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  "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." (Rev.  17:1.)  The angel that was talking to John is one of the seven which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues. (See Rev. 15:7; 16:1.)  It will be noticed that he had the vial of the plague ready, but it had not been poured out at the time he said to John, "Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore."  By the information given, it is certain that the event predicted by the symbol, the woman sitting on the beast, is shortly before the plagues are poured out and in the time when the "woman" is to be judged.
 

   The reason John was shown the vision, is made clear by the words of the angel: "Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters."  The angel's interpretation of the "waters" is given in Rev. 17:15: "Peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."  The woman sitting on them denotes that the inhabitants (waters) had fallen into her trap of deception (sitting on them).

   "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." (Rev. 17:4.)  The woman is a symbol of a counterfeit religious system.  From her cup she hands out false doctrines.  Being golden, it has an appearance of splendor -- inviting.  Her costly garments of loud colors and precious ornaments vividly portray the magnificence of this most vile woman and her kingly pomp, and vain glory.  By the power of her attraction, so irresistible to the human eye, she has conquered men of the strongest intellect -- "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication."  Millions with strong mental faculties, men who appear as giants among the inhabitants of the earth, have fallen helpless victims in her trap.  The

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kings of the earth are guilty of spiritual adultery with the "woman" (drunk with false doctrines), thereby becoming entangled in her seductive snares.

   Any so called Christian organization handing out false doctrines under an appearance of virtue, evidently is governed by the power of the "woman."  The origin of all such fallacious teachings can be traced back into the golden cup.  Said the angel: "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth."  It has been previously explained that the heads are symbols of so-called Christians denominations, and as she sits on them all, it denotes a union of churches under one head -- "the woman."  The Biblical number "seven" apprehends all such organizations.

   If all the churches at this present time were led by the Holy Spirit, there would be no confusion among the so-called Christian sects.  As it would be impossible for all to be right while no two believe alike, it is warrantable to say that those who are drinking the wine from the "cup of her fornication," are not few, for Inspiration says: "And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Rev. 17:2, last part.)

   Note that the "woman" sits on the "waters," also on the "heads," and on the beast." (See Rev. 17:1, 3, 9.)  As it would be impossible for one person to sit on all three objects at one time, the prophetic symbols reveal a spiritual fraud in three different periods.  Thus John declares: "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast." Not upon the "waters", nor upon the "heads."  Before he saw her, the angel said, The woman "sitteth upon many waters."  It was the angel also who added, "The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." (See Rev. 17:1, 9.)  Thus, John saw her last exploit only (sit upon the beast).  Consequently, the symbol, sitting on the "waters" is her first act, according to the vision.

   Therefore, her first achievement ("sitting on the waters"), must have been in the past from the time the prophetic symbol is revealed.  Hence, the sitting on the heads becomes her second accomplishment, and the sitting on the Beast is the last; at which time she is judged.

   As the Protestant churches are represented by the heads, she could not have sat on them before the reformation, for they were not as yet in existence.  As the heads upon which the "woman sits" are unharmed, it is evident that the prophetic symbol is to meet its fulfillment some time after the deadly wound of the leopard-like beast of Revelation 13:3, is healed.  The

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symbol, sitting on the heads, denotes union of churches, for she sits on them.

   Therefore, when Catholicism, Protestantism, and Spiritualism clasp each other's hand by the medium of a league, then it could be said, "the woman sitteth on the heads."

   The symbol of the "woman sitting on the beast," will meet its fulfillment when that religious federation shall make an alliance with the powers of the world.  Such an act would give the woman full control of the entire beast, horns and heads -- the world.  At that time the following Scripture will meet its perfect fulfillment: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast." (Rev. 13:16, 17.)

   Thus the symbol of the "woman" sitting on the "waters," represents the period before the reformation.  This was true during the period of papal supremacy, for at that time the papacy ruled the Roman world -- "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."  Thus the "woman" sat on the "waters" during the 1260 prophetic years of Daniel 7:25, but she is yet to sit on the "heads," and on the "beast."  Had she sat on the non-descript beast instead of on the "waters," it would have been wrongly symbolized, for, the "woman," by the tool of Catholicism, did not reign over all the world (beast), but over many "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (many waters).  Therefore, the symbol, "sitting upon the scarlet colored beast," denotes an international religio-political system.
 

   This question may be answered by the following Scriptures: "And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." (Rev. 17:6.)  This could truly be said of the Roman church, for, she persecuted the Christians and martyred them.  Therefore, she is "drunk" with their blood.  True, the Roman church has had unlawful connection with the "woman"; was, and is drunk with the wine of her fornication.

   The "woman" did not originate with the Roman church, but rather she produced that church.  Therefore, we must trace her existence beyond the beginning of the papacy.  Revelation 18:24, throws light upon the subject: "And in her was found the blood of the prophets, and of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."  The holy Word of God declares that the "woman"

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is guilty of the blood of the martyrs in all ages.  Therefore, the "woman" is drunk with the blood of Abel, and thus the blood of "all" the martyrs is found in her; proving that Cain was her first client by presenting a counterfeit sacrifice (false doctrine), and by slaying his brother.

   There are many so-called Christians, who like Cain, say, "It makes no difference; one thing is as good as another."  But God accepts no substitute and no man's religion.  That which human wisdom has devised, is man's righteousness, and not the righteousness of Christ.  Therefore, it is an abomination in God's sight.  The human fiber of obedience to divine requirements being weakened, and the sinful inclinations strengthened from generation to generation, the nature of man cannot be better at this Present time than when the disciples asked Jesus: "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"  So-called Christians, like the Pharisees, become offended when told of their errors, and rebuked for their sins.  "But He answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matt. 15:12-14.)

   "And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." (Rev. 17:5.)  The woman riding on the beast is the mother.  The seven heads on the beast are the symbols of her daughters (harlots).  Catholicism is her first daughter in this symbol, and as Protestantism sprang from Catholicism, then, apostate Protestantism in the multiplicity of sects, are her daughters also.  Or it may be said, the woman" is the mother of Catholicism, and Catholicism is the mother of Protestantism.  Says the Revelator: "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy." (Rev. 17:3.)  Thus the number of "heads," and "full of names," include all the offshoots from Protestantism and Catholicism.  Had there been no mention made of being "full of names," more than seven, and "scarlet," which denotes that God's people have been called out of it, therefore, "scarlet" -- skimmed -- under curse ready to perish, the Biblical number "seven heads," would have included those who are carrying God's message as in the period of the leopard-like beast of Revelation 13:1, at the time his deadly wound was healed.  Therefore, it would have made no allowance for the church which "keep the commandments of God, and the Faith of Jesus," and thus it would have contradicted the following Scripture: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [God's church], and went to make war with the remnant of her

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seed [Israel the true -- the 144,000], which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Rev. 12:17.)

   God has never had more than one movement in existence at a time and it could not be otherwise now, for Christ cannot be divided.  (See 1 Cor. 1:13.) God's church is well marked in every generation by obedience to present truth.  The fact itself proves the claim true as there is only one church in the period of the beast which has the "Spirit of Prophecy" and all of the commandments as written by the finger of God.  Said Jesus: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19.)  It is this divine principle that shall divide the world into two classes -- the commandments of God and the traditions of men.  "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (Matt. 25:32, 33.)

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