Revelation

The Judgment of the Great Prostitute

Then, one of the seven angels with the seven bowls approached me and said, “Now, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters.

She is the one who allowed the kings of the earth to sin with her, and with the wine of her immorality, the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.” 3 The angel took me to the desert: it was a new vision. There, a woman was seated on a scarlet beast. The beast, which had seven heads and ten horns, was adorned with titles and blasphemous names that offend God. 

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, decorated with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup filled with abominable idol worship and unclean prostitution. 

Her name was mysteriously written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of the detestable idols of the whole world.” 

And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus.What I saw greatly surprised me, 

but the angel said to me, “Why are you surprised? I will reveal to you the secret of this woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that she mounts. 

The beast you saw has been, though it is not. It will come up from the abyss and then go to perdition. What a surprise for the inhabitants of the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life, from the creation of the world! They will marvel on discovering that the beast who has been, is not, and yet it will come again. 

Let us see if you guess: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. And they are also seven kings, 

of whom five have already fallen, one is in power, and the seventh has not yet come, but will remain only a short while. 

The beast that has been but is not, can be considered as the eighth, though it takes place among the seven; and it goes to perdition. 

The ten horns are ten kings, who have not yet received power, but will have authority, for an hour, with the beast. 

They all have only one aim, and they place their authority and power at the service of the beast. 

They will fight against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and with him will be his followers, who have been called, and chosen, and are faithful. 

The angel went on, “Those waters you saw, on which the prostitute is seated, are peoples, multitudes, and nations of every language. 

The ten horns, and the beast itself, will plan evil against the prostitute. They will destroy her and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and set her on fire. 

God makes use of them to carry out his plan, so he has inspired them with their common purpose, and they will place their power at the service of the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 

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