Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

¹One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,

²with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

³He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

⁴The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth.

⁵And on her forehead a name was written, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

⁶I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

⁷The angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

⁸The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present.

⁹Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

¹⁰They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while.

¹¹The beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes to destruction.

¹²The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

¹³These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

¹⁴These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

¹⁵He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

¹⁶The ten horns which you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute, will make her desolate, will strip her naked, will eat her flesh, and will burn her utterly with fire.

¹⁷For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.

¹⁸The woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Previous Revelation 16

Next Revelation 18

John receives a vision of the great prostitute 'Babylon the Great,' representing a corrupt world system that has seduced nations and persecuted God's people. An angel explains the symbolism of the woman and the seven-headed, ten-horned beast she rides, revealing a complex prophecy involving kings, kingdoms, and their ultimate destruction. The chapter culminates with the promise that these evil powers will war against the Lamb but be defeated, as God sovereignly orchestrates even their rebellion to accomplish His purposes.

Context

Following the bowl judgments of chapter 16, this chapter begins the detailed account of Babylon's fall that continues through chapter 18.

Key Themes

Outline

1-6
Vision of the Great Prostitute John sees a woman called 'Mystery, Babylon the Great' sitting on a scarlet beast, drunk with the blood of martyrs
7-11
The Beast Explained The angel interprets the seven-headed beast as representing seven mountains and kings, with the beast itself being an eighth king
12-14
The Ten Horns and Final War Ten kings will give their authority to the beast and war against the Lamb, but Christ will overcome them
15-18
The Prostitute's Destruction The beast and ten kings will ultimately turn against and destroy the prostitute, fulfilling God's purpose

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

17:1–17:18

apocalyptic vision solemn

An angel reveals to John the mystery of the great prostitute Babylon and the beast she rides, representing corrupt earthly powers. The vision includes symbolic interpretation of the beast's seven heads and ten horns as kings and kingdoms.

person_contrast

While Jesus appears in 98 biblical passages primarily exercising authority and judgment, Revelation 17 uniquely positions him as the conquering Lamb who defeats earthly powers through spiritual warfare rather than direct divine decree.