Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

He describes the woman sitting upon the beast with ten horns.

17 And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials, and he talked with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, so that the inhabiters of the earth are drunk with the wine of her fornication.

³ And he carried me away into the wilderness in the Spirit. And I saw a woman sitting upon a rose-coloured beast full of names of blasphemy, which had ten horns. ⁴ And the woman was arrayed in purple and rose colour, and decked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and had a cup of gold in her hand full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. ⁵ And in her forehead a name was written: a mystery – great babylon, the mother of whoredom and of the abominations of the earth. ⁶ And I saw the wife drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with great marvel.

⁷ And the angel said to me, Why do you marvel? I will show you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that bears her, which has seven heads and ten horns. ⁸ The beast that you see was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit, and will go into perdition. And they who dwell on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the beginning of the world) will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

⁹ And here is a mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five are fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a space. ¹¹ And the beast that was and is not, is even the eighth, and is of the seven, and will go into destruction.

¹² And the ten horns that you see are ten kings who have received no kingdom, but shall receive power as kings at one hour with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and will give their power and strength to the beast. ¹⁴ These will fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those who are on his side are called and chosen and faithful.

¹⁵ And he said to me, The waters that you saw, where the whore sits, are people and folk and nations and tongues. ¹⁶ And the ten horns that you saw upon the beast are those who will hate the whore, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to act with one accord, and to give her kingdom to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman that you saw is that great city that reigns over the kings of the earth.

Those who love the world are sorry about the fall of Babylon, but those who are of God have cause to rejoice over her destruction.

18 And after that, I saw another angel come from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his brightness. ² And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Great Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils, and the hold of all foul spirits, and a cage of all unclean and hateful birds. ³ For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and her merchants were made rich from the abundance of her pleasures.

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven say, Come away from her, my people, that you be not partakers in her sins, that you receive not of her plagues. ⁵ For her sins have gone up to heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness. ⁶ Reward her even as she rewarded you, and give her double according to her works. And pour in double for her, in the same cup that she filled for you. ⁷ And as much as she glorified herself and lived wantonly, so much pour in for her of punishment and sorrow. For she said in herself, I sit being a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. ⁸ Therefore her plagues shall come at one day: death, and sorrow, and hunger; and she will be burnt with fire. For strong is the Lord God who judges her.

⁹ And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her and have lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they see the smoke of her burning. ¹⁰ And they will stand afar off for fear of her punishment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For at one hour has her judgment come.

¹¹ And the merchants of the earth will weep and wail in themselves, because no one will buy their wares any more – ¹² wares of gold and silver and precious stones, neither of pearl, and fine linens, and purple and scarlet cloth; and all fragrant wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of bronze and iron; ¹³ and cinnamon and incense, and oyntments, frankincense, wine, and oil, and fine flour and wheat; and work animals, and sheep, and horses, and chariots; and bodies and souls of men.

¹⁴ And the apples that your soul lusted after are departed from you. And all things that were choice and precious to you are departed from you, and you shall find them no more. ¹⁵ The merchants of these things, who had gotten rich, will stand afar off from her, for fear of her punishment, weeping and wailing, ¹⁶ and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, which was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls! ¹⁷ For at one hour such great riches have come to nothing.

And every ship captain, and all they that occupied ships, and sailors who work at sea, stood afar off, ¹⁸ and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like this great city? ¹⁹ And they cast dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and said, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein all who had ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth. For at one hour she is made desolate.

²⁰ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God has given your judgment on her.

²¹ And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, With such violence shall that great city Babylon be cast down, and shall be found no more. ²² And the sound of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more in you. And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in you. And the sound of a mill shall be heard no more in you. ²³ And the light of the candle shall no more shine in you. And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more in you. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, and with your enchantment were deceived all nations. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.