Carnegie Auditorium, Pittsburg, Pa.
Tuesday, March 26, 1963
Kathryn Kuhlman
- Revelation 17:1 to 18.
With all the power that we have in these services, there is no fanaticism. Absolutely none! I still contend that fanaticism comes from ignorance, from a lack of the knowledge of the Word. I believe that if you know the Word, the Bible, the devil will never be able to make a fanatic out of you. The foundation of this ministry is THE WORD. Nothing is more important than the Word. GET GROUNDED IN THE WORD!
We are still in the 17th chapter of the Book of the Revelation. We study the Word by taking it verse by verse, and chapter by chapter, and the reason that I do it is because we dare not take any portion of the Word of God out of its setting, out of its context. I am a firm believer in that. That is the reason we have doctrines preached in error because, you see, there are those who have taken the Word out of its context. You can easily misconstrue the meaning of anything in the Bible. You can turn it and shape it to mean whatever you desire it to mean. But, beloved, YOU MUST KEEP THE WORD OF GOD IN ITS SETTING. Don’t take it out of its context. For that reason we study the Word, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.
First of all, as I told you last week, you cannot understand this 17th chapter of the Book of the Revelation, unless you first of all understand that for everything where there is a genuine, when it comes to spiritual things, there is always a counterfeit. Ever since Lucifer fell, ever since he was cast down to the earth, he has done everything to mimic everything for which the Master has the genuine. It has always been that way. Therefore, you must first of all understand what is genuine, what is true, before you can understand what is counterfeit.
We have a picture here in the 17th chapter of the Revelation, a picture of the false church. But you cannot understand the 17th chapter of the Book of the Revelation until first of all you understand clearly what the True Church is, and the True Church is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Church. Only one can say MY Church, and that is, Jesus. He is the only one. When you say “my” church believes thus and so, you are talking about an organization. But when it comes to “THE” Church, there is only one who can say MY Church. And those of us who have been BORN AGAIN are members of HIS Church.
For one-half second, let us take the genuine church and get a solid picture of the True Church. I wish that the ministers of the Gospel would get up in their pulpits and give to their people a clear understanding of what The Church is. You don’t join His Church; you are born into it.
What is the True Church? One thing, it definitely is not a continuation of the Jewish dispensation. Absolutely, the Church did not have its beginning until the Day of Pentecost, until the Holy Spirit came. The Church did not have its beginning anytime during the Old Testament dispensation. The Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the Church. Search your Old Testament Scripture. There isn’t one reference made to the Church. Therefore, one thing is sure, and that is, that the Church is not a continuation of the Jewish dispensation under another name.
Neither is it the kingdom. There are those who are laboring under the false illusion that whenever the Bible speaks of the kingdom, it is referring to the Church. It is not! The kingdom and the Church are not the same. You study the Word of God and you will find the Church is always compared to a temple, a temple of lively, living stones. It is referred to as a body but never a kingdom. Search the Scriptures if you will. You cannot find where the Church and the kingdom are the same. Never! Always it is referred to as a house, a body. One of the very best descriptions is found in the 12th chapter of I Corinthians, verses 12 through 20.
We see that every believer is a member of Christ’s Body. We are members literally of the Body of Christ. He is the Head.
Verse 12:
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”
1-Corinthians 12:12
Verse 13:
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
1-Corinthians 12:13
What body? The body of Christ.
Verse 14:
“For the body is not one member, but many.”
1-Corinthians 12:14
Verse 15:
“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?”
1-Corinthians 12:15
Verse 16:
“And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?”
1-Corinthians 12:16
Continue reading down to verse 20:
“But now are they many members, yet but one body.”
1-Corinthians 12:20
In other words, the Word of God likens the Church, His Church, to “a body;” and we are members of His Body and He is the Head. We don’t join His Body.
When you join a church, you belong to an organization. You have put your membership in someplace or you have taken your membership out and you have put it in someplace else. You have only joined an organization. Know that! That is what it is. Joining an organization, you fellowship with others in that organization who love the same Lord that you do; you believe the same as they believe. And in that place of worship, you are to get your spiritual food. Every house of worship should be a storehouse where you get your spiritual food. That was the plan of God. But watch something.
The Body of Christ is NOT an organization; the Body of Christ is NOT a system. The Roman Catholic Church is an organization; the Roman Catholic Church is a system. The church that you belong to is an organization. BUT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS AN ORGANISM, AND YOU ARE BORN INTO IT. You don’t join it. There is many a person who is in the Body of Christ who has no membership whatsoever in an earthly organization.
