The Cross of Christ  

In Rev. 17:1-2 we see the Holy Spirit using the same language in the Old Testament that He used in the New Testament (fornication, adultery, whore) . New Testament Scriptures using this same language are referenced within the previous five blog entries. It seems that anyone with any Bible knowledge whatsoever, has an opinion as to who or what "the great whore" refers to. The most widely held interpretation of "the great whore" is that the phrase refers to one particular church. My belief differs somewhat. I include in my interpretaion, all churches, religions, denominations, etc. of the world that have ever been, which are devised by men as a substitute for 'Jesus Christ and Him Crucified'. God's Way is Christ and Him Crucified; as well, the 'many waters' are a symbol for multitudes of people (Rev. 7:1,15). Let us break down verse 2. "With whom (the great whore, i.e., all types of religions) the kings of the Earth (from the very beginning, most nations have been ruled by some type of religion) have committed fornication (all religions devised by men, and even the parts of Christianity that have been corrupted, are labeled by the Lord as 'spiritual fornication' (Rom. 7:1-4), and the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication (proclaims the addiction of religion)" (Rev. 17:1-2). It is plain to me that the Holy Spirit here labels every way supposedly of God that is not "Jesus Christ and Him Crucified" as a wrong way, a false way, i.e., "spiritual fornication." Our Lord has provided His great Redemption Plan for lost humanity. It was done even from before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:18-20). God would become Man in order to go to the Cross, for this is the only way that a Perfect Sacrifice could be provided. We fallen sons of Adam's lost race had no way to save ourselves. So if man was to be saved, God would have to initiate the process from its very beginning. Corrupted, fallen man could not devise anything that God could accept. Has that not always been the problem with the world? The unredeemed attempt to manufacture a god other than Jehovah, while the Church attempts to manufacture another sacrifice other than Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.