Revelationchapter 17

A.A Harlot Riding a Scarlet Beastvv. 1-6

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.

B.The Mystery Explained: Seven Heads, Ten Kingsvv. 7-14

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.”

C.The Ten Kings Turn on Her and Burn Hervv. 15-18

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.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

← Back: Revelation 16 Continue: Revelation 18 →

Chapter summary

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

A bowl-angel invites John to see 'the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters.' Carried in the Spirit into a wilderness, he sees a woman on a scarlet-colored beast with seven heads and ten horns, arrayed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, holding a golden cup full of abominations. And on her forehead a name: 'MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.' She is 'drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.' Then the one sustained explanation in the book: the beast 'was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss'; the seven heads are seven mountains and seven kings; the ten horns, ten kings of one hour and one mind. 'These shall war against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them' (17:14).

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament.

Context

Apocalyptic · John — Revelation overview

A. 1–6 A Harlot Riding a Scarlet Beast
B. 7–14 The Mystery Explained: Seven Heads, Ten Kings
C. 15–18 The Ten Kings Turn on Her and Burn Her

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Revelation 175 verses
- Revelation 17:1Then 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.
- Revelation 17:7“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.
- Revelation 17:8The 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.
- Revelation 17:11The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction.
- Revelation 17:17For 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.
- Read Revelation 17 →
Revelation 184 verses
- Revelation 18:2And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.
- Revelation 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
- Revelation 18:8Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”
- Revelation 18:16saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
- Read Revelation 18 →
Revelation 133 verses
- Revelation 13:1Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
- Revelation 13:15The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
- Revelation 13:18Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.
- Read Revelation 13 →
Jeremiah 513 verses
- Jeremiah 51:7Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
- Jeremiah 51:13You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
- Jeremiah 51:55For the LORD will destroy Babylon; He will silence her mighty voice. The waves will roar like great waters; the tumult of their voices will resound.
- Read Jeremiah 51 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Revelation 122 verses
- Revelation 12:3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
- Revelation 12:6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
- Read Revelation 12 →
Revelation 162 verses
- Revelation 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
- Revelation 16:19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
- Read Revelation 16 →
Revelation 191 verse
- Revelation 19:2For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”
- Read Revelation 19 →
Revelation 141 verse
- Revelation 14:8Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Read Revelation 14 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.