The Powerful Women of Revelation and the Related Secrets:
Many wonder about the “last days” and what they will mean for mankind. Prophetic books such as Revelation, Isaiah, and Daniel, including the teachings of Jesus, have much to say on this. One of the most helpful keys in unlocking many of the sacred secrets regarding the last days is to understand the roles of the two primary women mentioned in Revelation. Revelation ties many prophesies together and can be very difficult to understand. However, understanding the meanings behind the two primary women can give someone a greater understanding of prophesy, not just in Revelation, and what is truly yet to come. The women are known by many names but primarily they go by, “Babylon The Great” and “New Jerusalem.”
If you have not done so already, this would be a good time to review the main players in this prophetic figurative story. Without a good understanding of the main players, it will be very difficult to understand the following prophetic passages. The main players include The Almighty, His Son Jesus, and the great opposer Satan. There are sections at the end of this article which go over their identities in greater detail.
Basically speaking, each woman represents kingship over the entire world of man. This authority is limited and given by the Almighty.
These two women are symbolic and have multiple identities, but their self-chosen roles remain constant. Although they both are supposed to be doing the Almighty’s will, only the latter one does. The first woman exists from the founding of mankind and takes on a selfish and destructive course, misleading the entire world of mankind away from the Almighty. This destructive and evil woman is removed and replaced with the second woman who, unlike the first woman, does God’s will and directs mankind straight to the Almighty, Yahweh. Due to the faithful course of the second woman, grand blessings are bestowed upon mankind including the literal earth.
The first woman is presently known as the kingdom of this world. She seethes in deceptive worship, just as the literal ancient city and world power known as Babylon the Great was. Not only is she known as Babylon the Great but also as The Great Prostitute and the Mother of Abominations, in Revelation. She has not been loyal to God but makes alliances with the kings of the earth to further her dark objectives in misleading the whole of mankind away from the Almighty. The one directing this evil woman is the great adversary to the Almighty, Satan himself. This woman is his primary tool for deceiving the world of mankind.
The key time of the destruction of the first woman and the placing of the second is brought out in prophetic passages in Revelation, Daniel, and Isaiah. Jesus referenced Daniel by name when talking about this critical time period (Matthew 24:15). Certainly, If Jesus put faith in the writings of Daniel, we should too.
- Revelation 11:15 identifies this time as, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever.” (NIV)
- Daniel 2:44 identifies this time as God’s kingdom crushing and putting and end to Gentile rule, worldwide. Just as Satan uses religion as a powerful tool, so does the Almighty and his Son. This is when The Great Prostitute (AKA Babylon the Great) is destroyed and Christ and his “Bride Class” making up New Jerusalem begin their priestly rule. Unlike Babylon the Great, the Great Prostitute, the kingdom of God will have no end. It will endure forever.
- Daniel brings out the time periods of tribulation for the literal city of Jerusalem by the hands of the king of the north, in Daniel chapter 11. This should not be confused with the figurative Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation, although the events with the literal city coincide with the beginning of the approximate 3.5 year tribulation. This is the second advent of the king of the north coming against her (Jerusalem). Both events were mentioned by Jesus as he referred to the writings of Daniel. The first advent was Rome (as the abomination for that time) conquering Jerusalem in the first century. This is brought out in Daniel 8 and 11:15-17. The second time along with the identity of the king of the north has yet to be realized. Daniel 11:1-12:12 shows that when the king of the north for our day captures and occupies the old city of Jerusalem, that will be the beginning of the approximate 3.5-year tribulation meant for cleansing God’s people. But just as Jesus told his disciples to watch out for the event (sign) of literal Jerusalem being surrounded by the abomination (King of the north in the first century, which was Rome), it was a sign to signify events to watch out for and we need to do the same. For those who heeded Jesus’ teaching to watch for the sign, in the first century, they got out of Jerusalem and spared themselves destruction. Daniel indicated how long the tribulation period, for our day, would last in literal days, in Daniel 12. However, there is no way to calculate the beginning date of the tribulation period mentioned in the later half of Daniel 11. But as mentioned, there is a sign which involves the king of the north against Jerusalem that signifies the start. Unlike the first advent of the king of the north against Jerusalem resulting in destruction, the second results in him occupying it. Though it appears that many die in the struggle. It is critical to look for signs, not dates.
Isaiah 9:1-7 depict the worldwide gloom of the Great Prostitute as being removed by God directing his appointed one to the throne of David, Jesus. Opposers will be humbled.
Isaiah 25 depicts God’s kingdom as destroying the shroud that envelopes all nations by bringing death to nothing.
- Revelation 21:4; When New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven, it brings death to nothing. The Great Prostitute, Babylon the Great has been destroyed by this point in time, by the nations. God put it in their hearts to do this.
- Daniel 12:1-2. Right after the destruction of the king of the north, Michael stands up and death is brought to nothing with the resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous.
- In John 5:28-29, Jesus prophesied that the time was coming for the good and bad to be brought back to life. Death is done away with. It is emptied.
The destruction of Babylon the Great is thorough.
- Isaiah 25:2 also depicts a fortified city being brought to ruin, to never again be rebuilt. This destruction brings respect and reverence from strong nations and is before blessings are bestowed for those who put their faith in God.
