AUTHENTICITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN YOUR CATHOLIC BIBLE

When you read and study the New Testament in your Catholic Bible it is important that you understand that what you are reading is the TRUE WORD OF GOD and NOT the written words of men.  Here is what God Himself says about the New Testament of your Catholic Bible in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (DRCB):

ALL scripture inspired of God [breathed by God], is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice:  ⁽¹⁷⁾  That the man of God may be perfect [spiritually mature], furnished to every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible)

In this verse of Holy Scripture, God clearly tells us that everything we need to help us grow spiritually mature in Christ can be found in the Holy Bible!.

TWO CHOICES

(WHICH ONE WILL YOU MAKE?)

We have TWO CHOICES in regard to the reading and study of the New Testament in our Catholic Bibles. -- We can BELIEVE all that is written in the New Testament of our Catholic Bible, and set aside [dismiss] ALL men-written literature and traditions written into pamphlets, daily missals, devotional readings, catechism writings, etc., that DO NOT COINCIDE with the Words of God that are written into the Bible. . . .

OR. . . .

We can BELIEVE all of the men-written literature and traditions THAT DO NOT COINCIDE with the Words of God in our Catholic Bible, and then begin tearing out pages, and cutting out verses from our Catholic Bible that DO NOT COINCIDE with the men-written literature and traditions. --

I personally have learned to set aside [dismiss] any men-written literature and traditions that DO NOT COINCIDE with God's TRUE WORDS in THE New Testament of my Catholic Bible. – Again, GOD CANNOT LIE ...MEN CAN AND DO LIE!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 17

The following background information may be helpful as to 'WHY' I have written this commentary on Revelation 17. . .

I first became interested in Revelation Chapters 17 over 40 years ago. -- I was born and raised up a Roman Catholic ... I attended a Parochial School until the fifth grade ...in second grade I was given the honor to be ‘Page Boy’ for the local Bishop at a High Mass Confirmation Service in the Catholic Church that I was attending. -- I attended Mass regularly and practiced the Sacraments of the Catholic Church faithfully.

When I was 42 years old, I found my Grandmother’s Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible in a drawer in my bedroom where I had placed it for safe-keeping. For some unknown reason on that day, I began reading Revelation Chapter 17 in her Bible . . . and it was then that I began to be curious about WHO the "Great Harlot" is that the angel mentions to Apostle John in Revelation 17:1.

From that time on I began to read numerous Bible commentaries written by both Catholic and Protestant Bible scholars, and I began to diligently study the Bible. -- After I finally came to realize the true identity of the "Great Harlot" in Revelation 17 I was SHOCKED, just as Apostle John was shocked when he realized who the "Great Harlot" is in his vision from the angel. -- I am sure that YOU will be shocked too when you learn her true identity. 

At the time of this writing I am now 82 years old, and I am living as a "Bible-believing, spiritually reborn Christian". -- I firmly believe 'ALL THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD’ that are written into the New Testament of your Catholic Bible because GOD CAN NOT LIE!

BIBLE VERSIONS USED FOR COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 17

To give the reader increased insight into interpretating Revelation 17 and 18, I have listed two different versions of the Catholic Bible for all Holy Scripture verses used in the commentaries. -- I have used New Testament verses from the Douay- Rheims Catholic Bible (DRCB), and also the Tagalog Catholic Bible - Ang Dating Biblia – 1905 (TCB). - (I included verses from the Tagalog Bible in the commentary because I now live and minister in the Philippines, and I want Filipinos to be able to read the Bible verses in the commentaries in their own language.) 

I have also listed verses from the ‘Protestant’ King James Bible (KJB) so that readers can see that there is very little difference in how the New Testament of the Catholic Bibles and the King James Bible read. The above Bible version abbreviations (DRCB), (TCB), (KJB) will be used throughout these commentaries to identify the versions.

EVIDENCE FOR DETERMINING TRUE IDENTITY OF THE "GREAT HARLOT"

I believe the evidence (a summary of clues that I list towards the close of this Bible commentary on Revelation 17) is UNMISTAKEABLE in regard to the “true identity” of “Mystery Babylon the Great Harlot”.  – No matter how hard you may try, I believe that you will never be able to find another entity on this earth that fits perfectly the description given by the angel to Apostle John regarding the true identity of “Mystery Babylon the Great Harlot”

COMMENTARY ON REVELATION 17:1 

And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and spoke with me [Apostle John], saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the ‘great harlot’ who sitteth upon many waters: (Rev. 17:1, DRCB) 

At dumating ang isa sa pitong anghel na may pitong mangkok, at nagsalita sa akin, na nagsasabi, Pumarito ka, ipakikita ko sa iyo ang hatol sa bantog na patutot na nakaupo sa maraming tubig; (Rev. 17:1, TCB)    

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me [Apostle John], saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the ‘great whore’ that sitteth upon many waters: (Rev. 17:1, KJB)   

The following quote helps to establish the time frame of Revelation 17:1… 

[BEGIN QUOTE] - The expression "which had the seven vials," would seem to imply that though they [the seven angels] had [already] emptied the vials in the manner stated in the previous chapter [chapter 16], they still retained them in their hands. And talked with me - Spake to me. . . . . ‘Come hither” . . . . This is a word merely calling the attention, as we should say now, "[Come] Here." It does not imply that John was to leave the place where he was [Isle of Patmos] . . . . “I will shew unto thee”- Partly by symbols, and partly by express statements; for this is the way in which, in fact, he showed him. The judgment - The condemnation and calamity that will come upon her [the “Great Harlot”. [END QUOTE] ^[1]

The ‘Great Harlot’ [‘Great Whore’] symbolizes the APOSTATE [the perversion of true Christianity with a mix of paganism] ‘ONE WORLD CHURCH’ [a ‘Worldwide Idolatrous Religious System’], that is already being formed through the process of Religious Ecumenism, and that will come into full existence during the first 3-1/2 years of the Seven Year Tribulation Period.  Idolatrous worship is frequently represented as a “whore” in the Bible, i.e., see Ezekiel 16:1-63; Ezekiel 23:1-49, etc.)                       

Please note here that the “Great Harlot” is “sitting upon many waters”, which is interpreted by the angel to Apostle John in Revelation 17:15 as being… “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”…meaning that the “Great Harlot’s idolatrous forms of worship” already has great influence over the entire earth! 

Most importantly in Revelation 17:1, the angel is going to show Apostle John in a vision the DESTRUCTION of the “Great Harlot” [the One World Religious System] that will take place towards the end of the FIRST 3-1/2 YEARS of the Seven Year Tribulation Period.—We know this to be true because the world will be required to worship Antichrist only during the SECOND 3-1/2 YEARS  of the Seven Year Tribulation Period.

END NOTES[1] BIBLE HUB, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Revelation 17:1, Accessed August 8, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/1