The Beasts and the Harlot

Joe Humpamonkey

BIB-502 New Testament Foundations

April 22, 2015

Humpamonkey 1

The Beasts and the Harlot1

Before any discussion concerning the meaning of Revelations can begin, it must be

relegated to the proper time frame. There are two schools of thought for dating Revelations, the

early date, which argues for it being written around the year A.D. 68 or 692,3,4, and the more

traditional late date of A.D. 96.5 This becomes a major consideration when arguing, as this essay

shall, that ‘the harlot’ referred to on the Revelation of John alludes to the city of Jerusalem and

the ‘selling-out’ of Judaism by the Sanhedrin to the Roman ‘beasts’.

Perhaps the most persuasive argument that the harlot is a direct reference to Jerusalem is

the most basic and obvious. The entire history of the Jewish people, as testified to by their own

sacred record, is a constant repetition of the same scenario: God extends His trust, faith and love

to the Hebrews and as sure as the sun will rise in the morn, they take everything He offers, have

a good time with the gifts, then immediately return to whoring themselves to other gods. This

theme is so prevalent in the Old Testament it obscures any other.

1
​ uthor Note: While the following essay assumes the early date of A.D. 68-69 for the writing of The
A
Revelation of John, this is simply a matter of convenience. The author at the time of this writing is not adequately
familiar with the evidence from both sides to make a determination in this matter. Initial perusal of the arguments
lends bias to the earlier date and the following interpretation is taken from that point of view.

2
​George H. Van Kooten, "The Year of the Four Emperors and the Revelation of John: The 'pro-Neronian'
Emperors Otho and Vitellius, and the Images and Colossus of Nero In Rome.," ​Journal for the Study of the New
Testament​ 30, no. 2 (December 2007): 205, accessed April 22, 2015, doi:10.1177/0142064X07084776.

3
​Wolfgang Schneider, "When Was the Book of Revelation Written? - BibelCenter Studies," When Was the
Book of Revelation Written? - BibelCenter Studies, accessed April 22, 2015,
http://www.biblecenter.de/bibel/studien/e-std310.php.

4
​Richard Anthony, "Dating the Book of Revelation," Dating the Book of Revelation, accessed April 22, 2015,
http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/revelation.html.

5
​Wayne Jackson, "When Was the Book of Revelation Written?,"​Christian Courier​ ISSN: 1559-2235:,
doi:https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1552-when-was-the-book-of-revelation-written.
Humpamonkey 2

From the time of the exodus until the exile in Babylon God’s tolerance for the apostasy

of the Hebrews dwindles to the point that 95% of the population disappears from the annuls of

history, the remainder are sold into slavery, and the entire city of Jerusalem is laid waste. One

can only imagine the indignation of our Lord during the intertestamental period. The behavior of

the Jews in regards to their proclaimed faith is so despicable even they refuse to include in their

history. Temple sacrifices were made daily to, excuse me, I mean ‘in the name of’’ the Roman

authorities One can only wonder how on earth they could possibly believe that whoring out a

part of Gods altar would be acceptable. To say that it was necessary to maintain Roman

approval of their religion is not a satisfactory answer. This is the God that went before Joshua

and made the greatest armies on earth tremble and fall before Him. Had they maintained their

faith, there never would have been a Roman problem.

Enter Jesus, Son of God, and the Jews last chance to get right with God. The problem

does not lie in the fact that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. That was supposed

to happen, had to happen in fact. The idea was, however, that the resurrection would make

enough impression on the Jewish leadership that they would see the light. This was not really

that much to expect, considering that ultimately about 90% of the Roman empire did, but rather

than embrace the new covenant, hear the words of the messengers, and ally themselves with the

Lord, what did they do? Hunt it down and tried to kill it, of course.

By the second half of the first century, Rome had barely even noticed Christianity. Nero

was the only emperor of record other than ​Diocletian​ 200 years later to ever issue a royal edict

that targeted Christians specifically. Christians were still under the radar of Rome, who had

much more important problems to deal with at the time, not the least of which was the Jews
Humpamonkey 3

themselves. The Jewish rebellion was only one of several that erupted during the first century.

