Satan to date has had ample time to paganize a specific so-called ‘Christian sect’ that has existed on earth for over 1,800 years. This is in preparation for that religion to be the very ‘root’ of the Worldwide religion of “the Scarlet Harlot” who will support and bring the “Scarlet BEAST” (The Antichrist) to the fore.

Paul wrote this concerning “the last days” before the Rapture;

“This know also, that in the last days [preceding the Rapture] perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 (KJV)

I am sure we recognize these traits of humanity listed above in the present-day upheaval seen in the USA and in the world, such as has been growing over the years. If in fact “the last days” and the Rapture of which Paul writes are near or actually here, then the ‘root religion’ upon which Satan will create his fully manifested “Scarlet Harlot” religion of Revelation 13-4 and 17-18 must already exist today. Therefore, we should be able recognize and identify it from the verses we’ve been studying.

Please realize that this ‘root religion’ of the coming “Scarlet Harlot” has to remain intact after being ‘left behind’ on earth after the Rapture of the genuine Christian church called “the body of Christ” who will have been removed from planet earth to dwell “eternal” in “the heavenly places” (cf. 1 Thes. 4:13-18, 1 Cor, 15:51-55, Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Cor 5:1b). As we’ve seen earlier, the ‘root religion’ of the yet to become the fully manifested ‘Harlot religion’ needs to presently be;

• fully functioning on earth,
• internationally based and
• well established

This is so that the Antichrist can align himself with “The Harlot” when he comes upon the world scene… to thereby gain the Harlot’s reflected ‘religious respectability’ and ‘assumed’ righteousness. In addition to being ‘left behind’ after the Rapture, functional, international, and well established, the Bible tells us the candidate religion for this role, who we are trying to identify, must be;

1. Headquarted in a “great city”
2. Sitting atop “seven mountains or hills”
3. Stained with the blood of martyred believers of the past, both Jews and Gentiles
4. One who is responsible for the killing of 2 or more of the Holy Apostles of Jesus Christ
5. One who ‘Reigned over kings of the earth’ during John’s time
6. One who is guilty of great historical crimes and sins
7. One who has colluded with countries of the world ‘politically’ and with ‘commercial businesses’

There exists only one active ‘candidate religion’ today that meets these requirements in full and that is the Roman Catholic Church (the RCC). It obviously is headquarted in the “great city” of Rome, sitting atop ‘Seven hills.’ The RCC with its Pontifex (Pontiff) had its beginning as the religious wing of the ‘Roman Empire’ as established by the Roman Emperor Constantine 1 who came to power in 306AD.

A pontiff (from Latin ‘pontifex’) was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the most illustrious of the colleges of ‘priests’ of the Roman religion. After several years as the Roman Emperor, Constantine ‘deviously accepted Christianity’ in 312AD, deciding for it to become the ‘State Religion’ of the Roman Empire.

It is important to understand that during the time that followed Constantine’s acceptance of Christianity he added many of the already existing ‘pagan traditions of the Roman Empire, forming his own corrupted Roman version Christianity. Many of these corrupt pagan characteristics are still largely reflected in the unbiblical false doctrine and worship of the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the already pagan citizens of ancient Rome became Christians in name only, simply wanting to gain or maintain their influence and favor with Constantine.

Now notice the term “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS,” in this verse, suggesting that she must have “Harlot daughters.”

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour [the color of sin], and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication [idolatry]: ⁵ And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:4-5 (KJV)

Playing “the Harlot” in the Old Testament was not necessarily a sexual matter but one of turning away from God to worship strange or pagan gods. It was always God’s plan to have a people for His own – to be their God, to be their king, to be as a husband to His bride, Israel (cf. Hosea). The people of Israel were rebellious from the beginning and they would continually be rebellious throughout even offering up children to pagan gods. The evil king of Israel, Manassah, offered his own son as a sacrifice (2 Kings 21:6), as did King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:1-4). Child sacrifice was one reason for Israel’s Babylonian captivity (verse 36).

I will say this plainly, the ‘Roman Catholic Church’ is the root “Mother of Harlots” (above) of the ‘New Testament’ age in that she is even now the ‘mother’ of the broadest swath of Christendom, including the apostate old-line, now liberal, Protestant denominations that exist on earth today. We could say these denominations are the ‘daughters’ of “the Harlot’s” root religion. They still bear many of her very same traditions, false doctrines, rituals, and rites. This is not to say that all their members are lost pagans. Some, as you will see later, have God-fearing hearts are known to the Lord, even while they unknowingly participate of the “Mother” (RCC) or “daughter” (Protestant) Harlot religious systems.

The Roman Empire ruled and reigned over “the Kings of earth” during John’s time when he received this vision of “the Revelation” that we are now studying. Therefore, he no doubt understood the prophetic words of the Revelation concerning “Great city” on “seven hills” to mean ‘Rome’ in some fashion or another. I have visited a few of Rome’s ‘seven hills’ that still exist under the names of; Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal. Even today Rome is sometimes referred to as the ‘eternal city’ that ‘sits upon seven hills,’ and the RCC is often called by them the “Holy Mother Church.”

During the historical periods of the Roman Catholic Inquisitions many genuine Christian Bible believers were killed as so-called heretics. The Roman Inquisition began in 1542AD as part of the Catholic Church's Counter-Reformation against the spread of Protestantism after the previously established Spanish Catholic Inquisition of 1478, killing Jews and Muslims. This certainly fulfills the Rev. 17:6 requirement of “the shed blood of the saints,” identifying the murderous Harlot’s rooted past of the RCC. Below is a quote related to this from the American theologian Albert Barnes who lived between 1798 and 1870.

“The meaning here (Rev. 17:6) is that the persecuting power referred to had shed the blood of the saints; and that, in its fury, it had, as it were, was drunk with the blood of the slain, and had become, by drinking that blood, intoxicated and infuriated. No one need say how applicable this has been to the papacy [of Catholicism]… How applicable this is to the papacy, let the blood shed in the valleys of Piedmont; the blood shed in the Low Countries by the Duke of Alva; the blood shed on Bartholomew’s day; and the blood shed in the Inquisition, testify.”

We also have the historical record of two or more of Jesus’ Holy Apostles being killed either in Rome or by orders delivered from Rome, thus fulfilling Rev. 18:20. History clearly tells us that the Apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome in AD68 and the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down under the Roman Emperor Nero in about the same year. In addition, there is the ‘historical evidence’ that the Apostle Andrew was crucified by order of the Roman Governor of a town named Patra in Greece.