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This one revealed a three-fold name (Rev 17:5). Most importantly, she held a golden goblet that seemed appealing on the outside, but it was filled with a disgusting and poisonous mixture on the inside, not fit to drink.Ī first-century prostitute would normally wear her name on a headband. According to him, she was wearing an extravagant and flamboyant outfit, which appeared to be decadent, luxurious, and royal (Rev 17:4). John saw the harlot riding on the back of this monstrous, red, carnivorous creature (Rev 17:3). The heads on this beast represent the major political superpowers of world history which have antagonized God’s people, culminating with the Antichrist’s future world empire.
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John saw this woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, which is the same beast that John saw rising from the ocean in Rev 13 as the Antichrist (Rev 17:3). He invites John to see the significance of God’s judgment on a certain “great prostitute” who “sits on many waters.” These “many waters” may indicate some economic and religious overtones, but at the very least they indicate widespread influence over the nations and people of the world (Rev 17:15).Ĭorrupt political and religious powerbrokers have participated in her godless agenda, but the rest of the people in the world – the consumers – have also participated with her agenda by intoxicating themselves with her many offers of pleasure and satisfaction (Rev 17:2). This section opens with a special invitation from one of the seven angels who had poured out one of the seven bowl judgments (Rev 17:1). The Termination of Babylon the Great (Rev 18:21-24)Ī Description of the Woman and the Beast (Rev 17:1-6).A Lament for Babylon the Great (Rev 18:9-20).The Collapse of Babylon the Great (Rev 18:1-8).An Explanation of the Woman and the Beast (Rev 17:7-18).A Description of the Woman and the Beast (Rev 17:1-6).We can divide Rev 17-18 into the following four sections: We’ll look at Rev 17-18 first, then Rev 19 in a subsequent study. Rather than zoom in on every detail of this vision, we’ll take a “big-picture” survey approach. The first two chapters describe this collapse from an earthly viewpoint, while the third describes it from a heavenly viewpoint. This downfall will be accomplished by two primary factors, (1) the plagues described in the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments previously described in Revelation and (2) the decisive victory of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon described next in Rev 19. Rev 17-19 forms a complete unit of thought that describes, as a prophetic vision, the ultimate downfall of Babylon the Great.