- Revelation 17:15-18; 18:8-10, 21-24 depict a swift and thorough destruction of Babylon the Great. No light will ever come from her. She had misled all the nations. In contrast, light will continually emit from New Jerusalem, 24 hours a day. Nothing defiling will enter or leave. Those ruling as kings and priests with Christ will also shine like the stars as they lead people to righteousness. (Daniel 12:3, Rev. 5:9,10; 18:23; 20:4,5; 21:22-27; 22:5)
- God puts it into the hearts of man to destroy Babylon the great. This happens over a 40-day period of time. Just like Nineva of old, they were told by Jonah that they only had 40 days to meet their destruction. But they repented and so were spared. So, the nations are told of the incoming kingdom of God but they have to show repentance else be destroyed (Mal.4:5-6). The nations show repentance by destroying Babylon the Great, the Great Prostitute (false religion) which is the primary tool that Satan uses to mislead mankind. Thus, they spare destruction. Although, passages show many still oppose God’s incoming kingdom to their own destruction.
- This time period is shown in Daniel 12:11-12 and Revelation 11:11-13; 14:6,7. This happens immediately before the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of “our Lord and his Messiah.”
- Just as false religion, AKA Babylon the Great in Revelation, does not have a literal capital city, true religion, AKA New Jerusalem in Revelation, will most likely not. Compare in Daniel 2:35 where God’s kingdom becomes a large mountain and fills the earth. This symbolizes the complete worldwide rulership of God’s kingdom, not a literal city.
- Interestingly, in Revelation 11:1-2, much of the figurative Holy City of Jerusalem does not measure up and is given to the nations. It is not to be measured. This is for a straightening / cleansing work with righteousness in view as mentioned in Daniel 11:35. After the approximate 3.5 years of tribulation, the city is beautifully righteous. It has been straightened / cleansed. It is now able to be completely measured (Rev.21:15-21). This is in contrast with the figurative Babylon the Great, the Great Prostitute, in Revelation. God puts it into the hearts of people to utterly destroy her, never to return. (Rev.18:21-24)
Just as Satan’s “Great Prostitute, Babylon the Great” does not have a literal city on earth, most likely, New Jerusalem will not either. In fact, Revelation 21:1-4 depicts New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. They are both worldwide kingdoms, just at different times.
The identities and time period of Babylon the Great, the Great Prostitute:
Babylon the Great is not a literal city but it is the worldwide kingdom of false worship. Its fruit is a worldwide gloom that will only be removed with God’s incoming kingdom. This gloom not only includes false teachings but death which we inherited from Adam. This “gloom” of falsehood is to be cleansed from chosen ones during the approximate 3.5-year tribulation, just before the destruction of the figurative Babylon the Great (Daniel 11:35; Mal. 3:1; 4:5-6; Isaiah 9:1-2; 25:1-9).
The worldwide kingdom of false worship is used by Satan to deceive mankind into working against the Almighty, Jehovah. How true are the words of Jesus at John 8:44 that Satan is a man-slayer. This started from the successful tempting of Adam and Eve into sinning against God. This would also be the beginning of the Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation. This is all part of Satan’s efforts to steer mankind away from the Almighty.
The identities and time period of New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ:
New Jerusalem, in Revelation, is not a literal city but the worldwide kingdom of pure worship. God’s kingdom. Its fruitage is abundant blessings for mankind in righteousness including the earth.
Its light of righteousness will always shine, 24 hours a day. The truth will never be shrouded again – Revelation 21.
It is used by the Messiah (Jesus), under the direction of his father the Almighty, to lead people to the Almighty with worldwide blessings both literal and spiritual. Death is also done away with.
New Jerusalem rule exists from the moment that “The kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ.” – Rev. 11:15
The Bride of Christ mentioned in Revelation is comprised of 288,000 individuals from all nations and tongues who have been tested fully and have straightened their worship to God. These ones will rule with Christ as kings and priests. See the section under The Son of the Almighty and How God’s kingdom… for more detailed information.
Some incorrectly believe that Jerusalem is the Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation, due to similar phrases found at Revelation 17:6 and 18:24 where it states that this woman, Babylon the Great, is drunk with the blood of saints and witnesses of Jesus. This is then compared with Jesus’ statement concerning Jerusalem, when he was here on earth in the first century, that she (Jerusalem) had killed prophets and those who were sent to her (Luke 13:34; Matthew 23:37). However, in Revelation 17:18; 18:10, Babylon the Great is mentioned as the “Great City” that rules over the kings of the earth. Literal Jerusalem does not. Revelation 17:15 also describes the figurative Babylon the Great as sitting on the mighty Euphrates river. The ancient literal city of Babylon did, when it was a world power. But as described in verse 15, the river represents peoples, multitudes, and languages. The literal city of Jerusalem of today does not. Also, in Revelation 17:2, this figurative Babylon the Great has corrupted the kings of the earth and all the inhabitants have been made drunk by her actions. Literal Jerusalem does not hold sway to all the kings or inhabitants of the earth. Finally, in Revelation 17:18; 18:23-24, it mentions Babylon the Great as ruling over the kings of the earth, guilty of all those slaughtered on the earth, and guilty of deceiving all nations by her sorcery. So, it is rather easy to see how the literal city of Jerusalem could not be the figurative city of Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation. Only the empire of false religion fits this description, leading mankind away from the Almighty in gloom.