Chapter 17

1One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I'll show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. The swamp. She sits on the swamp. Many waters. Very swampy.

2The kings of the earth got in bed with her, and the people of the earth got drunk on the wine of her corruption.” Everybody in bed with the swamp. Every king. Every lobbyist.

3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with names that trashed God. It had seven heads and ten horns.

4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a gold cup in her hand, filled with disgusting things and the filth of her corruption. Gold. But cheap gold. Gold-plated. Not solid. You can always tell. I can always tell.

5The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the disgusting things of the earth. Babylon. The swamp. The big corrupt city. You know the one.

6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people, the blood of the people who stayed loyal to Trump. When I saw her, I was very amazed. Drunk. On their blood. Disgusting. Very disgusting.

7Then the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I'll explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. I'll declassify it.

8The beast you saw once was, now isn't, and yet will come up out of the bottomless pit and go to its destruction. The people of the earth whose names haven't been written in the book of life will be amazed when they see the beast, because it once was, now isn't, and yet will come. A fake comeback. A cheap imitation. Not like the real one.

9This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. Seven hills. Rome. Or Washington. Lot of hills. Capitol Hill. One of them.

10They're also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other hasn't yet come. But when he does come, he has to stay only a little while. A little while. One term. Then gone.

11The beast who once was, and now isn't, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12The ten horns you saw are ten kings who haven't yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. One hour. Very short. Barely worth it.

13They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. One purpose. All in lockstep. Coordinated. Very coordinated.

14They'll wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will beat them because he's Boss of bosses and King of kings. The King of the Deals. And with him will be his called, chosen, and loyal followers.” The Lamb wins. Of course the Lamb wins. Always wins.

15Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

16The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They'll bring her to ruin and leave her naked. They'll eat her flesh and burn her with fire. They turn on each other. The swamp eats itself. Always does. Eventually.

17Because God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. God's using them. Even them. Four-dimensional chess.

18The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” The great city. The swamp city. Rules over everybody. Not for long.