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On her forehead was written a name, which is a mystery, “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth.” [a]I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the holy ones and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.

Meaning of the Beast and Harlot.[b] When I saw her I was greatly amazed. The angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:6 Reference to the great wealth and idolatrous cults of Rome.
  2. 17:6b–18 An interpretation of the vision is here given.

The name written on her forehead was a mystery:(A)

babylon the great(B)

the mother of prostitutes(C)

and of the abominations of the earth.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,(D) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery(E) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.(F)

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