Very good question!
Too bad that the Bible is so inexcusably unclear on this point that honest, truth-seeking men have been forced to argue about it for centuries!
I means: Would have been so difficult for St. John to have been just a little bit more specific here? I've heard so many claims that the "Harlot" is, e.g., the Federal Reserve, NATO, the European Union, etc. It's enough to drive you to despair!
Regards
It wasn't until Christ was crucified that His disciples understood that this was what was written many times in scripture. Prophecy is just sooooo unclear and we can't connect all the dots until after it has been completed and we realize the truth after the fact.
Related thread:
Evangelical scholars solve Book of Revelation's mysteries