Revelation 17:6-14 (the woman Babylon and the beast)

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving Your Son the Lamb for us and for all that You've revealed to us in Your Word, including Your warnings to us on sin and Your instruction on Your good and acceptable and perfect will for us. Help us to know You and Your Son and Your Holy Spirit better through our study of Your Word, and help us especially in studying this book of Revelation that You've given us. And strengthen Your Church, including all of Your missionaries, pastors and church leaders, and all those being persecuted for Your Son's name, including in North Korea, China, Africa and Muslim lands, and Christians here who have lost their jobs for not compromising on Your Word, and keep Chinese leaders from corrupting Your Word in Chinese-language Bibles and help believers in North Korea and China, including children, to know You and meet in the truth of Your Word. Help us also as we face living in this time and place which is more and more rejecting Your Son and in which evil is so often called good and good evil, lies are called true and the truth called lies, and false accusers abound, as Satan's temporary grip on this world is increasing, and in which coldness is growing in many churches and those with the spirit of the tare and the spirit of the hireling so often have the loudest voices. Help us also to take the beam out of our own eye before trying to remove the moat from the eyes of others and to follow Your direction on how we are to live each day, not depending on our own sight or own understanding or own strength but on You, help us to be the salt and light that we should be, and help, too, our leaders in the world, including the Trumps and Pences, and help our nation also so that many hearts here turn back to You and many more souls are saved. We also pray for those possessed or oppressed by demons, those oppressed by man, the falsely accused and falsely convicted, those who serve and protect others, the poor and the homeless, and those addicted to substances. And also help and protect children who are being abused and children in the womb and those fighting to protect them. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

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