One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters... Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:1,3.

1. The primary objective introduced in this chapter is the judgment that God has pronounced upon the entity symbolized by the woman who rides the beast.
2. The "many waters" reference suggests she has a global influence. She is also identified as "the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." Revelation 17:18.
3. These are some of the indictments brought against her:
   • She has illicit relations with the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:2.
   • The people of earth are made drunk with the wine of her false teaching. Revelation 17:2,4
   • She is guilty of the blood of God’s holy people and those who bear testimony to Jesus. Revelation 17:6.
4. These scriptures are a telling revelation of the character of Babylon the Great:
   • The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. Revelation 17:4.
   • When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Revelation 18:9.
   • The merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. Revelation 18:3.
   • In her heart she boasts, I sit enthroned as queen. Revelation 18:7.
   • Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! Revelation 18:19.
5. The great prostitute, Babylon the Great, represents a global ideology that stands opposed to God, his law, and his faithful people. She values worldly materialism, and is the motivating factor of most people on earth, its institutions and particularly those in power. These powers are symbolized by the scarlet beast she rides.
6. And these scriptures describe the judgment that will be brought upon her:
   • Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Revelation 18:5.
   • Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her... She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. Revelation 18:8.
   • Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come! Revelation 18:10.
   • With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. Revelation 18:21.

   The beast which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. Revelation 17:8.

7. The scarlet beast and the beast from the sea are the same entity. The former is shown as it existed in the past when it "once was, and now is not", while the later is the beast that "yet will come."
8. The angel tells John the beast "now is not." It seems logical to conclude that this condition occurs about John's lifetime.
9. The Roman Empire, when its religion was pagan, was a persecutor of Christians and Jews. Within three centuries Christianity replaced paganism as the state religion. Thus it could be said the beast "now is not."
10. The beast arising from the Abyss could possibly mean that it surprisingly, and without warning, appears seemingly from nowhere.
11. The unsaved people on earth are astonished by the reappearance of the scarlet beast. This reaction is similar to that observed for the beast from the sea upon its fatal wound having been healed. Revelation 13:3.
12. The scarlet beast, like the dragon and the beast from the sea of Revelation 13 has seven heads and ten horns, making an obvious connection between these three.

The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. Revelation 17:9-11.

13. The seven hills reference points to Rome, the city built on seven hills, as the symbolic location or identity of the harlot, Babylon the Great.
14. The seven kings symbolize all the civil powers on earth throughout history that represent forces of evil, chaos, greed, and destruction in opposition to the law of God, and are the historical enemies of God's faithful people.
15. Since the angel is revealing this vision to the apostle John it follows that the one king that is must be the Roman Empire which existed during his lifetime. This helps us to identify the other heads on the beast:
    • Five have fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
    • One is: Rome is the sixth head.
    • The other has not yet come: Which power succeeded Rome and remained "for only a little while"?
    • The Carolingian Empire (800-887 AD) was founded by Charlemagne who was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III. Carolingian Empire
    • The beast that "once was, and now is not" is said to be an eighth but belongs to the seven. One of the seven heads that existed in the past will appear again as the beast that "yet will come."
16. The little horn of Daniel 7 is analogous with the beast that "yet will come." It arises later among the ten horns on the fourth beast which has been identified as the Roman Empire. This is evidence that a power like that of the Roman Empire appears again at the end of time.

The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. Revelation 17:12-13.

17. The ten horns are symbolic of the kingdoms of Europe that arise after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 456 AD.

The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. Revelation 17:16-17.

18. Herein is stated the final judgment that the angel declared to John in the first verse. The ten horns, when they are empowered as kings, subject themselves to the authority of the scarlet beast.
19. They, the beast and the ten horns, rebel and throw off the controlling dominion of the great prostitute, promoting itself worthy of worship as a god with the aid of the false prophet. Revelation 13:4.

They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. Revelation 17:14.

20. This is the final destiny of the antichrist beast when it in union with the false prophet and the kings of earth confront Jesus and the armies of heaven at the Second Coming. Revelation 19:19-20.