December 4: TRUE BLUE (NOT!)
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Revelation 17:4
John looks more closely at the woman. God’s purpose for the detailed description of the counterfeit church is to make her easily recognizable. It is also helpful to understand the original symbolism of the colors in His specifications for the earthly tabernacle, a visible reminder to the rescued Israelites of God’s desire to dwell with His people: “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8) Over two dozen divine instructions listed blue, purple, and scarlet to be used in various elements of the sanctuary.
In the false church, the colors of purple and scarlet are predominant. Blue is conspicuously absent, yet it is repeatedly the first color listed for many details of the tabernacle. Blue symbolizes loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience to God’s commandments, given in love for our protection and happiness: “…put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners [of your garments]. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined” (Numbers 15:38b-39).
Scarlet symbolizes sacrifice. It is a reminder of the enormous cost of salvation. God’s Old Testament people were being taught to claim the blood of the Passover Lamb as a covering for their sins as they looked forward to the coming of Christ, our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), the perfect and complete one-time sacrifice for all sin (Hebrews 7:27; 9:28; 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18). The false church makes a blasphemous claim to sacrifice Christ over and over, at every single mass! Fermented wine is used in the golden cup full of abominations, and the priest proclaims it to be actual blood of Christ by the power of his pronouncement. The round wafer is pronounced to be the actual body of Christ.* These proclamations at every mass are false claims to sacrifice, just as the healing of the seemingly mortal wound (13:3) is a false claim to resurrection.
Purple symbolizes royalty. The woman of chapter 17 makes a false claim to royalty. The color purple is made by mixing the color red with blue, the blending of sacrifice and obedience to the Lord Jesus. Therefore, this claim of royalty by the counterfeit church is completely bogus. For religious leaders to perpetuate all of the above misrepresentations of Christ in the eyes of the world is filthiness in the eyes of the LORD. In contrast, Jesus’s Word proclaims His forgiven and faithful followers to be royalty:
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5b-6
*These pronouncements are purposefully occult misinterpretations of John 6:54-55, inspired by Satan. Occultism is a major aspect of spiritualism which promotes the false doctrine that everyone possesses an immortal soul. This doctrine is based on the devil’s lie to Eve (Genesis 3:4) and is repeatedly refuted in Scripture, starting with 2:17. Eternal life is a GIFT for the obedient (Hebrews 5:9), not an inherent quality of created beings.