CHAPTER XXXVI - Revelation 17:1-6 - 大淫婦 THE GREAT PROSTITUTE

CHAPTER XXXVI  

(Revelation 17:1-6)  

大淫婦   
THE GREAT PROSTITUTE

啟示錄有很多個角色，每一個角色都很鮮明。只要不混淆，就很容易明白。要分清楚海獸、羊頭獸、大淫婦、大紅龍、假先知、大巴比倫等角色。有人全當作是敵基督，或看為是當時以色列人的死對頭羅馬。就越讀越糊塗了。

Revelation has many characters and each character is very distinct. As long as we do not get the characters confused, it is very easy to understand. Each character has its own uniqueness: The beast from the sea, the beast that had horns like a lamb , the great prostitute, the red dragon, the false prophet, the great Babylon, etc. Some believe all those characters to be the Antichrist or Israel's greatest enemy at that time, which was Rome; so as they study these passages, they get more confused.

十二章曾出現一位高貴婦人，以太陽、月亮、星辰為裝飾，她是代表舊約的教會。基督以致新約的教會，都從她出來。在這一章裡面的大淫婦，與高貴的婦人，那舊約教會，是一個強烈的對比。這淫婦也是一個婦人，所以也是教會。但她到底是怎麽樣的教會？

Previously in chapter 12, a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She represented the Old Testament church. Christ and the New Testament church came out from her. There is a very strong contrast between the great prostitute from this chapter and the woman from chapter 12 who represents the Old Testament church. The prostitute is also a woman; therefore, it also represents a church. But what kind of church is she?

首先要知道，大淫婦並不代表某一個人。啟示錄的特色是，整本書從來沒有預言個別的人。沒有說海獸或地獸是一個人，也沒有說兩個見證者是兩個人。所以大淫婦不是某一個人，而是某一個團體。

First we have to make clear that the great prostitute does not represent a certain person. A distinguished feature in the book of Revelation is that none of the characters in this book represent a certain person. It does not say that the beast from the sea or the beast from the earth represents a certain person and nowhere in this book does it say that the two witnesses are two people. Therefore, the great prostitute is not a person but an organization.

如果這位淫婦是神的敵人，也不會稱為淫婦。因為淫婦的意思是：名義上屬於主，但跟從別的主、跟隨別的宗教行動。所以｢淫婦｣所代表的團體，是名義上屬於基督的教會，但所作所為卻羞辱主的名。所以她絕不是敵基督，也不是屬於十國聯盟敵神帝國的成員。

If this prostitute was an enemy of God, she wouldn't be called a prostitute. The meaning of prostitute is that she originally belonged to the Lord, but followed other lords, followed the movements of other religions. Therefore, the “prostitute” represents an organization that by name belongs to Christ's church but her conduct and her actions dishonor the Lord's name. That is why she is definitely not the Antichrist, or a member of the 10-nation alliance of the empire enemy of God.

有廣大的資源

HAS A HUGE ARRAY OF RESOURCES

1 拿著七碗的七位天使中，有一位前來對我說：你到這裡來，我將坐在眾水上的大淫婦所要受的刑罰指給你看。

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.

15 天使又對我說：你所看見那淫婦坐的眾水，就是多民、多人、多國、多方。

15 And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

世界有很多國家人民服在她權下，她的會員遍佈全世界，有學術人才、藝術人才、專業人才、政治家。世界許多國家的人都是她的資源。

People from many nations of the world will obey her. Her members are scattered all over the world, talented scholars, artists, experts in different fields, politicians. She will have many resources around the globe.

有很多夥伴

HAS MANY PARTNERS

2 地上的君王與她行淫，住在地上的人喝醉了她淫亂的酒。

2 with 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.

地上的統治階層與她配合，建設拜偶像的地方。地上其他的人，因為他們對偶像崇拜的策劃，都沉迷在異教方式的敬拜裡。問題是，那些全都是｢住在地上｣的人。

The rulers of the world cooperated with her to establish a place for idol worship. The rest of the world was also engrossed in their heresy. The problem was that all those people were the ones who “dwelled on the earth”.

