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A CITY BUILT ON SEVEN HILLS

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Sir,

In Revelation 17 there is a mysterious character in the heart of prophecy — a woman who rides the beast.” Of this woman we are told,”the woman is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. (vs18) We are also told in the same chapter that,”the city is seated upon seven hills.” Which city is being referred to in Revelation 17?


Of the same woman we are told about that she is a ‘whore’ (Revelation 17:1), that earthly kings “have committed fornication” with her (verse 2), and that “all the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (verse 3). Why would a city be called a whore and be accused of having committed fornication with kings? Such an indictment would never be made of Mbabane or Johannesburg or London—or any other ordinary city. It wouldn’t make sense.


Fornication and adultery are used in the Bible in both the physical and the spiritual sense. Of Jerusalem God said, “How is the faithful city become a harlot!” (Isaiah 1:21). Israel, whom God had set apart from all other peoples to be holy for His purposes, had entered into unholy, adulterous alliances with the idol-worshiping nations about her. She had “committed adultery with stones and with stocks (idols)” (Jeremiah 3:9); “and with their idols have they committed adultery” (Ezekiel 23:37). The entire chapter of Ezekiel 16 explains lsrael’s spiritual adultery in detail, both with heathen nations and with their false gods, as do many other passages.


Engage


There is no way that a city could engage in literal, fleshly fornication. Thus we can only conclude that John, like the prophets in the Old Testament, is using the term in its spiritual sense. The city, therefore, must claim a spiritual relationship with God. Otherwise such an allegation would be meaningless.


Against only one other city in history could a charge of fornication be leveled. That city is Rome, and more specifically Vatican City. She claims to have been the worldwide headquarters of Christianity since its beginning and maintains that claim to this day. Her pope enthroned in Rome claims to be the exclusive representative of God, the vicar of Christ. Rome is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and in that too she is unique.


Rome has long been known as Babylon. Peter’s statement “The church here in Babylon,sends you her greeting” ( I Peter 5:13) proves that Peter was writing from Rome. Peter’s first epistle... was composed at Rome itself; and that he himself indicates this, referring to the city figuratively as Babylon.” “Babylon is a code word for Rome. It is used that way six times in the last book of the Bible


Provides


There are, other cities, that were also built on seven hills such as Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, John provides at least seven more characteristics to limit the identification to Rome alone. Only one city has for more than 2000 years been known as the city on seven hills. That city is Rome. “It is within the city of Rome, called the city of seven hills, that the entire area of Vatican State proper is confined.”

 Bopoto Gwinyai
7663 8191

Though it is built on seven hills, there would be no reason to accuse Rio de Janeiro of spiritual fornication. It makes no claim of having a special relationship with God. And though Jerusalem has that relationship, it cannot be the woman riding on the beast, for it is not built on seven hills. Nor does it meet the other criteria by which this woman is to be identified.

Vatican City is the heartbeat of the Roman Catholic Church. Not only does the pope call himself the vicar of Christ, but the Church he heads claims to be the one true Church and the bride of Christ. Christ’s bride, whose hope is to join her Bridegroom in heaven. Exactly as John foresaw in his vision, a spiritual entity that claimed a special relationship with Christ and with God became identified with a city that was built on seven hills. That “woman” committed spiritual fornication with earthly rulers and eventually reigned over them.

The incredible wealth of this woman caught John’s attention next. She was dressed “in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4). The colors of purple and scarlet once again identify the woman with both pagan and Christian Rome. These were the colors of the Roman caesars with which the soldiers mockingly robed Christ as “King” (see Matthew 27:28 and John 19:2,5), which the Vatican took to itself. The woman’s colors are literally still the colors of the Roman clergy!

The more deeply one probes into the history of the Vatican city and its current practices, the more impressed one becomes with the amazing accuracy of the vision John received centuries before it would all be lamentable reality.

John next notices that the woman is drunk — and not with an alcoholic beverage. She is drunk with “the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus...” (Revelation 17:6). The picture is a horrible one. It is not merely her hands that are red with this blood, but she is drunk with it! The slaughter of innocents who, for conscience’ sake, would not yield to Rome’s demands

Dearly beloved, the Bible gives us remarkable clues to the identity of this city. The woman rides the beast, and that woman is a city built on seven hills that reigns over the kings of the earth! There is only one city on the earth which, in both historical and contemporary perspectives, passes every test John gives, including its identification as Mystery Babylon. That city is Rome, and more specifically, Vatican City.

Bopoto Gwinyai
7663 8191

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