The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

Then there came one of the seuen Angels, which had the seuen vials, and talked with me, saying vnto me, Come: I will shewe thee the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vpon many waters,

With whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication.

So he caried me away into the wildernesse in the Spirit, and I sawe a woman sit vpon a skarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemie, which had seuen heads, and tenne hornes.

And the woman was arayed in purple and skarlet, and gilded with golde, and precious stones, and pearles, and had a cup of gold in her hand, full of abominations, and filthines of her fornication.

And in her forehead was a name written, A mysterie, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.

The Mystery Explained

And I sawe ye woman drunken with the blood of Saintes, and with the blood of the Martyrs of IESVS: and when I sawe her, I wondred with great marueile.

Then the Angel saide vnto me, Wherefore marueilest thou? I will shewe thee the misterie of that woman, and of that beast, that beareth her, which hath seuen heads, and tenne hornes.

The beast that thou hast seene, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomles pit, and shall goe into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth, shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life from the foundation of ye world) when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Here is the mind that hath wisdome. The seuen heads, are seuen mountaines, whereon the woman sitteth: they are also seuen Kings.

Fiue are fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come: and when he commeth, he must continue a short space.

And the beast that was, and is not, is euen the eight, and is one of the seuen, and shall goe into destruction.

And the tenne hornes which thou sawest, are tenne Kings, which yet haue not receiued a kingdome, but shall receiue power, as Kings at one houre with the beast.

These haue one minde, and shall giue their power, and authoritie vnto the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

These shall fight with the Lambe, and the Lambe shall ouercome them: for he is Lord of Lordes, and King of Kings: and they that are on his side, called, and chosen, and faithfull.

And he said vnto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

And the tenne hornes which thou sawest vpon the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.

For God hath put in their heartes to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the beast, vntill the wordes of God be fulfilled.

And that woman which thou sawest, is that great citie, which reigneth ouer the kings of ye earth.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,

with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth.

And on her forehead a name was written, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

The Mystery Explained

I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

The angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.

The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present.(a)

Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.

They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while.

The beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goes to destruction.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

The ten horns which you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute, will make her desolate, will strip her naked, will eat her flesh, and will burn her utterly with fire.

For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.

The woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

(a)17:8 TR reads “yet is” instead of “shall be present”