Introduction
Who Is the Woman Riding the Beast in Revelation 17? Do you know who the woman in Revelation 17 is? Her identity is directly relevant to us today. Keep reading!
In Revelation 14:8, the second angel of the three Angels’ messages declares, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city…” In a recent presentation, I likened Babylon to a prostitute. Yet Revelation 14:8 never actually mentions a prostitute. So where does that image come from?
It comes from Revelation chapter 17.
In this article, we will examine that passage, identify the woman of Revelation 17, and explain why she matters today.
John’s Vision: Revelation 17:1-6
Let’s start with the Apostle John’s vision in Revelation 17:1-6 NKJV.
1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
2. with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
3. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
- I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
What Is a Harlot?
Verse 1 introduces the judgment of the great harlot.
To be clear, let’s define “harlot.”
According to Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary, the Greek word translated “harlot” is
porne (por’-nay); a strumpet; figuratively, an idolater:
KJV – harlot, whore.
“Strumpet” is an archaic, offensive word for a prostitute or a woman considered sexually promiscuous. Though seldom used in modern English, its meaning is the same: a prostitute.
This explains why I called Babylon a prostitute when discussing the second angel’s message.
These are two distinct visions given to the Apostle John. Revelation 14:8 describes her in fairly general terms, while Revelation 17 describes her in greater detail.
Two Women, Two Churches
As I have emphasized throughout my presentations on the Three Angels’ Messages and the Mark of the Beast, Revelation is deeply symbolic; each symbol carries meaning and must be interpreted correctly.
In prophecy, a woman symbolizes a church. Revelation uses this image twice to portray two very different churches.
Let’s see how Scripture describes the other woman in Revelation 12:1 NKJV
- Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
– The woman in heaven
Notice that this woman appears in heaven, clothed with the sun. Malachi 4:2 calls Christ the Sun of Righteousness, and Jeremiah 23:6 identifies Him as our righteousness. So the sun that clothes her represents Christ. She shines with the sun’s brilliance, reflecting His glory and righteousness. The church has no glory of its own apart from Christ, and it is He who draws people to it. This woman represents the pure church.
The woman of Revelation 17, however, is her complete opposite. Called a harlot and seated on a scarlet beast, she represents an ungodly, impure church.
Let’s examine this contrast.
The Woman on the Scarlet Beast
Returning to Revelation 17:3, we find a detailed description of this woman.
- And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
In prophecy, beasts represent kingdoms. The scarlet beast is the kingdom on which the woman sits and by which she is supported. A woman riding a beast also pictures the union of church and state—religious power upheld by civil power. Like the beast of Revelation 13, this one has seven heads and ten horns. Scripture says it is “full of names of blasphemy.” Biblically, blasphemy means dishonoring God or claiming authority that belongs to Him alone—such as claiming divine authority, the power to forgive sins, or the right to change God’s law.
Purple, Scarlet, and Gold
Verse 4 continues the description:
- The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
Once again, the woman of Revelation 17 stands in stark contrast to the woman of Revelation 12. Let’s look more closely:
Here the harlot wears purple and scarlet and is adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, like a seductress. By contrast, the pure woman of Revelation 12 is clothed simply in the white brilliance of the sun, with no costly ornaments.
In the ancient world, purple and red garments carried special significance. Purple especially signified rank and royalty; Roman emperors wore imperial purple. Here, red, purple, and gold reflect the royal status the apostate church claims. In Jeremiah 4:30, Israel, having turned away from God, is likewise portrayed as a woman dressed in scarlet and gold.
The pure woman is clothed in white—the brightness of the sun, symbolizing Christ’s righteousness—and needs no adornment like the woman of Revelation 17. She belongs to God’s eternal Kingdom. The harlot, by contrast, allies herself with the kings of the earth and receives her power, throne, and authority from the dragon. Ruling an earthly kingdom, she strives to look regal. Lacking Christ’s righteousness, she compensates with royal colors and jewels.
The red of her clothing also links her to the great red dragon of Revelation 12:3 and the scarlet beast of Revelation 17:3. She allies herself with Satan and the beast’s power. Red symbolizes sin (Isaiah 1:18), and Satan, the harlot, and the beast all act sinfully—together forming a trifecta of sin.
The Golden Cup
The harlot holds a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. This cup recalls Babylon’s golden cup in Jeremiah 51:7-9. Just as ancient Babylon intoxicated the nations, the woman of Revelation 17 spreads her corrupting influence through false teachings and spiritual unfaithfulness. Her actions ultimately bring God’s judgment upon her.
Jeremiah 51:7 says Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand. God used ancient Babylon to punish Israel’s unfaithfulness and to judge the wickedness of the surrounding nations.
The harlot’s cup is filled with wine containing abominations and filth. Just as ancient Babylon was portrayed as a golden cup that intoxicated the nations, the harlot of Revelation 17 holds a golden cup filled with the wine of her false teachings.
