Alpha Omega

Chapter seventeen of St. John’s apocalyptic revelation opens as one of the angels with the vials brings him to see the condemnation of the great harlot (v.1). One learns from verse eighteen that the great harlot is the great city, which is the capital city of Babylon.

However, in order to understand what city this is one must first of all understand that Babylon is the capital city of any nation that is an ungodly nation, any government that is untruthful and unjust with the chosen children of God.

For example, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany was an ungodly nation during the World War II. Because of all the atrocities committed by him and his henchmen, Germany became a nation that was synonymous with the nation of Babylon. Berlin, its capital, became a Babylonian capital from the rise of Hitler until the end of the war in 1945.

A nation becomes a Babylonian Empire when its leaders direct the government in an ungodly manner against the chosen children of God. It leaves its Babylonian captivity when its leaders begin to be truthful and just with the children of God or its leaders are ousted from power.

Many nations have been and many nations still are ungodly in their actions. It is in this manner that the great whore sits upon many waters (v.1).

But the great whore represents the capital city of the greatest nation in the world (v.18). The great whore is the capital city of the greatest of these anti-god nations.

This nation is not only untruthful and unjust with the children of God but it is also a nation that other nations look up to for help and guidance. This nation is the leader of the world and the various government leaders of the other nations have followed the example of this nation. This nation has placed material possessions and material goals as more important and superior to truth and justice. It has placed money and power as more important than God.

As alcoholic beverages dull one’s senses if taken in excess, so also do the material riches of this world dull one’s spiritual understanding if a person places too high of a value upon them. If a person values material possessions and material goals as more important than truth and justice, then such will blind them to spiritual truth. The more value a person places on materialism, the less is their understanding of God and His world.

One may thus learn that the material things of this world were put here by God for man to use in order to get closer to our Lord but if abused, such can only lead a person away from God.

Since the leaders of this world are directing their governments after the example of Babylon — by placing material riches above truth and justice — they have become drunk with materialism and slaves of the great harlot (v.2). Thus, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with the great harlot (v.2) and have become drunk with her wine.

St. John then begins to describe the great harlot. Besides sitting upon many waters, the whore also sits upon Satan (v.3). Many people mistakenly believe that she sits upon the great antichrist. But one learns that it is the devil upon whom she sits by comparing Rev.12:3 and Rev.17:3. Both verses describe a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The great antichrist beast is not a scarlet beast. It is a leopard-like beast with seven heads and ten horns (Rev.13:1-2).

Her clothing (v.4) symbolizes the worldly riches and the luxuries with which she deceives the nations of the world into following her example. Her material possessions are good in themselves but because she uses them to deceive the world and lead the world astray, they have become a golden cup of abominations.

The mystery in her name (v.5) is that Babylon — whatever nation it may be at any given time — is the mother of all sin. The evil one is the father of all sin. Just as all the children of God have our Lord for a spiritual Father and Mother Mary for a spiritual mother, so also do sinners have their unholy father and their unholy mother: Satan and the great whore. However, in the absolute contradiction in which Satan exists all henchmen of the devil are bastards.

St. John says that Babylon is drunk with the blood of the saints (v.6). This means that the great whore obtains her pleasure from persecuting and killing the children of God and that she has persecuted and killed so many children of God that she is delirious with joy. That is to say, that the leaders of Babylon are ecstatic when their perverted philosophies become law. They believe that they are doing justice when in fact their laws are persecuting God's children and forcing them to live in economic slavery.

In verse seven the angel asks St. John why he wonders over the mystery of the woman and the beast. He describes the beast as that which was and is not and shall come up out of the bottomless pit and go into destruction (v.8).

What is revealed here is that Satan at one time existed as the Archangel Lucifer. However, after he rebelled against God our Lord threw him into a state of non-being. Hence, Lucifer was and now is not. The evil one defines himself as: “I am who am not,” or more easily stated, “I was.”

The devil rises out of the abyss, for that is what it is, a bottomless pit where an individual is forever falling short of a desired goal. Satan goes into destruction because he has only one goal: that of destroying everything with which he comes into contact.

However, the evil one has no power of his own. The only power Satan has is the control that an individual surrenders to him and his evil. If no one committed evil acts, then evil would not exist and Satan would be powerless. Although many claim that Satan has vast powers. The truth is that this wretch has no power of his own. If no one violated the law, the devil would be powerless.

After giving this information to St. John, the angel then begins to explain the seven mountains, the seven heads and the ten horns of Satan to him.

