The Scarlet Beast

THE SCARLET BEAST – [The woman was] sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. When I saw [the beast], I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of … the beast [that the woman] rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction … This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king…