Revelation 17

Revelation 17:1

K. The Fall of Babylon the Great (Chaps. 17, 18) 17:1, 2 One of the seven angels invites John to witness the judgment of the great harlot. This is a great religious and commercial system with headquarters in Rome. Many believe that chapter 17 describes religious Babylon and chapter 18 the commercial aspect. Religious Babylon certainly includes apostate Christendom, both Protestant and Catholic. It may well represent the ecumenical church. Notice the description.

The harlot sits on many waters, controlling great areas of the Gentile world. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; she has seduced political leaders with her compromise and intrigue. The inhabitants of the earth have become drunk with the wine of her fornication; vast numbers have come under her evil influence and have been reduced to staggering wretchedness. 17:3 The apostate church is seen sitting on a scarlet beast. We have already noted in chapter 13 that this beast is the revived Roman Empire (and sometimes the head of that empire). The beast is full of blasphemous names and has seven heads and ten horns. 17:4 For a while the false church seems to dominate the empire. She sits in full celestial state, wearing the symbols of her vast wealth and displaying a golden cup full of her idolatry and immorality. 17:5 A name of mystery is on her forehead: Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. This is the church that has shed the blood of Christian martyrs down through the centuries, and is still doing it. She is drunk with their blood. 17:6 Like many others, John marveled when he saw the woman, intoxicated with the blood of the saints. This refers to the saints of all eras of church history, but especially to the martyrs of Jesus during the Tribulation. 17:7, 8 The angel offers to explain to John the mystery of the woman and of the beast. The beast that John saw was (the Roman Empire existed in the past); it is not (it broke up and no longer exists as a world-empire today); it will ascend out of the bottomless pit (it will reappear in a particularly diabolical form); and go to perdition (it will be utterly and finally destroyed). The revival of the empire and the appearance of its charismatic leader will cause the world of unbelievers to marvel. 17:9 The angel says that this calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. A traditional interpretation is that the harlot has her headquarters in Rome, which is built on seven hills. 17:10 Some commentators explain these seven kings as seven forms of Roman government; others explain them as seven literal emperors. Others say that the kings represent great world powers: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the future revived Roman Empire. 17:11 The eighth king has been variously identified as the head of the revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist. The exact meaning of this prophecy may never be perfectly clear until it is fulfilled. 17:12 The ten horns may symbolize the future kings who will serve under the Roman beast. They will rule for one hour, that is, a short time (see v. 10b). 17:13 The ten kings unanimously yield their power and authority to the Roman beast. In other words, ten countries (or governments) surrender their national sovereignty to him. 17:14 This ten-kingdom empire goes to war against the Lord Jesus when He returns to earth at the end of the Tribulation. But they meet their Waterloo in this battle. Though He is the Lamb, He is also Lord of lords and King of kings. His followers are called, chosen, and faithful. 17:15 The angel goes on to explain that the waters in verse 1 are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. The harlot sits on the waters in the sense that she dominates vast segments of the populace. 17:16 It appears that the revived Roman Empire allows itself to be controlled, or at least influenced by the harlot church for a while. Then, however, it throws off this intolerable yoke and destroys her. The hated harlot is stripped, consumed, and burned by the beast on which she sat. 17:17 God is behind the scenes in all of this. It is He who causes the kingdoms to unite under the Roman beast and then to turn against the harlot. It is all to fulfill His sovereign purpose. 17:18 That great city is Mystery Babylon, ruling over the kings of the earth. But as we have seen, the woman has her headquarters in Rome.