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The Doom of Babylon

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment and doom of the great [a]prostitute who is seated [b]on many waters [influencing nations],(A) she with whom the kings of the earth have [c]committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”(B) And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was [d]entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.(C) The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her [sexual] immorality.(D) And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (God’s people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus [who were martyred]. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:1 Some have thought that the prostitute symbolizes a corrupt, apostate religious system.
  2. Revelation 17:1 For the meaning of the waters in this prophetic context, see v 15.
  3. Revelation 17:2 This may be a figurative reference to cult worship practices and idolatry.
  4. Revelation 17:3 Lit full of.

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