Revelation Chapter 17
Rev 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:
Rev 17:2 With 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.
Rev 17:3 So 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.
Rev 17:4 And 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:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6 And 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.
We have been over this same ground several times…
This is an important point in the Revelation, central to much of the book
One of the angels with the vials came to give the writer a more detailed look at Babylon and its judgment
We see the Beast or Babylon portrayed many ways
Here we see her portrayed as an immoral woman
She is portrayed as sitting on many waters, and then on the beast with 7 heads, 10 horns
We will discuss the beast and heads and horns in a few more verses
Committed fornication with the kings of the earth
Drunk on the blood of saints
Rev 17:4 And 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:
Actually beautiful and richly arrayed
Mystery Babylon, mother of harlots, abomination of the earth
Rev 17:7 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.
Rev 17:8 The 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.
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And 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.
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12 And 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.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Seven mountains
Seven Kings
5 fallen , 1 is , 1 is to come
Seven forms of government
1. Regal power - kings
2. consuls - dictators
3. decemvirate
4. military tribunes, tribunes, consuls
5. triumvirate
6. imperial Caesar
7. Charlemagne – 26 years Patrician of Rome
8. 800AD crowned emperor, Return to Imperial
In this passage, we also see the explanation of the ten horns as ten kingdoms which had not yet came into being, but would arise upon the fall of the dragon. This represents the 10 minor kingdoms which sprang up upon the decline and fall of pagan Rome and the rise to power of papal Rome.
10 horns - 10 kingdoms to come
1. Ostrogoths in Maesia -Goths, Germanic tribe from area around Sweden, settled in Western Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Eastern Austria
2. Visigoths in Pannonia - (eastern Goths) Spain , France
3. Sveves & Alans, in Gascoigne & Spain - from north of the Caspian sea, settled in Portugal and North Africa, became absorbed by the Vandals, another group settled in Republic of Georgia
4. Vandals in Africa - Germanic tribe from what is now Denmark, settled in Northern Morocco and Algeria, know for their looting and plundering
5. Franks in France - From the middle and lower Rhine river area
6. Burgundians in Burgundy - Southeastern France and part of Switzerland
7. Heruli & Turings in Italy - Teutonic tribe from Scandinavia
8. Saxons & Anglis in Britain - Saxons from an area north of Germany, conquered all of northwest Germany, were conquered by Pepin and Charlamagne, were pirates on the North Sea, one group conquered Britain with the Anglis and Jutes, The anglis were a Germanic tribe from a region still called Angeln, in Schleswig-Holstein state of Germany, together with Saxons and jutes conquered Britain in the 5th century
9. Huns - Hungary - Nomadic Asian people, Turkish origins, known for military horsemanship, not easily distinguished ethnic characteristics
10. Lombards on the Danube, then in Italy - Germanic tribe , settled in northern Italy
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14 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.
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16 And 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.
Rev 17:17 For 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.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.