Bible Commentaries

7-8. I will tell you the secret meaning. The woman sits on the red beast (Revelation 17:3), and they are one in purpose and intent. Worldly people drink the wine of her immorality and experience her pleasures; and the world as a center of persecution works in close cooperation with the world as the center of luxury, anti-christian culture and pleasure. Both Babylon and the beast are "past, present, and future." Their form changes; their substance stays the same. Babylon will be destroyed and the beast will go off to be destroyed, but not until both have fooled all who do not have their name written in the book-of the living. See Revelation 13:8.

The seven heads are seven hills. Note that both the beast and Babylon ARE IN EXISTENCE as John writes this! The seven hills clearly speak of Rome, as Revelation 17:18 also shows. Imperial Rome, center of the Empire. John sees this city filled with glamour, romance, appeal - all the things to attract kings and rulers. It was insane in its search for pleasure. Christians were torn to pieces to please the crowds. The prostitute was drunk with the blood of God's people (Revelation 17:6). They are also seven kings. The five who have fallen and the one who still rules can be fit into history. Old Babylonia, Assyria, New Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greco-Macedonia - have all fallen. Rome still ruled, as John wrote this. The seventh king/kingdom which will remain only a little while is not so easy to identify with history. Johnson thinks it was the Eastern Roman Empire as it was revived by Justinian in the early part of the sixth century. Others identify this with Constantine the Great; still others with the Germanic nations that conquered Rome. Perhaps this seventh king/kingdom is symbolic of all the anti-christian world powers that will oppress God's people until the time of the Second Coming. Is itself an eighth king. The beast itself is the final form of world power, who will be destroyed by Christ's Second Coming. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Again we say that the forms change but the substance stays the same. The beast seems to revive after every defeat (Revelation 17:8) but always goes off to be destroyed.

The ten horns. The ten "horn-kings" who "rule as kings for one hour with the beast" symbolize all the important and influential men of every activity [art, education, commerce', industry, government, etc.] to the degree that they serve the central authority. Their goal is to honor themselves, and to do this they give their power and authority to the beast to help it fight against Christ and his church. See Revelation 17:14. But the Lamb and his followers constantly defeat every form of anti-christian power. It may not seem that way on the surface of things, but just when the beast seems to be winning, his doom is already there.

For God placed in there hearts. The prostitute sits on the waters, which symbolize the nations, peoples, races and languages - that are always working to oppose the church of Christ. The world in general, especially the great men of influence, drink from her gold cup and become drunk with the wine of her immorality. They carry her and give themselves to everything she has to offer. But the world, in a sense, destroys itself. The very people who make up the "anti-christian world" hate the prostitute and utterly destroy her. God is using these Very rebels as his own agents. They give their power to the beast, until God's words come true. Then they turn on her and destroy her, but it is too late! They are punished by the results of their own foolishness. Compare Judas, as he throws down the thirty pieces of silver and goes out to hang himself. Compare Matthew 4:8-10 and notes.

Is the great city. Rome. See Revelation 17:9.

The Prostitute is "The Great Babylon" - the symbol of anti-christian seduction [the glamour, romance, and appeal of this world (1 John 2:15-17)], at any moment of history. "Babylon" is the world as a center of industry, commerce, art, culture, etc. A WRONG ATTITUDE toward these things (compare 1 Timothy 6:10) will cause a person to turn away from God. Babylon's FALL happens again and again throughout history, but perhaps the fall of the last Babylon [Babylon in its final form?] will be simultaneous with the Second Coming of Christ, [Anti-christian religion is symbolized by the False Prophet.].