HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1533
R EVEL ATION 18
page 1163
20 And
wrath.
every island disappeared, and
all the mountains were leveled. 21 There was
a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing
as much as seventy-five pounds* fell from the
sky onto the people below. They cursed God
because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.
The Great Prostitute
One of the seven angels who had poured
out the seven bowls came over and
spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and
I will show you the judgment that is going to
come on the great prostitute, who rules over
many waters. 2 The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who
belong to this world have been made drunk by
the wine of her immorality.”
3 So the angel took me in the Spirit* into the
wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a
scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten
horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. 4 The woman wore purple and
scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of
gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand
she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and
the impurities of her immorality. 5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and
Obscenities in the World.” 6 I could see that she
was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy
people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at
her in complete amazement.
7 “Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked.
“I will tell you the mystery of this woman and
of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on
which she sits. 8 The beast you saw was once
alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come
up out of the bottomless pit* and go to eternal
destruction. And the people who belong to this
world, whose names were not written in the
Book of Life before the world was made, will be
amazed at the reappearance of this beast who
had died.
9 “This calls for a mind with understanding:
The seven heads of the beast represent the
seven hills where the woman rules. They also
represent seven kings. 10 Five kings have already
fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is
yet to come, but his reign will be brief.
11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer,
is the eighth king. He is like the other seven,
and he, too, is headed for destruction. 12 The
ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have
not yet risen to power. They will be appointed
to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign
with the beast. 13 They will all agree to give him
17
16:21 Greek 1 talent [34 kilograms]. 17:3 Or in spirit.
17:8 Or the abyss, or the underworld. 18:2a Greek unclean;
also in each of the two following phrases. 18:2b Some
manuscripts condense the last two lines to read a hideout
for every foul [unclean] and dreadful vulture. 18:3 Some
manuscripts read have drunk. 18:6a Or Give her an equal
penalty. 18:6b Or brew just as much.
their power and authority. 14 Together they will
go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will
defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and
King of all kings. And his called and chosen and
faithful ones will be with him.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters
where the prostitute is ruling represent masses
of people of every nation and language. 16 The
scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh,
and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has
put a plan into their minds, a plan that will
carry out his purposes. They will agree to give
their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the
words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And this woman
you saw in your vision represents the great city
that rules over the kings of the world.”
The Fall of Babylon
After all this I saw another angel come
down from heaven with great authority,
and the earth grew bright with his splendor. 2 He
gave a mighty shout:
18
3
“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul* spirit,
a hideout for every foul vulture
and every foul and dreadful animal.*
For all the nations have fallen*
because of the wine of her passionate
immorality.
The kings of the world
have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant
luxury,
the merchants of the world have
grown rich.”
4 Then
I heard another voice calling from
heaven,
5
6
7
8
“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.
For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.
Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty* for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much* for her.
She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
and I have no reason to mourn.’
Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in
a single day—
death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
for the Lord God who judges her is
mighty.”