Let me make something very plain. Remember again that there is many a Presbyterian, many a man and woman belonging to the Presbyterian Church, who belong to the Presbyterian Church as an organization but who have never been born again and, therefore, they are not born into the Body of Christ and if they should die, they are not saved. YOUR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT SAVE YOU.
There is many an Episcopalian, many a Lutheran, and believe me, let’s come on down; there are those in the Assembly of God, in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, in the Nazarene, who belong to the church as an organization, who are an awful good Episcopalian; you are a good Lutheran, a wonderful Lutheran. You can be the best Lutheran in the world, the best Episcopalian, but remember something. It takes more than being a good Episcopalian and a good Lutheran to get to heaven. Being an Episcopalian or a Lutheran, you belong to an organization. TO GO TO HEAVEN, YOU HAVE TO BE A PART OF THIS GREAT ORGANISM.
Now go right on down again to the Catholic Church. Watch now. Don’t misconstrue some of the things I am going to say tonight. Catholicism is a great religious organization. Know that! No one will take issue with me that it is one of the most powerful organizations in the world today. You say you are Roman Catholic. Because you are Roman Catholic, you belong to the great organization. Catholicism is a great religious system. But belonging to this religious system, or belonging to the Catholic organization or the Roman Catholic Church, will not save your soul. UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN, UNLESS YOU HAVE HAD THAT NEW BIRTH EXPERIENCE, YOU ARE JUST ROMAN CATHOLIC BELONGING TO ANOTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION.
In all of these organizations, whether they be Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, whether they are Protestant, whatever they are, there are those in the organization who are Christian and there are those in the organization who are not Christian. There are those who belong to the Body of Christ and there are those who do not belong to the Body of Christ. You have to understand that so you will not misconstrue some of the things I am going to say tonight.
One other thing I want you to see is that the Church is to be the Bride of Christ. You must see that. At present, the Church is likened unto a virgin, a virgin espoused. I will give you the Scripture. II Corinthians 11:2:
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
2-Corinthians 11:2
The Church today, that great organism, that body that you and I have been born into, remember, is at the present time likened, in the Word of God, as a virgin espoused. One of these days, we are to be His Bride, the Bride of Christ.
Now, you say, Miss Kuhlman, why have you gone through all the trouble, spending all the time, making that very clear? Because you must have that knowledge to understand the 17th chapter of the Book of the Revelation and you know immediately that this portion of the Word of God has to do with the false church; the false bride. Why? Because the Church, at present, is the espoused virgin to be the Bride of Christ and the 17th chapter of the Book of the Revelation speaks of the whore. We know immediately it is the false church; it is the counterfeit for the genuine. Let me read just a few verses and I begin exactly where I left off last week.
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:
Revelation 17:1
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:2
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:3
All of this I explained to you before.
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:4
This is most significant because you are going to find in the next chapter she is going to be stripped of all her riches. We see her here in the name of religion. This is a picture of the whore, the false church, the false religion that will be the universal, almost universal, power during the time of the great tribulation. Her wealth is tremendous. No human mind could begin to fathom the full extent of her wealth. Her power is so great that she is literally seen riding the beast and, of course, the beast is the great political power.
She will literally rule; for how long I cannot tell you; the Scripture does not say; we do not know for what length of time. But remember, the great tribulation lasts for only seven years. I cannot tell you whether it is for a year or two years. I do not know whether it is just for a three and a half year period or a six month period. But one thing we know that sometime during the great tribulation, sometime during these seven years, after the Church, the Bride of Christ has left this earth, after the great catching up – you and I will not be here. We will have had the Rapture of the Church. The Great Wedding Supper of the Lamb will be taking place in the presence of the Lord. Here on earth, this great religious system, this great religious organization, the whore, a substitute for the Bride, she will commit fornication with the kings of the world, will have almost universal power. Such great power that literally she will even have greater power and will control the politics of the earth, for she is seen riding the beast. That is something. Just pause a minute.
When you think of a religious system, knowing the world condition as it is, when you think of a religious system, a religious organization having such power that it will absolutely control all politics and all governments of the world, that is some power.
Verse 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:
Revelation 17:4
Verse 5:
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
Revelation 17:5
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:6
I have explained this in detail last Tuesday night but if you are not sure as to who this one is, the Bible leaves no loopholes, no question. The Word of God tells us exactly. Read verse 9: “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Why bless your heart: the seven-hilled city of Rome is here indicated as the seat and the center of the woman’s almost universal authority and influence. Everybody knows that Rome – study your history, everybody knows that Rome is the city on seven hills. It can’t be anything else. Absolutely, Rome is the city and the Papacy is the system.
