Revelation 17, The Prostitute of Babylon

The story of the seven plagues is interrupted in order to describe the end of Babylon, the world system opposed to God.

Revelation 17: 1-5, The Woman Babylon

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.  With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.  The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.  This title was written on her forehead: 

MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT 

THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND 

OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

The phrase, "Come, I will show you", may indicate the beginning of a final vision.

The prostitute sits on a scarlet beast, which has seven heads and ten horns, like beasts described earlier.  Babylon is alternately described as a great city and a prostitute.  Here she is a prostitute, sitting on a beast that is "covered with blasphemous names". For two thousand years, those who have hoped to understand this book have asked, "Who/what is Babylon?" It is clearly a world system opposed to Jesus and his kingdom. But can something more specific be said? Is it a particular country or city? (Rome, New York? Both been suggested.)

Revelation 17: 6-8, The beast explained

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 

Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.  The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. 

The woman enjoys the deaths of Christians.

The beast once was and "now is not".  What does that mean? Later, in the future, the beast will come up out of the Abyss...

Revelation 17: 9-14, The beast explained

"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.  They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while.  The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.  They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.  They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." 

Seven heads, seven hill, seven kings & then ten kings to come…  What are these? For many commentators, these represent the city of Rome, the center of the Roman empire, which was called the "city of seven hills".  Notice how the seventh king morphs into the eighth.  I think many of these symbols have more than one representative.

Despite the horror of the woman and the beast, the end of this war is certain; John assures us that the Lamb will be victorious, along with his faithful followers.

Revelation 17: 15-18, The beast against the prostitute

Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.  The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled.  The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

What will eventually be the relationship between the woman and the beast? Even if woman and beast both hate the followers of Jesus, they also hate each other?!

The woman "is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."  In John's day that would have been Rome.