The seven kings are the leaders of seven powerful and influential nations that from a casual glance appear to be filled with many luxuries and riches. But upon closer examination one finds that these empires are filled with abominations. The leaders of these empires are very powerful; they control the governments of their nations. Hence, they are mountains. Their actions have caused the nation they lead to become synonymous with Babylon.

Babylon has been many empires throughout history. Thus, the waters, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and nations, and tongues (v.1,15). But there are seven particular nations to which the angel and St. John wish to direct one’s attention. Because each of these nations had the particular goal of persecuting and killing the Israelites and the Christians.

These seven godless empires are the Assyrian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Chaldean Empire, the Egyptian Empire, the Median-Persian Empire, the Roman Empire and the United States of America.

The five kings that have fallen are the five governments that were destroyed before the time St. John wrote his prophetic revelation. These five are Assyria, Babylon, Chaldea, Egypt, and Media-Persia. The one that still exists at that time is Rome and the United States is the nation that must remain a short time. The government leader who caused the United States to enter a Babylonian captivity is discussed below.

The evil one is said to be the eighth and is of the seven because these seven nations, guided by their corrupt leaders, act under him and by his evil instigation so that the evil one’s wickedness is in all seven of them. Yet, so as to make up, as it were, an eighth kingdom that is distinctive from them all. This eighth kingdom is Satan’s world of death and damnation, for hell is death. It is the bottomless pit into which all the damned fall for all eternity.

The ten kings who act under the instigation and conniving of one individual are former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the seven members of the Warren Commission previously mentioned, James J. Rowley, chief of the Secret Service at the time of the Kennedy assassination and J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI at the time.

Rowley and Hoover are seen as part of the beast because they had the responsibility of protecting the president and aiding in the capture of his murderers, but they did nothing. Indeed, their actions helped the murderers get away. Thus, they are guilty as accessories after the fact. (One should also note that it has been reported that Hoover was with Richard Nixon in Dallas the night before the assassination.)

In fact, some people have postulated that in order to succeed in the assassination, the murderers had to have help from rogue elements of the Secret Service or the CIA. Others have postulated that in order to succeed the murderers had to have help from rogue elements of the FBI or from the military-industrial complex. Still others have postulated that in order to succeed the murderers had to get help from organized crime or from big business.

But J. Gary Shaw, in his book Cover-Up, has shown how rogue elements of the CIA, under the direction of Allen Dulles, rogue elements of the FBI, lead by J. Edgar Hoover and rogue elements of the Secret Service, lead by James J. Rowley, with help from organized crime, oil company CEOs and the military, all appear to have been instrumental in the assassination itself, the subsequent cover-up and the framing of Lee Harvey Oswald.

One should note that this is not to bring disrespect to the CIA, the FBI, the Secret Service or the military-industrial complex in any way. This merely points out that during the Kennedy administration rogue elements of each of these government agencies and of the military-industrial complex appear to have aided in the initial assassination of President Kennedy, the subsequent cover-up of the assassination and the framing of lee Oswald. Their conspiracy was then aided by the work of the Warren Commission.

Thus, by their many crimes and usurpations of the law, the Warren Commission and the above individuals caused the United States to enter a Babylonian captivity. They lied to the American people and aided in a massive cover-up in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

President Abraham Lincoln once said that for one to see a crime and not speak out against the crime is to be a party to the crime. One may not be in a position to prevent the crime or to bring justice to the criminals but the least one can do is to speak out against the crime. If a person does not at least do this then such a person is guilty of aiding the criminals in their escape.

This is exactly what the Warren Commission individuals are guilty of. They saw a crime committed against the American people and did nothing. By their propagating lies as truth and offering injustice as justice they directly aided the murderers in their escape.

While it is true that, according to the U. S. Constitution, the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches of government must remain separate. It is also true that each branch must put checks and balances on the other two and thereby protect the citizens from evil. This latter is what the above mentioned individuals failed to do. They failed to provide the children of God with the protection from evil that they are afforded by law.

Thus, by their negligence, their procrastination and their dereliction of duty, they aided the murderers in their crimes and they too are guilty of crimes against the chosen children of God. They have disgraced the law of the land and helped send the United States of America into a Babylonian captivity.

Before continuing, a word of caution must be stated about the decisions and the actions of governments and the responsibility of the Mother Church.

First of all, it is God who ultimately controls the decisions of the government (v.16-17). That is to say that government leaders can do nothing unless God either allows it or causes it.

Secondly, while it is true that the Church and state must be separated, they must work together to keep the two kingdoms properly separated, for each has their own areas of influence and neither should encroach upon the other’s domain.

