Whoredom is false religion. The name on her forehead is mystery babylon, identifying the babylonian mystery religion baal worship. Baal worship is the basis for the pagan religions. Baal worship spread to many lands, including Rome. The names of the false gods and goddess were different in different lands and the religion was slightly different in different lands but it still baal worship. This babylonian mystery religion got into Roman catholicism from the ancient pagan roman religion. Catholicism is mostly babylonian baal worship with some christianity mixed in it.
Catholic Cardinal Newman admits in his book that; the "temples,
incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, Holidays, and
seasons of devotion, processions, blessings of the fields,
sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests, munks and nuns),
images, and statues... are all of PAGAN ORIGIN." The Development of
the Christian Religion Cardinal Newman p.359
There is a catholic cardinal admitting to much paganism in the
catholic church.
Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Rome is the city that reigned over the kings of the Earth at the time of the writing. So the prophecy is referring to the Roman form of the babylonian mystery religion, which is roman catholicism.
The beast with the heads represents the empires that oppressed and will oppress Israel till the time of the end. Each head represents a nation which had babylonian baal worship and which also oppressed Israel.
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, medo-persia, greece, Rome, revived rome (a future kingdom made up of 10 nations from the European economic community). That is the 7 heads of the beast. The beast itself is an eighth kingdom which will be the future antichrist ruling as world dictator close to the end of the world. He will probably be the last pope, He comes from the 7 in that revived Rome will bring him to power, but he will establish the worship of himself above all and break away from the catholic church. He will set up his kingdom at Jerusalem for the last 3.5 years till the end. The city of Rome will be destroyed, probably along with catholicism. Then the antichrist will set up the worship of himself, and he will oppress Israel.