Revelation 17:1-18

English Standard Bible

[1] Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,

[2] with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

[3] And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

[4] The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

[5] And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”

[6] And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.

[7] But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her.

[8] The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

[9] This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;

[10] they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while.

[11] As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.

[12] And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.

[13] These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.

[14] They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

[15] And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.

[16] And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire,

[17] for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

[18] And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Exposition

Revelation 17 vividly portrays the “great prostitute” (also called the great harlot or w***e of Babylon) as the embodiment of a seductive, corrupt spiritual power that profoundly influences and deceives the world throughout history.

This figure symbolizes a vast, alluring system of false religion, idolatry, compromise with worldly powers, and opposition to the true God - a system that intoxicates nations, kings, and peoples with the wine of her immorality (spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness to God; see verses 2, 4).

The great prostitute sits on many waters, which the angel explains represent peoples and multitudes and nations and languages (verse 15), signifying her global, multi-ethnic dominion. She rides a scarlet beast (the Antichrist system or empire, full of blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns), dressed luxuriously in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls, and holding a golden cup filled with abominations and the impurities of her fornication (verse 4).

The outward splendor masks her true nature

She is:

* Babylon the Great,

* the Mother of Prostitutes

* The Mother of the Abominations/Detestable Things of the Earth (vs 5)

* The source and archetype of all false religion and worldly corruption since the rebellion at Babel (Genesis 11)

* She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses/martyrs for Jesus (vs 6)

* Engaged in violent persecution of God’s faithful people as highlighted across time (compare Revelation 6:9-11; 13:7

Note historical parallels in Old Testament prophecies against idolatrous cities like Babylon in Jeremiah 50-51, Tyre in Ezekiel 27-28, and unfaithful Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16 and 23).

This seductive power has operated in various forms throughout history - through ancient pagan empires, imperial cults, false religious systems, and compromises that blend faith with worldly power - always drawing people away from exclusive devotion to God through promises of wealth, pleasure, security, and influence. Yet her end is certain: the beast and the ten kings she once controlled will turn on her, stripping her naked, devouring her flesh, and burning her with fire (verses 16-17), fulfilling God’s sovereign purpose to use evil to judge evil until His words are completed.

A crucial distinction in this chapter (especially verse 8) sharply divides humanity into two eternal categories:

* those whose names are written in the Book of Life

* and those whose names are not.

The Book of Life

The Book of Life represents God’s record of the redeemed - those destined for eternal life through faith in Christ, the Lamb (see Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 20:12-15; 21:27; Philippians 4:3). The phrase from the foundation of the world (or from the creation of the world) emphasizes that this distinction is rooted in God’s eternal plan, purpose, and foreknowledge, not in human merit or time-bound decisions alone. Names are not written based on fleeting human achievement but according to divine election and the redemptive work of the Lamb (whose slaying was planned from the foundation of the world; compare 1 Peter 1:19-20; Ephesians 1:4).

Not Written in The Book of Life

Those not written in the Book of Life are described as those who dwell on the earth (a recurring phrase in Revelation for the unbelieving, earth-bound world system opposed to God). When they see the beast in its deceptive resurrection (was, and is not, and yet will come; verse 8), they marvel/wonder/are astonished at its power, allure, and apparent invincibility (verse 8). This reaction reflects spiritual blindness and deception: they are captivated by the seductive power the great prostitute represents, intoxicated by her wine, and ultimately worship the beast (compare Revelation 13:8, where the same group worships the beast). Throughout history and across the world, this group - regardless of culture, era, or nation - has been drawn to false systems, compromising with worldly powers, persecuting the faithful, and marveling at anti-God authorities that promise glory but lead to destruction.

Written In the Book of Life

By contrast, those written in the Book of Life do not marvel at the beast or the prostitute’s allure. They are the called, chosen, and faithful who accompany the Lamb in His ultimate victory (verse 14: They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them... and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful). These are the saints who resist seduction, remain faithful amid persecution, and refuse the wine of immorality. Their response is one of discernment, steadfastness, and worship of the true King (the Lamb as Lord of lords and King of kings). This group exists across all time - from Old Testament faithful, to New Testament believers, to tribulation saints - and in every nation.

The Deceived and Redeemed

The chapter thus presents a stark, timeless contrast:

* The deceived (not in the Book) are intoxicated, astonished, and seduced by the great prostitute’s corrupt influence, leading them to align with the beast and face judgment.

* The redeemed (written in the Book) see through the deception, endure faithfully, and triumph with the Lamb.

This vision calls for wisdom (verse 9) and warns believers against compromise while assuring them of Christ’s sovereign victory. The great prostitute’s temporary seduction cannot ultimately prevail against those sealed in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world.

❤️🙏🏼❤️

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