Apocalipsis 17:6-16

6 Y vi la mujer embriagada de la sangre de los santos, y de la sangre de los mártires de Jesús: y cuando la vi, quedé maravillado de grande admiración.

7 Y el ángel me dijo: ¿Por qué te maravillas? Yo te diré el misterio de la mujer, y de la bestia que la trae, la cual tiene siete cabezas y diez cuernos.

8 La bestia que has visto, fué, y no es; y ha de subir del abismo, y ha de ir á perdición: y los moradores de la tierra, cuyos nombres no están escritos en el libro de la vida desde la fundación del mundo, se maravillarán viendo la bestia que era y no es, aunque es.

9 Y aquí hay mente que tiene sabiduría. Las siete cabezas son siete montes, sobre los cuales se asienta la mujer.

10 Y son siete reyes. Los cinco son caídos; el uno es, el otro aun no es venido; y cuando viniere, es necesario que dure breve tiempo.

11 Y la bestia que era, y no es, es también el octavo, y es de los siete, y va á perdición.

12 Y los diez cuernos que has visto, son diez reyes, que aun no han recibido reino; mas tomarán potencia por una hora como reyes con la bestia.

13 Estos tienen un consejo, y darán su potencia y autoridad á la bestia.

14 Ellos pelearán contra el Cordero, y el Cordero los vencerá, porque es el Señor de los señores, y el Rey de los reyes: y los que están con él son llamados, y elegidos, y fieles.

15 Y él me dice: Las aguas que has visto donde la ramera se sienta, son pueblos y muchedumbres y naciones y lenguas.

16 Y los diez cuernos que viste en la bestia, éstos aborrecerán á la ramera, y la harán desolada y desnuda: y comerán sus carnes, y la quemarán con fuego:

Apocalipsis 17:6-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 17

This chapter contains a vision of a beast, and a woman on it, and the interpretation of it; one of the seven angels that had the seven vials proposes to John to show him the whore of Babylon, the Jezabel before spoken of, who sits on many waters, with whom the kings and inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication, being intoxicated by her, Re 17:1,2 in order to which he carries him into the wilderness, and there he sees a woman, who is described by the beast she sat on, of a scarlet colour, full of blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns; by her array, in purple and scarlet, decked with gold, pearls, and precious stones; by a cup she had in her hand, full of abominable filth; by a name written on her forehead, given at large, and by the condition she was in, drunk with the blood of the saints; which sight filled John with great wonder and admiration, Re 17:3-6 wherefore, to remove his astonishment, the angel proposes to explain to him the mystery of the woman, and the beast she sat on, Re 17:7 and first the mystery of the beast is explained, by its several states, past, present, and to come; by its original and end, ascending out of the bottomless pit, and going into perdition; by the veneration it would be had in by the reprobate part of the world, Re 17:8 its seven heads are interpreted of the seven mountains on which the city of Rome, designed by the woman, stood, and of seven kings, or forms of government, five of which had ceased, and one was in being in John's time, another was to come, which should not continue long, and the beast would be an eighth, Re 17:9-11 its ten horns are explained of ten kings, described by their kingdom they had not as yet received, and which they should have one hour with the beast; by their agreement in mind and conduct; and by their war with the Lamb, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and those that are with him, the called, chosen, and faithful, and the issue of it, Re 17:12-14 the waters on which the whore sat are interpreted of a multitude of people, nations, and tongues, Re 17:15 the hatred and destruction of her by the ten kings, and the manner of it, are declared, Re 17:16 which is owing to the will of God, who put it into their hearts to agree to give their kingdom to the beast till the prophecies and promises were fulfilled respecting this matter, and now to destroy the whore that sat upon it, Re 17:17 which woman is explained of the great city of Rome, that reigns over the kings of the earth, Re 17:18.