Correct.

And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ²with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."  ¹⁸"And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:1-2 and 18.

Note:  For the purposes of this lesson, the picture presented of the harlot (the great city) above is not intended to represent any particular city or country, but rather just to illustrate that the Revelation was of a "great city" and not particularly of a physical woman.

Political and Religious Powers

At the time that the book of Revelation was written, what was the great city which reigned over the kings of the earth?  What great city or power was drunk with the blood of the saints? 

In addition to the persecution by the world's political power at that time, decades after the Revelation was written...individual Christians trying to follow the scriptures would also be persecuted by men in organized religious bodies (false teachers arising even from within the church to lead men astray from what the scriptures say).  It is unclear as to to whether the harlot refers to the world power at the time John wrote the Revelation...or the later persecution to follow...or both.  For more information, see the preface section of this lesson.

The apostle Peter was one of many New Testament writers who warned of this:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ²And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3 (NAS)

Click on the next question to continue...