Revelation 17-18

What I Noticed Today (Revelation 17-18)

Revelation 17-18 is an expansion on the seventh bowl of wrath and Babylon the Great (Revelation 16:19). Revelation 17 is focused mainly on Babylon the Great’s religious character, while Revelation 18 is focused on its political power.

Revelation 17

In verses 1-2, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me (John) and said he would show me the judgment of the notorious prostitute who sits on many waters. Kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her.

In verses 3-5, the angel carried me (John) away to the desert in the Spirit (not physically).

• I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
• The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
• She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile from her prostitution.
• On her forehead was written, “Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes, and of the Vile Things of the Earth.”
• The woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and of the witnesses to Jesus.
• John was astonished by what he saw.

In verses 7-18, John is given the meaning of the woman and the beast:

• The angel wondered why John was astonished and went on to explain the meaning of the woman and the beast that carries her.
• The beast was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction.
• Those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the beginning of time will be astonished when they see the beast that was, is not, and will be present again.

• The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated.
• They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he will remain for a little while.
• The beast that was and is not is the eighth king yet he belongs to the seven and is going to be destroyed.

• The ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
• Their one purpose is to give power and authority to the beast.
• They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.
• Those with Him [the Lamb] are called, chosen, and faithful.
• The waters you saw where the prostitute [Babylon the Great] was seated are the peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
• The ten horns you saw and the beast [the antichrist] will hate the prostitute.
• They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.

• For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan according to His purpose.
• And the woman you saw [Babylon the Great] is the great city that has an empire over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18

In verse 1, another angel came from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.

In verses 2-3, the angel said Babylon the Great has fallen; she has become a dwelling place for demons, unclean spirits, unclean birds, and every unclean beast. For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants have become wealthy from her.

In verses 4-8, another voice from heaven ordered people to come out of her so you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Pay her back double for her crimes. As much as she lived in luxury, give her that much torment and grief. She thinks she is a queen and will never see grief. For this reason, plagues, death, grief, and famine will come in one day. She will burn with fire because the Lord God judges her.

In verses 9-20, the world is described as mourning Babylon’s fall:

• Kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality with her will weep and mourn when they see her burning. They will stand far off in fear of her torment saying woe to the city for in a single hour your judgment has come.
• Merchants of the earth will also mourn because no one buys their merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine fabrics, silk, fragrant wood products, ivory, expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, wheat flour, grain, cattle, sheep, horses and carriages, and slaves.
• The fruit you craved is gone, no one will ever find them again.
• The merchants will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying woe to the great city for in a single hour her wealth was destroyed.
• Every shipmaster, seafarer, and sailor and all who do business by sea stood far off watching her burn weeping and mourning for in a single hour she was destroyed.
• Rejoice heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets because God has executed your judgment on her.

In verses 21-24, then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea saying in this way Babylon will be thrown down violently, never to be found again. The sound of harpists and musicians will never be heard again. The light of a lamp will never be seen again. The voice of a bride and groom will never be heard again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the earth because your sorcery deceived all the nations and because the blood of the prophets and saints and all those slaughtered [martyrs] on the earth was found in you.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Revelation 19-20