Revelation Chapter 17
Showing all 18 verses for Revelation Chapter 17.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: "
"One of the seven bowl-angels approaches John and offers to show him the coming judgement on "the great prostitute" - a symbol for a corrupt world system - enthroned over many peoples."
I want to show you clearly what's actually going on beneath the surface of things that look glamorous or powerful - not to shame you, but so you can choose wisely what you actually give your loyalty to.
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. "
"Earthly rulers have been entangled in unfaithfulness with her, and people everywhere have grown intoxicated on what she offers."
If something is dulling your judgement rather than sharpening it - keeping you from asking honest questions about right and wrong - that's worth examining closely, whatever rewards it seems to offer.
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. "
"John is carried in the Spirit into a wilderness and sees a woman riding a scarlet beast covered in blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns."
Step back from the noise sometimes - into your own kind of "wilderness," away from the crowd's pressure - because that's often exactly where you see most clearly what's really going on and what's really worth your loyalty.
"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: "
"The woman is dressed in luxurious purple and scarlet, decorated with gold, jewels and pearls, and holds a golden cup filled with disgusting, corrupt things."
Don't judge what's worth chasing by how it shines on the surface - check what's actually inside the cup. A life dressed up impressively can still be empty or corrupt at its core; character is what actually matters.
"And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. "
"Written on her forehead is a title identifying her plainly: "Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and everything detestable on earth" - the source and origin of corrupted systems everywhere."
The pull towards building your security on power, excess, and self-interest isn't new - it's ancient, and it's in every generation, including yours. Recognising the pattern in yourself and your own choices is the first step to actually resisting it.
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. "
"John sees the woman intoxicated on the blood of God's faithful people and Jesus's martyrs - and is deeply shocked and astonished by what he's shown."
It's right to be disturbed by real cruelty and injustice, even when it's dressed up as normal or celebrated by the crowd around you. Don't numb yourself to that reaction - it's your conscience working exactly as it should.
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. "
"The angel asks John why he's so astonished, and offers to explain the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her, with its seven heads and ten horns."
When something troubles or confuses you deeply, don't just sit with the unease - seek to understand it. Clarity, not just feeling, is part of how you find your footing again.
"The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. "
"The beast existed, currently doesn't, and will rise again from the abyss before finally being destroyed - and people whose names aren't recorded in God's book of life will be amazed and follow it."
Watch for how easily people are impressed by displays of power, especially power that seems to defeat death or come back stronger - ask what it's actually built on and where it's actually headed, not just how impressive the show looks.
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. "
"The angel invites careful thought here: the seven heads represent seven mountains that the woman sits on."
Don't switch your brain off around impressive or intimidating power - think it through, ask real questions, and trust that clear-eyed wisdom is something I actually want from you, not blind acceptance of whatever's presented as inevitable.
"And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. "
"There are also seven kings: five have already fallen, one currently reigns, and one more is still to come, who will only last a short while."
However unstoppable injustice looks right now, it isn't actually permanent - stay faithful to what's good and true, because that's what lasts, however slow the reckoning sometimes feels.
"And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. "
"The beast itself is described as an eighth king, belonging to that same line of seven, and it too is headed for total destruction."
However unstoppable injustice looks right now, it isn't actually permanent - stay faithful to what's good and true, because that's what lasts, however slow the reckoning sometimes feels.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. "
"The ten horns represent ten kings who haven't yet come to power, but will briefly rule alongside the beast."
Notice how quickly power built purely on shared ambition can rise and fall - don't hitch your own sense of worth or security to anything that unstable.
"These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. "
"These allied kings share one mindset and give their power and strength entirely over to the beast."
Alliances built purely on shared ambition, without genuine care underneath, don't last - notice that pattern in your own relationships and choose depth and honesty over convenient short-term alliances.
"These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. "
"These allied powers wage war against the Lamb (Jesus), but he decisively defeats them, being the ultimate Lord and King - and those standing with him are described as called, chosen, and faithful."
You don't need to win by force or outmanoeuvre anyone - you just need to stay called, chosen, and faithful: answer when I call you, accept what's offered, and stay steady. That's the whole of what's asked, and it has always been enough.
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. "
"The angel explains that the "many waters" the woman sits on represent peoples, crowds, nations and languages - her influence spans the whole world."
Every corrupt system depends on people going along with it, which means your individual choice not to participate genuinely matters, even when it feels small against something so vast.
"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. "
"The very kings allied with the beast turn against the woman, stripping her bare, devouring her, and burning her with fire - corrupt power ultimately destroys what it once used."
If a relationship, alliance, or system is built on using each other rather than genuinely caring for each other, don't be surprised when it eventually turns and consumes itself - build your own life on something with real loyalty and love at its core instead.
"For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. "
"The text explains that God allowed this turn of events, working even through these corrupt powers' choices, to fulfil his purposes until everything he had declared came to completion."
Even when things around you look chaotic, self-destructive, or unjust, trust that there's a bigger story being worked out that you can't always see the shape of yet - stay faithful to what's good regardless of how the wider picture unfolds.
"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. "
"Finally, the angel confirms plainly: the woman represents "that great city" that holds power over the world's rulers."
Ask what "great city" - what centre of influence, wealth, or approval - you personally answer to day by day, and whether it's actually leading you somewhere good. Where your loyalty centres shapes where your whole life eventually goes.