However, unlike the Mother Church, the state has the duty to protect the civil rights of everyone, both church members and non-church members. Therefore, in those areas where the Church and state come into conflict, the state has jurisdiction over the Catholic Church.

Although many may disagree with this, the truth of it is confirmed by the fact that no one wants a member of another church or a member of another religion to use their own religious beliefs to influence the making of laws that everyone must obey. Thus causing everyone or forcing everyone to follow a philosophy or faith that they do not wish to follow.

A classic example of this is in the area of abortion, which many Christians believe the U. S. Supreme Court was wrong to legalize. The bishops are using their positions to try and influence the state into making abortion illegal, which is tantamount to forcing everyone into obeying Catholic law.

They claim that they are trying to save the lives of unborn children. But no matter what their stated reason, it is still Catholic law that they are attempting to get everyone to obey. This is a violation of the separation of church and state. Besides, they are ignoring the fact that illegal abortions often kill the mother. But God does not desire the death of a sinner but that such a person be converted and live.

It is a statement of truth that the unborn baby is going to die regardless of whether or not abortion is legal or illegal. An illegal abortion kills the unborn baby and frequently kills the mother also. However a legal abortion kills only the unborn baby. Thus, with legalized abortion the mother can live to repent of her sins and thereby live with God.

Since God wants to save souls by not having them die in sin on illegal abortion tables, it should be obvious that our Lord does not oppose legalized abortion. This is especially true for the abortion of an embryo or a non-viable fetus. Although God is obviously against the killing of babies and abortion is abhorrent to Him (if such is solely for selfish reasons, solely for reasons of birth control or if alternatives are not available), He undoubtedly views the death of an embryo or fetus, while saving the life of the mother, as the lesser of the two evils of legal or illegal abortion.

God knows that more often than not, the choices that confront His children are between the lesser of two evils, for to make such choices is why He created man. In order to determine who would follow truth and justice governed by logic and reason and who would follow after their own prejudice.

A teenager who gets pregnant is a classic example. God does not want one of His children to suffer their whole life for some mistake made in their puberty years. To force a teenage child to have a baby is to force that child to suffer her whole life because she made a minor indiscretion (having unprotected sex) while not mature enough to make adult decisions (having sex). Such a fate would be very unmerciful. God is full of mercy and compassion (Osee,6:6; Jms.2:13).

Although God may abhor abortion, He obviously looks upon legalized abortion as the lesser of the two evils between legal and illegal abortion. The problem is that many pseudo-Christians have interjected their religious beliefs into what is strictly a political question. They are attempting to force everyone into following their religious beliefs and have convinced many children of God to follow their example.

Thus, many have been led astray and believe that they are doing the will of God by opposing legalized abortion. Like sheep being led to a slaughter house, these children of God were only following a directive given them in the Holy Bible that they should follow their religious leaders as though they were obeying God (Heb.13:17).

The Catholic Church must protect the souls of Her children. She cannot oppose the state in any laws — just or unjust — that it may make. Although She has no authority to condemn unjust laws, neither does She have to endorse these laws. The Roman Catholic Church must teach religious truth.

The only time the Mother Church has the right, the duty and the moral obligation to oppose the state is when the state tries to prevent Her from administering the eight sacraments. (Teaching the word of God is the eighth sacrament, for it is of the seven.) Even when She does oppose the government, She must use peaceful means and the courts to do so.

Therefore, the Supreme Court or any government representative body can make any decision it wants to or govern the state in any manner it so chooses and the Mother Church cannot object to this. She must render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God that which is God’s. As did Her Lord before Her, (Mt.26:53-54; Jn.19:10-11) the Catholic Church must act as though She is powerless to stop the state, even though She has all the power in the world at Her disposal.

However, this does not mean to insinuate that the state has the right to create unjust laws or that the state will remain guiltless for creating unjust laws or that the Supreme Court is doing the will of God in all its decisions.

St. John wrote that our Lord has given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth Him (v.17). He did not say that they would continually make good laws. That is, God will allow their greed and ignorance to make decisions for them. These decisions – whether good or bad – will help initiate those events that will bring about the Nuclear War. Hence, the government has often made decisions that God does not oppose, as manifested above, and it has also made laws that restrict the growth of the children of God.

A classic example of this latter is the prevention of the Lord’s Prayer in public school. This is not strictly a Christian prayer, as many believe it to be. It was given to all mankind by God our Father through His Son Jesus Christ, who was a Jew. It is for all religions, all faiths.

