The Woman on the Beast

1And one of the seven angels having the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, the one sitting upon many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and those dwelling on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

3And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast being full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls, holding a golden cup in her hand, being full of abominations and the impurity of her sexual immorality. 5And upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery:

The Mystery Explained

6And I saw the woman being drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And having seen her, I marveled with great wonder.

7And the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast carrying her, having the seven heads and the ten horns.

8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go into destruction; and those dwelling on the earth whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will wonder, seeing the beast which was, and is not, and yet will be.

9Here is the mind having wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman sits on them; 10and there are seven kings. The five are fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come; and when he shall have come, it behooves him to remain a little while.

11And the beast which was, and is not, is also himself an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction. 12And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour, along with the beast. 13These have one mind, and they shall give up their power and authority to the beast.

The Victory of the Lamb

14These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”

15And he says to me, “The waters that you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16And the ten horns that you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her with fire. 17For God has put into their hearts to accomplish His purpose, and to do one purpose, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. 18And the woman whom you saw is the great city, having kingship over the kings of the earth.”