What does Beast and the Harlot mean?

Avenged Sevenfold: Beast and the Harlot Meaning

Tagged:   No tags, suggest one.
Album cover for Beast and the Harlot album cover

Song Released: 2006


Beast and the Harlot Lyrics

This shining city built of gold, a far cry from innocence,
There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep.
A city of evil.
There sat a seven-headed beast, ten horns raised from his head.
Symbolic woman sits on his...

  1. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 16th 2010 !⃝

    the first line of the song, he is talking about the richest city being full of greed. the seven headed beast is from the book of revalation. the harlot is the tempatation to sin. in one of the last verses he talks about judgement day but just for the sinners. he also says that those have erved under the greedy sinners will not be killed. they will have a chance to run away but will have to start all over again.in the last verse he say"if you wanna serve above or be a king with us" he is saying that being greedless is harder than being full of greed and sins.

  2. matthebagger
    click a star to vote
    Jun 9th 2010 !⃝

    Before reading this, realize that although it is a common belief, the book of revelation (which the song was derived from) does not actually predict the end of all time. It used symbolism during the persecution of Christians-i will explain.
    Well lets do this line by line.
    The shining of the city represents the lure of sin (how good it can look/feel) when you do it, and the city of gold does represent Babylon, but more so Hell.
    the waters of the deep mentioned is the world we live in, and how dark and sinful it is...also where the harlot (whore) lives.
    Most people believe the seven headed beast to be Satan, the devil, the antichrist, etc. Seven is commonly used in the bible, as it is the SYMBOL of completeness. It is taught in the catholic seminary that the seven heads do not actually have a meaning, but most likely symbolize the seven deadly sins.
    the symbolic women is all of mankind, we put ourselves in a position of power, but we are not perfect so we do not deserve it.
    the city dressed in jewels and gold once again refers to the lure of sin.
    merchants and captains....with their sins piled to the sky-represented the agony of sinners ultimate punishment when they die.
    the day has come for all us sinners, if your not a servvant youll be struck to the ground-this part of the SONG, NOT THE BIBLE, DOES in fact speak of the end and what is believed by some to happen. Those who are deserving to be sent to hell for all time (sinners) are too late to be forgiven(flee the burning greedy city), and those who God chooses to be with him (servants) will be taken up into heaven.
    refrain
    shes a dwelling place for demons...cage for every unclean spirit-refers to the harlot (all humanity) and her (our) embracment of sin.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 18th 2010 !⃝

    Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the prostitute that sits on many waters; Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the woman that sits on the scarlet beast.

    http://meccasevenmountains.blogspot.com

    Here are just but a few notes

    Did you know that Mecca sits on seven mountains?

    Did you know that five kings have fallen and one is in Saudi Arabia today (where Mecca resides)? This is the exact time that the apostle John saw this harlot.

    Did you know Mecca is drunk with the blood of the saints?

    Did you know the kaaba in Mecca is fully described in Zechariah as the basket the woman sits in? (Mystery solved)

    Did you know Mecca's port Jidda is the wealthiest in the middle east and western asia? Revelation 18

    Did you know one of the kings of saudi Arabia had a fatal wound and is not?

    Did you know the institution for the beheading of any Christian is already in place in Islam?

    The Bible says this city has made all nations drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication (I.e. Twin towers, pentagon, car bombings etc.)

    go to http://meccasevenmountains.blogspot.com and read more thoroughly about this.



    a helper in the Lord,



    Jonathan Haskins

  4. EsgonRashak
    click a star to vote
    Mar 3rd 2010 !⃝

    I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell.
    You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
    Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
    You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever.


    Ok now while i may be running on 88 hours of no sleep i am thinking rather cleary and you all focus on the third and fourth line of that verse but you all seem to forget the first line it pretty much says ya no one wants be in hell duh obviously so do you want to serve some one so far above you or be responsible and pay for your actions with your life, in some cases as a king would for treason and such in the time of the bible and during the mid ages hence that portion of that line you all got to quit looking at it straight forward and dig deeper now dont get me wrong you all dug pretty deep and were exactly where i got to when i thought it over but you all forgot that one wee bit so keep that in mind

  5. pantorasbox
    click a star to vote
    Nov 26th 2009 !⃝

    The song is about the fall of Babylon. -.- It's that easy people.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 15th 2009 !⃝

    The lyrics were taken almost word for word from the bible (New American Standard is what I used).
    [...]=Words from the song that were found in the bible
    -Revelation...=Where they are found in the bible.
    Any questions? Email is toddanderson1993@hotmail.com

    [This shining city built of gold,]-Revelation 18:16 a far cry from innocence,
    There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep.
    A city of evil.
    [There sat a seven-headed beast, ten horns raised from his head.
    Symbolic woman sits on his throne,]-Revelation 17:3 [but hatred strips her and leaves her naked.]-Revelation 17:16
    The Beast and the Harlot.

    [She's a dwelling place for demons.
    She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
    every filthy bird and makes us drink from poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
    Fallen now is Babylon the Great.]-Revelation 18:2-3

    The city dressed in [jewels and gold, fine linen, myrrh and pearls.]-Revelation 18:12
    [Her plagues will come all at once as her mourners watch her burn.]-Revelation 18:8
    [Destroyed in an hour.]-Revelation 18:17
    [Merchants and captains of the world, sailors, navigators too.
    Will weep and mourn this loss]-Revelation 18:17-19 with [her sins piled to the sky,]-Revelation 18:5
    The Beast and the Harlot.

    [She's a dwelling place for demons.
    She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
    every filthy bird and makes us drink from poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
    Fallen now is Babylon the Great.]-Revelation 18:2-3

    The day has come for all us sinners.
    If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground.
    [Flee the burning, greedy city.
    Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around.]-Revelation 18:17-19

    I don't believe in fairytales and no one wants to go to hell.
    You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
    Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
    You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever.

