Step still to come (one reading among others)

Babylon the Great — the Prostitute, the Beast and the Ten Kings (Rev 17)

**Artist’s impression** "The Whore of Babylon," woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, c. 1496-1498, Apocalypse series (National Gallery of Art, Washington). It shows the woman seated on the seven-headed beast, cup in hand (Rev 17); Artist's impression. — Albrecht Dürer, Wikimedia Commons · CC0

? Not yet happened, no date

See the full entry: sources, objections, answers

In short

The announcement. In the book of Revelation, near the end of the 1st century, John sees a woman named "Babylon the great," drunk with the blood of believers, sitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns, and ten kings who ally themselves with the beast, fight the Lamb, then turn against the woman and burn her.

What happened. In the account, it is one of the angels of the seven bowls who shows this scene to John, and the last bowl had already named "Babylon the great." Already fulfilled, under way, or still to come? Readings differ: it is for you to judge.

What is still debated. who this city is. For some, it is Rome in John's time, because the text speaks of "seven mountains"; for others, a power still to come. The text names no city of today.

Main objection (in French for now)

Les sept têtes sont « sept montagnes » (Ap 17:9) : la lecture prétériste y voit Rome au Ier siècle, ville aux sept collines qui persécutait les chrétiens. La lecture historiciste y voit une institution religieuse, la lecture futuriste un système à venir. Le texte ne nomme aucune ville moderne, et on ne choisit pas ici.

The text (World English Bible)

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell on the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.” He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth. And o…
Rev 17:1-6

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The ten horns which you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute, will make her desolate, will strip her naked, will eat her flesh, and will burn her utterly with fire. For God has p…
Rev 17:12-18