Unfaithful and Intoxicated

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, the Roman Catholic Church began its rise to supremacy. In AD 508, a pagan tribe called the Franks made a historic move crucial to the papal ascent: Their king, Clovis, converted to Catholicism, forming an alliance between the Roman church and the Frankish state.

Suddenly, the papacy had access to armed forces and was then able to enforce its papal will through the use of military might. Notice that between the two, it was the church, not the state, that was in control; the state did the church’s bidding. It was through such illicit unions that papal Rome was able to forge its empire and to eventually become the authoritarian powerhouse of the Dark Ages.

In today’s verse, we see the harlot using the same tactic by committing fornication with “the kings of the earth.” The political, secular power of these kings is joined to an illicit union with the unfaithful church. In this manner, the harlot has mixed what should be holy with what is common (Ezekiel 22:26).

This adulteration is also indicative of the harlot’s wine, which she force-feeds to “the inhabitants of the earth,” that is, the global population. Do you recall that Babylon also produces this same wine? (Revelation 14:8). This alcoholic concoction is the symbol of false doctrine, the “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). The common has become the sacred (Romans 1:23–25). Through these manmade rituals, the harlot spiritually intoxicates people around the world. Distortion and confusion are the results, just as in Babylon.

Let’s start putting these pieces together. The harlot resembles the first beast of Revelation 13 in that she is also a religiopolitical power. Not only that, but the harlot is also a religiopolitical power with universal influence, just as the Bible prophesies of the first beast. Additionally, the harlot is equated with Babylon. They both deceive the entire world by their “wine,” described as a symbolic act of “fornication.” Could it be that these symbols are actually all referring to the same entity—the papacy?

Dear God, help me to discern the holy truth from Your Word and see through the façades of Babylon’s wine.

For Further Study: Isaiah 23:15–17; Jeremiah 51:6–10; Ezekiel 16:15

Key Bible Texts

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (Revelation 17:2 KJV)