Revelation 17:1–18 Commentary and Meaning – The Woman on the Beast
Quick Summary
Revelation 17:1–18 presents a vision of a woman seated on a scarlet beast, described as “Babylon the Great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.” She is clothed in luxury, drunk with the blood of the saints. The angel explains that the beast represents empires that rise and fall, and the woman symbolizes Rome’s seductive power. The chapter unmasks the allure of empire, showing that what dazzles the world is doomed to destruction.
Introduction
Revelation 17 is one of the most vivid and unsettling scenes in the book. The focus shifts from bowls of wrath to a portrait of Babylon, personified as a woman riding a beast. She is attractive, powerful, and corrupt. John is “greatly amazed” when he sees her, and the angel interprets the vision so there can be no confusion.
This chapter is not subtle. It exposes Rome as more than military might. Rome seduced the nations with wealth, luxury, and idolatry. For believers (and anyone else) under pressure, the danger was not only persecution but also compromise — being swept up in Babylon’s glamour.
For us, the picture still carries weight. Babylon is not just ancient Rome. It represents every system that seduces, dominates, and intoxicates. Revelation 17 reminds the church that the beauty of empire hides its violence, and its end is certain.
Revelation 17:1–6 Explained
“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters’” (Revelation 17:1).
The “many waters” are explained later as “peoples and multitudes and nations and languages” (Revelation 17:15). The woman represents Babylon’s global reach. She is seated on a scarlet beast covered in blasphemous names, echoing the beast of Revelation 13.
Her description is striking: clothed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and jewels, holding a golden cup “full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4). She is glamorous, but her luxury masks corruption. John says she is “drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus” (Revelation 17:6). Notice, her luxury is fueled by violence.
Rome fits this picture. Purple and scarlet were imperial colors, and the empire grew wealthy by exploiting conquered peoples. This is the way of Empires and Colonialism. The golden cup echoes Jeremiah’s description of Babylon as “a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunk” (Jeremiah 51:7). The point is clear: what looks dazzling is deadly.
For Christians in Asia Minor, the warning was sharp. Rome’s persecution was obvious, but her seduction was just as dangerous. To live faithfully meant resisting both the sword and the allure of compromise.
Revelation 17:7–14 Explained
The angel interprets the vision: “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction” (Revelation 17:8). The phrase parodies God’s title as the one “who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:4). The beast mimics divinity but is destined for destruction.
The seven heads are said to be “seven mountains on which the woman is seated” (Revelation 17:9). Rome was famously known as the city on seven hills. The heads also represent kings, suggesting a series of rulers. The angel does not invite us to chart exact emperors but to recognize the beast as an ongoing reality: empires rise and fall, but all share the same character.
The ten horns represent future kings who give their power to the beast. “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). This is the heart of the chapter. The Lamb’s victory is not in question. No matter how many horns or hills the beast claims, Christ is King. The many kings cannot outlive the one Lamb.
Koester notes that the angel’s explanation shifts John’s gaze. What seemed overwhelming is shown to be fragile. The beast “was, and is not.” Rome looked eternal, but it was temporary (Koester, ch. 17).
Revelation 17:15–18 Explained
The angel explains further: the waters are peoples and nations, and the beast and the horns “will hate the whore; they will make her desolate and naked; they will devour her flesh and burn her up with fire” (Revelation 17:16). In a twist, the beast turns against the woman. The very powers that upheld her turn to destroy her.
This echoes the prophetic language of judgment against cities like Tyre and Babylon in the Old Testament. Jeremiah and Ezekiel both describe nations turning against once-proud cities. Here, the angel says that God is sovereign even over the beast’s hatred: “God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose” (Revelation 17:17).
The chapter closes with identification: “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18). For John’s readers, that was Rome. Yet Babylon remains a symbol for any empire that seduces with wealth, intoxicates and controls with power, and persecutes the faithful.
For us, the warning is not just historical. Babylon’s face changes, but its spirit remains.
Revelation unmasks the illusion and insists that the Lamb reigns.
Revelation 17:1–18 Meaning for Today
This chapter confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: evil often looks attractive. Babylon is dressed in purple, holding a golden cup, riding in power. She is not ugly at first glance. That is the danger.
For believers today, Babylon reminds us that we live in a world where allegiance is demanded of us at many levels. The promise of wealth, comfort, legacy, or influence is put forth at the expense of justice, truth, and faith. This book of “Revealing” calls us to see the glamour to the blood in the cup. What appears to be “the law of the Empire” usually crushes the innocent elsewhere.
Babylon is not forever. Empires collapse. Powers turn against. The Lamb alone endures. Endurance means not only resisting persecution but also resisting seduction.
FAQ: Revelation 17:1–18
Who is the woman on the beast in Revelation 17?
She represents “Babylon the Great,” symbolizing Rome in John’s day and, more broadly, the seductive power of empire throughout history.
Why is she called a whore?
The language draws from Old Testament prophets, who described idolatry and political alliances as acts of unfaithfulness (see Ezekiel 16, Hosea 1–3). The imagery shows Babylon’s corruption and betrayal of God.
What do the seven hills represent?
They point directly to Rome, known in the ancient world as the city on seven hills. The imagery confirms the identification of Babylon with Rome.
What does it mean that the beast “was, and is not”?
It is a parody of God’s eternal being. The beast may look powerful, but its existence is fleeting. Empires rise and fall, unlike the eternal God.
Does Babylon only mean Rome?
No. While it clearly referred to Rome for John’s audience, Babylon functions as a symbol of any empire or system that seduces, exploits, and persecutes.
Related Content
Revelation 16:1–21 Commentary and Meaning – The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath
Revelation 14:6–13 Commentary and Meaning – The Three Angels
Works Consulted
Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, NICNT, rev. ed. (Eerdmans, 1998), ch. 17.
Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, 2nd ed. (Eerdmans, 2018), ch. 17.
Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Baker, 2002), ch. 17.
G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Eerdmans, 1999), ch. 17.
David E. Aune, Revelation 17–22, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 52C (Thomas Nelson, 1998), ch. 17.
Craig S. Keener, Revelation, NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2000), ch. 17.
M. Eugene Boring, Revelation, Interpretation Commentary (Westminster John Knox, 1989), ch. 17.
