Revelation 17:3 Meaning and Explanation
“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Carried in the Spirit to the wilderness, John sees the woman seated on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names, bearing seven heads and ten horns.
What Does Revelation 17:3 Mean?
The angel carries John in the Spirit out into the wilderness, the place of testing and stark vision. There he sees the woman mounted on a scarlet beast that is covered all over with names of blasphemy and crowned with seven heads and ten horns. The same beast that defies God now bears the seductive figure, and her splendor rests entirely upon its brute power.
The picture exposes a hidden alliance. Luxury and allurement above, raw blasphemy and force beneath, the one carried by the other. What dazzles the eye is propped up by what hates God. To see this clearly a person must be taken into the wilderness, away from the comforts that disguise it. There the soul learns to distinguish the throne of the Lamb, which is built on sacrifice and truth, from every glittering power that rides on contempt for heaven.
Revelation 17:3 in the Original Language
blasphemia (βλασφημία), 'blasphemy' -- speech that insults or claims for itself what belongs to God alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 17:3
What does Revelation 17:3 mean?
Carried in the Spirit to the wilderness, John sees the woman seated on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names, bearing seven heads and ten horns.