In this Minister’s Commentary I am going to explain the meaning of the “two women’” portrayed in the Book of Revelation. The chapters I will focus on are chapters 12 and 17. In chapter 12 John outlined the history of the true church from the time of John’s writing forward. In verse 1 the woman represents God’s True Church, the spiritual Israel (see Gal. 6:15-16 and Heb. 12: 22-23). The Church is the spiritual mother of God’s people (Gal. 4:26). But the verse also refers to the Old Testament Church, the nation of Israel. The reference to the woman and the twelve stars is referring back to Joseph’s dream described in Genesis 37:9. The sun and the moon were the parents of the twelve sons of Jacob – Joseph and his eleven brothers. This reference is to the foundation of the Old Testament nation of Israel, which was the church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38).
These verses reflect the continuity between the physical nation of Israel today and the spiritual nation of Israel, which is founded on the corner stone, Christ, and the twelve apostles who will rule in the Kingdom of God.
Verse 3 of Revelation 12 describes another parallel of the Old and New Testament. This woman, both physical and spiritual Israel, has always been under attack by the adversary, the serpent called the Devil and Satan (vs. 9). Verses 4-5 of chapter 12 describe Satan’s attempt to abort God’s plan of salvation for mankind, which includes Christ’s victory in the resurrection and his ascending to the throne of the Father.
Because it was not time for Christ to establish his throne on earth, Satan continues to rule the earth. His relentless attack on the church continues throughout the New Testament and on down to this day. Satan’s persecution of the church drove the church into the outer regions of civilization during the middle ages (Rev. 12:6-13). At the end of verse 12 of Chapter 12 it is made clear that this persecution culminates in the end time just before Christ’s return “because he (Satan) knows that he hath but a short time” before Christ’s return. The persecution described in verse 13 is the fifth seal described in Revelation, Chapter 6, verses 9-11. Satan’s full fury known as the tribulation is yet to come upon this earth.
The fifth seal of Revelation 6:9-11 is a prophecy of this Great Tribulation to come. Revelation 12, verses 6-12, describes the history of Satan’s persecution of the New Testament Church beginning from Christ’s ascension to the Father’s throne. Christ fulfilled his mission of starting the spirit-led church. The persecution by Satan is not only directed at the woman, the New Testament Church, it is meant to take over all peoples of the earth; but it concentrates on the church and the descendants of Jacob, the Old Testament Church of God. Jeremiah 30:7 states, “Alas — for that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”
Revelation 12 ends with the woman, the true Christian church, being split into two groups: those virgins who have made themselves ready for Christ’s return and are taken to a place of safety, and the unprotected remnant of the Church that is not ready and must face the tribulation of Satan’s wrath in order to prepare them for the Kingdom of God.
Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation focuses on the woman who is symbolic of the people of God throughout history and their battle with their adversary Satan the Devil. But there is also a second woman who is symbolic of another church. This woman is portrayed in Chapter 17.
This woman is called the “Great Harlot”. This harlot church is intimately involved with “many waters” interpreted as the governments and nations of this world. Through these involvements this church becomes known as the Universal Church. She deceives the people of the world with her false religion to the point they have no understanding of the truth of God (“Rev. 17:1-2). This church is wealthy with the wealth of the nations, and seduces the nations with her “spiritually provocative” pagan religion. This woman is called “Mystery Babylon” because she hides her true origins and suppresses the teaching of the truth of the Bible, typing it as a “mystery”. She gives birth to her daughter harlots that come out of her. These daughter churches maintain many of the mother harlot’s ways, but rebel and protest against her form of government (Rev. 17:1-5).
This harlot church is not content to just deceive the peoples of this world. This harlot church is obsessed with persecuting God’s saints. It sees God’s pure church as its enemy and is bent on killing or corrupting the followers of Christ. There was a period in history between 1200 A.D. to as late as the 1800’s that the harlot church carried out a murderous reign of terror against those who would not conform to her pagan doctrines. This sanctioned program of persecution, torture and terror was known as the inquisition. Thousands, and by some accounts millions, suffered because they refused the authority of this church.
In this modern age it is difficult to see how this harlot church could carry out such persecution. However, it is prophesied to happen again. The history of the inquisition explains the church’s willingness to use brutal, inexplicable tactics to gain its ends:
In Europe during the Middle Ages the Universal Church had tremendous influence over the kings and rulers of Europe. They had authority to convene what would be known as Ecclesiastic Courts. These courts were in essence church courts separate from government courts. These courts could try people for crimes against the faith of the Universal Church. Once convicted in these church courts the “guilty” were turned over to the civil or government authorities to be tortured then burned at the stake, beheaded, or hung and quartered under the supervision of the bishops of the Universal Church. The harlot church prosecuted all those who were perceived as threats to their authority. This included some of God’s people.
Today God promises his faithful people protection during the coming tribulation brought on by this Harlot Church to those who persevere and keep his commandments (Rev. 3:7-12). These are those who refuse to drink from her “golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication” (verse 4 of chapter 17).
Christ is vivid in his description of the two women of the book of Revelation. One has its origins in God’s chosen nation Israel and is founded on Christ. The other is intimately involved with the economy, politics, and leaders of this world, teaching the false doctrines of demons and all unholy traditions.
God’s people must follow Christ’s admonition to “come out of her my people”.