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Revelation 17

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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Revelation 17 Overview

John is shown the judgment of the great whore who sits upon many waters, intoxicates kings, and is linked with a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The angel interprets several symbols: the waters are peoples and nations; the heads are seven mountains and kings; the horns are ten kings. The woman is identified as the great city reigning over earth’s kings.

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Before you read Revelation 17

Coming from

The seven bowls of God’s wrath are poured on earth, sea, rivers, the sun, the beast’s kingdom, the Euphrates, and the air. Painful judgments intensify, yet people blaspheme and refuse to repent. Three unclean spirits gather kings to the battle associated with Armageddon, and the seventh bowl brings a great earthquake and the remembered judgment of Babylon.

In this chapter

Leads into

Another angel announces Babylon’s fall and calls God’s people to come out of her sins. Kings, merchants, and shipmasters mourn because the luxurious economic system collapses suddenly, while heaven rejoices that God has judged the city for violence, deception, and the blood of prophets and saints.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Because the angel explicitly interprets multiple symbols, those explanations should control speculation.

The identity of Babylon/the woman has been understood in several ways. The text clearly presents a corrupt city-system with political, economic, and religious influence; exact historical or future identification is debated.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Corrupt power can unite religion, politics, and luxury

The woman seduces kings and is drunk with saints’ blood.

The beast’s allies eventually turn on Babylon

Evil alliances are unstable and ultimately serve God’s sovereign purpose.

Christ ultimately defeats the beast’s coalition

The Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Daniel 7

Seven-headed/ten-horn beast imagery grows from Daniel’s empire visions.

Jeremiah 51

Historical Babylon’s judgment supplies language later reused in Revelation.

Revelation 13

The beast’s blasphemous authority and horns were introduced earlier.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not ignore the angel’s own symbol interpretations

They are more authoritative than later speculation.

Do not identify Babylon with one modern city with certainty unless the text warrants it

Several interpretive frameworks exist.

Do not miss the Lamb’s supremacy amid the beast imagery

He conquers because He is King of kings.

Read Revelation 17 watching for…

The woman’s luxury and bloodshed.

The beast’s features.

Symbols the angel explicitly explains.

The ten kings’ temporary authority.

The turning against the woman.

The Lamb’s final victory.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-6John is shown the great whore sitting on many waters, drunken with the blood of saints 7-14The angel explains the beast, its heads and horns, and the kings who make war with the Lamb and are overcome 15-18The waters are peoples and nations, and the horns turn against the woman, who is identified as the great city

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

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Revelation 17:5

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