Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Revelation 17:1 - 17:7
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev_17:1-7
1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." 6And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. 7And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
Rev_17:1 "one of the seven angels" Another angel is described in the same way in Rev_21:9. The chronological relationship between Revelation 17, 18 and the pouring out of the bowls in Revelation 16
1. may predate the pouring out of the bowls
2. it may be a further description of the result of the bowls
▣ "will show you the judgment of the great harlot" This spiritual seductress is described in Rev_17:5 as "mighty Babylon, the mother of harlots," and in Rev_18:10 as "the great city, Babylon." According to earlier chapters these designations refer to a fallen world system epitomized in:
1. Daniel's Babylon
2. Daniel's interbiblical Antiochus IV
3. John's Roman Emperor claiming deity.
In chapter 17 the seductive power of luxury and greed is matched with the commercial power of chapter 18. In the OT three cities are called whores.
1. Tyre (Phoenicia) in Isa_23:15-16
2. Nineveh (Assyria) in Nah_3:4
3. Jerusalem (fruitless Judah) in Isa_1:21; Eze_16:31; Eze_16:35; Ezekiel 23.
▣ "who sits on many waters" The OT allusion is Jer_51:11-14, which refers to the ancient city of Babylon, which was located on the Euphrates (as Nineveh was located on the Tigris River) and had an extensive system of manmade irrigation and transportation canals. However, in light of Rev_17:15, this phrase is interpreted as an international kingdom (cf. Dan_7:2-3).
Rev_17:2
NASB "with whom the kings of the earth committed acts ofimmorality"
NKJV, NRSV "with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication"
TEV "the kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality"
NJB "with whom all the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves"
This prostitution has two primary aspects:
1. commercial alliances (cf. Tyre, Isa_23:13-18; and Nineveh, Nah_3:4)
2. political alliances which involved the contractual worship of the gods of the nations in the ratification ceremonies (cf. Jerusalem also called a harlot in Isa_1:21 and Jeremiah 3)
3. the worship of the Roman Emperor as divine
▣ "those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality" This is an allusion to Jer_51:7. It is also introduced in Rev_14:8. The phrase "those who dwell on the earth" is a recurrent theme in Revelation denoting unregenerate, fallen mankind apart from God (cf. Rev_3:10; Rev_6:10; Rev_8:13; Rev_11:10; Rev_13:8; Rev_13:14; Rev_17:8).
"Drink" is an OT metaphor for judgment (cf. Psa_75:6-8).
Rev_17:3 "And he carried me away in the Spirit" This phrase is used to introduce John's visions (cf. Rev_1:10; Rev_4:2; Rev_17:3; Rev_21:10). Many commentators base their understanding of the structure of Revelation on these visions. Remember, apocalyptic literature is a highly structured genre. The structure becomes a key in interpretation.
▣ "into a wilderness" This may be
1. a metaphor of a place of safety (cf. Rev_12:6; Rev_12:14, where it is an allusion to the wilderness wandering period of Israel)
2. a place where evil and the demonic live (i.e., Lev_16:8; Lev_17:7)
3. an allusion to the ancient city of Babylon found in Isa_21:1-10, where it is a metaphor of judgment
John's imagery is very fluid. In Rev_17:1 the woman sits on many waters (the Euphrates River) and in Rev_17:3 she sits on a scarlet beast in the wilderness.
▣ "and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast" The term "scarlet" could refer to
1. murder, cf. Rev_17:6-7
2. luxury, cf. Rev_18:12-16
3. Satan as a red dragon, cf. Rev_12:3
The beast is described in detail in Rev_13:1-10. It refers to the end-time Antichrist (cf. Dan_7:9-14; Dan_9:24-27; Dan_11:36-45; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1Jn_2:18).
▣ "full of blasphemous names" This is similar to Rev_13:1; Rev_13:5-6. These titles are related historically to the Roman Emperor's self-deification. They claimed titles for themselves such as "divine," "savior," "lord." The beast's ultimate goal is not world political power, but religious worship (cf. Dan_7:8; Dan_7:20; Dan_8:11; Dan_8:25; Dan. 9:36, 37) as a representative or incarnation of Satan (possibly represented in Isa_14:13-14 and Eze_28:16-17).
▣ "having seven heads and ten horns" This description is similar to that of the red dragon (cf. Rev_12:3) and the sea beast (cf. Rev_13:1). The similarity is intended to show the unity of these different anti-God persons.
In numerical symbolism (1) the seven heads relate to "perfect" knowledge or the ultimate end-time world leader, while (2) the ten horns relate to complete power or worldly authority (cf. Rev_17:7; Rev_17:9; Rev_17:12; Rev_17:16).
Rev_17:4 "The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet" These colors can refer to royalty (purple) and immorality (scarlet) or simply a metaphor for luxury, wealth, and opulence (cf. Rev_18:12; Rev_18:16).
▣ "adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls" This is a symbol of earthly and spiritual power and position (used by Ezekiel as an Edenic metaphor for the pride of the King of Tyre cf. Eze_28:13).
▣ "a gold cup" This is an allusion to the city of Babylon (cf. Jer_51:7).
Rev_17:5 "on her forehead a name was written" Seneca's Controversies Rev_1:2 and Juvenal's Satires 6:122-123, record that Roman whores wore a band with either their own name or the name of their owner on their foreheads. This may be a historical allusion to John's day or in the context of Revelation; it may be a reference to the marking of the forehead of unbelievers (cf. Rev_13:16-17; Rev_14:9; Rev_14:11; Rev_15:2; Rev_16:2; Rev_19:20; Rev_20:4) which mimics God's sealing of believers (cf. Rev_7:2; Rev_9:4).
NASB "a mystery, 'Babylon the Great'"
NKJV "Mystery, Babylon the Great"
NRSV "mystery: 'Babylon the great'"
TEV "a secret meaning: 'Great Babylon'"
NJB "a name, a cryptic name: 'Babylon the Great'"
There is some disagreement as to whether the term "mystery" should be a part of the title or a way of referring to the symbolic nature of the title (cf. Rev_17:7). Babylon has its origin in the first civilization, started by Nimrod (Babel), which rebelled against God and was dispersed in Genesis 11. From this usage and from the fact that Babylon took the people of God (Judah) into exile, it became a synonym for an evil, imperial world power. In John's day, this power was Rome (cf. 1Pe_5:13).
Rev_17:6 This verse speaks of the persecution and martyrdom of believers (cf. Rev_11:7; Rev_13:7; Dan_7:21).
▣ "I wondered greatly" The KJV translates this as "with great admiration" but the NKJV has "I marveled with great amazement." John was not admiring her, but he was utterly astonished at her actions. She was allowed to persecute and kill God's people (cf. Rev_13:5; Rev_13:7; Rev_13:15; Rev_11:7).