Revelation
17:1-6Babylon the Great
American Journal of Biblical Theology
Copyright © 2008, J.W. Carter Scripture quotes from KJV
Revelation
17:1-6American Journal of Biblical Theology
There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
We have met this seven-headed beast in Daniel 7, Rev. 12, and Rev. 13. Seated on the beast is now a woman who is to be described in the next verses. There is no such reference to this woman in the other prophecies. The description of this beast is given in detail in Revelation 13, and is revealed to be satan, himself. In the 12th chapter, the beast is described as red, and here he is described as scarlet.
Though there may not be a lot of distinction between red and scarlet. The use of scarlet is consistent with the description of that which is attractive to the world, as opposed to red, which for millennia of pagan religious thought has been linked directly to the presentation of evil. A good and fast scarlet dye was rare and expensive, reserving that which was scarlet for the rich and powerful. People who lust for the finer things in life would look upon scarlet cloth with desire, much like those today who also lust for the rarer and finer possessions. The change of color from red to scarlet may be a metaphor for how the true, red evil of satan is seen by those who exercise their depraved lusts. Rather than seeing the beast as evil, they see him as rare and attractive. This metaphor is also consistent with the description of the woman.
The woman is seated on the beast. Nothing of her character is yet known, but will be revealed in the following verses. Our first impression may be that as a rider on a horse, one who is skilled at the equestrian arts, and controls the beast through the use of a bit in its mouth, reins, ropes and the other tools used to guide the horse to the rider’s destination. There have been examples of literature and recent films that illustrate a rider who drives a dragon in such a manner. However, as we follow the narrative to come, we will see that this rider is not in control of the beast in any way. This rider is fooled into thinking that she is the one in control, when all of the power is actually exercised by beast in a manner that will bring her ultimate downfall. She is in for a wild ride.