Year of the Bible
Revelation 17
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Commentary on the Book of Revelation, Chapter 17:
After previously proclaiming that Babylon is fallen (14:8), it is now revealed how that occurred. Babylon was a great enemy of the Jews in the past, and by New Testament times is a name for God’s enemies. It can mean the Roman Empire, the unfaithful of Jerusalem, or more generally, those working against God. Babylon is presented as a regal queen, but a closer look reveals she rides a beast of evil, drinks in sin, is a prostitute, and is drunk on the blood of martyrs. Multiple kings work for her, and they will participate in the upcoming final battle of good vs. evil. Before that happens, however, the kings will turn against Babylon and destroy her.
The Book of Revelation, Chapter 17:
The Great Whore and the Beast
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; 5 and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
When I saw her I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition; and the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to behold the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to perdition. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind and give over their power and authority to the beast; 14 they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
15 And he said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the harlot; they will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and giving over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city which has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"...they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." (v 14) When you read this passage from this Chapter 17, what is stirring up in your heart? Peace, protection, comfort, hope, joy, assurance, _____? What does God want to show you through these words of Scripture?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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1 Vino uno de los siete ángeles que tenían
las siete copas y me habló:
–Ven, te mostraré el castigo de la
gran ramera, la que se sienta sobre mu
chas aguas. 2 Con ella han fornicado los
reyes de la tierra, y se han embriagado
los habitantes de la tierra con el vino de
su lujuria.
3 Me condujo en espíritu al desierto,
y vi a una mujer sentada sobre una
bestia roja, llena de nombres blasfemos,
que tenía siete cabezas y diez cuernos.
4 La mujer estaba revestida de púrpura
y escarlata, adornada con oro, piedras
preciosas y perlas. Tenía en la mano un
vaso de oro lleno de abominaciones y
de las inmundicias de su fornicación, 5 y
escrito en la frente un nombre, un misterio:
«La gran Babilonia, madre de las
lascivias y abominaciones de la tierra».
6 Y vi a la mujer ebria de la sangre de los
santos y de la sangre de los mártires de
Jesús. Al verla me llené de estupor.
7 Y el ángel me dijo:
–¿De qué te extrañas? Yo te descubriré
el misterio de la mujer y de la bestia
en que cabalga, la que tiene siete cabezas
y diez cuernos. 8 La bestia que has visto
existía pero ya no existe, y va a subir del
abismo, pero irá a la perdición. Los habitantes
de la tierra, cuyos nombres no están
escritos en el libro de la vida desde la
creación del mundo, se sorprenderán al
ver a la bestia, porque existía, pero ya no
existe, y sin embargo, reaparecerá.
9 »¡Aplique aquí la inteligencia quien
tenga sabiduría! Las siete cabezas son
siete colinas sobre las cuales la mujer
está sentada, y también son siete reyes:
10 cinco cayeron, uno subsiste, otro aún
no ha llegado y cuando llegue debe permanecer
un poco de tiempo. 11 La bestia
que existía, pero ya no existe, es el octavo,
aunque también es uno de los siete,
y va hacia la perdición. 12 Los diez cuernos
que has visto son diez reyes, que
aún no han recibido el reino, pero recibirán,
junto con la bestia, el poder real
durante una hora. 13 Éstos, de común
acuerdo, entregan su fuerza y su poder
a la bestia. 14 Lucharán contra el Cordero;
pero el Cordero, junto con sus llamados,
elegidos y fieles seguidores, los
vencerá, porque es Señor de señores y
Rey de reyes.
15 Y me dijo:
–Las aguas que has visto, donde la
ramera se sienta, son pueblos y muchedumbres,
naciones y lenguas. 16 Los diez
cuernos que has visto y la bestia aborrecerán
a la ramera, la dejarán desolada
y desnuda, se comerán sus carnes y
la quemarán en el fuego. 17 Porque Dios
ha movido sus corazones para que ejecuten
el designio divino y, de común
acuerdo, entreguen el reino a la bestia,
hasta que se cumplan las palabras de
Dios. 18 La mujer que has visto es la gran
ciudad que ostenta la soberanía sobre
los reyes de la tierra.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
"...harán la guerra al Cordero, y el Cordero los vencerá, porque es el Señor de los señores y el Rey de los reyes, y los que están con él son llamados y elegidos y fieles". (v 14) Cuando lees este pasaje del capítulo 17, ¿qué sentimiento ves en tu corazón? ¿Paz, protección, consuelo, esperanza, alegría, seguridad, _____? ¿Qué quiere mostrarte Dios a través de estas palabras de la Escritura?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).