Revelation 17:3

“the wilderness--Contrast her in Rev 12:6, Rev 12:14, having a place in the wilderness-world, but not a home; a sojourner here, looking for the city to come. Now, on the contrary, she is contented to have her portion in this moral wilderness. upon a scarlet . . . beast--The same as in Rev 13:1, who there is described as here, "having seven heads and ten horns (therein betraying that he is representative of the dragon, Rev 12:3), and upon his heads names (so the oldest manuscripts read) of blasphemy"; compare also Rev 17:12-14, below, with Rev 19:19-20, and Rev 17:13-14, Rev 17:16. Rome, resting on the world power and ruling it by the claim of supremacy, is the chief, though not the exclusive,…”

“So he carried me away in the spirit - In vision. He seemed to himself to be thus carried away; or the scene which he is about to describe was made to pass before him as if he were present. Into the wilderness - Into a desert. Compare the notes on Revelation 12:6. Why this scene is laid in a wilderness or desert is not mentioned. Prof. Stuart supposes that it is because it is “appropriate to symbolize the future condition of the beast.” So DeWette and Rosenmuller. The imagery is changed somewhat from the first appearance of the harlot in Revelation 17:1. There she is represented as “sitting upon many waters.” Now she is represented as “riding on a beast,” and of course the imagery is adapted…”

“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 Rev. 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…”

“17:3-4 John is carried in the Spirit into the wilderness, his way of describing a visionary experience (see 1:10; 4:2). He sees a depiction of Rome’s moral corruption and excessive luxury (see 18:12-13, 16) that illustrates how such wealth can become an abomination to God. • The beast here is like the second figure in the evil trinity (see 13:1-4). • blasphemies against God: See 13:5-6. • purple and scarlet: Clothing in these two colors indicated royalty and carnality, respectively. • a gold goblet: See Jer 51:7.”

“he carried: Rev 1:10, Rev 4:2, Rev 21:10; Kg1 18:12; Kg2 2:16; Eze 3:12, Eze 8:3, Eze 11:24; Act 8:39 into: Rev 12:6, Rev 12:14; Sol 8:5 a woman: Rev 17:4, Rev 17:6, Rev 17:18, Rev 12:3 full: Rev 13:1-6; Dan 7:8, Dan 7:20, Dan 7:25, Dan 11:36; Th2 2:4 having: Rev 17:9-12, Rev 12:3, Rev 13:1 Revelation 17:4”