Revelation Chapter 17

Revelation Chapter 17

Sidebar: The Judgment of Babylon (Rev. 17:1 – 18:24)

Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation are a sidebar, identifying spiritual Babylon and describing in greater detail her judgment and downfall.

Verse 1

The great harlot – The Bible often uses the symbol of a woman to represent God’s people (Jeremiah 6:2, Isaiah 51:16, Ephesians 5:25-32). This harlot woman is a counterpart to the pure woman described in Revelation 12. She represents the Church of Rome, who is called a harlot because she has been unfaithful to her Husband, Jesus Christ (Hosea 4:1-3, 7-12).

Who sits on many waters – The many waters supporting the woman represent the peoples of the world who support her (Rev. 17:15).

Verse 2

With whom the kings of the earth committed fornication - The Papal church has made illicit alliances with the political governments of the world, which the Lord calls spiritual fornication (Ezekiel 16:1,2,14-16,25-30). These political powers will place their authority and resources at the disposal of the harlot, who will oppress and attempt to kill God’s people. NOTE: The Greek word used here for fornication is “porneuo,” a verb form of “porne” from which we get the word pornography. (SOP 1)

The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication – Babylon’s wine is her false teachings. Like wine, her falsehoods have stupefied the normal powers of reason and judgment, and benumbed the spiritual perceptions of the people who support the harlot (Daniel 5:1-4). (SOP 2)

Verse 3

The wilderness – When John first sees the harlot woman she is in the wilderness, which represents that she is in hiding (compare with Rev. 12:6,14). The Papacy went into hiding in 1798, when she received a deadly wound taking away her political power and influence.

Sitting on a scarlet beast – Here the Papacy is again supported by the political powers (sitting on a beast - Daniel 7:17,23) and riding out of the wilderness, an indication that the deadly wound is being healed. This beast is a composite animal, representing the governments of the world that support her. (Compare with Verse 1, where the harlot sits on many waters.)

Full of names of blasphemy [or full of blasphemous names] – This describes the character of the nations supporting the harlot. Blasphemy is claiming to be God or claiming the prerogatives of God. By joining with the harlot to enforce her false teachings and control the conscience, they are usurping the prerogatives of God.

Having seven heads and ten horns – The heads and horns of this beast are identified later in the chapter.

Verse 4

Arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls - This represents that the church has taken the blessings given by God Himself, and used them to attract the political powers with whom she has committed fornication (compare with Ezekiel 16:10-17).

Having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication – The golden cup contains Babylon’s wine, her false teachings. This description further identifies the wine of Babylon, calling it abominations, things that God especially hates (Jeremiah 44:4,5, Ezekiel 8:6,13,17, Proverbs 28:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Spiritual Babylon’s wine includes such doctrines as the immortal soul, an eternally burning hell, and Sunday sacredness.

Verse 5

On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT – The harlot woman is spiritual Babylon. The name is written on her forehead, indicating that she has the same character as ancient Babylon.

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS – The harlot is a mother, with harlot daughters like herself. The harlot represents the mother church, and her daughters represent the Protestant churches that came from her. The daughters are like their mother in character, and have joined her in committing fornication with the kings of the earth. (SOP 3)

THE MOTHER OF … THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH - This represents that the mother church is the originator of the false teachings of Christianity, called her wine in Verse 4.

Verse 6

Drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus – Babylon is utterly intoxicated with her past success at persecuting the saints (Daniel 7:25, Matthew 24:21, Rev. 6:9-11, 18:24), and with the prospect that soon she will completely destroy the remnant.

I marveled with great amazement – In verse 1 the angel invited John to see the judgment of the harlot, and probably expected to see a picture of great ruin. But, instead he sees the woman garbed in gorgeous attire, drunken and sitting on a fearsome beast. Next he is given a more complete account of her crimes. All this fills him with utter astonishment.

Verse 7

I will tell you the mystery – The rest of this chapter is the angel’s explanation of the vision John has just seen in Verses 3-6.

Verse 8

The beast that you saw was, and is not – The beast ridden by the harlot represents the political powers that support her. ‘Was’ refers to the period of 1260 years that the church controlled the political powers. ‘Is not’ refers to the period of the deadly wound, received in 1798, when her political power was taken away. Notice that John is given a view of the beast when it ‘is not.’

