WHO IS THE WHORE OF REVELATION 17 & 18?

The whore, described in Revelation 17 & 18, is most often described as the Roman Catholic Church by the majority of Protestant theologians.  They believe that John described her as being named "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (17:5), because he did not want to anger Rome who had exiled him on the Isle of Patmos (1:9).  And, we do know that "she" is described as "that great city, which reigneth (John's present tense) over the kings of the earth" (17:18).  We also know that the Roman Catholic Church killed many of the early Protestant leaders during the Reformation (17:6). 

In order to determine the identity of the whore, it is important to first identify the Beast upon which she is riding (17:7-11).  He is described as having seven heads, which represent seven empires (17:9). The first five, which had fallen, were Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece; the one that existed, of course, was Rome (17:10).  The seventh, I believe, is the Beast upon which John sees her riding; it is the Antichrist indwelt by Satan, as the description matches both (12:3; 13:1).  The Antichrist, described as "the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is (17:8), is very likely the "seventh head" which received a mortal wound, and his body will be re-animated (not resurrected, but indwelt by Satan). 

John wrote:  "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the Beast.  And they worshipped the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast: and they worshipped the Beast, saying, Who is like unto the Beast? who is able to make war with him?  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months" (13:3-5).  Notice Satan empowers the Beast, and he then is allowed to complete the seven-year Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7; Mt. 24:3-29; Rev. 6 - 18).  I believe it is at this time he commits the Abomination of Desolation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15).  It is during the second half of the Tribulation that the whore, who rides upon the seven-headed Beast, shares in his blasphemies (Rev. 17:4).

Because the Beast consists of the seven heads (kings or empires), and because the Roman Catholic Church did not exist during all of those empires, it is more likely that "she" should be identified as a world system of power and greed that has existed from the very beginning.  Note that in Revelation 18, "she" has both a connection with government, and with the economies of the world (18:1-24).  The fact that "she" is responsible for ". . . all that were slain upon the earth," it is not possible that "she" is the Roman Catholic Church!

Who is the whore of Revelation 17 &18?  Sorry, I do not know!