Revelation 17
17
The Woman on the Animal
1One of the seven angels came and spoke to me. This was one of the angels that had the seven bowls. He said, “Come, and I will show you the punishment that will be given to the famous prostitute. She is the one sitting over many waters. 2The kings of the earth sinned sexually with her. And the people of the earth became drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality.”
3Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. He was covered with names against God written on him. He had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was dressed in purple and red. She was shining with the gold, jewels, and pearls she was wearing. She had a golden cup in her hand. This cup was filled with evil things and the uncleanness of her sexual immorality. 5She had a title written on her forehead. This title has a hidden meaning. This is what was written:
THE GREAT BABYLON MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND THE EVIL THINGS OF THE EARTH.
6I saw that the woman was drunk. She was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people. She was drunk with the blood of those who were killed because of their faith in Jesus.
When I saw the woman, I was fully amazed. 7Then the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the hidden meaning of this woman and the beast she rides—the one with seven heads and ten horns. 8The beast that you saw was once alive. He is not alive now. But he will be alive and come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be destroyed. The people who live on earth will be amazed when they see the beast. They will be amazed because he was once alive, is not alive now, but will come again. These are the people whose names have never been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world.
9“You need a wise mind to understand this. The seven heads on the beast are the seven hills where the woman sits. They are also seven kings. 10Five of the kings have already died. One of the kings lives now. And the last king is coming. When he comes, he will stay only a short time. 11The beast that was once alive but is not alive now is an eighth king. This eighth king also belongs to the first seven kings. And he will go away to be destroyed.
12“The ten horns you saw are ten kings. These ten kings have not yet begun to rule. But they will receive power to rule with the beast for one hour. 13All ten of these kings have the same purpose. And they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14They will make war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his chosen and faithful followers—the people that he has called.”
15Then the angel said to me, “You saw the water where the prostitute sits. These waters are the many peoples, the different races, nations, and languages. 16The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will take everything she has and leave her naked. They will eat her body and burn her with fire. 17God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose: They agreed to give the beast their power to rule. They will rule until what God has said is completed. 18The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
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Revelation 17: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Revelation 17
17
The Woman and the Scarlet Beast
1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls # Rv 15:7; 16:1; 21:9 came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute # Traditionally translated the great whore # Rv 19:2 who sits on many # Or by many waters. # Jr 51:13; Rv 17:15 2The kings of the earth # Ps 2:2; Ps 76:12; Is 24:21; Ezk 27:33; Rv 1:5; 6:15; 18:9; 19:19; 21:24 committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.” # Is 23:16-17; Nah 3:4; Rv 14:8; 18:3 3So he carried me away in the Spirit # Or in spirit # Ezk 8:3; 11:24; Lk 4:1,14; Rv 1:10; 4:2; 21:10 to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered # Lit was filled with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. # Rv 12:3,6; 13:1 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. # Ezk 28:13; Rv 18:16 She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile # Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14; Lk 16:15; Rv 21:27 and with the impurities of her # Other mss read of earth’s prostitution. 5On her forehead a cryptic name # Rv 14:1 was written:
BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTESAND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.
6Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. # Dt 32:42; Is 49:26; 63:6; Ezk 39:19 When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast
7Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. 8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss # Ps 140:10; Lk 8:31; Rm 10:7; Rv 9:1,11; 11:7; 20:1-3 and go to destruction. # Mt 7:13; Jn 17:12; Rm 9:22; Php 3:19; 2Th 2:3; 2Pt 3:7; Rv 1:18; 2:8 Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world # Ps 69:28; Is 4:3; Mt 25:34; Eph 1:4; Php 4:3; 1Pt 1:20; Rv 3:5; 13:8; 20:12,15; 21:27 will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again. # Ps 48:5; Rv 13:3,12,14
9“Here is the mind with wisdom: # Or This calls for the mind with wisdom # Rv 13:18 The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. 10They are also seven kings: # Some editors or translators put They are also seven kings: in v. 9. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. 11The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings # Dn 7:24; Rv 13:1 who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. # Rv 18:10,17,19 13These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. # Dt 10:17; Ps 136:2-3; Dn 2:47; 1Tm 6:15; Rv 1:5; 19:11-21 Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. # Rv 12:11; 13:8”
15He also said to me, “The waters you saw, # Jr 51:13 where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. # Is 17:12; Jr 51:58; Dn 5:19; Hab 2:8; Rv 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6 16The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. # 2Sm 13:15-20; Ezk 23:22-35 They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. # Lv 20:14; 21:9 17For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose # Gn 50:20 and to give their kingdom # Or sovereignty to the beast until God’s words are accomplished. # Jr 51:12; Rv 10:7 18And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire # Or has sovereignty or rulership over the kings of the earth.”
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