Reflections on Revelation 17

Revelation 17 (Contemporary English Version)
1. One of the seven angels who had emptied the bowls came over and said to me, "Come on! I will show you how God will punish that shameless prostitute who sits on many oceans.
   
2. Every king on earth has slept with her, and her shameless ways are like wine that has made everyone on earth drunk."
   
3. With the help of the Spirit, the angel took me into the desert, where I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The beast was covered with names that were an insult to God, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
   
4. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet robes, and she wore jewelry made of gold, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup filled with the filthy and nasty things she had done.
   
5. On her forehead a mysterious name was written: I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.
   
6. I could tell that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's people who had given their lives for Jesus. This surprising sight amazed me,
   
7. and the angel said: Why are you so amazed? I will explain the mystery about this woman and about the beast she is sitting on, with its seven heads and ten horns.
   
8. The beast you saw is one that used to be and no longer is. It will come back from the deep pit, but only to be destroyed. Everyone on earth whose names were not written in the book of life before the time of creation will be amazed. They will see this beast that used to be and no longer is, but will be once more.
   
9. Anyone with wisdom can figure this out. The seven heads that the woman is sitting on stand for seven hills. These heads are also seven kings.
   
10. Five of the kings are dead. One is ruling now, and the other one has not yet come. But when he does, he will rule for only a little while.
    
11. You also saw a beast that used to be and no longer is. That beast is one of the seven kings who will return as the eighth king, but only to be destroyed.
    
12. The ten horns that you saw are ten more kings, who have not yet come into power, and they will rule with the beast for only a short time.
    
13. They all think alike and will give their power and authority to the beast.
    
14. These kings will go to war against the Lamb. But he will defeat them, because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings. His followers are chosen and special and faithful.
    
15. The oceans that you saw the prostitute sitting on are crowds of people from all races and languages.
    
16. The ten horns and the beast will start hating the shameless woman. They will strip off her clothes and leave her naked. Then they will eat her flesh and throw the rest of her body into a fire.
    
17. God is the one who made these kings all think alike and decide to give their power to the beast. And they will do this until what God has said comes true.
    
18. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over all kings on earth.

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By this point in Revelation, the seven seals have been opened, the seven trumpets blown, and the seven bowls poured out. It was one of the seven angels with the bowls who showed John the scenes depicted in this chapter. Chapter 17 is difficult to understand and has had many interpretations. What can we say about it without speculating too much? Well, we know from verse 1 it has to do with the judgment of the "notorious prostitute" who represents Babylon. Babylon has historically been a source of mystery religions and has been influential in paganizing Christianity. Indeed, some of its so-called religious rites have crept into the rituals of Christian churches. Also, since in history, Rome eventually conquered Babylon and adopted its false deities, it became not only Babylon's political successor but also successor of Babylon's idolatry. Therefore, Rome is widely considered to be the reference in this mention of Babylon in chapter 17.

Verse 2 says "The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality." This gives the understanding that Rome will have world-wide religious influence in the years leading up to Christ's return, drawing national leaders into her pagan religious practices. The inscription on the forehead of the woman in these verses says it all, "THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH." Pagan religions incorporate all the vile practices of mankind because they are man's invention, not God's, and they seek to legitimize man's sinful nature.

Along with the vile nature of pagan religions is also their nature to strike out at those who are followers of Christ, and thus, followers of the true religion instituted by God. This woman who is Babylon, we are told in verse 6, was "drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." She is guilty of killing God's people. John was taken, in the spirit, into the desert where he saw the woman sitting on a scarlet beast. (17:3) Then he is told in verse 7 that he will be given the secret meaning of the woman and the beast. Verse 8 tells us that the beast is the one mentioned before in Rev_13:3, that had a head that was fatally wounded but was healed. The whole world was amazed and followed this beast. This beast, says verse 8, was, is not, and is about to come up from the abyss. Thus, when it was not is when it had the fatal wound, and when it will be again is when it was healed. But its return from this fatal wound will be from the abyss - the abode of Satan. So the woman, Babylon or Rome, is riding the beast who is from Satan. In other words, she is aligned with Satan. Rome and its false religions, in these last years of history, are aligned with Satan.

Verses 9-14 go into a revelation of the meaning of the heads and horns of the beast. There has been much speculation as to who the kings are that are represented by these heads and horns. Without going into such speculation, we can rightly go to the underlying point which is that world rulers, those represented by the heads and horns, will be raised up by the beast, receiving their authority from him, and their one purpose will be to use their power and authority on behalf of the beast. And this purpose will be to make "war against the Lamb." However, they will be conquered by the Lamb.

In the end, the woman, Babylon, comes to destruction at the hands of those with whom she had been aligned. Namely, the beast and all of his other followers. But this will all be a fulfillment of God's plan.