｢住在地上｣與｢住在天上｣相對。住在地上的人，是不認識神的人，他們的名字不在羔羊的生命冊上。屬於神的人，被稱為｢住在天上｣(13:6) 的人。他們雖然在地上，但不以世界為他們的家，不以擁有世界的東西為榮。他們行事不跟隨世界人的風俗。

“Dwelling on the earth” and “living in heaven” are opposites. Those who dwell on the earth are those who do not know God; their names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb. Those who belong to God are called “those who live in heaven” (13:6). Though they live on the earth, this world is not their home, they do not deem having material things of the world to be their glory. They do not follow the practices of this world.

有大的活動範圍

OPERATES AT A LARGE SCALE

3 我被聖靈感動，天使帶我到曠野去。

3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness.

18 你所看見的那女人，就是管轄地上眾王的大城。

18 The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

曠野，在啟示錄裡面，就是隱喻到世界。我們現在都在曠野到處為暫時的居所，等候進入迦南地，就是那應許之地，我們永遠的歸宿。

In Revelation the wilderness symbolizes the world. We are living temporarily in this wilderness, waiting to enter the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, our eternal home.

她的活動範圍全部在這世界，整個世界是她的地盤。不過要被聖靈感動，纔看見她的活動範圍，因為可能在表面上，她是為天國辦事。不過事實上，她是做地上的事。她是在管理世界各地的領導人。

All her operations are performed in this world; the whole earth is part of her territory. But this can only be seen with the help of the Holy Spirit. On the surface it might appear that she is working for the kingdom of heaven, but in reality, she is conducting worldly matters, she is controlling the rulers of the whole earth.

有大的支持勢力

HAS INFLUENCE AND THE SUPPORT OF MANY

3 那女人騎在朱紅色的獸上，那獸有七頭十角，遍體有褻瀆的名號。

3 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

9 智慧的心在此可以思想，那七頭，就是女人所坐的七座山。

9 Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,

10 又是七位王( 七個王朝) ，五個已經傾倒了，一個還在，一個還沒有來到。

10 and they are seven kings (seven empires); five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

她騎在那七頭十角的獸上面，那頭獸就是十叁章從海裡出來的獸，我們已經看過，那七個頭代表歷史上七個敵對神子民的帝國王朝。第十節告訴我們，｢五個王朝已經倒了｣，就是埃及、亞述、巴比倫、波斯、希臘，｢一個還在｣，那就是在約翰的時候，還存在的羅馬。

The beast with seven heads and ten horns which the woman sits on is the beast that came out of the sea that we have already seen in chapter 13. The seven heads represent the seven empires that have ruled over the world throughout history. Verse 10 says that “five have fallen”, which are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Greece, “one is”, which was the Roman empire during the times of John.

這女人騎在獸上，是羅馬，第六個頭當權的時候。羅馬帝國是唯一一個壓迫神子民，後來卻大力支持教會的帝國。它所支持的教會，就是羅馬大公教，我們稱之為天主教。

The beast that the woman is sitting on is Rome, it is the sixth head when it was holding power. The Roman Empire was the only one that at first oppressed God's people fiercely and later only supported the church energetically. The church that it supported was the Roman Catholic Church, which we call Catholic Church.

這裡還有一句隱藏的玄機，所以說：｢智慧的心可以思想。｣她是座落在｢七山｣之上。梵帝岡所在的城，名字就是｢七山之城｣。這絕對不是碰巧，乃是神預先知道將會用甚麽地方建立他們的總部。

There is a special sentence here which says: “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.” The Vatican is also called “the city of seven hills”. This is not a coincidence; God knew beforehand where they would set up their headquarters.

這一頭獸，遍體滿了褻瀆的名號，每一個朝代，都在褻瀆神，就只有那短短的時間，給教會大力的支持。把她托得高高在上。

The beast was full of blasphemous names. People blasphemed God during every era but only during this very short period of time did they give full support to the church, they put the church in a pedestal.

