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Rev.17.

Here John reveals what he was shown by one of the seven angels; the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters. Here the waters represent the people and nations of the earth.

So the angel revealed that the harlot,' controlled the people and the nations of the earth.

[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.

The angel suggests that the harlot has corrupted the kings of the earth (leaders) and together they have misled the people of the earth.

In verses 3 to 6, the angel shows John the mystery of the harlot; [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.

The harlot was seated upon a scarlet coloured beast, with seven heads and ten horns, adorned with the names of blasphemy. [5] And upon the forehead of the harlot was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

John saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the martyrs and he I wondered with great admiration.

[7] And the angel said to John, why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, that with seven heads and ten horns.

[8] The beast that thou saw 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 that was and is not represents an authority that existed but which does not exist in authority; this beast shall rise from the bottomless pit and go into hell (a place without God). Then the people of the earth will wonder whether their names are written in the book of life; wondering whether they will be saved after following the beast.

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

The woman has jurisdiction over the seven mountains.

[10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must continue a short space.

The seventh king represents a time or period of authority that will last a short duration.

[11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes

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