What is the meaning of Revelation 17:7? “Why are you so amazed?” John had just seen the woman “drunk with the blood of the saints” (Revelation 17:6), and his reaction was shock. • Scripture often records believers stunned by God’s works—disciples at the calm sea (Mark 6:51), the Resurrection (Luke 24:41), or the healing at Solomon’s Colonnade (Acts 3:12). • The angel’s question redirects emotion toward understanding. God never wants His people frozen in bewilderment; He always provides clarity for those who seek it (James 1:5). • This moment shows that prophetic truth is meant to strengthen, not merely to astonish (cf. Daniel 8:17). said the angel. • The interpreter is one of the seven bowl angels (Revelation 17:1). Angels routinely explain visions—Gabriel to Daniel (Daniel 9:21–22) and to Zechariah (Zechariah 1:9), or the angel to John again in Revelation 22:8–9. • Because angels speak God’s words (Luke 1:19), the explanation carries divine authority. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman • In biblical language a “mystery” is truth once concealed but now revealed (Ephesians 3:3–5; Colossians 1:26). • The woman already bears the title “Mystery, Babylon the Great” (Revelation 17:5). The angel promises to unpack how she personifies end-time religious apostasy that entices kings and masses alike (Revelation 17:2). • God delights in disclosing His plans—“there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:28). and of the beast that carries her, • The woman’s global influence rides on the beast’s political-military power. She seems in control, yet the beast will later devour her (Revelation 17:16). • This beast is the same figure introduced in Revelation 13:1—an Antichrist system energized by the dragon (Revelation 12:9; 13:2). • The pairing warns that religious deception and political tyranny often work hand in hand, echoing Daniel’s vision of a blasphemous fourth beast (Daniel 7:7–8). which has the seven heads and ten horns. • Identical features link this beast with the dragon in Revelation 12:3 and the first beast in Revelation 13:1, underscoring Satan’s control. • The angel soon clarifies: “The seven heads are seven mountains… and they are seven kings” (Revelation 17:9–10). The ten horns are “ten kings… who will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour” (Revelation 17:12), paralleling Daniel 7:24’s ten-horned kingdom. • Because earlier prophecies matched literal empires—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome—these heads and horns likewise point to real rulers who will arise in the last days, confirming Scripture’s precise, literal nature. summary Revelation 17:7 moves John, and us, from startled amazement to Spirit-given insight. A trusted angelic messenger promises to unveil the hidden story behind the seductive woman and the terrifying beast. Their shared imagery—the seven heads and ten horns—ties this final evil empire to Daniel’s visions and to earlier scenes in Revelation, proving that God’s Word presents one coherent, reliable narrative. The verse assures believers that God exposes deception, explains His plan, and equips His people to stand firm as history races toward its ordained conclusion. |
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