "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras."  Lent, forty days before Easter and the purple draped crosses are seen in front of most churches in our areas as the announcement to passing people that Lent is being observed.

 

Q.  During Lent, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, and other churches have ecumenical services, prayer breakfasts, etc. together.  This makes being Catholic alright with so-called Christianity and so-called Christianity alright with the Catholics.  Thus, we see the harlotry spoken of in Revelation 17:5 coming to fruition in these last days as both Protestant and many Baptist churches accept Roman Catholicism as another Christian denomination.

 

Revelation 2:20, 24  thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols ...   the depths of Satan …

 

R.  Here we sit today and have been here for several decades!