Scripture Blog

This weblog is my personal online scripture journal. I try to read the scriptures each morning as I exercise on my cross-trainer. It has a great impact on my life and my testimony of the Savior and his restored church. The journal is really for my own benefit but I have set it up as a web log in hopes to benefit anyone else that may be interested. "For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost..." 1 Nephi 10:19

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Revelation 17

In chapter 12, John sees a glorius -

"...woman clothed with the sun..." (New Testament | Revelation 12:1)

...Which we learn was symbolic of Christ's Church, but later John also -

"...saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication..." (New Testament | Revelation 17:3 - 4)

Obviously, being of the world, this woman must then be the Church of the Devil as Nephi also saw in vision was the -

"...great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 13:6 - 8)

"...and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.
10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 14:9 - 10)

And much like John saw, Nephi also -

"...beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.
12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 14:11 - 12)

As John and Nephi revealed, there are only two woman or two Church and -

"...the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 14:13)

John even noted -

"...upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." (New Testament | Revelation 17:5)

"Mystery" could even suggest secret works and combinations. But with all the wickedness of the this great mother of abominations, John saw that -

"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." (New Testament | Revelation 17:14)

What great comfort this brings to the faithful, Nephi also saw, just like John that the day would come that -

"...all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it." (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 22:14)

Again, I see the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ and His revelations.