Revelation 17
17
Babylon the Great. 1#17:1–19:10] The punishment of Babylon is now described as a past event and, metaphorically, under the image of the great harlot who leads people astray into idolatry. Then one of the seven angels who were holding the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come here. I will show you the judgment on the great harlot#Babylon, the symbolic name (Rev 17:5) of Rome, is graphically described as “the great harlot.” who lives near the many waters.#Jer 50:38; 51:13. 2#Intercourse…harlotry: see note on Rev 14:4. The pagan kings subject to Rome adopted the cult of the emperor. The kings of the earth have had intercourse with her,#Jer 51:7. and the inhabitants of the earth became drunk on the wine of her harlotry.” 3Then he carried me away in spirit to a deserted place where I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast#Scarlet beast: see note on Rev 13:1–10. Blasphemous names: divine titles assumed by the Roman emperors; see note on Rev 13:5–6. that was covered with blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns.#13:1. 4The woman was wearing purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.#18:16. She held in her hand a gold cup that was filled with the abominable and sordid deeds of her harlotry. 5On her forehead was written a name, which is a mystery, “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” 6#Reference to the great wealth and idolatrous cults of Rome. I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the holy ones and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.
Meaning of the Beast and Harlot.#17:6b–18] An interpretation of the vision is here given. When I saw her I was greatly amazed. 7The angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns. 8#Allusion to the belief that the dead Nero would return to power (Rev 17:11); see note on Rev 13:3. #13:3–4 / 3:5; 13:8; 20:12. The beast that you saw existed once but now exists no longer. It will come up from the abyss and is headed for destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world shall be amazed when they see the beast, because it existed once but exists no longer, and yet it will come again. 9Here is a clue#Here is a clue: literally, “Here a mind that has wisdom.” Seven hills: of Rome. for one who has wisdom. The seven heads represent seven hills upon which the woman sits. They also represent seven kings:#13:18. 10five have already fallen, one still lives, and the last has not yet come,#There is little agreement as to the identity of the Roman emperors alluded to here. The number seven (Rev 17:9) suggests that all the emperors are meant; see note on Rev 1:4. and when he comes he must remain only a short while. 11The beast#The beast: Nero; see note on Rev 17:8. that existed once but exists no longer is an eighth king, but really belongs to the seven and is headed for destruction. 12The ten horns that you saw represent ten kings who have not yet been crowned;#Ten kings who have not yet been crowned: perhaps Parthian satraps who are to accompany the revived Nero (the beast) in his march on Rome to regain power; see note on Rev 13:3. In Rev 19:11–21, the Lamb and his companions will conquer them. they will receive royal authority along with the beast for one hour.#Dn 7:24. 13They are of one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”#19:11–21; 2 Mc 13:4; 1 Tm 6:15 / Rom 1:6; 1 Pt 2:9; Jude 1.
15Then he said to me, “The waters that you saw where the harlot lives represent large numbers of peoples, nations, and tongues. 16The ten horns#The ten horns: the ten pagan kings (Rev 17:12) who unwittingly fulfill God’s will against harlot Rome, the great city; cf. Ez 16:37. that you saw and the beast will hate the harlot; they will leave her desolate and naked; they will eat her flesh and consume her with fire.#Ez 16:37–41; 23:25–29. 17For God has put it into their minds to carry out his purpose and to make them come to an agreement to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are accomplished. 18The woman whom you saw represents the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”
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Revelation 17: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Ḥazon (Revelation) 17
17
1And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come, I shall show you the judgment of the great whore sitting on many waters,#See Rev. 17:15
2with whom the sovereigns of the earth committed whoring, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her whoring.”#See Jer. 51:7
3And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her whoring,#See Jer. 51:7
5and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: BAḆEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE WHORES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the set-apart ones, and with the blood of the witnesses of יהושע. And having seen her, I marvelled – greatly marvelled!
7And the messenger said to me, “Why did you marvel? Let me explain to you the secret of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the pit of the deep and goes to destruction. And those dwelling on the earth, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world,#See Dan. 12:1 shall marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9“Here is the mind having wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
10“And there are seven sovereigns: five have fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he has to remain a little while.
11“And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes to destruction.
12“And the ten horns which you saw are ten sovereigns who have not yet received a reign, but receive authority as sovereigns with the beast for one hour.
13“They have one mind, and they shall give their power and authority to the beast.
14“They shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Master of masters#Deu.10:17 and Sovereign of sovereigns. And those with Him are called, and chosen, and trustworthy.”
15And he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and crowds, and nations, and tongues.
16“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and lay her waste and naked, and eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17“For Elohim did give it into their hearts to do His mind, to be of one mind, and to give their reign to the beast, until the words of Elohim shall be accomplished.
18“And the woman whom you saw is that great city having sovereignty over the sovereigns of the earth.”
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