Revelation 17:1-2,15 (TS2009) And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come, I shall show you the judgement of the great whore sitting on many waters, with whom the sovereigns of the earth committed whoring, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her whoring.” ... And he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and crowds, and nations, and tongues.

In prophecy a woman either symbolizes God's faithful people (Isaiah 54, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 12) or God's unfaithful people (Jeremiah 3, Jeremiah 51). Whoring symbolizes idolatry (Leviticus 20:5, Hosea 1:2, Hosea 4:12, Hosea 6:10, Ezekiel 23:30). The sea symbolizes peoples and nations in unstable times (Isaiah 17:12, Luke 21:25). Earth, as opposed to sea, symbolizes stability (1 Chronicles 16:30-32). Earth is the footstool of God (Isaiah 66:1). Wine is linked to loose behaviour (Ephesians 5:18) and making the nations go mad (Jeremiah 51:7). This entity misleads the nations and has power over leaders in the world.

Revelation 17:3 (TS2009) And he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

The wilderness is a place of trial for Godly people (Mark 1:12, 1 Corinthians 10:5). Two events in the history of the Israelites are most significant examples of this: the Egyptian captivity and the Babylonian captivity. Isaiah speaks of the "Wilderness of the Sea" in relation to Babylon (Isaiah 21:1). The symbolic meaning of a beast is a kingdom or empire (Daniel 7:23). Blasphemies are against God. This beast is against God.

Revelation 17:4 (TS2009) And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her whoring,

The colors purple and scarlet are associated with rulership (Daniel 5:29, Matthew 27:28). Purple and red are also associated with Tyre (Ezekiel 27). Tyre was an ancient Phoenician city which was known for its wealth and commerce and for its significant role in trade and its interactions with Israel, particularly during the reigns of Kings David and Solomon. They allied themselves with King Hiram I of Tyre who provided architects, workmen, cedar wood, and gold to build the royal palace in Jerusalem, as well as the Temple. Tyrian purple was the color worn by the royalty of Phoenicia and also by the rulers of the Greek and Roman empires afterwards. The colors purple and scarlet signify that Babylon the Great has power over peoples and nations. In the Old Testament Israel and Judah were likened to Babylon and called a golden cup in the hand of YHWH (Jeremiah 51:7). The golden cup in her hand is filled with abominations or false gods. For example King Solomon built temples for abominations or false gods in Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:13).

Revelation 17:5 (TS2009) and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: BABEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE WHORES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Something that is written on someone's forehead is an inherent part of that person's being (Jeremiah 3:3). Revelation 14 also mentions this: If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out undiluted into the cup of His wrath. (Revelation 14:9-10a) It is like a permanent mark or a seal (Revelation 7:3). That her name or identity is "a secret" indicates that she is somewhat hidden and excercises her power from behind the scenes. That she is the mother of whores and abominations further indicates that she is responsible for misleading the nations with false gods and false religion.

Revelation 17:6 (TS2009) And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the set-apart ones, and with the blood of the witnesses of YHWSO. And having seen her, I marvelled – greatly marvelled!

Babylon the Great is responsible for killing God's chosen ones. The Messiah said: Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her! (Matthew 23:37a) and to the Pharisees who wanted to kill Him: You are of your father the devil (John 8:44a). In Revelation He talked about those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not (Revelation 3:9). The Messiah was persecuted and killed in Jerusalem by the Jewish authorities who rejected Him because He posed a threat to their power. The Jewish authorities manipulated and used the Roman authorities to kill the Messiah. Paul was persecuted by the Jewish authorities (Acts 9:29, Acts 13:50, Acts 14:19). All disciples were killed by the Jewish authorities centered in Jerusalem. The Jewish religious-political authorities centered in Jerusalem, who rejected the Messiah and killed Him and His disciples, represented Babylon the Great. They deceived and manipulated the Jewish people and the Roman authorities for their own gain. These Pharisees and their teachings formed the basis for modern-day Judaism. This is a strong indication for her identity.