A simple reciting of the Lord’s Prayer manifests that it does not cater to any particular faith. The Lord’s Prayer simply asks God our Father to forgive us our transgressions. One is not propagating a particualr religion by reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Reciting some other prayer might be considered as endorsing a particular church or religion but not the Lord’s Prayer. Indeed, by allowing the recital of the Lord’s Prayer in public school the government is giving an equal endorsement to all religions simultaneously.

Also, it is not an interference to faith to teach theology as a subject in public school. Although teaching a particular faith in public school would be politically wrong, especially with the objective of converting someone to that faith, this is something entirely different from teaching theology as a subject.

All religions are an expression of man’s attempt to understand God. Some religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Zoroastrianism have a better understanding of God than do other religions. It is an act of injustice against mankind for the state to prevent someone from learning about God. The government does not have the right to give preference to any particular faith but it does have a moral obligation to its citizens to teach basic theological truths. This is especially true of those beliefs and truths taught by all religions.

By teaching theology, the government is recognizing God’s existence and introducing Him to its citizens. To allow a recital of the Lord’s Prayer and to teach basic theology is the government’s only method of saying yes to God and to help its citizens understand God.

The only individuals who would oppose public reciting of the Lord’s Prayer or oppose teaching theology are atheists and those with extreme religious beliefs. These fanatical individuals propagate that it is a hindrance to their beliefs for the state to recognize religion and the observance of religious holidays. The state has the duty to protect the minority from the will of the majority. The state also has the obligation of protecting the majority from the aggression of the extremist.

For the state to recognize the sovereign truth that God exists and that Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Zoroastrianism all worship this same God is not an impediment to any religion. It is an equal endorsement of all religions simultaneously and a death blow to atheism and extremism.

One should note that the government’s role here is just to acknowledge God’s existence and the exclusive divinity of Jesus Christ and then teach basic theology to its children. That is, teach how the various religions got started and what the various religions believe. If the government did more than this then it would be overstepping its obligation.

It is a statement of truth that any government that is regulated by extremist factions, fanaticism and anti-god beliefs is a government that will eventually die in its own corruption. One knows this to be true for one only needs to look at what happened to those governments in the past that opposed God.

Atheists and extremists are henchmen of Satan who seek the destruction of anything that helps the children of God grow. These fanatics are doing everything within their power to prevent the government from helping the children of God. Due to the influence of these individuals, the appellate courts have become indifferent to theology and religion. This is worse than the anti-religion of the Communists.

The devil knows that if he can induce a person to do away with the law little by little — the only thing that the children of God have protecting them from destruction — then eventually there will be nothing left protecting them.

The indifference of the government to religion is causing many children of God to grow up without any knowledge of God or religion. Their faith is being gradually eroded by their lack of knowledge. If nothing is done to teach them basic theology then eventually they will have no religious beliefs at all. If they are not introduced to basic theological beliefs and truths then Satan has won a great victory.

Thus, by working through his henchmen — the atheists and other individuals with extremist beliefs — the evil one is gradually attempting to do away with all religion.

The Constitution and the law guarantees freedom of religion. This means that the government will not force someone to follow a particular faith or persecute someone for following a particular faith. Nor will the state endorse a particular faith.

It does not mean that the government cannot acknowledge God’s existence or teach basic theology to its children. Nor does it mean that the government cannot endorse all religions simultaneously through the Lord’s Prayer or prevent the public observance of religious holidays. The law guarantees freedom from religious persecution; it does not deny one freedom of religious expression.

A person should not be denied the right to learn theology in public school, to recite the Lord’s Prayer in public school or to publicly observe religious holidays. This is not propagating religion. This is propagating theological truth and acknowledging that there is one Supreme God.

The only individuals who deny this are those with extremist beliefs. Extremist philosophy is corrupt and brings destruction in its wake. Some of the greatest religious teachers and philosophers taught this: Aristotle, St. Teresa of Avila, Buddha and Confucius, to name just a few. Thus, the state should not follow the philosophy of extremism.

One may wonder how the Supreme Court or any branch of government can do God’s will in one area but not in another. Apart from the fact that God does not get involved in the mundane proceedings of politics, what happens is that occasionally there is a materialistic profit to be made from following after truth and justice. The henchmen of this world do not care for truth and justice but they do care for their secular goals.

There was no materialistic profit to be made by allowing the Lord’s Prayer in public school but there was a financial profit to be made by legalizing abortion. Corrupt governments follow after the false god of money. Thus, public prayer was not legalized and abortion was legalized legalized.

