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REVELATION 17
5. Babylon the Great and Her Destruction
a. The Religious Aspect
(1) The Great Harlot

1. And 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 upon the many waters,
2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3. And he carried me away in spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication.
5. And on her forehead there was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I marveled with great marvel when I saw her.

(2) The Interpretation of
the Woman and the Beast

7. And the angel said to me, Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast who bears her, who has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8. The beast that you saw was and is not and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into perdition. And those who dwell on the earth, those whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, will marvel when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will be present.
9. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are the seven mountains where the woman sits
10. And are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a short time.
11. And the beast who was and is not, he himself is also the eighth and is out of the seven and goes into perdition.
12. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom but receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.
13. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
14. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they who are with Him, the called and chosen and faithful, will also overcome them.
15. And he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

(3) The Destruction of the Harlot
by the Beast

16. And the ten horns which you saw and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and burn her utterly with fire.
17. For God has put it into their hearts to perform His mind and to perform one mind and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are accomplished.
18. And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.