And one of the seven ANGELS who had the seven BOWLS came and spoke with me, saying,
We first heard of these angels in Revelation 15:1 ,6 ,7 ,8 and Revelation 16:1. It is as if John was puzzled by the judgments of the seven bowls and needed further explanation. In particular, the final bowl judgment (Revelation 16:17-21) so distorts the earth that geopolitical boundaries are erased. Governments are in shambles, and economies are struggling. These effects of the GREAT EARTHQUAKE needed further discussion.
"Come here, I shall show you the JUDGMENT of the GREAT HARLOT
Through the imagery of a GREAT HARLOT, the angel will explain the character, the life, and the end of Satan's imitation religious system. The system is purposely devised to be confusion and deceiving. Right until the end, the devil does not or will not let the simple truth of God's salvation gift come forth.
who sits on many waters,
Verse 15 in this chapter explains that the "many waters" are "peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues." Since the expression "many waters" is used, it is clear that these next two chapters will be mostly symbolic. That is not to say this concept is new. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 8:5-8 equates the waters of the Euphrates River with the kingdom of Assyria. Assyria has always been a thorn in the side of Israel much like the Satanic mock religious governments have been to true believers.