Revelation 17:7-10 (TS2009) And the messenger said to me, “Why did you marvel? Let me explain to you the secret of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the pit of the deep and goes to destruction. And those dwelling on the earth, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, shall marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind having wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. And there are seven sovereigns: five have fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he has to remain a little while.

The beast was, and is not, and yet is. As explained in other chapters, the prophecies are about divine intervention on earth related to God's people, specifically to His chosen ones: from the first prophets to the Messiah and His disciples, followed by a period of no divine intervention, and ending with Satan's final global empire in the time of the end when the remainder of God's chosen ones will be gathered to complete God's Kingdom. So it's important to understand that the period between the death of the Messiah's disciples and the final global empire is not relevant because there is no divine intervention in that period. The seven empires or mountains span the history of God's chosen ones on earth. Five empires have fallen, one is at the time of the vision, and another is yet to come. The five fallen empires that affected God's people and His chosen ones throughout history are: Egypt, The Assyrian Empire, The Babylonian Empire, The Medo-Persian Empire, and The Greek Empire. The sixth empire that is during the time of the revelation to John is the Roman Empire. The seventh empire that is still to come and to remain only a little while is of course Satan's final global empire in the time of the end. The timing of the prophecy is crucial, the beast is about to come up out of the pit of the deep which means she is riding the beast shortly before Satan's final global empire emerges, during the first half of the time of the end and the Four Horsemen.

Revelation 17:11 (TS2009) And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes to destruction.

The heads of the beast symbolize subsequent empires, the seventh head is Satan's final global empire. The complete beast also represents the eight beast. This means that with the coming into existence of the final global empire also the eighth beast comes into existence. Possibly this eighth beast is the false prophet mentioned in Revelation 13, the beast that had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. There's also a parallel with the complete statue in king Nebuchadnezzar's Dream that will be completely destroyed by God. The complete statue contains all earthly empires that affected God's people and His chosen ones. The feet of clay and iron of that statue represent Satan's final global empire. Likewise, the eighth beast mentioned here in Revelation represents all earthly empires under Satan's rule that affected God's people and chosen ones.

Revelation 17:12-14 (TS2009) And the ten horns which you saw are ten sovereigns who have not yet received a reign, but receive authority as sovereigns with the beast for one hour. They have one mind, and they shall give their power and authority to the beast. They shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Master of masters and Sovereign of sovereigns. And those with Him are called, and chosen, and trustworthy.

The ten horns have not yet received a reign but will receive it in Satan's final global empire. This vision takes place shortly before Satan's final global empire comes into full power. That means that Babylon the Great will be destroyed in the first half of the time of the end. These leaders will ultimately fight with the Son of God but they will be destroyed by Him.

Revelation 17:16-18 (TS2009) And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and lay her waste and naked, and eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For Elohim did give it into their hearts to do His mind, to be of one mind, and to give their reign to the beast, until the words of Elohim shall be accomplished. And the woman whom you saw is that great city having sovereignty over the sovereigns of the earth.

In the time of the end, shortly before Satan's final global empire, the ten leaders will make an end to Babylon the Great and her influence on world events. Likely because Babylon the Great is an obstruction to their desired global empire and has been using and abusing them for her own gain. Therefore they hate her and will plot to destroy her. It is crucial to understand the timing of this. The ten horns already exist before Satan's final global empire, namely on the fourth beast of Daniel 7 during the first half of the time of the end and the Four Horsemen.

Revelation 18:1-3 (TS2009) And after this I saw another messenger coming down from the heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened from his esteem. And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Babel the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean and hated bird, because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her whoring, and the sovereigns of the earth have committed whoring with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her riotous living.

Babylon the Great is infested with demons.

Revelation 18:4-7 (TS2009) And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. Because her sins have piled up to reach the heaven, and Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses. Render to her as she indeed did render, and repay her double according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix for her double. As much as she esteemed herself and lived riotously, so much torture and grief give to her, because in her heart she says, ‘I sit as sovereigness, and I am not a widow, and I do not see mourning at all.’

