If Revelation 17’s cryptic details have ever challenged you, Pastor Steve Wohlberg’s latest book promises Bible-based answers. The speaker/director of White Horse Media just released The Bloody Woman and the Seven-Headed Beast, a book he dubs “Prophecy 10.0.” The book re-directs the serious reader’s attention from current social, political and health concerns to larger end-time issues centering in rapidly-fulfilling Bible prophecy. I spoke with him recently about the new release.
HJ: You have already published many books, including some on Revelation. What compelled you to write a book specifically on Revelation 17?
SW: I love the book of Revelation. Many times in the night, I wake up and start going through it in my mind. It’s so powerful.
Two years ago I had this conviction, which I believe was an impression from the Holy Spirit to dive into that chapter. Revelation 17 has a lot of things that are confusing, and hard to understand. There’s not really any official consensus in our church, so I was impressed to study and try to figure it out. It has been quite a journey. Many times I thought I had part of it right, then somebody would raise an objection. Especially about the part “five are fallen...one is...” (verses 9-11); that’s one of the main parts I have been trying to figure out as I have wrestled with different views.
I was thinking I should write a book at some point, but I wasn’t ready, so I waited many, many months. The dots finally came together, the Lord answered my objections. Then I said, “This is powerful, and I must share this,” and I was ready to go public and put my name on the book.
At first I thought I would share it mostly with Seventh-day Adventists. But as I began to write, strong conviction came: This needs to be written for the public so it can be given away to Baptists, to Catholics, to anybody, and Adventists can share it with their friends.
HJ: Tell us more.
SW: I sent the manuscript to some keen minds, including our WHM board member Jay Gallimore. He was willing to endorse it.
I contacted Pacific Press (I have often self-published through their print-on-demand platform.). They read the manuscript and then one of their leaders wrote to me, “Our reviewers have finished with The Bloody Woman and the 7-Headed Beast. They felt this was the best presentation on Revelation 17 they’d ever read. Awesome job!” Pacific Press then purchased many copies for the ABCs.
Then we had a donor friend who gave $10,000 toward the first print run of approximately 13,000 copies. It just came out a few weeks ago, and is selling like hotcakes, at $2-3 per book, depending on quantity.
HJ: How did you choose the title?
SW: I’ve learned as an author that titles are very important. The woman in Revelation 17 is drunk with the blood of the saints, etc. And so I toyed with different titles. One day it came to me: “The Bloody Woman.” The Bloody Woman and the Seven-Headed Beast.
When we were putting the cover together, our WHM designer found a graphic we could use, but the fee was a bit pricey and would cover just one-time use. So Jaime contacted his friend Danielle Andrus and she came to our studio and posed for the cover. We didn’t want a tempting, ultra-seductive image, but one to illustrate Revelation 17 and draw people in. We paid her, explained exactly what she would represent, and she was happy to do it. We put the letters on her forehead, and a little blood on her lip (via computer). Now that the book is in print, we will give her a copy so she can read all about it.
HJ: It seems as if people are so distracted by the coronavirus pandemic, the recent election and new presidency of Joe Biden and the crumbling global economy. How does your book capture the reader’s attention and address these developments in light of Bible prophecy?
SW: The back cover quotes Revelation 17 and asks, “What is this mysterious prophecy all about, and does it have anything to do with real things happening in the world right now….Does it have anything to do with you?”
My close friend Brian McMahon wrote the Foreword to appeal to a wide audience. He mentions how during his teenage years he longed to understand Revelation, and was curious about dragons and beasts.
Similarly, in my Author Introduction I describe Revelation, the last book of the Bible. It’s mysterious, yet we’re told we will be “blessed” if we “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). And throughout Revelation Jesus repeatedly says, “Behold, I come quickly.”
The Bloody Woman goes point by point through each verse of Revelation 17. In the first chapter we unpack the clues. Who is this Revelation 17 woman who sits on seven mountains, clothed in purple and scarlet? Who is this great whore fornicating with kings, exercising worldwide influence? She’s wealthy, she persecutes and she’s drunk with the blood of martyrs.
When you put all these pieces together, it’s very clear who this woman is: She represents the Roman Catholic Church. This has been the position of Protestants for centuries.
Significantly, Catholic influence is currently strengthening in all three branches of American government. The first chapter opens people’s eyes to the growing global influence of the Roman Catholic Church. And that makes things very relevant to what is happening today.
Chapter Two, “Three Seven-Headed Beasts,” is a study on chapters 12, 13 and 17 of Revelation. Then comes Chapter Three, “And There Are Seven Kings.” This is where we get into the details of the “five are fallen” puzzle, especially identifying who the sixth and seventh kings are.
Essentially, the book takes the reader deeper into Daniel and Revelation. We begin in Revelation 17, then support it with chapters 12 and 13. Then we go back to Daniel 2 and 7, to walk readers through the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, then imperial and papal Rome. Next comes the United States—the image to the beast, followed by the Mark of the Beast, and the Lamb. Who will we follow at the end, the Beast or the Lamb?
My book travels through these essential issues that most Adventists already believe, and fits them into the context of Revelation 17—all in a book easy to share with others. In my journey into that chapter, I have also discovered new insights SDAs may never have seen, but the basic scenario is right in line with the closing chapters of The Great Controversy.
HJ: What principles guided you in writing this book?
