17
One of the seven angels offered to show John how God will punish the very evil city represented by a prostitute, with whom the rulers of people on earth have been seduced to act immorally and idolatrously.
Revelation 17:1-2
1 One of the seven angels, who had one of the seven bowls, came to me. He said to me, “Come with me, and I will show you how God will punish the very evil city that is represented by [SYM] a prostitute, a city in which there are many canals of water. 2 It is as though the rulers of earth have acted immorally and idolatrously with the people of that city [MET], and they have persuaded people who live on the earth to act immorally and idolatrously with them [MET], just like a prostitute persuades men to drink the strong wine she gives them, resulting in their becoming drunk and then committing sexual immorality. with her.”
When the angel took John to a wilderness, he saw an immoral woman who was drunk with the blood of God’s people. The sight caused John to react with great bewilderment.
Revelation 17:3-6
3 Then, as God’s Spirit controlled me, the angel carried me away to a desolate area. There I saw a woman who was sitting on a red beast. The beast had names written all over itself. They were names that ◄insulted/spoke evil against► God. The beast had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman that I saw was wearing purple and red clothes; and gold, precious stones, and pearls were fastened to her clothes and her body. She held in her hand a golden cup. The cup was full of a liquid that represents [SYM] the detestable/disgusting, idolatrous things and filthy immoral things that she does. 5 This name, that has a hidden/secret meaning, was written on her forehead: “This woman is Babylon, the very evil city! She acts like the mother of the prostitutes on the earth. She teaches them to act immorally and to worship idols.” 6 I saw that the woman had become drunk as a result of drinking the blood of God’s people, those who had told others about Jesus. When I saw her, I was very bewildered/perplexed.
The angel revealed the meaning of what John had seen, identifying as ruling entities both the beast which amazed people and his seven heads and ten horns, and the angel declared that they would be overcome by the Lamb and defeated. The angel identified the prostitute as representing the very evil city that dominates people, and he declared that it would be destroyed.
Revelation 17:7-18
7 The angel said to me, “Do not be bewildered [RHQ]! I will explain to you the hidden/secret meaning of the woman and of the beast on which she rides, the beast that has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw lived previously. Eventually God will destroy him, but now he is dead. He is about to come up ◄from the underworld/from the deep dark pit►. When the beast who had previously lived, and who then had died, reappears, the people who live on the earth will be amazed. They are people whose names were not in the book in which are written the names of people who will have eternal life. The angels have been writing those names in a list ◄from the beginning of the world/from the time when the world began►. 9 Those who think wisely can understand this: The seven heads of the beast on which the woman sits symbolize the seven hills of the city that the woman represents. They also symbolize seven rulers. 10 Five of those rulers have died. One is still alive. The seventh ruler has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain on earth for only a short time. 11 The beast that lived before and then was not alive will be the eighth ruler. He will be evil like the seven rulers were, but God will surely destroy him. 12 The ten horns that you saw represent ten rulers who have not yet begun to rule. They, together with the beast, will be authorized to rule people for only a short time, as if it were [MET] for one hour. 13 Those rulers will all agree to do the same thing. As a result they will give to the beast their power to rule people as well as their authority to rule people [DOU]. 14 The rulers and the beast will fight against Jesus, the one who is like a lamb. He will defeat them, because he is Lord who rules over all other lords and the King who rules over all other kings. Those people who are with Jesus and helping him are the ones whom God has chosen, and who keep serving him faithfully.” 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw in the city where the prostitute sits represent people-groups, multitudes of people, nations, and speakers of many languages [MTY]. 16 The ten horns that you saw represent rulers [SYM]. They and the beast will hate the people in the city [MTY] that the prostitute represents. As a result, they will take away everything that is in the city, as if they were [MET] leaving it naked. They will destroy it as if [MET] devouring flesh/meat, and they will burn it with fire. 17 They will do that because God has caused them to decide to do what he wants them to do. As a result, they will let the beast have their power to rule until what God has said is fulfilled {until they fulfill what God has said} [MTY]. 18 The prostitute that you saw represents the very evil city whose leaders [MTY] rule over the kings of the earth.”