This cup, filled with the wine of Babylon, brings about her judgment and downfall. I will address the harlot’s demise in the next presentation.
If you saw the video on the second angel of the Three Angels’ Messages, you may recall this verse: “and there followed another Angel saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” That is Revelation 14:8.
Verse 4 ends with these words: “full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.”
The cup holds not only the wrath of her fornication but also abominations and filthiness. The wine represents the woman’s false teachings, which lead to impurity and immorality.
False doctrines are not merely mistaken ideas. The Greek word for abominations, bdelugma, refers to something detestable or idolatrous. These false teachings have led much of the Christian world into impurity and idolatry.
Sadly, the church has joined itself to the world in countless ways, in both thought and practice. This unlawful union amounts to spiritual fornication. As I noted in the presentation on the second angel, “Fornication is an illicit—or unlawful—union.”
The Name on Her Forehead
Verse 5 plainly identifies this corrupt woman. Let’s read it:
- And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
Notice that the harlot’s name appears in capital letters, making its meaning unmistakable, and it is written on her forehead. By contrast, the 144,000 faithful bear God’s seal and name on their foreheads, reflecting their holy character. The apostate church also bears a name on her forehead, but it reveals her unholiness and her abominations. Scripture portrays her as wicked and filthy—a truly disgraceful fallen church.
The first part of her name is MYSTERY. What she truly represents is hidden; her real character is not obvious at first glance. Outwardly she is impressive, clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. Yet behind that façade lies an apostate religious system opposed to God and His truth.
The second part of her name is BABYLON THE GREAT. Babylon’s history began with the Tower of Babel and developed under King Nebuchadnezzar. The harlot’s thinking is shaped by the spirit and ideas of ancient Babylon, whose false religion has influenced every false religion in the kingdoms that followed.
Harlots are considered filthy because they sell what should be sacred between husband and wife. Likewise, this apostate church openly forms political alliances with world leaders in the name of religion, corrupting what should be holy.
The next part of her name is MOTHER OF HARLOTS. She is both mother and harlot, and her daughters are harlots too. Together, the mother and her daughters commit fornication with the kings of the earth for a price (Revelation 18:3).
As we have seen, a woman represents a church. The harlot daughters are the apostate churches that have followed the example of their apostate mother church.
Why This Matters Today
This is why the woman in Revelation 17 matters today—and why it points to the problem we face now.
Many of us are sitting in these apostate churches, following false doctrines rather than the Word of God.
These include teachings such as “once saved, always saved”—the idea that we can sin, even backslide, and still be saved; that hell is not a place of everlasting punishment; that it doesn’t matter whom we love or marry (same or opposite sex); and false ideas about what happens when we die—and even about how we are saved! I will address these issues head-on very soon, based on the Word of God!
Over time, this harlot—the corrupt church of Babylon, ultimately empowered by Satan—has attacked God’s church, leaving it deeply divided and ineffective. She holds God’s church in her grip.
The Call to Come Out of Babylon
That is why a great call will go out to leave this corrupt church and her daughters.
Revelation 18:1-5 NKJV
- After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
- And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
- For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
- And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
- For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Babylon the Great will fall! If we do not come out of her, we will, in the words of Scripture, “share in her sins” and “receive of her plagues.” We will fall—along with the harlot.
Notice the words “my people.” God knows that many of us attend these churches with sincere intentions, unaware of what is happening around us. He will send an angel to warn us to act.
Listen: where we go to church matters! I’ll say more about that shortly.
The Abominations of the Earth
Moving on, the final part of the harlot’s name is AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Babylon’s abominations are numerous, and they are committed in the name of religion.
In short, the harlot’s name exposes the apostate church’s corrupt character at the end of time. All who receive the mark of the beast spiritually join a false church, which God regards as a harlot.
Drunk with the Blood of the Saints
Finally, verse 6 says:
- I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
This verse reveals why the great harlot is judged. She has killed the saints and martyrs of Jesus and is pictured as drunk with their blood. She destroyed the faithful during the Dark Ages and will do so again at the end of time. As a persecuting power, she is responsible for so much innocent bloodshed that she is “drunk” with it.
Conclusion: Where We Worship Matters
As I said earlier, and as I close: where we go to church matters! Sadly, many people sit in these daughter churches, listening to and following the false doctrines I mentioned, among others. If we do the same, we are in bed with the woman—the harlot—of Revelation 17.
This false church is active today, quietly working behind the scenes and gaining power. We cannot wait for the angel’s loud cry. Now is the time to act. Jesus stands ready to help us.
Revelation 3:20-22 NKJV
- Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
- To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
- “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
Jesus stands ready to lead us out of the false church and help us stand against it. We must follow Him, and HIS Word ONLY!
It’s never too late—until it is. So let’s not delay.
Let us come out of Babylon!
Amen!
Questions, comments, and concerns may be left below.
Blessings!
👉 Videos
Watch this video to learn what happens to the woman in Revelation 17.👇
