Revelation 17:1-3

Chapter 17 - Mystery Babylon explained

In the previous vial judgments, the Beast world system is destroyed.  In Chapter s 17 and 18, John is taken to see much more detail about the life, deeds and end fate of the religious and political systems that had control over the world since the rebellion against God became formal at Babylon in the days of Nimrod. These two Chapter s in Revelation are probably the most difficult to understand in the book of Revelation. A broad understanding of prophetic scripture is essential to properly discern what John is seeing in these Chapter s. The difficulty is mainly in determining the identities of “ Mystery Babylon” of chapter 17 and “ Babylon the Great” of chapter 18 and ascertaining the differences between the two identities. The timing of the events related to them during the tribulation also raises some controversy.

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:

One of the seven angels that has the vial or vials tells John to come and he will show him the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters. The phrase “sitting upon many waters” means the whore sits over many nations or peoples of the earth. This is specially defined for us in Revelation 17:15.

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 kings of the earth commit fornication with this whore. Therefore, the whore herself is not likely to be one of the nations under the kings. Those who inhabit the earth become intoxicated with the adultery that this harlot commits because they love to drink what she offers.

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.

John was carried away in the spirit into the wilderness where he saw the things described. Since he was carried into the wilderness the woman cannot be harlot Israel (as some think). The word for wilderness in Hebrew usually means a large pasture or tract of land and the Greek word means pretty much the same thing.  I believe here the word “wilderness” simply means to be in carried to a large land area somewhere other than in the land of Israel. The word wilderness could also mean a high mountain pasture and this could have been where John was taken. I believe John was taken to see the revival of the Holy Roman Empire (one of the names of blasphemy).

John sees a woman in the wilderness that sits upon a scarlet colored beast. This woman on the beast is obviously the whore that the angel said he was bringing John to see. The woman rides on a scarlet colored beast that has names of blasphemy and the beast she rides has seven heads and ten horns. We have already seen in chapter twelve that the Dragon (who is Satan) fits this description. Therefore, we can be certain that the woman on the scarlet colored beast is being carried along by Satan.

There have been seven world governments that have controlled the known civilized world. They were all under the administrative control of Satan. When Jesus was shown and offered all the kingdoms of the world by Satan and was told that he had the authority or power to give them to Him,  Jesus did not contradict his claim  ( Matthew 4:8).  The seven world governments are the seven heads of the beast but we shall also see that the seven heads also represent seven hills where the end time Beast headquarters is physically located. The ten horns represent the leaders who give their power to the Beast in the last world kingdom that rises just before Jesus comes to set up His kingdom on earth. These same ten horns are also spoken of in Daniel Chapter 7.

We are told  the harlot woman rides this seven headed beast,  meaning she has some control over the direction of all seven world governments.  There is only one entity that fits that description and that entity is “world religion”.  Man rebelled against the God of heaven when he started worshiping created beings rather than the creator (Satan is the chief of created beings). This paganism became a formal mystery religion at the tower of Babel under the rule of Nimrod. Most of mankind remains under the influence of Babylonian pagan practices today.