有奢華荒淫的生活

HAS A LUXURIOUS AND LICENTIOUS LIFE

4 那女人穿著紫色和朱紅色的衣服，用金子、寶石、珍珠為妝飾，手拿金杯，杯中盛滿了可憎之物，就是她淫亂的污穢。

4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality.

她的穿著非常高貴華麗，紫色衣服是皇帝穿的，朱紅色衣服是富有的人穿的，還有金子、寶石、珍珠等名貴的妝飾。生活得豪華富貴。

The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet. Purple clothing was worn by royalty. Scarlet clothing was worn by rich people. She was adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, very expensive stuff. She lived in luxury.

這一位失貞的婦人，是跟隨世界的淫婦。她想給人看，她也是高貴的婦人，因為她穿著｢紫色和朱紅色的衣服，用金子、寶石、珍珠為妝飾｣。就像很多人用開豪華房車，穿名牌衣服，來宣示他們的身份。

This adulterous woman followed the ways of the world; she also wanted to show the world that she was a noble woman because she was clothed “in purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones and pearls”. Like people who want to show off their status by driving a luxurious car and wearing brand name clothing.

但是人高貴與否，不在外面的裝飾。她的｢杯中盛滿了可憎之物，就是她淫亂的污穢｣。那纔是她的真面目。在神眼中，最高貴的乃是生命上、生活上的高貴。她手拿的是金杯，外表華麗，但是裡面，卻裝了可憎之物。她整個歷史紀錄，就是淫亂、拜偶像、直到末世，都不願意悔改。

But whether or not a person is noble does not depend on their outward appearance. She had “in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,” that was her true identity. In God's eyes what counts is a noble life. She was holding a gold cup, which from the outside looked striking but the inside of her cup was filled with abominations and unclean things of her immorality. She lived a life of promiscuity and idol worshiping until the end, yet she never repented of her sin.

｢杯｣是指一種經驗、經歷。耶穌曾問門徒：｢我所喝的杯，你們能喝嗎？｣就是說，我的經歷，你們能夠經歷嗎？喝主的杯，就是受主所受的苦。因為主的杯滿了受苦的經歷。主說：｢凡跟從我的，都要背上十架。｣與主一同受苦，纔能與主同得榮耀。

A “cup” represents an experience. Jesus once asked his disciples: “Are you able to drink the cup that I am drinking?” In other words, “Can you go through or experience what I am going through?” To drink the Lord's cup is to experience His suffering. The Lord's cup is full of suffering experiences. The Lord said: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” If we share in the Lord's suffering, we share in His glory.

舊約聖經多處指明，拜偶像的以色列就是淫婦。拜偶像與行淫，常是連在一起說的。所以猶太人被擄之後，再也不敢拜偶像，因為亡國之痛，對他們是很大的警告。所以這二千年來，他們一個偶像都沒有。以色列人已經學到教訓，知道原來神最不喜悅人拜偶像。十誡清楚說，不可雕刻偶像，也不可拜偶像，包括耶穌、馬利亞的偶像在內。

In the Bible, whenever Israel worships idols, she is called a prostitute. Committing adultery and worshiping idols are interconnected. That is why, after the Israelites were taken into captivity, they dare not worship idols ever again for their suffering was a warning to them . As a result, they have not had any idols in the past two thousand years. The Israelites have learned their lesson; they know that the one thing that God detests the most is idol worshiping. The Ten Commandments clearly say, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” And that includes images of Jesus and Mary.

污染世界的教義

TEACHINGS THAT POLLUTE THE WORLD

5 在她額上有名寫著說：奧秘哉大巴比倫，作世上的淫婦和一切可憎之物的母。

5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.

羅馬帝國的妓女，都要在額上綁上一條布帶，寫上她的名字，一看她的裝扮，就知道她是甚麽身份。

The prostitutes during the times of the Roman Empire had to tie a piece of cloth on their foreheads with their names written on it so people would know their status at first sight by the way they were dressed.

