Big Idea: John is astonished when he receives the vision of Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes, in all her power, opulence, and adulterous depravity.

Understanding the Text

At the conclusion of the bowl judgments, Babylon the Great is split into three parts and is made to drink the full cup of God’s wrath (16:19). Now one of the seven angels from chapter 16 invites John to witness in greater detail the judgment God will bring on the harlot. As a result, the judgment of Babylon the Great in 17:1–19:5 should be seen as expanding the final bowl judgments of Revelation 16. In 17:1–6, John is first invited to witness the judgment on Babylon (17:1–2), before being given the vision itself (17:3–6), complete with a description of her immoral character and wicked agenda. In the rest…