Montgomery - Revelation of John - 17

17:1  And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, and spoke to me, saying, "Come hither and I will show you the sentence passed upon the great harlot who sits on many waters,

17:2  with whom the kings of the earth have committed adultery, while all who live on the earth have been made drunken by the wine of her immorality."

17:3  And he bore me away in the Spirit into the desert, and I saw a woman who sat upon a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns.

17:4  The woman was enwrapped in purple and scarlet and was encrusted with gold and precious stones and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup filled with abominations, even the impurities of her immorality.

17:5  Upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH."

17:6  And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and I wondered with a great wonder.

17:7  And the angel said to me. "Why did you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns, that carried her.

17:8  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the bottomless pit, and to go into perdition. And those who dwell on the earth shall wonder, those whose names have never, from the foundation of the world, been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, when they gaze on the beast; how he was and is not, and is to come.

17:9  Here is the mind that has wisdom. the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated;

17:10  and they are seven kings; the five have fallen, one is, the other is not yet come (and when he does come, he must remain a short time).

17:11  And the beast who was, but is not, is himself also an eighth, although he is one of the seven kings, and is on his way to perdition.

17:12  "The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received their kingdoms; but they have received authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast.

17:13  These kings have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

17:14  These will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is the Lord of lords, and King of kings. And they who are with him are called and faithful and chosen."

17:15  And he also said to me. "The waters which you saw, on which the harlot takes her seat, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.

17:16  And the ten horns which you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire.

17:17  For God has put it into their hearts to execute his purpose, in executing their common purpose, and by giving over their kingdoms to the beast, until the words of God shall be accomplished.

17:18  The woman whom you saw is the great city which holds sway over the kings of the earth."