The Vision: The Woman and the Beast
John is invited by an angel to witness the judgment of the "great prostitute who sits on many waters." In prophetic language, a prostitute often symbolizes spiritual unfaithfulness—turning away from God to follow worldly powers. The “many waters” represent peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages, symbolizing that this corrupting influence spans across the entire world.
John is then taken in the Spirit to a wilderness, where he sees a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast. This beast is full of blasphemous names and has seven heads and ten horns. The woman is clothed in purple and scarlet—colors associated with wealth and royalty—and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She holds a golden cup, which is filled not with wine but with “abominations and the filth of her adulteries.” On her forehead is written a mysterious title:
“Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth.”
The woman is also described as being drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, symbolizing a power that persecutes God’s people.
The Interpretation: The Beast and the Woman
The angel explains that the beast the woman rides “once was, now is not, and yet will come.” This cryptic phrase likely refers to a powerful kingdom or empire that had fallen but would rise again. Many scholars see this as symbolic of Rome or future revived world empires. The beast is associated with demonic power and deception.
The seven heads of the beast are interpreted as seven mountains (often a symbol of Rome, the city on seven hills), and also as seven kings. Five of these kings have fallen, one currently exists, and one is yet to come for a short time. Then there is an eighth king, who belongs to the seven and goes to destruction. This represents a succession of world powers that ultimately oppose God. More details revelation 17 explained
The ten horns are ten future kings or leaders who have not yet received power, but will reign for one hour with the beast. They will unite in purpose and give their authority to the beast, waging war against the Lamb (Jesus Christ). However, the Lamb will triumph because He is "Lord of lords and King of kings," and those with Him are “called, chosen, and faithful.”
The Fall of the Woman
In a surprising twist, the ten kings and the beast will eventually turn against the woman—Babylon. They will destroy her, strip her naked, and burn her with fire. This shows how evil often turns in on itself. Even the enemies of God unknowingly carry out His judgment.
The final verse of the chapter clarifies who the woman is:
“The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
In John’s time, this clearly referred to the Roman Empire. But many interpret it as a symbol of any corrupt world system that opposes God—whether political, economic, or religious.