Apocalisse 17:8-18

8 La bestia che tu hai veduta, era, e non è più; e salirà dell’abisso, e poi andrà in perdizione; e gli abitanti della terra, i cui nomi non sono scritti nel libro della vita, fin dalla fondazione del mondo, si maraviglieranno, veggendo la bestia che era, e non è, e pure è.

9 Qui è la mente, che ha sapienza: le sette teste son sette monti, sopra i quali la donna siede.

10 Sono ancora sette re; i cinque son caduti, l’uno è, e l’altro non è ancora venuto; e quando sarà venuto, ha da durar poco.

11 E la bestia che era, e non è più, è anch’essa un ottavo re, ed è de’ sette, e se ne va in perdizione.

12 E le dieci corna, che tu hai vedute, son dieci re, i quali non hanno ancora preso il regno; ma prenderanno podestà, come re, in uno stesso tempo con la bestia.

13 Costoro hanno un medesimo consiglio: e daranno la lor potenza, e podestà alla bestia.

14 Costoro guerreggeranno con l’Agnello, e l’Agnello li vincerà; perciocchè egli è il Signor de’ signori, e il Re dei re; e coloro che con lui son chiamati, ed eletti, e fedeli.

15 Poi mi disse: Le acque che tu hai vedute, dove siede la meretrice, son popoli, e moltitudini, e nazioni, e lingue.

16 E le dieci corna, che tu hai vedute nella bestia, son quelli che odieranno la meretrice, e la renderanno deserta, e nuda; e mangeranno le sue carni, e bruceranno lei col fuoco.

17 Perciocchè Iddio ha messo nel cuor loro di eseguire la sua sentenza, e di prendere un medesimo consiglio, e di dare il lor regno alla bestia; finchè sieno adempiute le parole di Dio.

18 E la donna, che tu hai veduta, è la gran città, che ha il regno sopra i re della terra.

Apocalisse 17:8-18 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.