And will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition [utter destruction] – This is a prediction of the restoration of the church’s political power and her eventual destruction.

Those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world – See Rev. 13:3,4.

Is not, and yet is – The beast had received an apparently fatal wound, but it lived and recovered.

Verse 9

Here is the mind which has wisdom – Compare with Rev. 13:18.

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits – A mountain is sometimes used in the Bible to represent a kingdom (Isaiah 2:2,3, Jeremiah 31:23, 51:24,25). This also apparently refers to the city of Rome, which sits on seven hills. Many historical writers referred to Rome as the City of Seven Hills.

Verse 10

There are also seven kings [or kingdoms] – Another symbol for the political powers supporting the harlot.

Five have fallen – These may be identified as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and the Papacy (compare with the beast in Rev. 13:1,2).

One is, and the other has not yet come – Revelation describes two other beasts that came up after the Papacy’s deadly wound in 1798. The first is the beast from the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7), representing Atheistic Communism that arose from the French Revolution and spread over much of the world. The second is the United States (Rev. 13:11), who arose peaceably like a lamb, but will finally speak like a dragon.

And when he comes, he must continue a short time – When the United States speaks as a dragon, she will continue for only a brief time.

Verse 11

This verse is in the form of a riddle.

The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth – This refers to the Papacy, who became the eighth king when the deadly wound was healed.

And is of the seven – The Papacy was the fifth king during her rule of 1260 years.

And is going to perdition – John is given assurance that this power will be destroyed.

Verse 12

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet – The ten horns represent the divisions of the Roman Empire, the nations of Europe (Daniel 7:7, Rev. 13:1). In Daniel 2, God predicted that these nations would never again become one kingdom (Daniel 2:43).

They receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast – This is a prediction that the nations of Europe will support the resurrected Papacy.

Verse 13

The nations of Europe will be completely united in their support of the Papacy, at the time the mark of the beast is enforced.

Verse 14

These will make war with the Lamb - The combined powers just described in the previous verses will make war with Jesus by attempting to kill His saints. This is a reference to Armageddon, the final battle between Satan and his followers, and Jesus and His followers.

The Lamb will overcome them – The final battle and its outcome are described in Revelation 19.

For He is Lord of lords and King of Kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful – This refers to the remnant, those who stand with Jesus during the final battle.

Verse 15

The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits – This is a reference to verse 1, where the harlot was pictured as sitting on many waters (the Euphrates river).

Are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues – Here the angel defines the waters as the people and nations of the world. They all unite in their support of spiritual Babylon. Compare with Rev. 14:6.

Verse 16

The ten horns…will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire – This dramatic reversal takes place under the last three plagues, when the people realize they have been deceived and turn on Babylon. This symbolism of the harlot’s punishment comes from the Old Testament (Ezekiel 16:35-41). According to the laws of Moses, a priest’s daughter who played the harlot was to be punished by burning by fire (Leviticus 20:9).

Verse 17

The angel reminds John that God is in full control of these events. When the political powers unite in their support of Babylon, they are unconsciously carrying out God’s purposes. And when the political powers turn on Babylon and punish her, they are bringing God’s purposes to an ultimate conclusion. God is in full control, and the wicked can do no more than He allows.

Verse 18

The angel concludes by stating that the harlot and Babylon are one and the same.

(SOP 4)

Spirit of Prophecy Quotations

1 “Babylon is also charged with the sin of unlawful connection with "the kings of the earth." It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot; and Rome, corrupting herself in like manner by seeking the support of worldly powers, receives a like condemnation.” – The Great Controversy, page 382.

2 “The theory of eternal torment is one of the false doctrines that constitute the wine of the abomination of Babylon, of which she makes all nations drink. Revelation 14:8; 17:2. . . . If we turn from the testimony of God's word, and accept false doctrines because our fathers taught them, we fall under the condemnation pronounced upon Babylon; we are drinking of the wine of her abomination.” – The Great Controversy, pages 536, 537.

3 “Babylon is said to be "the mother of harlots." By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world.” – The Great Controversy, pages 382, 383.

4 “The state of corruption and apostasy that in the last days would exist in the religious world, was presented to the prophet John in the vision of Babylon, “that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, page 167.