From Purity to Apostasy: The Two Women of Revelation

Revelation 12

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 17

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 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.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I 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:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

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.

7 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.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 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.

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Yes, the woman of Revelation 12 who represents the pure church, becomes the harlot woman of Revelation 17 when she undergoes a moral fall and enters into an unlawful union with the powers of the earthARSH December 9, 1851, page 57.26+2.

The Transformation from Purity to Apostasy

The symbolic woman in prophecy represents a religious body or church organizationEVRR90+1. In Revelation 12 she is initially seen as a chaste virgin, clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, representing the church in its pure, apostolic state Revelation 12:1ARSH December 9, 1851, page 57.26. However, this same entity can change its character through apostasyARSH December 9, 1851, page 57.22+1. Just as a wife becomes an adulteress by leaving her husband for another, the church becomes a harlot when she leaves her rightful Lord, Jesus Christ, to seek the friendship and support of the world James 4:4SSP 292.1+2.

The Union of Church and State

The primary act that constitutes this transformation is spiritual fornication, defined as an illicit connection between the church and the kings of the earthEVRR618+2.

• The Pure State: In her pure state, the woman is separate from the beastly kingdoms, often struggling against them to maintain her honorBP2 63.1.

• The Fallen State: After a period of 1260 years, the woman is seen again, but she has changed drastically; she is now seated upon a scarlet-colored beast, which represents the civil and political power of the world Revelation 17:3SSP 296.2+2.

• The Result: By joining herself to the "arm of flesh" or civil government instead of depending on God, the church takes on the name "Mystery, Babylon the Great" Revelation 17:5TMR 62.2+1.

The Mother and Her Daughters

This fallen church is described as the "Mother of Harlots," implying a family of similar organizationsRCASDA 66.1+1.

• The Mother: Protestants generally identify the Mother as the Church of Rome, which first led the way into this apostate union with the stateRCASDA 66.1+2.

• The Daughters: The daughters represent various Protestant sects that have followed the mother's example by incorporating human traditions, false doctrines, or seeking the patronage of civil authorityRCASDA 66.1+3.

• Common Errors: These bodies are often united by common doctrines not found in Scripture, such as the immortality of the soul or the observance of a pagan Sunday instead of the Bible SabbathHSFD 478.3+2.

The Call to Separate

Because this transformation is a moral fall rather than a literal destruction of a city, God’s people are found within these bodies even after they have fallenTAR 40.3+2. Heaven issues a final, urgent plea for all faithful believers to "Come out of her" to avoid being partakers of her sins and receiving the impending plagues that will bring her to an end Revelation 18:417MR 22.2+2. This separation is necessary because the once-pure woman has filled her cup with "poison" and become the "habitation of devils" through her rejection of truth and her alliance with worldly and spiritualistic powers Revelation 18:2SSP 292.1+2.

Revelation 17

1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 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.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I 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:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

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.

7 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.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 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.

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 12

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Yes, the woman of Revelation 12 representing the pure church eventually transforms into the harlot woman of Revelation 17 known as Mystery BabylonADRE November 1850, page 66.4+1. While they represent two different conditions—purity and apostasy—the prophecy describes a progressive change where the once-chaste church violates her marriage vows to Christ and unites with the worldSSP 292.3+1.

The Transformation from Purity to Harlotry

The woman in Revelation 12 is depicted as a chaste virgin clothed with the sun, symbolizing the church in her apostolic purity and simplicity Revelation 12:1DAR1909 543.3+1. However, through a moral fall and a departure from her first love, she loses her original character Revelation 2:4DAR 663.3+1. This change is not instantaneous but occurs over centuries as pagan doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions are incorporated into the church's faith and worshipEVRR196+1. By the time she is seen in Revelation 17 approximately 1260 years older, she has become a drunken harlot because she has unlawfully united with the kings of the earth and sought the support of worldly powers instead of her rightful husband, Christ Revelation 17:1-5ADRE November 1850, page 66.4+1.

Distinct Symbols, Not Parallel Entities

Rather than being two separate organizations existing side-by-side from the beginning, these symbols represent the same ecclesiastical body at different stages of its historyARSH December 9, 1851, page 57.22.

• Separation vs. Union: In Revelation 12 the woman is seen entirely separate from the beast, struggling to maintain her purityADRE November 1850, page 66.4+1. In Revelation 17 she is seated upon the scarlet-colored beast, which represents the kingdoms and civil powers of this world Revelation 17:3EVRR611+1.

