Rev. 17:1-18:24 In his vision, John sees the punishment of a prostitute dressed in the imperial purple worn by the Roman emperors, with the name Babylon the Great on her forehead.
John is foretelling the fall and punishment of Rome and its empire in thinly veiled ‘coded’ language. He refers to the Seven Hills on which Rome sits (see Revelation 17:9), and speaks of the trade carried across the Mediterranean in Roman ships (see Revelation 18:11-14).
Rev. 19:1-21 In John’s vision, joyous praise breaks out in heaven. Jesus – the ‘Word of God’ – sits triumphant, mounted on a white horse like a victorious king. On his robe is written the title “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16). The ‘beast’ (symbolising the Roman emperor) and the kings of the earth are all defeated in battle.
Temple of Antoninus & Faustina, Rome
(Revelation 17:5)