Revelation 17

King James Version

Full text for Revelation Chapter 17

1¶ And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7¶ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14¶ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.

15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

An angel reveals to John the judgment of "Babylon the Great," a harlot adorned in luxury, drunken with the blood of saints, sitting upon a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. The angel explains the mystery of the beast, its heads representing mountains and kings, and the ten horns as kings who will initially align with the beast. Ultimately, these ten kings will turn against and destroy the harlot city, though the Lamb will overcome all earthly powers.

Medium Summary

John is shown a vision by an angel concerning the judgment of the "great whore" identified as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT." This woman, arrayed in opulent purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels, sits upon a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. She is depicted as being drunk with the blood of God's saints and martyrs. The angel explains that the seven heads represent both seven mountains and seven kings, while the ten horns symbolize ten kings who will receive power alongside the beast. These kings will initially give their power to the beast and make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb, as Lord of lords, will conquer them. Furthermore, the ten kings will eventually turn against the harlot city, making her desolate and burning her with fire, fulfilling God's divine purpose.

Long Summary

In Revelation 17, an angel, one of the seven with the vials, invites John to witness the judgment of the "great whore" who sits upon many waters. John is transported in the spirit to a wilderness, where he beholds a woman arrayed in lavish purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, holding a golden cup filled with abominations. Upon her forehead is inscribed, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." This woman is seen drunken with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus, causing John to marvel. The angel proceeds to explain the mystery of the woman and the scarlet beast upon which she rides, which has seven heads and ten horns. The beast itself is described as having "was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition," and its appearance will cause wonder among those not written in the book of life. The seven heads are interpreted as seven mountains upon which the woman sits, and also as seven kings, with five having fallen, one currently reigning, and one yet to come for a short duration. The beast itself is identified as an eighth king, yet "of the seven," destined for perdition. The ten horns are revealed to be ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but will gain power for a short time with the beast, uniting to give their strength to it. These combined powers will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb, as Lord of lords and King of kings, will decisively overcome them, assisted by the called, chosen, and faithful. The angel clarifies that the "many waters" where the whore sits represent "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Significantly, the ten kings, who initially support the beast, will ultimately turn against the harlot, making her desolate, stripping her naked, eating her flesh, and burning her with fire, as God has put it in their hearts to fulfill His will. The chapter concludes by identifying the woman as "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

Core Concepts

  • The Great Whore / Babylon the GreatA symbolic woman, richly adorned and identified as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT," representing a powerful, corrupt entity or city that has committed spiritual fornication with earthly kings and persecuted saints.
  • The Scarlet BeastA monstrous entity with seven heads and ten horns, full of blasphemous names, upon which the Great Whore sits, symbolizing a powerful political or spiritual dominion that "was, and is not, and yet is."
  • Seven HeadsThese are interpreted as both seven mountains upon which the woman sits and seven kings, with a specific sequence of their rise and fall, culminating in the beast itself as an eighth king.
  • Ten Horns / Ten KingsThese represent ten kings who receive power for a short time with the beast, initially aligning with it and giving it their authority to fulfill God's will.
  • Persecution of SaintsThe Great Whore is depicted as "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," highlighting her role in the suffering and death of God's faithful.
  • Judgment of the WhoreThe chapter details the divine judgment upon Babylon, specifically revealing that the ten kings who initially supported the beast will ultimately turn against her, making her desolate and destroying her by fire.
  • The Lamb's VictoryDespite the formidable power of the beast and its allied kings, the chapter affirms that they will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb, as "Lord of lords, and King of kings," will inevitably overcome them.