Revelation 17:2

2 The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on earth have become drunk with the wine of her whoring."

Revelation 17:2 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 17:2

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,
&c.] These are the ten kings, who being of the same mind, and of one religion, the Popish religion, gave their power, strength, and kingdom to the beast, ( Revelation 17:12 Revelation 17:17 ) and have been enticed by the whore of Rome to commit spiritual fornication with her; that is, idolatry, to worship, as that church enjoins, idols of gold, silver, brass, and wood, the images of the virgin Mary, and other saints; hence this whore appears to be no mean strumpet, but one of great note, and in much vogue, being sought after and made use of by the great men of the earth;

and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine
of her fornication;
that is, the inhabitants of the Roman empire, or earthly minded men, mere carnal persons, have been drawn into idolatrous practices by the allurements of the church of Rome; such as riches, honours, pleasures, lying miracles, and great pretensions to devotion and religion; whereby they have been intoxicated as men with wine, and have been filled with a blind zeal for that church, and the false doctrines and worship of it, and with madness and fury against the true professors of religion.

Revelation 17:2 In-Context

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls spoke with me. "Come, he said, I will show you the judgment upon the great prostitute, who is seated on deep waters.

2 The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on earth have become drunk with the wine of her whoring."

3 Then he brought me in a Spirit-inspired trance to a desert. There I saw a woman seated on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns.

4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing, and she glittered with gold and jewels and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of the vile and impure things that came from her activity as a prostitute.

5 A name—a mystery—was written on her forehead: "Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and the vile things of the earth."