A woman rides the beast that represents Antichrist and the revived Roman Empire he will rule. She is a city built on seven hills that reigns over the kings of the earth!

Many prophecy teachers insist that the woman is the United States. No, the US is a country. It might justifiably be referred to as Sodom, considering the honor now given to homosexuals, but it is not "Mystery Babylon." She is declared to be a city.

Nor is the woman ancient Babylon now being rebuilt in Iraq, for it is not built on seven hills.  Only Rome meets all the criteria, including being known as Babylon. Even Catholic apologist Karl Keating confirms that Rome was known as The Catholic Encyclopedia states, "It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is now confined."

The woman is called a "whore", with whom earthly kings "have committed fornication". Vatican City claims to have been the worldwide headquarters of Christianity since its beginning. Her pope claims to be the Vicar of Christ, and his Church the true Church and bride of Christ.

Christ said His kingdom was not of this world, otherwise His servants would fight. Yet, the popes have fought with armies and navies in the name of Christ to build a worldwide empire. Vatican II states that even today the Roman Catholic Church ceaselessly seeks to bring under its control all mankind and all their goods. And in furtherance of these goals it has engaged, exactly as John foresaw, in fornication (unholy alliances) with the kings of the earth.

She is clothed in “purple and scarlet ", the colors of the Catholic clergy. The Catholic Encyclopedia states,

Cappa Magna - A cloak with a long train and a hooded shoulder cape...[it] was purple wool for bishops; for cardinals, it was scarlet watered silk....

Cassock - The close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by the Catholic clergy as their official garb....The color for bishops and other prelates is purple, for cardinals scarlet....

Her incredible wealth next caught John's eye. She was "decked with gold and precious stones and pearls...." Even Christ's blood-stained cross has been turned to gold, reflecting her riches.

She had "a golden cup [chalice] in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication". The Catholic Encyclopedia calls the gold chalice "the most important of the sacred vessels in the Catholic Church...."

She has practiced evil to gather her wealth, for the "golden cup" is filled with "abominations and filthiness." Much of the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church was acquired by confiscating property of the Inquisitions' pitiful victims. Even the dead were exhumed to face trial and property was taken from their heirs by the Church. That practice, one historian writes, offered "unlimited opportunities for loot."

Most of Rome's wealth has been acquired through the sale of salvation (i.e. indulgences). Untold billions of dollars have been paid to her by those who thought they were purchasing heaven on the installment plan for themselves or loved ones. The practice continues to this day—blatantly where Catholicism is in control, less obviously here in the United States where (for example) one pays the Church to have a Mass Card placed on the altar in the name of the deceased during Mass to reduce time in purgatory.

In addition to such perversions of the gospel, there are the further abominations (fully documented in police and court records) of corrupt banking practices, laundering of drug money, trading in counterfeit securities and dealings with the Mafia, which the Vatican and her representatives around the world have long employed.

John's attention is next drawn to the inscription on the woman's forehead: “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH". Sadly enough, the Roman Catholic Church fits that description as precisely as she fits the others. Much of the cause is due to the unbiblical doctrine of priestly celibacy.

The great Apostle Paul was a celibate and recommended that life to others who wanted to devote themselves fully to serving Christ. He did not, however, make it a condition for church leadership. he wrote that a bishop should be "the husband of one wife" (1 Tim 3:2) and set the same requirement for elders in (Titus 1:5-6).

The doctrine of celibacy has been broken repeatedly by millions of priests and nuns, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and many popes. History is replete with sayings that mocked Romanism's false claim to celibacy: "The holiest hermit has his whore" and "Rome has more prostitutes than any other city because she has the most celibates" are examples. Pope Pius II called Rome "the only city run by bastards," the sons and grandsons of popes and cardinals.

John next notices that the woman is drunk—and not with alcohol but with "the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus...” One thinks immediately of the Inquisitions (Roman, Medieval and Spanish) which for centuries held Europe in their terrible grip. Canon Llorente, who was the Secretary to the Inquisition in Madrid from 1790-92 and had access to the archives of all the tribunals, estimated that in Spain alone the number of condemned exceeded 3 million, with about 300,000 burned at the stake. A Catholic historian writes,

“When Napoleon conquered Spain in 1808, a Polish officer in his army, Colonel Lemanouski, reported that the Dominicans blockaded themselves in their monastery in Madrid. When Lemanouski's troops forced an entry, the inquisitors denied the existence of any torture chambers.

The soldiers searched the monastery and discovered them under the floors. The chambers were full of prisoners, all naked, many insane. The French troops, used to cruelty and blood, could not stomach the sight. They emptied the torture-chambers, laid gunpowder to the monastery and blew the place up.”

The remnants of some of the chambers of horror remain in Europe and may be visited even today. They are also memorials to the astonishing accuracy of John's vision in Revelation 17. Do not forget, that the Church has still not yet officially admitted that these practices were evil, nor apologized to the world or to any of the victims or their descendants.

"Christian" Rome has slaughtered many times the number of both Christians and Jews than pagan Rome ever did. The Roman Catholic Church has massacred, tortured and burned at the stake millions simply because they refused to align themselves with the Roman Catholic Church.

Note this excerpt from Pope Nicholas I's (858-67) instructions to the King of Bulgaria, a new convert to what he thought was "Christianity," to force Rome's religion upon his subjects:

“I glorify you for having maintained your authority by putting to death those wandering sheep that refuse to enter the fold; and...Congratulate you upon having opened the kingdom of heaven to the people submitted to your rule.

A king need not fear to command massacres, when these will retain his subjects in obedience, or cause them to submit to the faith of Christ; and God will reward him in this world, and in eternal life, for these murders.”

Why should Rome apologize for or even admit to this holocaust? No one calls her into account today. They don't want to hear any "negative" reminders of the millions tortured and slain by the Church, or the fact that Rome has a false gospel of sacramental works.

Finally, the angel reveals to John that the woman "is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth ". Is there such a city? Yes and again only one: Vatican City. Popes have crowned and deposed kings and emperors, exacting obedience by threatening excommunication. Pope Nicholas I boasted, "Fear, then, our wrath and the thunders of our vengeance; for Jesus Christ has appointed us [the popes]...absolute judges of all men; and kings...are submitted to our authority."

The qualifying data which John gives us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for identifying this woman / city is specific, conclusive and irrefutable. There is no city upon earth, past or present, which meets all of these criteria EXCEPT Catholic Rome and Vatican City.

How much more evidence do you need?

I plead with the people that are in the Catholic Church. God gives a warning to escape Babylon’s Judgment in Revelation 18:4,

”Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;”

And I ask for those that put their faith in Christ and Christ alone for their salvation; pray for the millions of Catholics who are deceived into trusting their Church instead of Christ for salvation.

And for all true believing Christians; get down on your knees away from all others, pray for God’s forgiveness, repent of your sins, and read the Word of God now before it is too late.