SW: I have four of them. First, The Daniel and Revelation Principle: The only way to understand the difficult parts, such as when it talks about the beast that was, is not and yet is (verses 9-11) is by understanding Revelation 13, and 12, and Daniel 7 and Daniel 2, because all these chapters are linked.
Second, The Symbol to Literal Principle, as when the angel explains in Revelation 17:15 that waters (the symbol) “are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (the literal application). Other examples are the fourth beast “kingdom” explained in Daniel 7:23, the Babylonian head of gold in Daniel 2, etc.
Third, The Weight of Evidence Principle: I consider this before coming to a conclusion.
Fourth, The Dual Application Principle: I employed this but it is not mentioned by name in this first edition of The Bloody Woman. There is a place for dual application (but not of the time prophecies). For instance, the seven lampstands or candlesticks of Revelation 1 are applied to literal churches in Asia Minor. But we also know these represent periods in church history.
We see the same thing in Revelation 17. As with the seven churches, so there are dual applications for the seven heads on which the woman sits. First, the angel said the seven heads are seven mountains (verse 9). Strong’s Concordance shows that mountains can mean hills, pointing to the seven-hilled city of Rome, the literal headquarters of the harlot. Second, the angel says, “And there are seven kings” (verse 10) which apply to seven kingdoms that span the ages.
HJ: You recently spoke for the winter convocation at Hartland College. How was your material received there?
SW: I’ve never given a public presentation or seminar exclusively on Revelation 17—verse-by-verse—until I spoke at Hartland College last weekend. So I decided to create slides and charts, and I gave four talks on Revelation 17. I first identified the woman, and the response was very positive. Then I focused on the seven-headed beast, and once again, responses were positive. In the third talk I presented the seven kings. The audience had many who are very astute, very keen on Daniel and Revelation, who critically evaluated what I said.
When I was done with the third talk, I walked off behind the platform toward Pastor David Grams. He smiled at me and raised his hands, and said, “Yeah, that is so clear!” He was so excited. He has wrestled with these things, too. And the pieces came together for him.
Our last meeting on Sunday morning covered the 10 horns at war with the Lamb. Once again, God richly blessed. Afterward, we sold about 250 of the WHM books I had brought with me.
On Friday Hal and Betsy Mayer interviewed me about the book, for the Last Generation magazine and Keep the Faith. I gave Betsy the book and Sabbath morning she said, “I read the whole thing.” I was shocked—how could she read the whole book in one night?” Later she picked up 50 copies.
Again and again, critical thinking people who read this book sense the Lord’s leading. I believe my position is scripturally supported, which is what counts the most. And it will focus Adventists on our message and on Revelation 17, so that people will be excited to share it.
[Pastor Wohlberg’s Hartland talks can be found here:
1-Identifying the Bloody Woman; at 27:00
2-Identifying the Seven-Headed Beast, at 112:00
3-And There Are Seven Kings, at 1:10:00
4-Ten Horns at War with the Lamb, at 51:00.]
HJ: Over the past year, what part of Revelation 17 has been more fully illustrated or fulfilled in world events, including U.S. political developments?
SW: We’re in this pandemic. We’re losing our freedoms. Churches have closed. People are scared. Governors are issuing unilateral, arbitrary mandates, and it feels eerily similar to what will happen when the Mark of the Beast is enforced. We are getting closer to the final crisis, the final decrees and final losses of freedom resulting from rejection of our constitution.
Now with Biden, a Roman Catholic, as president, we are seeing rapid changes. Biden supports the papal encyclical Laudato Si’, and embedded within that document is a push for Sunday observance. And Biden just recently came out with numerous executive orders making climate change a primary focus of his administration. We know that the final movements will be rapid ones, and I’m convinced that we’re not far away from that time.
When people read the Bloody Woman book, they see who the key end-time players are. They see the role of America, the transition from it having two horns like a lamb to speaking like a dragon, setting up the image and enforcing the mark. They see how the climate change issue and a universal day of rest fit right into this. They are brought to see how prophecy explains what is happening now, and what is coming.
HJ: Many Seventh-day Adventists are caught up in trending social justice/political movements. How will your book re-direct our focus, our study and our lifestyle?
SW: In Revelation 17:17 it says, “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” A big focus for me in Revelation 17 is that God’s words, Scripture, will be fulfilled. This is much bigger than social justice movements; it’s so compelling.
You know, most evangelists start a series of meetings by speaking on Daniel 2 or the Signs of the Times. But Revelation 17 starts with the great whore sitting on many waters. She will soon reap just judgment when the seven last plagues fall upon her. She’s drunk with the blood of the saints, she’s rich, she has a golden cup and makes the whole world drink her wine. I believe God inserted this very dramatic imagery to capture people’s attention and to get them into His enlightening Word.
Revelation 17 is an attention-getting chapter that puts you in the portal that directs you to the other main prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. And that’s what my book does: It gets your attention with title and cover, then catapults you into the deep things of God’s prophetic Word.
HJ: What else would you like to share about your book project?
SW: If it’s truth, it’s God’s truth, not Steve Wohlberg’s ideas. And we want to give God the glory, not man. So, I don’t consider myself an innovator. I want to direct people to the Word, so they see it in the Word. I believe the Holy Spirit guided me to Scripture, and that’s what I want to teach to help others be saved.
I believe the information in the book is solid historicism, solid Adventism, perfectly consistent with what we already believe. It is right in line with The Great Controversy, but it gives some added insights that are very valuable to God’s people right now.
