Study Desk

^(C1)Then one of the ^(C2)seven angels who had the ^(C3)seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you ^(C4)the judgment of the ^(C5)great prostitute who ^(C6)sits on many waters,

with whom ^(C1)the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and ^(C2)those who live on the earth ^(C3)became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality."

And ^(C1)he carried me away ^(F1)(C2)in the Spirit ^(C3)into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a ^(C4)scarlet beast, full of ^(C5)blasphemous names, having ^(C6)seven heads and ten horns.

The woman ^(C1)was clothed in purple and scarlet, and ^(F1)adorned with gold, precious ^(F2)stones, and pearls, holding in her hand ^(C2)a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality,

and on her forehead a name was written, ^(F1)a ^(C1)mystery: "^(C2)BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF ^(C3)THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

And I saw the woman drunk with ^(C1)the blood of the ^(F1)saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered ^(F2)greatly.

And the angel said to me, "Why ^(F1)do you wonder? I will tell you the ^(C1)mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the ^(C2)seven heads and the ten horns.

"^(C1)The beast that you saw ^(C2)was, and is not, and is about to ^(C3)come up out of the ^(C4)abyss and ^(F1)(C5)go to destruction. And ^(C6)those who live on the earth, ^(C7)whose names have not been written in the book of life ^(C8)from the foundation of the world, will ^(C9)wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will ^(F2)come.

"^(C1)Here is the mind which has wisdom. The ^(C2)seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman sits,

and they are seven ^(C1)kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.

"The beast which ^(C1)was, and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he ^(C2)goes to destruction.

"The ^(C1)ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast ^(C2)for one hour.

"These have ^(C1)one ^(F1)purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

"These will wage ^(C1)war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will ^(C2)overcome them because He is ^(C3)Lord of lords and ^(C3)King of kings; and ^(C4)those who are with Him are the ^(C5)called and chosen and faithful."

And he ^(*)said to me, "The ^(C1)waters which you saw where the prostitute sits are ^(C2)peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages.

"And the ^(C1)ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her ^(C2)desolate and ^(C3)naked, and will ^(C4)eat her flesh and will ^(C5)burn her up with fire.

"For ^(C1)God has put it in their hearts to execute His ^(F1)purpose ^(F2)by ^(C2)having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the ^(C3)words of God will be fulfilled.

"The woman whom you saw is ^(C1)the great city, which ^(F1)reigns over the kings of the earth."