Revelation
Chapter 17
Overview
John now sees a vision explaining the downfall of a powerful, corrupt city pictured as a richly dressed prostitute. Her luxury hides violence, and her influence reaches rulers and peoples across the earth. An angel guides John through the vision’s strange symbols: a scarlet beast, seven heads, ten horns, and kings whose power rises and disappears. The chapter moves from glittering appearance to grim reality, showing alliances built on greed turning against themselves. Like a bright cup filled with poison, outward splendor can conceal destruction.
1One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits beside many waters.
2The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the people living on earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”
3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. The beast was covered with names that insulted God, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of disgusting things and the filth produced by her sexual immorality.
5A name was written on her forehead, a name with a hidden meaning: “Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of everything disgusting on earth.”
6I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of God’s holy people and the blood of those who had testified about Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely astonished.
7The angel asked me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain the hidden meaning of the woman and of the beast carrying her—the beast with seven heads and ten horns.
8The beast you saw once existed, does not exist now, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit before going to destruction. The people living on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life since the creation of the world will be amazed when they see the beast, because it once existed, does not exist now, and will appear again.
9Understanding this requires wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings.
10Five have fallen, one now rules, and the other has not yet come. When he does come, he must remain only a short time.
11The beast that once existed but does not exist now is itself an eighth king. Yet it comes from the seven, and it is going to destruction.
12The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received kingdoms. But together with the beast, they will receive authority to rule as kings for one hour.
13These kings share one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he rules over every ruler and reigns over every king. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
15The angel also told me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, represent peoples, crowds, nations, and languages.
16The ten horns you saw and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will leave her ruined and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her completely with fire.
17God has moved them to carry out his purpose: they will agree with one another and give their royal power to the beast until God’s words have been fulfilled.
18The woman you saw represents the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”