Rev. 17:6  "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."

The murderous nature of this woman is manifest here.  In addition, Rev. 18:24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."  The Lord told us that Jerusalem would slay the apostles and prophets: Luke 11:49 "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation."  Furthermore, he told us in

Matt. 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"

This murderous harlot was guilty of the blood of the apostles, and of the prophets, and of the martyrs of Jesus.  She set forth the same nature that was first manifest in Cain, who slew Able his brother, because his own works were evil but his brother's righteous.  The wicked and their wicked religious systems will always persecute the righteous and the true worshippers of the Lord.  Only Jerusalem could fit the description of Mystery Babylon who killed the apostles and prophets and to whom the Lord declared judgment against in Luke 11 and Matt. 23.  There can be no doubt that Mystery Babylon and Jerusalem were the same "great" city.  Furthermore, though some think that Rome is Mystery Babylon, yet Rome could not have been guilty of the apostles and prophets, because they were already slain before the Roman religious system came into existence.  The only city that can fit the description is Jerusalem with the wicked religious system of Judaism. 

The Apostle John wandered with great admiration when he saw the woman.  This shows how deceptive the false religious systems can be.  They present a beautiful natural façade and the intricate workings of man really appeals to the natural eye.  There is a principle taught in the scriptures that that which is outwardly beautiful is often inwardly wicked and that which is inwardly beautiful is often outwardly plain.  Let us not be deceived with the outward appearance of false religion that appeals to the flesh.  The true religion of Jesus Christ appeals to the inward man, not to the outward man.

Rev. 17:7-11 "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."

In this passage of scripture we are given a description of the seven head and ten horn beast which provided the means by which the woman, mystery Babylon, carried her fornications throughout the world.  This beast exists in the past, the present, and the future: "the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." 

The beast ascends out of the bottomless pit where in Revelations Chapter 20 the dragon was bound for a thousand years so as not to be able to gather the nations together during that time.  The angel over the bottomless pit is Satan and the bottomless pit is God's eternal judgment against sin.  Previously we saw the beast under the power and authority of the dragon rise up out of the sea of humanity.  Now we see it ascending out of the bottomless pit and carrying the harlot woman. 

As we have previously shown, this beast is a multinational political power that reigns over the kingdoms of this world.  It is said to have seven heads, five of which are fallen, one is, and one that is not yet come.  The scriptures describe the first six multinational political kingdoms.  These are Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.  At the time of the writing of the book of Revelation the first five were fallen.  Rome existed at that time as the one that is.  The seventh head is said to be not yet come, but when he comes he must continue a short space.  Since Rome, there has been no multinational kingdom reigning over the majority of the nations of the earth.  There have been several attempts to form such a beast, but none has succeeded to date. 

Revelation Chapter 20 informs us that after the thousand years end that Satan will be loosed out of the bottomless pit for a little season to gather the nations together to encompass the camp of the saints.  We will have more to say about this when we get to Chapter 20.

The wording, "the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eight and is of the seventh," is interesting.  For something to be is not and yet is indicates that it exists in a different form.  The seven heads: Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the future head are all tangible and visible.  For something to be "of the seven" and yet to be "the eight" and to "be not" and "yet be" indicates that it is largely invisible as a beast and covert instead of overt.  In addition, the fact that it is of the seven indicates that it has been around all along throughout the reign of the overt seven head, ten-horn beast.  This indicates a secret organization that has beastly (multinational) dominion. 

Nimrod was a kingdom builder and sought to build a one-world kingdom when he built Babel and the tower.  God, of course, thwarted his attempts with the confusion of tongues.  Such a covert organization would have as it main goal to build a one-world government.  There are several references in the scriptures to kingdom builders:

          1.  Ps. 22:22 "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner."

          2.  Ezek. 27:4 "Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty."

          3.  Matt. 21:42 "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

          4.  Mk. 12:10 "And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"

          5.  Acts 4:11 "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner."

          6.  1 Peter 2:7 "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

There are several secret organizations in the world today, working in secret to direct the course of human events toward a one-world government.  One only has to look on the back of the one-dollar bill to see the term "novus ordo seclorum" which means new world order along with the unfinished pyramid topped off by the all-seeing eye.  This indicates that the builders are planning a new world order in which the all-seeing eye will be worshipped (Satan). 

"And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."  This simply states that all the non-elect will wonder at the beast and the woman carried by the beast.  I was recently asked if the woman and the beast could deceive the elect.  My answer was "what did John do in verse 6?: Rev. 17:6 "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."  If even the apostle can be deceived at the natural beauty and organization of the woman and the beast, then she could deceive any of God's unsuspecting people.  We do know, however, that all the non-elect wonder at her and the beast.