Babylon the Great regards herself as a queen and claims she is "not a widow" which means that she regards herself as representative of YHWH (Jeremiah 51:5). Just like the corrupt Pharisees in the Messiah's time who killed the Messiah and His disciples. Of course the entity in ancient history that claimed to be linked to YHWH was the religious-political entity called Israel. And Israel has been revived in the 20th century and again claims to be a representative of God.

Revelation 18:8-10 (TS2009) Because of this her plagues shall come in one day: death and mourning and scarcity of food. And she shall be burned up with fire, because YHWH Elohim who judges her is mighty. And the sovereigns of the earth who committed whoring and lived riotously with her shall weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torture, saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city Babel, the mighty city, because your judgment has come in one hour!’

The destruction of Babylon the Great will happen suddenly and quickly. death and mourning and scarcity of food is another confirmation that it will likely happen during the Four Horsemen in the first half of the time of the end who will bring war, hunger, and death.

Revelation 18:11-17a (TS2009) And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any more – merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stone and pearls, and fine linen and purple, and silk and scarlet, and all citron wood, and every object of ivory, and every object of most precious wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and incense, and fragrant oil and frankincense, and wine and oil, and fine flour and wheat, and cattle and sheep, and horses and carriages, and bodies and lives of men. “And the fruit that your being longed for has gone from you. And all your riches and splendour are lost to you, and you shall find them no more, not at all. “The merchants of these, those who became rich by her, shall stand at a distance for fear of her torture, weeping and mourning, and saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city that was dressed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches was laid waste.’

It goes hand in hand with the crash of global trade.

Revelation 18:17b-19 (TS2009) And every shipmaster, and every passenger, and sailors, and as many as work the sea for their living, stood at a distance, and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ “And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, and saying, ‘Woe! Woe, the great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she was laid waste.’

Global shipping will halt. 90% of global trade moves by sea.* With the war in the Middle East it is not difficult to imagine what will happen if for example all oil exports from the Middle East are cut off.

Revelation 18:20 (TS2009) Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you set-apart emissaries and prophets, for Elohim has completely avenged you on her!

After the Four Horsemen are released, in the beginning of the time of the end, God's chosen ones who are already in heaven ask God when He will avenge their blood. God answers them they have to be a little bit more patient until all remaining chosen ones are killed on the earth. And then the great day of the wrath of God starts with the sixth seal. (Revelation 6:1-12) In Revelation 14 we read that after the 144,000 chosen ones are complete in heaven, the Good News will be spread in all the world, followed by the destruction of Babylon the Great, and the warning that anyone who receives the mark of the beast will drink of the wine of the wrath of God. So her destruction happens after the Good News is spread in all the world and before the choice of the people on earth between God and Satan.

The religious-political state of Israel and Jerusalem existed during the ancient beast empires that affected God's people. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD and remained inexistent as a religious-political entity until 1948 when Israel was resurrected by the religious-political movement called Zionism and with help from the governments of Great Britain, the United States, and the United Nations.

Matthew 21:12-13 (TS2009) And YHWSO went into the Set-apart Place of Elohim and drove out all those buying and selling in the Set-apart Place, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It has been written, ‘My House shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”

The religious-political leaders in Jerusalem used the temple of God as a place for finance and trade in order to enrich themselves. The practice of using temples for finance and trade originated in the Babylonian Empire. It seems that this ungodly practice was incorporated by the Israelites during their Babylonian captivity. The Messiah said: No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elohim and mammon. (Matthew 6:24) Mammon stands for material wealth or greed. Likely Babylon the Great is in control of large parts of the world through her control of the global financial system, the Western banking system set up by the wealthiest and most powerful Zionist families in order to enrich themselves more and more at the expense of the rest of the world. But it will crash and make them powerless in an instance. As a consequence, the ten kings or leaders of Daniel's fourth beast can set up Satan's final global empire and a new global financial system which entails that no one should be able to buy or sell except he that has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:17) See Revelation 13.