Katya Orlov as the Harlot of Babylon (Art by BlondynkiTezGraja)
The Harlot of Babylon, also known as the Whore of Babylon or simply Babalon, is an apocalyptic malevolent figure and one of several incarnations of evil that plagues the world during the Apocalypse. She is depicted as a beautiful woman who is "the mother of all harlots and of all abominations of the world". She appears to be a personification of the city of Babylon.
Appearance[]
She appears as wearing a purple robe. The color purple was associated with the Roman Empire and signifies great royalty or lavish expense. She is adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls furthermore giving the idea that she is a beautiful woman She has the titles of "Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth," branded on her forehead. She is noted to carry a golden chalice that has the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus.
Overview[]
Her transformation from a woman to a harlot becomes apparent when God takes away her tender and delicate appearance, potentially alluding to the fact that she was quite fair and successful in seducing men to her cause. In Isaiah 47:1-3, God implies that she will no longer have this power and that she will be forced to take off her veil, a veil that may have been hiding her true ugliness. He tells her that her nakedness will be exposed and that her shame will be uncovered, emphasizing that she has nowhere to hide and will be revealed to all as nothing but a wicked entity that is powerless against God despite her former proclamations.
In Revelations 17:1-2, an angel tells of many alliances that Babylon will forge with other kingdoms, and that those who sided her with "have made drunk with her wine" or her promise of further glory. This could also mean that she seduced the kings of the lands in her wake, and goaded them into joining her empire in sinful and devious ways.
She appears riding a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The harlot and her beast can be seen as an allegory of Rome, the Empire and the Emperor. The beast she rides has seven heads. In fact, Rome has seven hills, so the heads could reflect the ancient power of Rome, which traditionally was one of antiquity's most powerful empires. The seven heads of the beast represents seven mountains, and each of these mountains are ruled by seven kings. When it comes to these seven kings, it is said that five of these kings have already fallen, which some believe represent the empires that have already fallen including Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece. Only one of these kings now remains which may possibly be Rome itself and one that has yet come which is a possible reference to a new Roman Empire or an empire that has yet to form in our current age.
It is told that the beast itself is actually the eighth king and that he will supersede the seventh king quite quickly. It is believed by some that this eighth king, or the beast itself, is the Antichrist and that he will usher in a new kingdom. A kingdom for himself that is insidiously against God. While incredibly powerful and terrifying, she is destined to meet her end at the hands of The Beast as part of the Apocalypse.
Personality[]
In one of Isaiah's passages, the Harlot demonstrates signs of hubris by proclaiming that there is no god aside from her and furthermore establishes herself as a powerful one, in that she refuses to be a widow and refuses to suffer the grief of losing a child. But she is not painted in the verses in a positive light, but more so highlighted for her arrogance and blasphemy against God. She is identified as a "Lover of Pleasure", furthermore identifying her with the sin of adultery or promiscuity or even some sort of sexual deviancy.
Aside from being prideful, it is said that the woman of Babylon dabbles in the occult and that she is arrogant in believing that no one witnesses her perform such things or that she is too great to be called out for the misdeeds she does and again believes herself to be above God or even something of a goddess herself. She adorns herself with the finest jewelry and clothing, sparing no expense to look attractive and one who holds her physical appearance in high regard which also ties into her exhibiting the sins of greed. She has the resources to afford such wonderful things yet never does any good with the abundance of wealth at her disposal also making her selfish and encourages idolism.
