Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Revelation
Chapter 17: The Lamb Is Lord of Lords and King of Kings
Revelation 17 unveils the judgment of 'the great whore,' the seductive world-system that has corrupted the nations. John sees a woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and pearls, holding a golden cup 'full of abominations,' seated on a scarlet beast and drunk 'with the blood of the saints.' On her forehead is written, 'MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS.' The angel interprets the mystery of the woman and the beast, the heads and horns, and reveals the doomed alliance of kings who 'shall make war with the Lamb.' But the outcome is never in doubt: 'the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.' In a startling turn, the beast and its kings themselves turn on the whore and destroy her, for 'God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will.' Even the powers of evil, in the end, accomplish the purposes of the one sovereign God.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Revelation chapter 17. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here the great whore Babylon is shown seated on the beast, drunk with the blood of the saints; her mystery is interpreted; and her doomed war on the Lamb ends in her own destruction, for the Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Babylon the Great
The seductive world-system, "the mother of harlots."
Scarlet and Blasphemous
She rides the beast, drunk with the blood of the saints.
Lord of Lords
The kings war with the Lamb, and the Lamb overcomes.
Made Desolate
The beast turns on the whore; God fulfills His will.
Mystery, Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:1-8)
John is shown the great whore, gorgeously arrayed yet drunk with the blood of the saints, seated on the scarlet beast; and the angel promises to explain the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her.
The Mother of Harlots
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 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. 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. 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: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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. 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. 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."
Word Study
"Babylon," Greek Babylon (Βαβυλών). The name reaches back to Babel, where men first united to build a tower "unto heaven" and make themselves a name apart from God (Genesis 11:4), and to the empire of Babylon that destroyed Jerusalem and carried God's people into captivity. In Scripture Babylon becomes the great symbol of the proud, God-defying world-system, human civilization organized in rebellion against God, seductive, idolatrous, luxurious, and cruel. "Upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS." She is called a "whore" because her sin is spiritual fornication: she seduces "the kings of the earth" and "the inhabitants of the earth" away from the true God into idolatry and worldliness, offering "a golden cup... full of abominations." She is gorgeously arrayed, "in purple and scarlet... gold and precious stones and pearls," for the world-system dazzles with wealth and beauty. But behind the glamour she is "drunken with the blood of the saints," a persecutor of God's people. Babylon is the deliberate opposite of the pure woman of chapter 12 and the bride of chapter 21: where the bride is faithful to the Lamb, Babylon is the great harlot; where the bride's beauty is holiness, Babylon's is corruption. So Babylon names the whole seductive world-system that draws hearts from God by pleasure, pride, and idolatry, and warns the believer not to be dazzled by her cup, for behind her splendor is blood, and her end is judgment.
Explanation
John is shown "the great whore" -- Babylon, a seductive world-system of false religion and luxury, drunk "with the blood of the saints" -- riding a scarlet beast. She is gorgeously arrayed yet holds "a golden cup... full of abominations," the picture of sin's outward allure and inward corruption. The vision unmasks the spiritual reality behind the world's proud, persecuting culture: beneath the glamour is blasphemy and blood. Babylon represents every civilization that exalts itself against God and grows fat on the martyrdom of His people. Her doom is certain, for the beast she rides will turn on her.
Gospel Focus
One of the angels of the vials shows John "the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." She is the counterfeit woman, the great harlot set against the faithful bride of Christ. Where the true people of God are pure, Babylon is unfaithful; where the bride's adornment is holiness, the whore's is corruption dressed as splendor, "arrayed in purple and scarlet... decked with gold and precious stones and pearls," holding "a golden cup" that gleams outside but is "full of abominations." This is the seduction of the world: it offers a beautiful cup, and the nations drink and are "made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Yet her true character is exposed: she is "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." The world-system that seduces the many also persecutes the faithful. John "wondered with great admiration", astonished, perhaps even dazzled, at the sight, and the angel gently rebukes his wonder: "Wherefore didst thou marvel?" We are not to be impressed by Babylon's glory. The beast that carries her "was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition", a mocking parody of the God "which was, and is, and is to come," for the beast's destiny is not eternal glory but destruction. And the great divide is named again: those who "wonder" after the beast are those "whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world." God's own were known and written before the world began; they are not seduced. For the Apostolic reader the warning is clear and practical: do not be dazzled by the golden cup of a God-defying world. Its splendor hides blood, its beast is bound for perdition, and only those whose names are in the Lamb's book, kept faithful to Him and not to the harlot, are safe.
