In a previous issue, we covered the name of the church that
JESUS said He would build. In this issue, we would like to address
more names that are called “names of blasphemy” in Revelation
17:3. First, we must determine who the great whore is in the text.
Due to space, we cannot cover all the symbols listed here but if you
trust me on this, I will summarize it briefly. Daniel had a dream of
four great beasts. The first was like a lion with wings of an eagle.
The second was like a bear that was raised up on one side with
three ribs in its mount. The third was like the leopard that had four
heads and wings of a fowl. The fourth was like a dragon that was
dreadful and had teeth of iron.
The first beast we see represents the kingdom of Babylon. It is
like the lion because it was the ruler of the then known world and
had wings of an eagle because, just like the eagle, it soared higher
than any other kingdom before or since. It was overthrown by the
Medes and Persian kingdom represented by the bear. It is
standing with one side higher than the other because the Persian
kingdom was superior to the Medes. The three ribs are symbolic of
the three smaller kingdoms that it destroyed in the overthrown of
Babylon. Next we see the leopard like beast, or the Grecian
kingdom. It is symbolized by a leopard because, just like the
leopard, it took power very swiftly. Alexander the Great took over
the world in just eight short years: a feat never to be duplicated.
The four heads represent the four generals who took over the
kingdom after Alexander’s sudden death. As for the wings of a
fowl, just like fowl, they can soar over most everything, but unlike
the eagle, they cannot attain the same height — just as this
kingdom fell short of the heights of Babylon. The dreadful and
terrible dragon that came next is none other than the Roman
Empire. This empire completely crushed the world under its feet
and breathed the fire of threats that terrified the then known world.
Having said all that, let’s identify the great whore of Babylon.
The disciples and apostles made spiritual war with this dragon
known as Pagan Rome until they drove this beast back into the sea
from which it came. Revelation 17:15 will let us know that water is
symbolic of people. A study of church history will also show that
during this time, Paganism was nearly extinct. In Revelation 13:1-2
we find a leopard like beast came up out of the sea, or people,
which is none other than the Roman Catholic church. It received its
power and authority from the Roman Empire via Constantine the
Great.
This beast is the great whore that sits on many waters having a
name full of blasphemy. How does it blaspheme? The title given
to it by the government was Pontius Maximus which being
translated means “Supreme Power”, a title reserved for GOD alone.
Also reading from the Catholic Encyclopedia will reveal a number of
blasphemies. One of which is that priests can forgive sins on Earth
for GOD. Others include, but are not limited to, the sell of
indulgences, the co-savior of the world “Mary,” and the seven
sacraments that warrant a ticket to heaven.
Here is where it gets a little sticky. In Revelation 17:5, it calls
her the “Mother of harlots.” To whom is the Spirit referring to? Just
as a daughter physically is the product of her literal mother, so also
is the spiritual daughters the product of their spiritual mother. After
the prophesized one thousand years of peace, she began to bring
forth children, which looked similar, but were in protest to some of
her teachings. If you are following me closely, and know anything
about history, you know that starting about 1530 A.D., numerous
denominations began to protest her doctrines. This period of time
is known as the Protestant Reformation. It also has a symbol
listed. It is the lamb-like beast having two horns, but speaks like
the dragon, i.e. Paganism.
It is lamb-like because it looks like the true church. The horns
represent the two Reformations at this time. As for the tongue, like
the dragon, we must first understand what the dragon was saying.
In Paganism, the cry was to worship the god of your choice and say
nothing about someone else’s god. The cry under Protestantism
was to worship the church of your choice and say nothing about
someone else’s church. Finally, as to the names of blasphemy,
GOD named His church after Himself. Ephesians 3:14-15 the
Church of God is referred to as the bride of Christ. Just as in a
literal marriage, a bride takes her husband’s last name or his
father’s name. Example, when my wife and I were married she
became Regina Sanders instead of Regina Preston. Sanders
denotes to which family I belong. Preston is the name given to me
to distinguish me from other men with the name of Sanders. For
my wife to take another name…

other than the family name would blaspheme against the
name Sanders. Just the same way, taking any other name other
than the name of the family (or church) of GOD is also blasphemy
against His name. The family of GOD is not named after John the
Baptist, Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, nor any of a multitude of
other men or creeds.
So if I am taking such a name, what should I do? There is only
one command given by GOD in the scripture. Revelation 18:4
says, “Come out of HER (harlot daughters) my people, and touch
not the unclean thing.” But what about the multitudes of churches
that have the right name? Which one is right? A wise man told me
once, “find out what’s right and you will know who’s right.” Isaiah
4:1 says, “In that day (our day), seven women would take hold of
one man saying, we will eat our own bread and wear our own
apparel, only let us be called by thy name to take away our
reproach.” Today, many take the name “Church of God,” but they
want to live the way they choose yet still have the name of God to
take away their reproach.