Revelation Chapter 17
IN THIS LESSON
Who is the “great whore”? One of the seven angels who poured out the bowls says to John, “She is the one with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication” (v. 2). She is dazzling on the outside—adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls (v. 4)—but is she the same on the inside? What is her crime, and why is she being judged? She is not alone in her guilt—others joined her. Should we interpret this story literally or symbolically? What does it mean for us today?
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N.T. Wright, Revelation For Everyone (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2011), 140-144.