The Lamb Shall Overcome Them (Revelation 17:9-18)
The angel interprets the heads and horns and the doomed alliance of kings who make war with the Lamb; but the Lamb overcomes, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and even the beast turns to fulfill God's will against the whore.
Lord of Lords, and King of Kings
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 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. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 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. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 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. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 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. 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. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
Word Study
"Lord of lords, and King of kings," Greek kyrios kyrion kai basileus basileon (κύριος κυρίων καὶ βασιλεὺς βασιλέων). This is the supreme title of sovereignty, the Lord who is above all lords, the King who is above all kings, and in the Old Testament it belongs to God alone: "the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords" (Deuteronomy 10:17; compare Psalm 136:3). Here, at the climax of the doomed war, it is given to "the Lamb": "the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." The slain Lamb, Jesus Christ, bears the very title of the Most High God, for He is God manifest in flesh, the one Lord over all. The seven kings, the ten kings, the beast, the whole gathered might of a rebellious world, "make war with the Lamb," and the outcome is stated before the battle: "the Lamb shall overcome them." There is no contest. The Lamb who was slain is the sovereign Lord of all lords and King of all kings, and every earthly power, however great, is nothing before Him. This same title returns at His coming in chapter 19, written on His robe and thigh: "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (19:16). And those who share His victory are "called, and chosen, and faithful", chosen by grace, called by the gospel, and faithful to the end. So kyrios kyrion kai basileus basileon proclaims the deity and total supremacy of Jesus Christ: the Lamb is the one Lord God, King over every king, before whom every rebel power must fall.
Explanation
The angel interprets the mystery: the beast and the ten kings make war "with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." The outcome of the whole cosmic conflict is stated plainly -- the Lamb wins, because He is sovereign over every earthly power. Astonishingly, God turns the beast's own kings against the harlot to destroy her, for "God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will." Even the rage of the wicked serves God's purposes. Babylon falls not by the saints' sword but by the self-destruction God ordains and the Lamb's supreme lordship over all.
Gospel Focus
The angel interprets the vision, "here is the mind which hath wisdom." The "seven heads are seven mountains" and also "seven kings," a succession of world-powers; the beast is an eighth, yet "of the seven," and "goeth into perdition." The "ten horns" are "ten kings" who "receive power as kings one hour with the beast," a brief, borrowed authority. They are of "one mind," united in a single purpose: "these shall make war with the Lamb." Here is the ultimate folly of rebellious power, gathering the kingdoms of the earth to fight against God's Lamb. And the outcome is announced with serene certainty before a blow is struck: "and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." No alliance of kings, no beast, no world-system, can stand against the sovereign Lamb, for He is the one Lord God over all. And with Him stand His people, "called, and chosen, and faithful", not the mighty of the earth, but those chosen by grace and kept faithful. Then comes one of the most striking reversals in Revelation: "the ten horns... shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." The beast and its kings turn on the very harlot they served and destroy her. The world-system devours its own; evil is ultimately self-consuming. And the deepest truth is stated plainly: "God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will... until the words of God shall be fulfilled." Even the wicked, in their hatred and violence, unknowingly accomplish the purposes of the sovereign God. He rules over all, bending even the schemes of the beast to fulfill His word and to judge Babylon. For the Apostolic reader this is immense comfort. The Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings; His victory is certain; His people are chosen and kept; and God so reigns that even the powers of evil serve His purpose in the end. Babylon falls; the Lamb reigns; and those who are His overcome with Him.