她的身份一方面很明顯，因為在她額上有一個詳細的名稱。但另一方面也是不容易看出來，因為是一個奧秘。這個奧秘早在耶利米先知的時候出現，但那時候不知道是指甚麽人。到約翰的時候，也不知道是指哪些人。因為那時候，還沒有出現，是個奧秘。

On one hand, her status was clear to everyone because her name was written in detail on her forehead. But, on the other hand, it was not easily distinguished due to the fact that it was a mystery. This mystery had appeared early during the times of the prophet Jeremiah, but at that time it was unclear about who it was referring to. During the times of John they still did not know who it was. It was still a mystery.

大淫婦也有另一個名字，叫作｢大巴比倫｣。我們知道巴比倫帝國早已經不存在，以後也再沒有巴比倫，迦勒底人也滅種了。

The great prostitute had another name; she was also called “Babylon the great”. We know that the Babylonian empire had long been gone and it will never reappear and all the Chaldeans are extinct.

古代巴比倫是個國家，這裡所說的巴比倫，卻是一個大城。所以也是一個奧秘。從這點上也知道，這不是在說古代的巴比倫，一定是另有所指。所以這｢大巴比倫｣，其實就是這位｢大淫婦｣。她是污染世界的源頭，讓世人沉迷於拜偶像的信仰。

Ancient Babylon was a nation, but the Babylon mentioned here is a city; therefore, it is also a mystery. From this point we can see that here it is not talking about ancient Babylon; it definitely points to something else. Thus, “Babylon the great” is actually the “great prostitute”. She is the source of the contamination of this world, leading the people to be engrossed in idol worship.

關於大巴比倫的預言

REGARDING THE PROPHESY OF BABYLON THE GREAT

耶利米書51:7 ：｢巴比倫是耶和華手裡的金杯，使全地人喝醉。｣這大淫婦使人犯罪，失去理性，使人癲狂。她錯誤地帶領人到滅亡的路上。到了下一章第十八章，有聲音吩咐神的眾子民要離開巴比倫大城。又說：｢巴比倫大城傾倒了、傾倒了。｣這些關於巴比倫衰落的話，全部都是從耶利米先知的預言來的。

Jeremiah 51:7: “Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord's hand; she made the whole earth drunk.” This great prostitute made the people commit adultery, made them loose their reasoning, made them deranged. Her mistake was to lead people to perdition. In the next chapter, chapter 18, there is a voice commanding all the people of God to leave the great city of Babylon. It also says: “The great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” All these words about the fall of Babylon come from the prophecies of Jeremiah.

啟示錄裡面所記載關於巴比倫的異象，原來都是古代眾先知們所見過或聽過的。耶利米、撒迦利亞、但以理的時候，已經見過這些異象。耶利米先知被擄到巴比倫之後，就發預言說：巴比倫必受審判。

The visions recorded in Revelation regarding Babylon were originally seen or heard by many prophets from ancient times. Jeremiah, Zechariah and Daniel had already seen these visions. After the prophet Jeremiah was taken captive to Babylon, he already prophesied that Babylon was going to be judged .

其實他所接收到的信息，是關於末後的巴比倫，不是當時的巴比倫帝國。他宣告末世的大淫婦的傾倒。當時巴比倫必像所有國家一樣的衰落，並不希奇。只有末世的大淫婦的傾倒，纔是一個大奧秘。

Actually, the message that he got was regarding the Babylon of the last days; it was not about the Babylonian empire at that time. He proclaimed the fall of the great prostitute during the end of the world. At that time, it wouldn't have been unusual for Babylon to fade like every other country. But for the great prostitute of the end of times to fall, that was indeed a great mystery.

她曾做過的壞事

THE EVIL THINGS SHE HAS DONE

6 我又看見那女人喝醉了聖徒的血，和為耶穌作見證之人的血。

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

淫婦不是外面敵人，乃是家裡的壞人。她是貪愛世界權力的叛徒，是建立世界式天國的假教會。

The prostitute is not an outsider but an evil one from inside the family. She is a betrayer that loves worldly power; it is the counterfeit church that is looking to establish a heavenly kingdom using worldly ways.

