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."

After these things I saw another ^(C1)angel ^(C2)coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was ^(C3)illuminated from his glory.

And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "^(F1)(C1)Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She ^(C2)has become a dwelling place of demons and a ^(F2)prison of every ^(C3)unclean spirit, and a ^(F2)prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

"For all the nations have fallen because of the ^(C1)wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and ^(C2)the kings of the earth have committed acts of sexual immorality with her, and the ^(C3)merchants of the earth have become rich from the ^(F1)excessive wealth of her ^(F2)(C4)luxury."

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "^(C1)Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive any of her plagues;

for her sins have ^(F1)(C1)piled up as high as heaven, and God has ^(C2)remembered her offenses.

"^(C1)Pay her back even as she has paid, and ^(F1)give back to her double according to her deeds; in the ^(C2)cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

"^(C1)To the extent that she glorified herself and ^(C2)lived luxuriously, to the same extent give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, '^(C3)I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.'

"For this reason ^(C1)in one day her plagues will come, ^(F1)plague and mourning and famine, and she will be ^(C2)burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her ^(C3)is strong.

"And ^(C1)the kings of the earth, who committed acts of sexual immorality and ^(C2)lived luxuriously with her, will ^(C3)weep and mourn over her when they ^(C4)see the smoke of her burning,

^(C1)standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, '^(C2)Woe, woe, ^(C3)the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in ^(C4)one hour your judgment has come.'

"And the ^(C1)merchants of the earth ^(C2)weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more—

cargo of ^(C1)gold, silver, precious ^(F1)stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; every kind of citron wood, every article of ivory, and every article made from very valuable wood, ^(F2)bronze, iron, and marble;

cinnamon, ^(F1)spice, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, and cargo of horses, carriages, ^(F2)slaves, and ^(C1)human lives.

"The fruit ^(F1)you long for has left you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and people will no longer find them.

"The ^(C1)merchants of ^(C2)these things, who became rich from her, will ^(C3)stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,

saying, '^(C1)Woe, woe, ^(C2)the great city, she who ^(C3)was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and ^(F1)adorned with gold, precious ^(F2)stones, and pearls;

for in ^(C1)one hour such great wealth has been laid ^(C2)waste!' And ^(C3)every shipmaster and every ^(F1)passenger and sailor, and all who ^(F2)make their living by the sea, ^(C1)stood at a distance,

and were ^(C1)crying out as they ^(C2)saw the smoke of her burning, saying, '^(C3)What city is like ^(C4)the great city?'

"And they threw ^(C1)dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, '^(C2)Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea ^(C3)became rich from her prosperity, for in ^(C2)one hour she has been laid ^(C4)waste!'

"^(C1)Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you ^(F1)saints and ^(C2)apostles and prophets, because ^(C3)God has ^(F2)pronounced judgment for you against her."

Then ^(F1)a ^(C1)strong angel ^(C2)picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, ^(C3)the great city, be thrown down with violence, and ^(C4)will never be found again.

"And ^(C1)the sound of harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; and no craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again; and the ^(C2)sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;

and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the ^(C1)voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again; for your ^(C2)merchants were the powerful people of the earth, because all the nations were deceived ^(C3)by your witchcraft.

"And in her was found the ^(C1)blood of prophets and of ^(F1)saints, and of ^(C2)all who have been slaughtered on the earth."