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The Doom of Babylon

^1 (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 and doom of the ^(C5)great ^(F1)prostitute who is ^(C6)seated ^(F2)on many waters influencing nations, ^(VR1)2 she with whom ^(C1)the kings of the earth have ^(F1)committed acts of immorality, and ^(C2)the inhabitants of the earth have become ^(C3)intoxicated with the wine of her immorality." ^(VR1)3 And ^(C1)the angel carried me away ^(C2)in the Spirit ^(C3)into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a ^(C4)scarlet beast that was ^(F1)entirely covered with ^(C5)blasphemous names, having ^(C6)seven heads and ten horns. ^(VR1)4 The woman ^(C1)was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, and she was holding in her hand ^(C2)a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her sexual immorality. ^(VR1)5 And on her forehead a name was written, a ^(C1)mystery: "^(C2)BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF ^(C3)THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with ^(C1)the blood of the saints (God's people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus who were martyred. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement.⁷ But the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the ^(C1)mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the ^(C2)seven heads and ten horns.

⁸ "^(C1)The beast that you saw ^(C2)was once, but now is not, and he is about to ^(C3)come up out of the ^(C4)abyss (the bottomless pit, the dwelling place of demons) and ^(C5)go to destruction (perdition). And ^(C6)the inhabitants of the earth, ^(C7)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life ^(C8)from the foundation of the world, will ^(C9)be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is yet to come to earth. ^(VR1)9 "^(C1)Here is the mind which has wisdom and this is what it knows about the vision. The ^(C2)seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits;¹⁰ and they are seven ^(C1)kings: five of whom have fallen, one exists and is reigning; the other the seventh has not yet come, and when he does come, he must remain a little while.¹¹ "And the beast that once ^(C1)was but is not, is himself also an eighth king and is one of the seven, and he ^(C2)goes to destruction (perdition).¹² "The ^(C1)ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but together they receive authority as kings ^(C2)for a single hour for a common purpose along with the beast. ^(VR1)13 "These kings have ^(C1)one purpose one mind, one common goal, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

Victory for the Lamb

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, "The ^(C1)waters which you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are ^(C2)peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.¹⁶ "And the ^(C1)ten horns which you saw, and the ^(F1)beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her ^(C2)desolate and ^(C3)naked stripped of her power and influence, and will ^(C4)eat her flesh and ^(C5)completely consume her with fire.¹⁷ "For ^(C1)God has put it in their hearts to carry out His purpose by ^(F1)(C2)agreeing together to surrender their kingdom to the beast, until the prophetic ^(C3)words of God will be fulfilled.¹⁸ "The woman whom you saw is ^(C1)the ^(F1)great city, which reigns over and dominates and controls the kings and the political leaders of the earth."