Revelation 17:3

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness ... "A wilderness" is here significant. Plummer, Alford, and others have pointed out that our version (ASV) is incorrect in changing this from "the wilderness" as in KJV.[23] It is not merely "a wilderness," but "the wilderness" of the church's probation that is meant. This strongly supports the view of the harlot as the apostate church. This wilderness scene is that of a violated probation.

A woman upon a scarlet-colored beast ... "We should identify this beast with that in Revelation 13:1. The woman's position indicates a close connection and identifies her as one of the forces of evil supported by the beast."[24] "It would be foolish to underestimate her. Even John finds himself marveling (Revelation 17:7)."[25]

[23] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 414.

[24] Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 20, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 205.

[25] Michael A. Wilcock, op. cit., p. 160.