從｢她喝醉了聖徒的血，和為耶穌作見證之人的血｣，我們知道她就是中古時代殺了不少異議人士的羅馬大公教( 天主教) 。

From the words “the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus,” we know that she is the Roman Catholic Church from the middle ages that killed many dissidents (the Catholic Church).

有多個地方給我們看見，大巴比倫，或大淫婦，就是羅馬大公教。

There is more than one place where we can see that Babylon the great or the great prostitute is the Roman Catholic Church.

(1) 她曾得七頭十角的獸的支持。從第叁節看見，她曾騎在朱紅色的獸上。表示她曾得到羅馬帝國的支持。也得到帝國所給的權力，掌生殺大權，把不同意見的人處死。

(1) She originally had the support of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. From verse 3 we can see she sat on a scarlet beast; which means that she had the support of the Roman Empire at some point. She had great authority given by the empire to kill those who disagreed with her.

(2) 她後來又受到獸的冷落與對付。十六節：｢你所看見的那十角與獸，必恨這淫婦，使她冷落赤身，又要喫她的肉，用火將她燒盡。｣她早先得羅馬帝國的支持，但後來時移勢易，末後的獸國，已經不是羅馬帝國，是另一個十國聯盟的政權，興起來對付她，與她為敵。這種先前為友，後來為敵，只有曾受羅馬帝國支持的教會，纔遇到這樣的情形。

(2) Later on, she was hated and brought to ruin by the beast. Verse 16: “The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” In the beginning she had the support of the Roman Empire, but later on there was a change of power. The empire during the end times is not going to be the Roman Empire but a political power made of the alliance of ten nations. This alliance of ten nations will go against her, they will be her enemy. The circumstances of first being friends and later on becoming enemies happened only to the church that originally had the support of the Roman Empire.

(3) 她是｢坐在七山之上｣的。梵帝岡的所在，就是在稱為｢七山｣的地方。她在義大利國境裡面，自稱是一個國家，自稱是天國，卻只有一個城市那麽大。

(3) She “sits on seven hills”. The location of the Vatican is called the “City of Seven Hills”. It is located in Italy and it calls itself an independent state, there is only one such big city.

(4) 她雖然是一個城市，卻是早期干涉各國王權的組織。後來羅馬帝國傾倒之後，仍在管理全世界教會事務的地方。十八節：｢你所看見的那女人，就是管轄地上眾王的大城。｣她穿著紫色衣服，表示她有帝王的權力；穿朱紅色衣服，表示她有豪華的享受，她所有的寶石裝飾，證明她有皇后的身份。在第十八章七節，她也對自己說：｢我坐了皇后的位，並不是寡婦。｣

(4) Although she is a city, she has used royal authority to intervene in the affairs of many countries early in history. Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, she still manages the affairs of the churches throughout the world. Verse 18: “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” She was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls, which means that she had the authority of a king, enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle and had the status of a queen. In chapter 18, verse 7 she boasted in her heart saying: “I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.”

(5) 她也擁有世界性的資源，她坐在眾水之上。十五節：天使又對我說：｢你所看見那淫婦坐的眾水，就是多民、多人、多國、多方。｣她自己的領土雖然小，她卻有世界性的供應，無論學術人才、藝術人才，她都是豐富的，很多國的人為她賣命。

(5) She also possessed worldwide resources, she sat on many waters. Verse 15: Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” Though her territory was small, she enjoyed the provision from the whole world. Talented scientists and artistic people from many nations haplessly gave their lives to provide for her in abundance.

(6) 第二節：｢地上的君王與她行淫，住在地上的人，喝醉了她淫亂的酒。｣這不可能是對羅馬帝國的描寫。因為她不單自己是淫婦，也是所有拜偶像風氣的源頭，影響全世界的國家，能使世界各地的人拜偶像的，就只有這一個統管全世界教會的大組織。(6) Verse 2: “With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” That could not have been a description of the Roman Empire. Because not only is she a prostitute, but she is also the source of all kinds of idol worship, influencing all the nations of the world. The only unified administration that can make the people of the whole world to worship idols is this huge church organization.