• The Act of Fornication: The transformation is completed when the church leans upon the arm of civil power, an act defined in Scripture as spiritual fornication James 4:4GCB/GCDB 1895, page 131.12+1.

• The Name Change: Because she has led in this wicked course and set an example for others to follow, she receives the name "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots" Revelation 17:5GC88 382.2+1.

The Final Divergence at the End of Time

While the apostate church (Babylon) and the true followers of God may exist within the same religious communions for a time, they do not remain together until the very endLDE 199.1+1.

• A Final Separation: As the apostate bodies depart further from the truth and ally more closely with the world, the difference between Christ's true followers and the fallen organization widensGC 389.3+1.

• The Loud Cry: Before the final plagues are poured out, a mighty message is given to "Come out of her, My people" Revelation 18:417MR 22.2.

• The Remnant Church: Those who heed this call and keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus constitute the "remnant" who are distinct from the harlot and her daughters Revelation 12:17+1ChS 157.1+1.

• The Judgment: Ultimately, the harlot is destroyed by the very political powers she once controlled, while the true church is delivered by the second coming of Christ Revelation 17:16+1EVRR619+1.

Yes, God has always maintained a chosen people, a true church on earth, which exists as a continuous line from the apostolic era through the wilderness period and finally emerges as a distinct remnant in the last daysGRC 44.2+2. This church is the depositary of His law and is entrusted with sacred truth to be given to the world before the close of timeGRC 44.2+2.

The Continuity of the True Church

Throughout history, God has never been without a representative people who adhere to His requirementsGRC 44.2+1.

• The Apostolic Foundation: The church began in the "blazing light of truth" as taught by Christ and His apostlesEVRR405+1.

• The Wilderness Period: For 1,260 years, between 538 AD and 1798 AD, the true church was "in the wilderness" while papal supremacy prevailed Revelation 12:6EVRR405+2.

• The Emergence of the Remnant: After 1798, the "remnant of her seed" publicly emerges to finish the work of the church on earthEVRR405+2. This remnant is the "last end of the church" and remains until the coming of the LordBIC 47.3+2.

Identifying Marks of the Last-Day Church

The Bible provides specific characteristics to distinguish the true remnant church from all other bodies in the final daysEVRR405+1.

• Commandment Keeping: They are distinguished by keeping—not merely professing to keep—the commandments of God, including the Seventh-day Sabbath Revelation 12:17GP 46.4+2.

• The Testimony of Jesus: They possess the "Spirit of prophecy," which has been in active exercise among them from their rise Revelation 19:10GP 46.4+2.

• The Three Angels' Messages: Their specific mission is to proclaim the last message of warning to the world, calling people to worship the Creator and avoid the mark of the beast Revelation 14:6-129MR 291.1+2.

• A Minority Group: They are represented as a "little company" or a minority, often unpopular and receiving the "wrath of the dragon" Revelation 12:17EVRR405+2.

God’s Purpose and Protection

Though the church is "enfeebled and defective," needing reproof and correction, it is the only object on earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regardGRC 33.2+1.

• No Further Offshoots: God will not permit this denomination to so fully apostatize that there would be the "coming out of another church"LDE 56.4.

• A Purified People: In the final crisis, God will have a people who are "purified, made white, and tried"1888 878.2. They will reach a standard of "practical godliness, purity, and holiness" that reflects the likeness of Christ5MR 53.2+2.

• Ultimate Triumph: Despite being surrounded by enemies who intend to destroy them, God will intervene to deliver His people Daniel 12:1EVRR526+2. The "Gospel Ship," freighted with the remnant church and restored truth, will come safely into the heavenly harborGSAM 298.5.

The Final Separation

While God has a remnant "both in and out of Babylon," He is currently calling His true children into a unified bodyGCDB February 19, 1899, page 32.20+1.

• The Call to Unity: God is leading "not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people" who are "fitly joined together and compacted"GRC 42.4+2.

• The Final Test: As the world rejects God's law and exalts a false sabbath, the true church stands as a "Mordecai at the gate," a constant rebuke to transgression5MR 53.2+2. Those who remain loyal will finally stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb Revelation 14:1ARSH February 10, 1863, page 86.22+1.