Read or listen The Book of Revelation, chapter 17 online (ESV, YouVersion)

The Prostitute on the Back of the Beast 17:1-6

In the previous chapter, John has told of the seven angels who pour out the bowls of God’s wrath on the earth. Now one of these comes to John and promises to show him the great prostitute and her judgment. The angel says that the prostitute sits “on the banks of many waters.” In verse 15, the angel explains that the waters represent great multitudes of people. Prostitute is therefore in the midst of the masses of the people and rules over them. The masses serve her and apparently do so willingly.

John is taken in vision to the wilderness and sees a prostitute. The prostitute is on the back of the beast, wearing fine clothes. In her hand is a golden cup full of the wickedness that the prostitute represents. The prostitute is drunk, but the drunkenness does not come from wine, but from the blood of Christ's own. So the prostitute has persecuted the church of Christ and killed God's own people. The Prostitute has also incited many rulers and large crowds to this persecution - this is what verse 2 seems to mean. Roman prostitutes used to wear a headband on their foreheads with the name of the prostitute written on it. This prostitute also has a headband and her name is: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations".

The Angel Explains the Vision of the Prostitute 17:7-18

The description of the prostitute is a unique vision in the Book of Revelation in that it is given an explanation. However, also the explanation is like a vision that must be explained in order to be understood.

The angel tells us about the beast that appeared in the vision that it once was, now it is not, but it will rise from the bottomless pit. Many times this has happened: A state, an idea, or a ruler that has acted like the beast described in the Book of Revelation has fallen, and it has been thought that now all is well. Not long after the beast fell, it has raised its head again and begun the fight – perhaps in a different guise than before, but with the same goal in mind. The Devil tries again and again to destroy the Church of Christ. In this he uses the beast as his help, which rises again even after it has been struck.

In the explanation of chapter 13, we noted that the beast in Revelation may refer specifically to the Antichrist. Perhaps the angel's word also means that the Antichrist will be very similar to some previously active beast that does not currently exist.

Verses 9-12 have been of interest to Bible commentators. Many have searched for and found what they thought was a group of rulers that the book of Revelation now speaks of. For example, it has been thought that the eight kings refer to eight Roman emperors or eight wicked popes. The problem with these explanations is that none of them fit the angel's explanation perfectly. We do not completely rule out the idea that the Book of Revelation now describes exactly eight rulers who have ruled or will rule on earth. I personally think it is more likely that this is again a symbolic speech.

Perhaps the talk about seven kings, the beast, and ten kings means that new rulers, ideologies, and states will arise one after another, and they will serve the Devil and fulfill the marks of the beast. The eighth and final king is specifically called the beast. Perhaps this is another reference to the Antichrist. He fulfills the characteristics of the beast in the worst way, gaining many rulers to his side, and is the last beast before Jesus returns.

In verse 9 the prostitute is described as sitting on seven mountains and in verse 18 the prostitute is said to be "is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth". A search has been made on the map for a city that would fit the description of the seven mountains. Rome, which is built on seven hills, has been suggested, as have Moscow and New York. Verse 9 does not necessarily refer to a specific city. A mountain signifies strength and stability. The message of the verse could therefore be this: the prostitute represents the kingdom of the Devil and its capital, and this kingdom appears mighty and unshakable.

The Book of Revelation speaks of the city of Babylon and probably means the kingdom of the Devil. The prostitute describes well what the kingdom of the Devil is like. Inherent is the trampling down of the sixth commandment, allied with other wickedness. Perhaps calling the Devil's kingdom a prostitute is also a reminder that the living God is not served in that kingdom. There may be gods, but they have pushed aside the one true God. We have already noted that committing fornication sometimes refers in the Bible to the worship of idols.

Verse 14 reveals how the seemingly strong kingdom of the Devil will ultimately turn out. The Devil does fight against Christ and his followers and appears victorious. The angel assures us—as the Book of Revelation has assured us many times before—that Jesus will defeat his enemies. We don't see Jesus now with our earthly eyes as the King of kings, but we believe in him because the Bible says so.

The end of the chapter tells of the greatness of God and the smallness of the Devil. The beast and his allies become angry with the prostitute and destroy her. Even though the beast is also in the service of the Devil, it attacks the Devil's kingdom. This happens because God has decided so. God is so great that he makes even evil serve the goals that he has. The Devil certainly does not look with satisfaction at his servant fighting against him and his army, but he cannot prevent God's decision. God has all power in heaven and on earth.

This century has seen two servants of the Devil fight each other. Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union went to war with each other and we know the outcome: Hitler's empire was destroyed to its foundations. The victory of the Red Army is one demonstration of God's greatness. He will set the servants of the Devil against one another, and one will destroy the other. This is what God will do at the end of time, when the kingdom of the Devil will be finally defeated.