REVELATION 17 - CLUE (3)
CLUE (3) - “And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet,” (Revelation 17:4a, DRCB)
Here in Revelation 17:4a, the “great harlot” is dressed in the ‘ecclesiastical’ attire of purple and scarlet.
The following quotes give credence to the fact that the "Great Harlot" is indeed a "great city" with a an 'apostate religious system' [One-World Apostate Church] whose clergy dress in purple and scarlet . . .
ECCLESIASTICAL PURPLE and SCARLET
[BEGIN QUOTE] - The woman’s clothing was purple, symbolic of royalty, and scarlet, representing luxury. – (Constable) [END QUOTE] [1]
[BEGIN QUOTE] - This Revelation 17:4a strikingly represents the most pompous and costly manner in which the Latin Church has held forth to the nations the rites and ceremonies of its idolatrous and corrupt worship. (Clarke) - [END QUOTE] [2]
[BEGIN QUOTE] - The purple color was obtained from a species of shellfish found on the coasts of the Mediterranean, which yielded a reddish-purple dye, much prized by the ancients. Robes dyed in that color were commonly worn by persons of rank and wealth, The purple color contains more blue than the crimson, though the limits are not very accurately defined, and the words are sometimes interchanged. Thus the mock robe put on the Saviour is called [“purple”] in Mark 15:17, Mark 15:20. (Barnes) – [END QUOTE] [3]
[BEGIN QUOTE] The [scarlet] color was obtained from a small insect which was found adhering to the shoots of a species of oak in Spain and Western Asia. This was the usual color in the robes of princes, military cloaks, etc. It is applicable in the description of papal Rome, because this is a favorite color there. . . . . The scarlet color. This is the color of the dress of the cardinals - their hats, and cloaks, and stockings being always of this color . . .. It is the color of the carriages of the cardinals, the entire body of the carriage being scarlet, and the trappings of the horses the same. On occasion of public festivals and processions, scarlet is suspended from the windows of the houses along which processions pass. The inner color of the cloak of the pope is scarlet; his carriage is scarlet; the carpet on which he treads is scarlet. A large part of the dress of the bodyguard of the pope is scarlet; and no one can take up a picture of Rome without seeing that this color is predominant. I looked through a volume of engravings representing the principal officers and public persons of Rome. There were few in which the scarlet color was not found as constituting some part of their apparel; in not a few the scarlet color prevailed almost entirely. . . . . The scarlet color is characteristic of Rome. (Barnes) – [END QUOTE] [4]
[BEGIN QUOTE] - In purple and scarlet — Which were the colours of the imperial habit [Roman Empire], — the purple in times of peace, and the scarlet in times of war: and the scarlet is the colour of the popes and cardinals, as it used to be that of the Roman emperors and senators. - - - And who can sufficiently describe the pride, and grandeur, and magnificence of the Church of Rome in her vestments and ornaments of all kinds? One remarkable instance of this we have in Paul II., whose mitre was set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, jaspers, and all kinds of precious stones: and another conspicuous instance is in the lady of Loretto; the riches of whose holy image, and house, and treasury are far beyond the reach of description. There silver can hardly find an admission, and gold itself looks but poorly among such an incredible number of precious stones. [END QUOTE]. [5]
END NOTES
[1] BIBLE HUB, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes, Revelation 17:4, Accessed August 20, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/17-4.html
[2] BIBLE HUB, Clarke’s Commentary., Revelation 17:4, Accessed August 20, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/17-4.html
[3] BIBLE HUB, Barnes Exposition of the Entire Bible, Revelation 17:3, Accessed August 20, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/17-3.html
[4] BIBLE HUB, Barnes Exposition of the Entire Bible, Revelation 17:4, Accessed August 20, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation/17-4.html[5] BIBLE HUB, Benson Commentary – Revelation 17:4-5, Accessed September 27, 2024, Web: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/revelation