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:10
Verse 11:
“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”
Revelation 17:11
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:12
Now remember, the ten horns are ten leaders; ten great world powers combine with the beast. You must get that picture. The ten horns in verse 12 are ten leaders, ten great world powers who combine with the beast and the beast is the great world ruler.
Verse 13:
“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
Revelation 17:13
There will be a time – how long a time, it says for one hour but what that one hour indicates I do not know – but there will be a time when the beast will rule absolutely, completely, with the ten great world rulers turning all their power over to him for a very short space of time. When that time comes, those of you who are left will understand verse 13 very clearly.
Now watch. Here is something that is thrown in for good measure. Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:14
It has no bearing whatsoever on that which precedes or that which follows, but John suddenly saw it. He wants us to know, in this dark picture, when it seemed there was absolute defeat, no hope whatsoever, this dark picture of the false religion; this dark picture of Catholicism completely having universal control of all nations everywhere. So strong, so great that it almost is in complete rule. In fact, has greater power than even the ten kings and the beast. John does something that is very beautiful. At this point, it looks as though the whole thing has gone to the dogs.
But remember something. Those of you who were in the service Sunday, you will remember in those three temptations, we got to the third temptation when the devil challenged Jesus, taking Him on a high mountain, showing Him all the kingdoms of the world, everything, and he said to Him: ‘I will give you the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel, if you will bow down and worship me.’ They both knew that Satan held the title deed to the whole thing. Had he been lying, if Satan did not have it in his power, if they were not his to give, Jesus would have rebuked him instantly. They stood face to face. Not one was kidding the other. Satan knew who Jesus was; Jesus knew who Satan was. Satan knew He was deity. That is the reason he challenged Him to use His deity to turn those stones into bread when He was hungry. They both knew when they stood face to face, that when Satan offered Jesus the title deed to this planet and offered Him the kingdoms of this world, that Satan held it. He had it right there in his hand. It was his.
We were laboring under the impression that Satan was merely an angel that was robbed of his power, a fallen angel. Just because I don’t constantly speak of the devil does not mean in anyway that I belittle him. We don’t begin to know how great is his power. There is only one power that is greater than the power of the devil.
There was a day when he was created in exactly the same way that all angels were created, only Lucifer, Gabriel and Michael were created with far greater power than all the other angels and were given far greater authority when they became rulers over the tens of thousands and thousands of other angels. When you begin studying the Bible and realize the power that God has invested in Gabriel and Michael, remember Lucifer has just as much power. When he fell, God did not take from him his power; He only took from him his body, leaving him a disembodied spirit.
When God gave to Lucifer, Gabriel and Michael the authority to rule and reign over the tens of thousands and thousands of angels, me thinks He also gave, with that authority, a planet as their kingdom. It was theirs; they ruled.
God gave the title deed to Lucifer; the title deed to this planet. It belongs to him. When Jesus died on the cross and cried: “It is finished!” He died for the atonement of the soul; He died for you and for me as a sinner. IT IS THE BLOOD THAT MAKETH AN ATONEMENT FOR THE SOUL. He didn’t pay the price for any property on the cross. He gave Himself, through the Holy Spirit, to God the Father, to come for you and for me, for our sins, that we might have LIFE EVERLASTING. He did not die for property. That was very insignificant, when it comes to the real thing that was bought and paid for. But watch it.
He is going to get it back. That is why this earth now cannot become our eternal heaven because in the condition that it is in now, Satan still holds the title deed to it. The kingdoms of the world still belong to him. When our loved ones die, they go to heaven. But what is going on in heaven? They are not sitting in rocking chairs up there. They are not playing harps. They are working. They are getting ready, they are preparing the city of the new Jerusalem. Oh, that is glorious. What is going to happen in the city of the new Jerusalem? I have sent word up for Eve not to get too well established up there because she is coming back down again. All of our loved ones are going to come back again. When our loved ones die and go to heaven, that is not their eternal resting place. That is just a place of waiting, beloved, because after Jesus gets the title deed to this planet, when the kingdoms belong to Him, after He has licked Satan, then we have that which John saw. He is not now the mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That is yet in the future. He does not come back to rule and reign until He has been given the authority; until it is His. He can’t reign on another man’s territory. Satan has it. The kingdoms of the world belong to him. He is not going to come back, He can’t rule as King of Kings, as Lord of Lords, until it is His.