Finally, those individuals in government who create unjust laws must answer to God for their actions. If the state decides to bring them to justice this is of no concern to the Holy Mother Church. It is not Her duty to oppose any actions taken by the state. Anyone who opposes the unjust laws of their government must do so as private citizens, not as members of a religion or a church.

One may wonder why the U.S. Congress is not seen as part of the beast. This is mainly because the legislative branch has a few — a very few — members who are opposed to the lies and the injustices of the Warren Commission.

First of all, it was the legislative branch that began the impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon. Secondly, there are a few senators and members of congress who are attempting to enact legislation which will free the children of God from the persecutions and the oppression of the beast. They are attempting to stop the corruption of the U.S. Government in its aggression against the children of God and they frequently speak out against the corruption that is destroying America.

Finally, a few of these congressional leaders do not participate in the illegal activities with which many senators and members of congress get involved.

However, this is not an attempt to vindicate the legislative branch of the government. One does not condemn an entire barrel of apples because of a few bad ones but neither does one praise an entire barrel if only a few are good.

The same is true with congress. Because only a few members are opposed to the lies and injustices of the other branches of government is no reason to condemn the entire body but neither is it an excuse to praise the entire body. For the most part, both the senate and the house of representatives are just as corrupt as the other two branches of government.

These members of congress often take expensive, lengthy vacations. They claim that such are “a working vacation” and they charge the cost to expense accounts that the citizens they represent are responsible for paying.

When congress is in session — and they take the time to attend — they do not vote on legislation the way the majority of the citizens they represent desire them to vote. Instead they allow themselves to be influenced by self-serving lobbyists, often accepting bribes or kick backs and gifts from them in exchange for their vote.

Rarely are members of congress ever punished for violating the law. Most of the time they are given only a mild reprimand. They do not see that their actions have caused the average citizen to loose faith in the government.

Members of congress fight and argue among themselves over legislation. Seldom are the times when they agree with each other on the course of action the government ought to take. Most of the time the liberals are quarreling with the conservatives (Democrats against Republicans) and both are competing with the moderates for control of the congress. Instead of working together to find the proper solutions to the problems that are destroying America, they are aiding in that destruction.

Often the laws that they do enact are contrary to the good will of the citizens. Frequently, the laws they make persecute and oppress the children of God, forcing them to live in economic slavery.

They fail to see that the only effective government is one that follows the philosophy of Aristotle, which is a government that does not govern in the extremes — sometimes conservative, sometimes liberal and sometimes moderate but never too far to the left nor too far to the right, never too much and never too little.

These government leaders fail to see that the search for truth and justice is a long, winding road, not always a conservative road, nor always a liberal path nor always a moderate track. Finding it is much like tacking against the wind in a sailing vessel. Those who take the strictly liberal road or the strictly conservative track or even the strictly moderate path are leading away from truth and justice. They are glorifying their own perverted philosophies, their own wicked prejudices and their own pride.

They fail to see that any government that governs in the extremes is a government that is doomed. They fail to see that having too much of any material possession — especially the false god of money — is extremism and it is this extremism that is destroying America.

These congressional leaders fail to perceive that political power is increased with length of service and that political power corrupts the material minded. Instead of imposing limits on their length of service, often there is no limit to which they will not go in order to maintain themselves in office. For many members of congress, their only concern is to maintain themselves in public office for as long as they possible can.

They diligently and scrupulously search the law for legal loopholes so that they may thereby circumvent the law. If that fails, they introduce legislation that will subsequently help them circumvent the law.

They fail to see that they have obeyed the letter of the law but have made void the spirit of the law. They have discarded the high ethical standards by which all governmental representatives are supposed to be guided. They are guided by sluggardness, disloyalty and favoritism.

Thus, while it is true that Congress may not be seen as part of the beast due to the actions of a few, the actions of the legislative branch are not without corruption and crimes against the children of God. A good analogy for the Congress is to liken it to a quadriplegic. Such a person has life but is impeded by their disability. So too is Congress. It is hindered by the corruption of many of its members and unless it rids itself of this corruption it will remain handicapped.

One should note that this last is not an attempt to insult those people with disabilities. Rather, it is an attempt to manifest that those people with disabilities have a harder task at achieving success. Because of this, mankind has a moral obligation to help those with physical or mental disabilities, to educate them and to help them live normal lives.

Indeed, mankind has a moral obligation to help all those who are in need, especially children, because children are mankind’s future. If mankind cannot educate the children and teach them to live in peace, then mankind has no future and mankind is an endangered species.

Alpha Omega

The Waters of Babylon