1 A woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, with a golden cup in her hand sits upon the beast;
5 which is great Babylon, the mother of all abominations.
9 The interpretation of the seven heads;
12 and the ten horns.
14 The victory of the Lamb.
16 The punishment of the whore.

one. 15:1,6 17:1-17 21:9

talked. 4:1 21:15 Lu 9:30 24:32

I will. 16:19 18:16-19

the great. 4,5,15,16 19:2 Isa 57:3 Na 3:4,5

that sitteth. 15 Jer 51:13

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

13,17 14:8 18:3,9,23 Jer 51:7

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

he carried. 1:10 4:2 21:10 1Ki 18:12 2Ki 2:16 Eze 3:12 8:3 11:24 Ac 8:39

into. 12:6,14 So 8:5

a woman. 4,6,18 12:3

full. See on ch. 13:1-6 Da 7:8,20,25 11:36 2Th 2:4

having. 9-12 12:3 13:1

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

arrayed. 18:7,12,16

decked. Gr. gilded. Da 11:38

golden. 14:8 18:6 19:2 Jer 51:7 2Th 2:3-10

abominations. De 29:17 1Ki 14:24 2Ki 21:2 Isa 66:3 Eze 20:30 Ho 9:10

filthiness. Ezr 9:11 La 1:9 Eze 24:11,13 36:25

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

upon. 7:3 Isa 3:9 Php 3:19

MYSTERY. 2Th 2:7 2Ti 3:1-5

BABYLON. 11:8 14:8 16:19 18:2,10,21 Jer 51:47,48

THE MOTHER. 18:9 19:2

HARLOTS. or, fornications.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

drunken. 13:7,15 16:6 18:20-24 Da 7:21,25

the martyrs. 2:13 6:9,10 12:11 Ac 22:20

I wondered. Hab 1:13

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

I will. See on ver. 1-6,8

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

beast that thou. The Roman empire was the beast, or idolatrous persecuting power, when under the Pagan emperors; it ceased to be so when it became Christian; and became so again under the Roman pontiffs, and shall 'go into perdition.'

9:2 11:7 13:1-11

go. 11 14:8-20 16:1-18:24 19:15-21 20:10 Da 7:11,26 11:45 2Th 2:3-8

shall wonder. 13:3,4

whose. 13:8 20:12,15

from. Mt 25:34 Joh 17:24 Ac 15:18 Eph 1:4 Tit 1:2 1Pe 1:20

the beast that was. 13:1-4,11,12

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

here. 13:18 Da 12:4,8-10 Ho 14:9 Mt 13:11 24:15

The seven. 3,7,18 13:1

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

that was. See on ver. 8

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

the ten. 12:3 13:1 Da 2:40-43 7:7,8,20,24 Zec 1:18-21

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

one. Php 1:27 2:2

shall. 17 Isa 10:5-7 Eze 38:10 Ac 4:28

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

shall make. 11:7 8:6,7 16:14 19:15-21 Da 7:21,25 11:9-12,24,25 Zec 2:8 Mt 25:40 Ac 9:4,5

the Lamb shall. 6:12-17 Ps 2:8,9 21:8-12 110:5 Jer 50:44 Da 2:44 7:26,27 1Co 15:24

Lord. 1:5 19:16 De 10:17 Ps 136:2,3 Pr 8:15,16 Da 2:47 1Ti 6:15

and they. 14:1-4 19:14 Ps 149:5-9 Jer 1:15,19 Mic 5:7-9 Joh 15:16 Ro 8:30 8:37 2Ti 2:4 Heb 3:1,2 1Pe 2:9

and faithful. 2:10

15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

The waters. See on ver. 1 Ps 18:4 65:7 93:3-4 Isa 8:7,8 Jer 51:13,42,55

are. 10:11 11:9 13:7,8

16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

the ten. See on ver. 2,10,12

these. The ten horns, which the angel explained of 'ten kings' or kingdoms, and which once exalted and supported her ecclesiastical tyranny, will hate, desolate, strip, and devour her. They will be the principal instruments in the destruction of popery and the ruin of Rome itself.

1,2,13 16:12 Isa 13:17,18 Jer 50:41,42

and naked. 18:16,17 Eze 16:37-44 23:45-49

eat. Job 31:31 Ps 27:2 Da 7:5

and burn. 18:8,16 Le 21:9

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

God hath. See on ver. 13 Ac 4:27,28

put. Ezr 7:27 Ps 105:25 Pr 21:1 Jer 32:40 2Th 2:10-12 Jas 1:13-17

to fulfil. Lu 22:3,22,37 Joh 13:2,18

until. 6:11 10:7 15:1 Pr 19:21 Isa 45:17 46:10,11 Jer 27:6,7 Eze 38:16,17 Da 12:7 Joh 10:35 12:39,40 19:24,28

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

the woman. 16:19 18:2 Da 2:40,41 7:23 Lu 2:1

which reigneth. The city which, at the time of the vision, 'reigned over the kings of the earth,' was undoubtedly Rome; and from its foundation, it has, in different ways, accomplished this object to the present time.

12:4