Revelation17

An angel reveals to John the judgment of "Babylon the Great," a harlot adorned in luxury, drunken with the blood of saints, sitting upon a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The angel explains the mystery of the beast, its heads representing mountains and kings, and the ten horns as kings who will initially align with the beast. Ultimately, these ten kings will turn against and destroy the harlot city, though the Lamb will overcome all earthly powers.
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The Judgment of the Great Harlot

1
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. ​
2
The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.” ​
3
And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ​
4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
5
And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ​
6
I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her. ​

The Mystery of the Beast and the Woman

7
“Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
8
The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be. ​
9
This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ​
10
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ​
11
The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction. ​
12
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast. ​
13
These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.
14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen and faithful ones.” ​

The Destruction of Babylon Foretold

15
Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. ​
16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. ​
17
For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18
And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” ​

Study Notes for Revelation 17

Verse 1

The angel who poured out one of the seven bowls (Ch. 16) now explains the coming judgment. The 'great whore' is a prophetic symbol for idolatrous and corrupt political or economic power, historically identified with the city of Rome.

Verse 2

Fornication here signifies spiritual and political unfaithfulness to God, where the world's leaders and inhabitants engage in idolatry, immorality, and economic exploitation driven by the Harlot.

Verse 3

The woman riding the Beast symbolizes that the corrupt religious/economic system (the woman) is temporarily supported and controlled by the global political system (the Beast) to fulfill its worldly agenda.

Verse 5

The title 'MYSTERY' indicates this is a symbolic entity, not just a literal city. 'Babylon the Great' represents the spiritual successor to Old Testament Babylon, embodying all human rebellion against God throughout history.

Verse 6

This confirms that the Harlot, representing the oppressive state, is responsible for intense persecution and martyrdom of God's people. John's 'great admiration' signifies his profound shock and awe at the terrifying nature and scope of this evil power.

Verse 8

The Beast’s description ('was, and is not, and yet is') reflects a demonic imitation of Christ, suggesting a power that appears to die and resurrect, mesmerizing the world (cf. Rev. 13:3). It is destined for 'perdition' (eternal destruction).

Verse 9

The 'seven mountains' is a clear historical reference to the city of Rome, which was famously built upon seven hills. This grounds the immediate context of the vision in the Roman Empire of John's time.

Verse 10

This cryptic reference likely refers to a specific chronology of Roman emperors known to John’s readers. The phrase highlights the temporary and unstable nature of all earthly political power compared to God's eternal rule.

Verse 11

The Beast is the 'eighth' king, yet 'is of the seven,' suggesting that the final manifestation of the Beast is a resurrected form or embodiment of the evil forces that characterized the previous seven.

Verse 12

The 'ten horns' symbolize ten kings or political powers who receive temporary, full authority alongside the Beast. They represent the ultimate global political consolidation opposing God.

Verse 14

This verse offers the theological assurance that despite the Beast’s power, the war against the Church is fundamentally a war against Christ. The Lamb’s victory is certain, confirming His identity as ultimate sovereign over all earthly rulers.

Verse 15

The 'waters' are explicitly interpreted as the vast numbers of peoples, nations, and languages over whom the Harlot exerts influence. This confirms the global reach of the anti-God system.

Verse 16

In a shocking twist, the political powers supporting the Harlot (the ten horns and the Beast) turn on her and destroy her. God uses the wickedness of the world systems to execute judgment upon each other.

Verse 18

This final identification confirms that the Woman represents the oppressive political and economic center that dominates the world's kings. In John's day, this was unequivocally the city of Rome.

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