Revelation 17–20

The Woman and the Scarlet Beast

17Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls ^ccame and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute ^dewho sits on many ^fwaters. ^g2The kings of the earth ^hcommitted sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.” ⁱ³So he carried me away in the Spirit ^jkto a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered ^lwith blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. ^m4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. ⁿShe had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile ^oand with the impurities of her ^pprostitution. ⁵On her forehead a cryptic name ^qwas written:

BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

⁶Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. ^rWhen I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

The Meaning of the Woman and of the Beast

⁷Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. ⁸The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss ^sand go to destruction. ^tThose who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world ^uwill be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again. ^v

⁹“Here is the mind with wisdom: ^wxThe seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. ¹⁰They are also seven kings: ^yFive have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. ¹¹The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. ¹²The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings ^zwho have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. ^a13These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. ^bThose with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” ^c

¹⁵He also said to me, “The waters you saw, ^dwhere the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. ^e16The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. ^fThey will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. ^g17For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose ^hand to give their kingdom ⁱto the beast until God’s words are accomplished. ^j18And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire ^kover the kings of the earth.”

The Fall of Babylon the Great

18After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, ^land the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ²He cried in a mighty voice:

It has fallen, ^m

Babylon the Great has fallen! ⁿ

She has become a dwelling for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

a haunt for every unclean bird,

and a haunt ^ofor every unclean and despicable beast. ^pq

³For all the nations have drunk ^r

the wine of her sexual immorality,

which brings wrath. ^s

The kings of the earth

have committed sexual immorality with her,

and the merchants of the earth

have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury. ^t

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven:

Come out of her, My people,

so that you will not share in her sins ^u

or receive any of her plagues.

⁵For her sins are piled up ^vto heaven, ^w

and God has remembered her crimes. ^x

⁶Pay her back the way she also paid, ^y

and double it according to her works. ^z

In the cup in which she mixed, ^a

mix a double portion for her.

⁷As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,

give her that much torment and grief,

for she says in her heart,

“I sit as a queen;

I am not a widow,

and I will never see grief.” ^b

⁸For this reason her plagues will come in one day ^c—

death and grief and famine. ^d

She will be burned up with fire, ^e

because the Lord God who judges ^fher is mighty. ^g

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

⁹The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning. ¹⁰They will stand far off in fear of her torment, ^hsaying:

Woe, woe, the great city, ⁱ

Babylon, the mighty city!

For in a single hour ^j

your judgment has come.

¹¹The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer— ¹²merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, ^kiron, and marble; ¹³cinnamon, spice, ^lmincense, myrrh, ⁿand frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves ^oand human lives. ^pq

¹⁴The fruit you craved has left you.

All your splendid and glamorous things are gone;

they will never find them again.

¹⁵The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, ¹⁶saying:

Woe, woe, the great city,

dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,

adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, ^r

¹⁷for in a single hour ^s

such fabulous wealth was destroyed!

And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off ¹⁸as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: “Who is like the great city?” ^t19They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning: ^u

Woe, woe, the great city, ^v

where all those who have ships on the sea

became rich from her wealth,

for in a single hour ^wshe was destroyed.

²⁰Rejoice over her, heaven,

and you saints, apostles, and prophets, ^x

because God has executed your judgment ^yon her! ^z

The Finality of Babylon’s Fall

²¹Then a mighty angel ^apicked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:

In this way, Babylon the great city

will be thrown down violently ^b

and never be found again. ^c

²²The sound of harpists, musicians,

flutists, and trumpeters

will never be heard in you again; ^d

no craftsman of any trade

will ever be found in you again;

the sound of a mill

will never be heard in you again;

²³the light of a lamp

will never shine in you again;

and the voice of a groom and bride

will never be heard in you again. ^e

All this will happen

because your merchants

were the nobility of the earth,

because all the nations were deceived

by your sorcery, ^f

²⁴and the blood of prophets and saints, ^g

and of all those slaughtered on earth,

was found in you. ^hi

Celebration in Heaven

19After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude ^jin heaven, saying:

Hallelujah! ^k

Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, ^l

²because His judgments are true ^mand righteous, ⁿ

because He has judged the notorious prostitute ^o

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality;

and He has avenged the blood of His slaves

that was on her hands. ^p

³A second time they said:

Hallelujah!

Her smoke ascends forever and ever! ^q

⁴Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, ^rwho is seated on the throne, saying:

Amen! Hallelujah! ^s

⁵A voice came from the throne, saying:

Praise our God,

all His slaves, who fear Him,

both small and great! ^t

Marriage of the Lamb Announced

⁶Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, ^uand like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying:

Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,

has begun to reign! ^v

⁷Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, ^w

because the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and His wife has prepared herself. ^x

⁸She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. ^y

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. ^z

⁹Then he ^asaid to me, ^b“Write: Those invited to the marriage feast ^cof the Lamb are fortunate!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.” ^d10Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! ^eI am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about ^fJesus. ^gWorship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” ^h

The Rider on a White Horse

¹¹Then I saw heaven opened, ⁱand there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, ^jand He judges and makes war in righteousness. ^k12His eyes were like a fiery flame, ^land many crowns ^mwere on His head. ⁿHe had a name written that no one knows except Himself. ^o13He wore a robe stained with blood, ^pqand His name is the Word of God. ^r14The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. ¹⁵A sharp ^ssword ^tcame from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations with it. ^uHe will shepherd ^vthem with an iron scepter. ^wHe will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, ^xthe Almighty. ¹⁶And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ^y

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing on ^zthe sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.” ^a

¹⁹Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies ^bgathered together to wage war ^cagainst the rider on the horse and against His army. ²⁰But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed the signs in his presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image with these signs. ^dBoth of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns…