Who is the "great whore" that sits on many waters in this passage?

The “great whore” is a picture of a corrupt, unfaithful religious power that has joined itself to worldly rulers instead of being faithful to God. She is richly dressed and attractive on the outside, but inside is full of idolatry and sin. She sits on “many waters,” which the angel later explains are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. She also sits on a beast linked with Rome, so she is tied to a great city that rules over kings and leads many into false worship.

What does the name "Mystery, Babylon the Great" on the woman’s forehead mean?

The name on her forehead shows her true identity. “Mystery” means this is not the old city of Babylon itself, but another great city that shares its proud and wicked spirit. “Babylon the great” points to a powerful center of false worship and worldliness. She is called “the mother of harlots and abominations,” meaning she does not only commit spiritual adultery herself but also spreads and supports many other corrupt and idolatrous practices across the earth.

What are the seven heads and ten horns on the scarlet beast supposed to represent?

The angel explains that the seven heads have a double meaning. They are seven mountains, pointing to the city where this power is centered, and they are also seven kings or forms of rule that have risen there over time. The ten horns are ten kings who will receive authority for a short time together with the beast. They are united in purpose, give their power to the beast, and join in fighting against the Lamb before they later turn against the woman and help destroy her.

Why is the woman described as drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus?

This picture shows how this corrupt power has treated true believers. She is not just guilty of harming them a little; she is said to be drunk with their blood, meaning she has enjoyed and been filled with the persecution and killing of those who follow Jesus. This tells us that behind her rich clothing and religious appearance, she is deeply cruel. Her history is marked by shedding the blood of God’s people, and this is one of the main reasons God’s judgment falls on her.

What does it mean that the beast "was, and is not, and yet is"?

The wording about the beast “was, and is not, and yet is” is difficult and has been read in different ways, but the passage itself gives some help. It points to a power that once existed in one form, seems to have changed or disappeared, yet continues in another form. It is linked with idolatry and cruelty that come up from the bottomless pit and will finally go to destruction. Those whose names are not in the book of life are amazed by this strange rise and fall, but its end is certain.

How does the Lamb overcome the beast and the kings in this chapter?

The Lamb, Jesus, overcomes not by having bigger human armies, but by who he is. The text says he is “Lord of lords and King of kings,” so all rulers and powers are under him. The kings and the beast make war with him, yet he still wins, and those with him are “called, and chosen, and faithful.” His followers share in his victory because God has called them, set them apart for himself, and keeps them faithful. In the end, every proud power that fights against him will fall.

What do the "many waters" where the woman sits represent?

The angel explains this clearly: the waters are “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” So the woman’s seat on many waters shows that her influence spreads across many different groups, languages, and lands. She is not just a local problem. She has reached into many nations, leading them into spiritual adultery through false worship and worldly compromise. This also shows why her fall is so serious, because many people have been caught up in her sins.

Why do the ten horns (kings) end up hating and destroying the woman?

At first the kings give their power to the beast and share in this corrupt system. But later, their hearts change and they turn against the woman. The passage says God puts it in their hearts to fulfill his will. So even though they act out of anger and self-interest, God is still in control and uses them as tools to judge the very power they once supported. They strip her of honor, make her desolate, and burn her, showing a complete and public downfall.

What does this passage teach about God’s control over history and rulers?

This vision shows that God rules over all, even over evil powers and proud rulers. The beast and the woman seem strong, and many kings support them, yet their time is limited and their end is fixed. The Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings. God can move the hearts of kings to support the beast for a season, and then move them to hate and destroy the woman. Evil may rise high, but it cannot go beyond what God allows, and in the end his words are fulfilled.

How can believers today respond to the warning about Babylon the great?

This passage calls believers to be alert to any form of religion that joins itself to worldly power and drifts into idolatry and spiritual adultery. It warns against being drawn in by outward glory, wealth, or long tradition when the heart is far from God. Followers of Jesus are pictured as called, chosen, and faithful, standing with the Lamb even when it is costly. For us, that means holding to the truth of Christ, refusing to worship anything in God’s place, and trusting that God will judge evil in his time.

Rev.17.1

Revelation 17:1

KJV GOD

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:

The Woman on the Beast

1 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:

2 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.

3 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.

4 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:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.

The Mystery Explained

6 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.

7 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.

8 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.

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10 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.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12 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.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

14 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.

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 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.

17 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.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.