Revelation 17:3 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And he carried me away — In the vision. Into a wilderness — The campagna di Roma, the country round about Rome, is now a wilderness, compared to what it was once. And I saw a woman — Both the scripture and other writers frequently represent a city under this emblem. Sitting upon a scarlet wild beast — The same which is described in Revelation 13:1-18. But he was there described as he carried on his own designs only: here, as he is connected with the whore. There is, indeed, a very close connexion between them; the seven heads of the beast being "seven hills on which the woman sitteth." And yet there is a very remarkable difference between them, — between the papal power and the city of Rome. This woman is the city of Rome, with its buildings and inhabitants; especially the nobles. The beast, which is now scarlet — coloured, (bearing the bloody livery, as well as the person, of the woman,) appears very different from before. Therefore St. John says at first sight, I saw a beast, not the beast, full of names of blasphemy — He had' before "a name of blasphemy upon his head," Revelation 13:1; now he has many. From the time of Hildebrand, the blasphemous titles of the Pope have been abundantly multiplied. Having seven heads — Which reach in a succession from his ascent out of the sea to his being cast into the lake of fire. And ten horns — Which are contemporary with each other, and belong to his last period.