Revelation 17:7

I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast
The angel provides revelation concerning aspects of the woman (Rev. Rev. 17:15-18+) and the beast with the seven heads and ten horns (Rev. Rev. 17:8-14+, Rev. 17:16-17+). The remainder of the chapter is devoted to these two topics.

carries her
Carries is βαστάζοντος [bastazontos] , indicating that the beast supports or bears her, used “of animals used for riding,”¹ but also used figuratively: Mat. 20:12).”² Although the Beast carries her for a season, ultimately he and his ten kings turn upon her and consume her (Rev. Rev. 17:16-17+) bringing about God’s judgment upon her. Perhaps her ride upon the Beast is eventually seen to be too burdensome so he throws her off. She may ultimately prove to be a liability and a competition in his eventual bid for all attention and worship (2Th. 2Th. 2:4).

seven heads and ten horns
See commentary on Revelation 17:3.

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Notes

¹ Frederick William Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 137.

² Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 89.