One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and carried John away in the Spirit (17:1,3). There in the wilderness, John saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The angel proceeded to reveal God's judgment on the great city of Babylon (17:1,18).
Babylon is personified as the great prostitute (17:1). In fact, she had a name written on her forehead: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (17:5); in other words, she is the source of all abominations. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries (17:4b) and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries (17:2b). She sat by many waters (17:1) and these waters are identified as peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (17:15). It would seem that the whole world subscribed to her abominable and adulterous ways of life.
What are some of these abominable and filthy things? She was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls (17:4) - a picture of splendour and luxury. Her prosperity was alluring and the people of the earth wanted the same more than anything. She was also drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who bore testimony to Jesus (17:6) symbolizing her persecution of God's people.
The picture of an adulterous woman presupposes an existing relationship (with her husband). In Rev. 17:18, this adulterous woman is identified as the great city. There are only two previous references to “the great city” before Rev. 17 - (1) Rev. 11:8 and (2) Rev. 16:19.
Like to suggest that Babylon is Jerusalem; Jerusalem (as representative of the nation of Israel) is in a covenant relationship with God (Jer. 31:1-3,6-10).
The use of Sodom and Egypt in the description suggests that the great city in Rev. 11:8 is the same great city of Babylon.
This great city was also where their Lord was crucified; and we know that Jesus was crucified in Golgotha, a spot outside Jerusalem (Matt. 27:33) ... now suggesting that this same great city is Jerusalem.
Thus Rev. 11:8 hinted the following: first, that the great city is Babylon and next that Babylon is Jerusalem
This great city is contrasted with the cities of the nations (Gentiles) thus suggesting that the great city is Jewish, probably Jerusalem. In that same verse, God (the voice from the throne) announced that He had judged Babylon the Great.
Rev. 16:19 hinted the following: first, that the great city is Jerusalem and that Jerusalem is Babylon ... they are both one and the same!
The harlot was sitting on a scarlet beast. Who or what is this beast?
The beast was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns; this is similar to the beast from the sea (13:1). The beast once was (in the past), now is not (in the present), and yet will come up out of the Abyss (in the future) and go to its destruction (its final fate) ... parentheses mine (17:8). This seems to be a parody of the Father and the Son who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty (1:4,8; 4:8) though in a different sequence.
While the seven heads (17:10) are successive kingdoms that rule one after another, the ten horns (17:12) are simultaneous (future) kings who rule at the same time. Therefore, it is accurate to draw the ten horns on one head as depicted in the picture on the left.
In Rev. 18, we have laments over the fall of Babylon which follows the destruction of the harlot in Rev. 17. The description of the city in Rev. 18 is very similar to that of the harlot in Rev. 17 but there are also some differences. Are we looking at one city or two cities in these two chapters?
A Comparison of Rev. 17 and 18
During the first half of the Tribulation, there will be an ecumenical, worldwide religious system centered in the city of Babylon. It is worldwide in that peoples subscribe to it and all governing authorities submit to it. This all-inclusive false religion is hostile to believers in the one true God who claim uniqueness.
A worldwide religion is possible through ...
In the middle of the 7-year Tribulation, the Beast will overthrow this false religious system (and her leaders) and rule in her place; he will demand that everyone on earth worship him or die! The physical city of Babylon is not destroyed till Rev. 18 ... till the seventh bowl (18:8 cf., 16:17-21) and at the second coming of Christ (19:18-21). Her judgment will be sudden and swift (18:10,17,19) and her doom final like a large millstone at the bottom of the sea, never to rise again (18:21-23).
The New Jerusalem will replace Babylon, the adulterous Jerusalem (21:9-10 cf., 17:1-2). Note that the phrase "Come here, I will show you ..." is used to introduce BOTH the bride, the wife of the Lamb (new Jerusalem) and the harlot (Babylon).
Now what if I say that the colour of the dot is "blue" ... can we both be right? No, because we are talking about the same object. Can both of us be wrong? Possible, if both of us are colour blind!
Both statements cannot be true because they are talking about the same topic ... the way to God; and Jesus claimed to be the only way to God. The logical conclusion is that only one of the above statements is true. If statement #1 is true then statement #2 is false. Then this would lead me to conclude that either Jesus lied or He was deluded. Or if statement #2 is true then statement #1 is false.
The implication of statement #1 is that man can be good. For statement #2, the Bible teaches that no one is good and no one can do good. Jer. 13:23 puts it in a vivid way:
Can the Ethiopian change his skin
or can the leopard change his spots?
If they can ... (italics, mine )
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.
No one is good because all have sinned. No one can do good because everyone is accustomed to do evil.
Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He rose again to live in us to empower us to do good and transform us to be good. He alone is qualified to do so because He is the Perfect Son of God. Will you believe in Jesus who died for your sins?
After the Rapture, attempts to explain (a) the missing millions and (b) the devastation of the earth (ravaged by God’s judgment) will cause people to turn to the supernatural for answers and will give rise to a worldwide religion of Babylon based in Jerusalem. The false religion probably include sexual immorality. Many kings would submit to the religious leader(s) of Babylon including the beast but the two witnesses would challenge and resist this false religion.
Around the middle of the Tribulation, Satan will be cast out of heaven. He will offer the kingdoms of the world to the beast and will empower him. The beast's "death" and revival followed by his killing of the two witnesses will bring about wonder and amazement. The ten kings will come to power and give their authority to the beast. Together with the ten kings, the beast will turn on the harlot, put a stop to the sacrifices and usurp her leadership over the kings of the earth thus setting up the worldwide kingdom of the beast.
The beast with the help of the false prophet will also set up his own religious system of worship, the worship of himself as God. The affluence and sexual immorality will continue under the worldwide dominion of the beast with Babylon (Jerusalem) as its headquarters. Babylon the great city would become a haunt for demons and unclean animals but will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ.