Revelation 17
Section 6. Chapters 17-19. The Fall of the Great Harlot and the Beasts.
REVELATION 17
17:1-18. Since we have already seen the final judgment and destruction of the harlot, Babylon the great, when the seventh bowl of wrath was poured out (16:17, 19), it is apparent from 17:1 that this is once again a look back into the period between Christ’s two advents. In fact, “Babylon” has been around in one form or another since the beginning of human culture soon after the fall of man. The symbolism comes from earlier times. She is many “cities” where the riches and luxuries of the world seduce the simple to turn away from the fear of the Lord into the great harlot’s arms. She comes to meet the naive “Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart. She is boisterous and rebellious…. she is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner” (Prov. 7:10-12). “She sits on many waters.” More than once she sat between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, but also on the Nile, and the ports of Tyre (cf. Rev. 11:8, and cf. Rev. 17-19 with Ezek. 27-28). But her clearest manifestation in John’s day was Rome, seated on the Tiber. Today she is found on many waters of the world, not the least of which are all those found from the East River to the Golden Gate. She is much at home on the internet river as well, or any other place where “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” may be found (see 1 John 2:15-16). She is the seduction of the world, and she rides the beast which the dragon called out of the sea (3; cf. 13:2ff.), i.e., the many waters, the restless multitudes of peoples and nations (15). The beast is the spirit of world dominion found in great empires, like Rome. The beast is typified by the power of Roman government. The Harlot who rides the scarlet beast represents the attraction that such power, wealth, and wanton pleasures have to lure men away from the righteousness of God into the way of death. She draws men away from Christ. She is not a wife, but the antibride. (See the contrast of 4 with 19:7-8.) The woman’s gold cup full of abominations, which she holds in her hand (4), reminds us of Jesus’ remarks on the outside appearance and true inner condition of whitewashed tombs (as a simile for the scribes and Pharisees, Mt. 23:27). With the mystery of who she really is writ large on the harlot’s brazen forehead (5), the angel seems surprised that John wonders at the woman’s intoxication from the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus (6-7). He goes on to explain more fully (but not necessarily more plainly) about the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her. Men wonder at the ability of the beast to be, then not be, and yet come again (8). The explanation requires a mind of wisdom, i.e., a mind informed by the word of God rightly divided (9). But obviously we are not all Daniel, given to understand such mysteries by a wisdom from God (Dan. 2:30).
We are dealing with consistent Biblical symbols, of course. The worst mistake is to get literal with these symbols, though it might sell a lot of books. The beast has seven heads, which are seven mountains. As a symbol, mountains represent great empires (i.e., “kings” or kingdoms). The complete number, seven means that these seven kings symbolically represent all such empires. The woman has ridden or will ride them all (9). Five were already fallen in John’s day, one still was, and the seventh had not yet come. The five fallen were “Ancient Babylonia, Assyria, New Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greco-Macedonia” (Hendriksen). (Cf. Dan. 7). Rome still was. The seventh represents the future known only to God, kingdoms to come that must remain for the “little while” until the Lord returns. That is why the beast is said to be an eighth (symbolizing the beginning of a new cycle of seven), but is also of the seven, for the beastly nature is common to all seven heads. Yet be assured the beast is not immortal. He goes to destruction (11). Empires have horns (or power). The ten horns represent (in symbol) the kings to receive authority with the beast in the future, for their brief one hour. As horns, they all have a common purpose, to give power and authority to the beast (12-13).
I think we may safely now dismiss the once popular theory that identified the ten kings as the ten kingdoms forming the European Common Market. No doubt European bureaucrats are beastly enough to the purpose, but the recent addition of so many more countries to the Common Market makes the whole exciting notion seem much less tidy.
Whichever approach one takes of the many offered to interpret Revelation, perhaps all can agree with Hendriksen that verse 17:14 “states the theme of the entire book.” Do you want to side with the world, the flesh, and the devil? The Lamb may look like a loser, but visit a rest home of the mighty, and a cemetery, and see where his enemies are headed. The Lamb is the conqueror, and with him are the called and chosen and faithful. What other lord or king has the keys of death and of Hades? (Cf. 1:18).
17:15-18. As a type, we see here (and in chapter 18 in greater detail) the fall of Rome, the then current harlot resting on her seven hills. God brings her down to destruction in a strange way. The ten horns and the beast turn on her (16). Why? Not because they sought to do God’s will, but for the same reasons that made the harlot what she was in the first place. They hate her out of envy and selfish greed for her luxury and wanton pleasures. The center of riches is always the main target. Wicked men do not hate America for her obvious wickedness, but for the same reasons the goose that laid the golden eggs got killed. The destroyers’ wicked purpose may coincide with God’s good purpose (17), but that is not their intention (cf. Is. 10:7).