Revelation 17:5

and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY; BABYLON THE GREAT; THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

And upon her head a name written ... In the culture of those times, harlots customarily "wore on their brows labels inscribed with their names; this whore is thus in character."[26]; MYSTERY; BABYLON THE GREAT ... See under Revelation 17:1 for identification of the three Babylons. The comma after MYSTERY should be omitted, as her name is not BABYLON, but MYSTERY BABYLON. Just as the pagan empire was Babylon, answering to the Old Testament type, this woman is also Babylon in a different and extended sense. She is MYSTERY BABYLON, the essential quality of the mystery is that "the worldly portion of the church, though nominally Christian, is in reality identical with the world and is openly antagonistic to God."[27] "Mystery is part of the name; it is not literal; something lies behind which will be made manifest in due time."[28]

THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH ... This harlot sets a religious style that will be copied throughout the ages. Many have interpreted this as a reference to apostate Protestant churches; and, while true enough, this by no means exhausts the interpretation.

[26] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 206.

[27] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 415.

[28] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 611.