1. In the fourth chapter of Revelation, John the apostle in vision is taken up to heaven and shown many things. In chapter 17 he is given a vision of a woman seated on a scarlet beast.
2. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters."
3. The many waters are identified as "peoples, multitudes, nations and languages."
4. The woman I saw had a name written on her forehead:
   

   BABYLON THE GREAT
   THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
   AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

5. Some traslations add the word 'Mystery' to her name. Others imply her name is a mystery.
6. She is arrayed in purple and scarlet, gold and sparkling gems, and she claims to be a queen.
7. She holds a golden cup in her hand "filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries."
8. The inhabitants of earth are made drunk with the wine. She herself is drunk with the blood of the saints.
9. She is called "the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth", with whom she has illicit relations with.

1. She is called "the great prostitute who sits by many waters." Many waters is a reference to the nations of the middle east and the Mediterranean. _{Psalm 65:7, Revelation 17:15}
2. The woman is shown seated on a scarlet beast. The implication here is that she exercises dominion over it.
3. Her identification is also synonymous with "the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
4. The mystery about her name may be that the city Babylon is symbolic of a global system of beliefs and practices that are opposed to the law of God.
5. These are some of the indictments brought against Babylon by the Old Testament prophets: Blasphemy, idolatry, immorality, materialism, oppression and sorcery.
   _{Isaiah 47, Jeremiah 51}
6. Blasphemy / Idolatry: She claims to be a queen. The color purple is associated with royalty.
   _{Lamentations 4:5, Revelation 18:7}
7. Immorality: The color scarlet is associated with a sinful nature. _{Isaiah 1:18, Jeremiah 4:30, Revelation 18:4}
8. She is a dwelling for demons, a haunt for every impure spirit. _{Revelation 18:2}
9. Materialism: The merchants of the earth are dismayed for no one buys their cargoes anymore. _{Revelation 18:3}
10. Oppression: "In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people." _{Revelation 18:24}
11. Sorcery: The wine in the golden cup she holds is a mix of false doctrines that make drunk the people of earth.
12. By her magic spell all the nations were led astray.
    _{Revelation 18:23}

The physical description of the scarlet beast is very similar to the beast that arises from the sea. (Revelation chapter 13)

1. The scarlet beast is covered with blasphemous names and has seven heads and ten horns.
2. The beast once was, now is not, and will arise again out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.
3. The unsaved people of earth will be astonished upon witnessing the return of the beast.
4. This reaction is identical to that of the first beast of chapter 13 upon witnessing the healing of the fatal wound.
5. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
6. The 'seven hills' reference points to the city of Rome not as a literal location but rather the woman having the same character as that ancient city.
7. In this way the imagery of the great prostitute seated on the scarlet beast connects her with the cities of Babylon and Rome.
8. They are also seven kings: Five have fallen, one is, and the seventh has not yet come.
9. The beast, upon its return, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven but is destined for destruction.
10. The ten horns are ten kings that have not yet received their kingdom but will reign along with the beast to whom they become subordinate.
11. The ten horns and the beast hate the prostitute and utterly destroy her. In this they unwittingly accomplish God's judgement.
12. They wage war against the Lamb of God but the Lamb will be victorious.

1. A beast symbolically represents nations that are, have been or will be enemies of God's people Israel.
   _{Deuteronomy 28:49, Jeremiah 4:7}
2. The color scarlet is indicative of an immoral, sinful state. _{Isaiah 1:18, Jeremiah 4:30}
3. Blasphemy is the offense of speaking sacrilegiously against God. _{Isaiah 37:23}
4. Three historical states of the beast:
   • It once was (before John's time). Possibly refers to the five kings (heads on the beast) that have fallen.
   • Now is not (not present in John's time). The beast is said to be in the Abyss.
   • This corresponds with the first beast of chapter 13. One of its heads received a fatal wound. _{Revelation 13:3}
   • Yet will come. This caused the whole world to be astonished insomuch that they worshiped the beast. _{Revelation 17:8}
5. The Abyss (Sheol in Hebrew) from which the beast returns: _{Revelation 20:1-3}
   • Figuratively, a boundless, bottomless pit.
   • The underworld abode of the dead. _{Job 26:6}
   • The overlord of the Abyss is a fallen angel known as the Destroyer (Hebrew: Abaddon, Greek: Apollyon).
   • The Abyss is a prison for demonic beings so they can no longer act. _{Luke 8:31, Revelation 20:3}
   • The scarlet beast, upon its release from the Abyss, is instrumental in the death of the two witnesses. _{Revelation 11:7}

1. The seven heads:
   • They are seven kings. Chronological occurrences of the beast that have or will wage war against God's people.
   • Five have fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia and Greece.
   • One is: Rome was the world empire in John's day. I base these assignments on the great statue and four beasts prophecies of Daniel chapters 2 and 7.
   • The seventh has not yet come: Comes into existence in the future relative to John's time.
   • The beast is an eighth... he belongs to the seven:. Refers to the end time, astonishing reappearance of the beast.
2. The ten horns are ten kings who receive authority along with the beast in the future end time events. _{Revelation 17:12}
3. This occurs when the scarlet beast is released from the Abyss becoming the first beast of Revelation chapter 13.
4. By all accounts this beast is the antichrist:
   • The beast speaks arrogantly and exalts himself to be great. _{Revelation 13:5-6}
   • Practices deceit deceiving many. _{Revelation 13:3-4 and 8}
   • Wages war against God's people. _{Revelation 13:7}
5. In the future end time the beast along with the ten kings throw off the yoke of the prostitute. _{Revelation 17:16-17}
6. The conclusion of the vision has the beast and the ten kings waging war against the Lamb upon his return but the Lamb will be victorious. _{Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:11-21}

1. They all have seven heads and ten horns.
2. The dragon's heads and the horns on the beast from the sea have crowns.
3. Both the beast from the sea and the scarlet beast have blasphemous names.
4. The scarlet beast once was, then is not, but arises again from the Abyss.
5. One head on the beast from the sea bears the mark of a fatal wound that is healed.
6. The scarlet beast and the beast from the sea are one and the same.
7. The former is past, the later is in the future yet to come.
8. The people of earth are astonished by the reappearance of both beasts.
9. This occurrence causes the unsaved of the world to worship the beast.