17:1 The fact that this chapter describes the judgment of Babylon referred to in 14:8 and 16:19 seems clear. It was one of the angels who poured out the bowl judgments who served as John's guide as he viewed these events in his vision. The "great harlot"(Gr. pornes tes megales) is Babylon (v. 5).552She is the personification of spiritual fornication or idolatry (cf. Isa. 23:15-17; Jer. 2:20-31; 13:27; Ezek. 16:17-19; Hos. 2:5; Nah. 3:4).553
"In OT prophetic discourse the imagery of the harlot is commonly used to denote religious apostasy."554
It is probably better to translate epias "beside"rather than "on"many waters since she sits astride the beast (v. v. 3). Evidently the beast and she were on the shore in John's vision (cf. John 21:1). The "many waters"represent humankind (v. 15), not a specific geographical site. This fact indicates that it is Babylon as a symbol that is in view here rather than the physical city. Babylon dominates humankind. It is also true, however, that literal Babylon stood beside many waters; it was built on a network of canals (Jer. 51:13). This helps to make the identification more certain.
"She leads the world in the pursuit of false religion whether it be paganism or perverted revealed religion. She is the symbol for a system that reaches back to the tower of Babel (Gen. 10:9-10; 11:1-9) and extends into the future when it will peak under the regime of the beast."555
There is similarity between this angel's invitation to John and the one in 21:9. This is the first of many clues that the New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5) is the divine counterpart of humanistic Babylon.556
17:2 The "kings of the earth"are world leaders who personify kingdoms (16:14; et al.). They committed immorality (fornication) with Babylon by uniting with the system she symbolizes.
"Religious compromise necessitated in this kind of association is totally incompatible with the worship of the one true God, and so amounts to spiritual prostitution."557
This system made all earth-dwellers, not just kings, "drunk,"that is, it had a controlling influence on them. When people reject the truth, they will believe lies (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10-11). Obviously this harlot is different from the woman in chapter 12 and the bride in chapters 19, 21, and 22.