On top of that, prior to Vespasian finally putting an end to it, civil war ravaged Rome as legion

battled legion, the city burned twice, major earthquakes leveled several provinces, and Mt.

Vesuvius buried Pompeii and ​Herculaneum. First century Christians were far from the constant

preoccupation doctrine would seem to indicate.

‘[T]he woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of

Jesus’ (Rev. 17:6) possibly alludes the the Roman capital, given the deaths of Peter and Paul, and

seems logical if one assumes that 17:10 refers to Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Claudius, Nero

(‘five are fallen’), Galba (‘one is’, arguing for a date of A.D. 68-69), and Otho (who will come

for a short time), however given that the most dangerous place for Christians was Jerusalem, (as

the one place where Roman persecution was active rather than passive due to the rebellion and it

was the central base of their most active persecutors, the Jews), it is more likely a reference to

Jerusalem. “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their

kingdom unto the beast” (Rev. 17:17) can only mean the soon to follow destruction of the city by

the Roman armies. What other city “is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils,

and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” in the eyes of

God?

Final argument for an early date lies in Roman policy concerning the Christians. One of

the most detailed and least biased records of the era is that of Pliny the Younger, who was

governor of Pontus/Bithynia from A.D. 111-113. Unsure how to handle the growing Christian

presence within his dominion, Pliny seeks the counsel of emperor Trajan:
Humpamonkey 4

Having never been present at any trials of the Christians, I am unacquainted with

the method and limits to be observed either in examining or punishing them.

Whether any difference is to be made on account of age, or no distinction allowed

between the youngest and the adult; whether repentance admits to a pardon, or if a

man has been once a Christian it avails him nothing to recant; whether the mere

profession of Christianity, albeit without crimes, or only the crimes associated

therewith are punishable in all these points I am greatly doubtful.6

And Trajans reply to Pliny:

THE METHOD YOU have pursued, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those

denounced to you as Christians is extremely proper. It is not possible to lay down

any general rule which can be applied as the fixed standard in all cases of this

nature. No search should be made for these people; when they are denounced and

found guilty they must be punished; with the restriction, however, that when the

party denies himself to be a Christian, and shall give proof that he is not (that is,

by adoring our gods) he shall be pardoned on the ground of repentance, even

though he may have formerly incurred suspicion. Informations without the

accuser's name subscribed must not be admitted in evidence against anyone, as it

is introducing a very dangerous precedent, and by no means agreeable to the spirit

of the age.7

6
​"Pliny Book 10, Letter 96 (English) - VRoma." 23 Apr. 2015
http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/Pliny/Pliny10-096-E.html>

7
"Pliny Book 10, Letter 97 (English) - VRoma." 23 Apr. 2015
<http://www.vroma.org/~hwalker/Pliny/Pliny10-097-E.html>
Humpamonkey 5

Bibliography

Anthony, Richard. "Dating the Book of Revelation." Dating the Book of Revelation. Accessed
April 22, 2015. http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/revelation.html.

Jackson, Wayne. "When Was the Book of Revelation Written?" ​Christian Courier​ ISSN:
1559-2235.
doi:https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1552-when-was-the-book-of-revelation-wri
tten.

Schneider, Wolfgang. "When Was the Book of Revelation Written? - BibelCenter Studies."
When Was the Book of Revelation Written? - BibelCenter Studies. Accessed April 22,
2015. http://www.biblecenter.de/bibel/studien/e-std310.php.

Van Kooten, George H. "The Year of the Four Emperors and the Revelation of John: The
'pro-Neronian' Emperors Otho and Vitellius, and the Images and Colossus of Nero In
Rome." ​Journal for the Study of the New Testament​ 30, no. 2 (December 2007): 205-48.
Accessed April 22, 2015. doi:10.1177/0142064X07084776.