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.

The Judgment of the Great Harlot

1
Then came one of the angels with the seven bowls; and he said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is sitting by many waters. ​
2
The kings of the earth went whoring with her, and the people living on earth have become drunk from the wine of her whoring.” ​
3
He carried me off in the Spirit to a desert, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast filled with blasphemous names and having seven heads and ten horns. ​
4
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold, precious stones and pearls. In her hand was a gold cup filled with the obscene and filthy things produced by her whoring.
5
On her forehead was written a name with a hidden meaning, BAVEL THE GREAT MOTHER OF WHORES AND OF THE EARTH’S OBSCENITIES ​
6
I saw the woman drunk from the blood of God’s people, that is, from the blood of the people who testify about Yeshua. On seeing her, I was altogether astounded. ​

The Mystery of the Beast and the Woman

7
Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will tell you the hidden meaning of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that was carrying her.
8
The beast you saw once was, now is not, and will come up from the Abyss; but it is on its way to destruction. The people living on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life since the founding of the world will be astounded to see the beast that once was, now is not, but is to appear. ​
9
This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is sitting; also they are seven kings — ​
10
five have fallen, one is living now and the other is yet to come; and when he does come, he must remain only a little while. ​
11
The beast which once was and now is not is an eighth king; it comes from the seven and is on its way to destruction. ​
12
The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but they receive power as kings for one hour, along with the beast. ​
13
They have one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.
14
They will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are called, chosen and faithful will overcome along with him.” ​

The Destruction of Babylon Foretold

15
Then he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the whore is sitting, are peoples, crowds, nations and languages. ​
16
As for the ten horns that you saw and the beast, they will hate the whore, bring her to ruin, leave her naked, eat her flesh and consume her with fire. ​
17
For God put it in their hearts to do what will fulfill his purpose, that is, to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words have accomplished their intent.
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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