15:1 Then 1 I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues 2 (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).
17:1 Then 4 one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. 5 “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment 6 of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 7 17:3 So 8 he carried me away in the Spirit 9 to a wilderness, 10 and there 11 I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 17:4 Now 12 the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, 13 and adorned with gold, 14 precious stones, and pearls. She held 15 in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 16 17:5 On 17 her forehead was written a name, a mystery: 18 “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. 19 I 20 was greatly astounded 21 when I saw her. 17:7 But 22 the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret 23 for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss 24 and then go to destruction. The 25 inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that 26 the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 17:9 (This requires 27 a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains 28 the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 17:10 five have fallen; one is, 29 and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 17:11 The 30 beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. 17:12 The 31 ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority 32 as kings with the beast for one hour. 17:13 These kings 33 have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying 34 the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”
17:15 Then 35 the angel 36 said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, 37 nations, and languages. 17:16 The 38 ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They 39 will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. 40 17:17 For God has put into their minds 41 to carry out his purpose 42 by making 43 a decision 44 to give their royal power 45 to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 46
21:9 Then 47 one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, 48 saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!”