Chapter 17 in Review
Revelation 17 reveals "the judgment of the great whore," Babylon, the seductive world-system that corrupts the nations. She is gorgeously arrayed and holds "a golden cup... full of abominations," yet she is "drunken with the blood of the saints." On her forehead is "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS." She rides "a scarlet coloured beast" whose destiny is "perdition." The angel interprets the seven heads and ten horns, the succession of powers and the ten kings who for "one hour" give their strength to the beast and "make war with the Lamb." But the end is sure: "the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." Then the beast and its kings turn on the whore and destroy her, for "God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will... until the words of God shall be fulfilled."
For the Apostolic reader this chapter carries a warning and a triumph. The warning is against Babylon: do not be dazzled by the golden cup of a God-defying world. Its purple and gold hide blood; its beast is bound for perdition; and those who wonder after it are those whose names are not in the Lamb's book. The world seduces the many and persecutes the faithful, and its splendor is corruption dressed as glory. The triumph is the supremacy of the Lamb. When the whole might of rebellious power gathers to "make war with the Lamb," He overcomes them without a struggle, "for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings", the very title of the Most High God, borne by Jesus Christ, God manifest in flesh, the one sovereign Lord over every earthly king. And the sovereignty of God is so complete that even the beast and its kings, in their hatred, "fulfil his will," destroying Babylon at His appointed time. So we keep ourselves from the harlot's cup, we stand with the Lamb among the "called, and chosen, and faithful," and we rest in the certainty that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings, before whom Babylon falls and every rebel power must bow.
- Babylon is the seductive world-system, "the mother of harlots," opposite the faithful bride (17:5).
- Her golden cup dazzles, but she is "drunken with the blood of the saints" (17:4, 6).
- Do not marvel at Babylon; the beast that carries her "goeth into perdition" (17:7-8).
- The kings "make war with the Lamb," and "the Lamb shall overcome them" (17:14).
- Jesus is "Lord of lords, and King of kings", the title of the Most High God (17:14; Deuteronomy 10:17).
- God so reigns that even the beast fulfills His will in destroying Babylon (17:16-17).
Questions for Reflection
- Are you dazzled by Babylon's cup, or do you see the blood behind its splendor?
- What does it mean for your fears that the Lamb is "Lord of lords, and King of kings"?
- Are you among the "called, and chosen, and faithful" who stand with the Lamb?
- How does it steady you that God bends even evil powers to fulfill His will?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The great whore Babylon; spiritual fornication and the world-system: Revelation 17:1-6; Genesis 11:1-9; Jeremiah 51:6-13; Isaiah 47:1-15; Nahum 3:4; Revelation 18:2-3. The beast that "was, and is not"; the book of life: Revelation 17:7-8; Revelation 13:1-8; 11:7; Daniel 7:7, 23-24. The seven heads, ten kings, and the war with the Lamb: Revelation 17:9-13; Daniel 7:24; Revelation 16:14. The Lamb is Lord of lords and King of kings: Revelation 17:14; Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16. The beast destroys the whore; God fulfills His will: Revelation 17:15-18; Jeremiah 50:41-42; Ezekiel 23:25-29; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 46:10-11. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Babylon the great whore: the seductive, blood-guilty world-system: Revelation 17:1-6; Genesis 11:1-9; Jeremiah 51:6-13.
- The beast bound for perdition; the book of life from the foundation of the world: Revelation 17:7-8; Revelation 13:8.
- The kings war with the Lamb; the Lamb, Lord of lords and King of kings, overcomes: Revelation 17:9-14; Deuteronomy 10:17; Revelation 19:16.
- The beast destroys the whore; God bends even evil to fulfill His word: Revelation 17:15-18; Proverbs 21:1; Isaiah 46:10.