He has never, since His ascension – and remember, when He was here on earth, He was as much man as though He were not God. In all things, He represented us. Watch.
Here is the picture. It looks almost like utter defeat. False religion, the whore, the counterfeit so strong, almost universal. After all, when it comes right down to it, in the final analysis, the greatest battle fought on this earth is a religious battle. That is what it is all about. A battle of the true and the false. Here we have this picture. This great power. So great is the power of the whore that literally, almost universally, she has complete control where she is even ruling the governments.
It looks black when suddenly, in verse 14, we have a picture and do you want to know what it has reference to? None other than the 19th chapter of the Revelation, verses 11 through 16. John is trying to whisper and say – Don’t be discouraged. It looks pretty black now, but Jesus is going to come back. In verse l4, it says: “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.” That 14th verse has reference to the time when Jesus comes back to earth to rule and reign 1,000 years – the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Glory. And when He comes back, then someplace along the line He has defeated the enemy and, for the first time, is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and comes back holding the title deed to this earth and the kingdoms of the earth. Revelation 19:15 and 16: “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Now go to verse 15. We are coming now to something that is most important.
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Revelation 17:15
The fact has been established that the whore rules and dominates the nations religiously and the beast rules politically. But then watch something.
Verse 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.”
Revelation 17:16
Something happens. It happens quickly. I cannot tell you what has caused it to happen. I do not know. The Bible does not tell, but I told you that the ten horns were rulers, great political rulers. Suddenly they turn on the Papacy. What caused it, the Bible does not say. You who will be here to go through the great tribulation will know. The Bible does not say, but here is a miracle. Something takes place. “… these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” When we get into the 18th chapter of the Book of the Revelation, you will find out that the Papacy will be absolutely stripped of all of her wealth; completely stripped of everything. Revelation 18:17: “For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.”
Here is a miracle. Verse 17:
“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”
Revelation 17:17
God Himself will destroy the worat system on the face of the earth, and the beast and the nations are His instruments in doing so. God never, at any time, loses His hold from off the rule and reign of this earth. Even in the darkest hour when it seems like everything is lost, completely lost. Me thinks the very angels of heaven will be looking down and thinking – It is a goner. But God Himself “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.”
Verse 18:
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
Revelation 17:18
There is coming a day when Catholicism and Rome, the Papacy and Rome – you absolutely cannot separate one from the other – will absolutely be crushed.
See something in Revelation 18:4:
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Revelation 18:4
In Catholicism, in the Papacy, in the great Catholic organization, there are thousands of His precious children; they are in it. Remember, at the beginning of the sermon, I made it plain to you the difference in belonging to an organization and the True Church; His Church.
Suddenly, John said: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, … “Who? The whore; the harlot. “Come out of her, my people, …” My people. That one who has had that NEW BIRTH experience; that one who has been washed in the blood. Do you want to know what God is really like? Do you want to know even in judgment how great is His mercy? To me, this is one of the greatest portions of the entire Book of the Revelation. ‘Come out, My children.’ It is as though a house were on fire and in that house a father sees his children. He is calling. I should like to have heard the voice that John heard.
There is judgment in the 18th chapter of the Revelation. God sends judgment upon the false church, the harlot; God sends judgment upon the false system; God sends judgment upon the whore. And before He strips her, before He sends judgment and sends the plague, He calls out and say: “COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, THAT YE BENOT PARTAKERS OF HER SINS, AND THAT YE RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES.” Look up just now and remember to Whom you belong. Your hope, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. IT IS THE BLOOD THAT MAKETH AN ATONEMENT FOR THE SOUL. It is the precious blood of the Son of the living God that cleanses us from all sin.
If you have never been born again, born into the Body of Christ, look up, just now, and ask Jesus to come into YOUR heart. Right now, wherever you are take Jesus as YOUR Saviour. Ask Him to forgive your sins. Jesus LOVES you; Jesus DIED for you. “He is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance.” This may be your last opportunity to ACCEPT Christ as your Saviour. Tomorrow may never cone.
JESUS IS OUR ROCK, OUR SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM. IN HIM ALONE, IS THERE SAFETY AND HIS BLOOD OUR PROTECTION. JESUS OUR ALL IN ALL.
May we appreciate our salvation as never before. May we love the Truth, and love the Word as never before.
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
