The Meaning of Revelation 17:17 Explained

Revelation 17:17

KJV: For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

YLT: for God did give into their hearts to do its mind, and to make one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast till the sayings of God may be complete,

Darby: for God has given to their hearts to do his mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

ASV: For God did put in their hearts to do his mind, and to come to one mind, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  God  hath put  in  their  hearts  to fulfil  his  will,  and  to agree,  and  give  their  kingdom  unto the beast,  until  the words  of God  shall be fulfilled. 

What does Revelation 17:17 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The ultimate cause of this action is God"s sovereign purpose. God has used the forces of evil for His own purposes before (cf. Revelation 16:13-14; Revelation 16:16; Judges 7:22; 1 Samuel 14:20; 2 Chronicles 20:23; Jeremiah 25:9-11; Ezekiel 38:21; Haggai 2:22; Zechariah 14:13). Nevertheless the sinner is always responsible for his or her actions ( Ezekiel 18).
"This verse denies the existence of any ultimate dualism in the world. In the final analysis the powers of evil serve the purposes of God." [1]
The "common purpose" in view in this verse is world domination ( Revelation 17:13). The allied kings will submit to the beast"s leadership because this will help them achieve their goal of attaining universal power and resisting God. This situation will continue until the end of the age, until all God"s words about rebellion against Him in the Tribulation have come to fulfillment (cf. Revelation 10:7).

Context Summary

Revelation 17:1-18 - The Great World City Overthrown
This scarlet-attired woman is that miserable attempt made in every age to counterfeit the true Church of the living God. Man does not like the religion of the cross, of faith, of self-denial, and each age has witnessed some false system from which all these objectionable elements are eliminated. Surely a meretricious system has revealed itself successively in Babylon, Jerusalem, Rome, London, New York, and other great centers. Fashion smiles on it, wealth bedizens it, human power unites with it, and in every age it has been drunken with the blood of martyrs.
Between this miserable travesty of the Church and the Church herself there has been perpetual conflict. But the ultimate victory has always remained with the Lamb, and if only we side with Him, as the called, chosen, and faithful of Revelation 17:14, we also shall be more than conquerors. Human prestige and power shall not ultimately avail in the conflict against the all-conquering Savior. And finally the very world-powers shall turn against the apostate and adulterous Church, Revelation 17:16. Come out from her and be separate! [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 17

1  A woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, with a golden cup in her hand sits upon the beast;
5  which is great Babylon, the mother of all abominations
9  The interpretation of the seven heads;
12  and the ten horns
14  The victory of the Lamb
16  The punishment of the harlot

Greek Commentary for Revelation 17:17

Did put [εδωκεν]
“Did give” (first aorist active of διδωμι — didōmi do his mind Epexegetic first aorist active infinitive of ποιεω — poieō after εδωκεν — edōken as often in this book. They are of one mind (Revelation 17:13) because God put them up to it, clear statement of God‘s over-ruling hand among the nations. [source]
Until the words of God should be accomplished [αχρι τελεστησονται οι λογοι του τεου]
Temporal clause about the future with αχρι — achri (like εως — heōs), with the future indicative of τελεω — teleō but with aorist passive subjunctive τελεστωσιν — telesthōsin in Revelation 15:8. For τελεω — teleō see also Revelation 10:7. For “the words of God” see Revelation 19:9. They will be fulfilled. [source]
Hath put [ἔδωκεν]
Rev., with stricter rendering of the aorist, did put. Lit., did give. [source]
To fulfill His will [ποιῆσαι τὴν γνώμην αὐτοῦ]
See on Revelation 17:13. Rev., more literally, to do his mind. [source]
To agree [ποιήσαι μίαν γνώμην]
Lit., to make one mind. Rev., come to one mind. [source]
The words [τὰ ῥήματα]
But read οἱ λόγοι theprophetic words. For the distinction, see on Luke 1:37. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 17:17 mean?

- For God has put into the hearts of them to do the purpose of Him and one to give kingdom to the beast until will be fulfilled the words - of God
γὰρ Θεὸς ἔδωκεν εἰς τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν ποιῆσαι τὴν γνώμην αὐτοῦ καὶ μίαν δοῦναι βασιλείαν τῷ θηρίῳ ἄχρι τελεσθήσονται οἱ λόγοι τοῦ Θεοῦ

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸς  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἔδωκεν  has  put 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
καρδίας  hearts 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ποιῆσαι  to  do 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
γνώμην  purpose 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γνώμη  
Sense: the faculty of knowledge, mind, reason.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
μίαν  one 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
δοῦναι  to  give 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
βασιλείαν  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θηρίῳ  beast 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: θηρίον  
Sense: an animal.
ἄχρι  until 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἄχρι  
Sense: until, unto, etc.
τελεσθήσονται  will  be  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: τελέω  
Sense: to bring to a close, to finish, to end.
λόγοι  words 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.