    [She's a dwelling place for demons.
    She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
    every filthy bird and makes us drink from poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
    Fallen now is Babylon the Great.]-Revelation 18:2-3

    [She's a dwelling place for demons.
    She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
    every filthy bird and makes us drink from poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
    Fallen now is Babylon the Great.]-Revelation 18:2-3

  7. 21drummer
    click a star to vote
    Aug 31st 2009 !⃝

    Okay the people who think its about a bilble, obiously dont know A7X.
    this song shows how everything is corperate and how people see there souls.
    its more of a hollywood contract thing then a god thing.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 14th 2009 !⃝

    Every word in the song is straight from the bible and to all you saying that they are satanic they aren't and someone said something about the "sounding the seventh trumpet" album not being religious the album is directly named from a quote in the bible and several of the songs have biblical mentions in them, the 7 headed beast has many references 7 heads for the 7 deadly sins the 10 horns for the 10 major powers in the world and 10 crowns on each horn indicating 10 key figure heads for each power, covered with blasphemous words meaning the figure heads think they are religious but truly aren't servants of god, the harlot tempts and corrupts all the undecided of the true "religion" until she comes across one of the "pure of the true religion" where the beast knows that this one cannot be turned and turns its back on her stripping her of everything that makes her lustrious and this point she then destroys Babylon as she cannot continue as she did without the beasts power... none of this references current time... This is all about the ancient city of Babylon not the usa or Anna Nicole many people mourned Anna Nicole's death that were true sinners as she was "too young to die" and the media covered it for weeks... as many people mourned Nichole Brown Simpson's death but she's not mentioned here cause she was killed by a mortal, as far as to my understanding also the harlot was never spoken about dying just being stripped naked and shunned by both sinners and the pure, I personaly like avenged sevenfold am not religious but have studied the bible intently to not be ignorant to what all you religious sheep think is a fact...so basically in short the lyrics are taken from the book of revelations directly the words mixed up a bit so their not just reading straight from the bible some parts left out but nothing in the song ISNT directly in the bible in some form... "The day has come for all us sinners.
    If you're not a servant, you'll be struck to the ground.
    Flee the burning, greedy city. Lookin' back on her to see there's nothing around." basically if your not going to heaven you will all die is what that line means, and I know this is long the the portion directly after this talks about being a king in hell or leaving the city... as in the bible god told the masses to leave the city as its fate was condemned.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 2nd 2009 !⃝

    This song is far from christian. while the story is taken from the Bible,it is used the wrong way. "now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us" does that sound christian? no,they are promoting satan and being kings with him in hell. while i do like some of A7x's music and even though they do have some stuff from the Bible,its nowhere near christian. just thought i would clear up any doubts on that.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 26th 2009 !⃝

    Yes, I think it quite obvious that the song comes from the book Revelations.

    I have also heard some speak of Avenged Sevenfold being Christian - Cathloic, perhaps. That makes me question the line, "Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us your welcome to the city where your future is set forever." This seems to be promoting worship of Satan - do you wish to serve God, or be a King with the Devil?

    I may be wrong.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 15th 2009 !⃝

    Avenged Sevenfold is FAR from religious. Listen to the album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, or the lyrics from A Little Piece of Heaven. They're not religious. But they do an amazing thing putting the bible to music. Beast and the Harlot is about the chapter of revelations; the coming of the apocalypse, the end of the world. The Beast is the antichrist, Satan. The harlot is the will to sin. The seven headed beast, with 10 horns - The Leviathan. The seven heads represent the seven deadly sins, and one would guess the 10 horns are the 10 commandments being broken?...

  12. JakeyB
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2009 !⃝

    this song is based on a part of a book out of the Bible (christianity's religous book) it is called revalation. the song is talking about this verse: Then the angel carried me away in the spirit into a desert there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns and each horn had ten crowns. The woman was dressed in purple scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand and was with child. the child would be ruler of all things evil of the earth, the cup was filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This was written on her forehead. (Revelation 12) The harlot repersents all things of the earth that are evil. the bible refers to the end times of the earth being "a new babylon" ("city of evil") the beast and the harlot is a metiphorical statment. the beast is satan while the harlot is a symbolic repersintation of the world, and its evil wich is the new babylon.

  13. JakeyB
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2009 !⃝

    This song speaks of a story out of the bible (the religous book for christian belief) is talking about a city called Babylon. In the bible the city became great and wonderful in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God it was a place of wickedness so God destroyed the city. The song talks about the choice you have either serve God or be a king of the "city were your future is set forever" ("city of evil")the beast is Satan, and the harlot is the city of Babylon. Here are some lyrical examples: "This shining city built of gold, a far cry from innocence,
    There's more than meets the eye round here, look to the waters of the deep.
    A city of evil.
    There sat a seven-headed beast, ten horns raised from his head.
    Symbolic woman sits on his throne, but hatred strips her and leaves her naked.
    The Beast and the Harlot."
    "She's a dwelling place for demons.
    She's a cage for every unclean spirit,
    every filthy bird and makes us drink
    the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings.
    Fallen now is Babylon the Great."
    "I don't believe in fairy tales and no one wants to go to hell.
    You've made the wrong decision and it's easy to see.
    Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us,
    You're welcome to the city where your future is set forever."

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 19th 2008 !⃝

    I've heard a lot of good interpretations on this page but a7x is my fav band and beast and the harlot is my fav song so... Heres what I say. I actually read revelations and it says that the seven headed beast actually represents satan or sin w/e. but the seven heads also represent stuff. each head represents a king that will rise with the beast. The sixth king was raining and the seventh was yet to come. It also said the beast was one of the seven. Its kinda confusing. anyway, it also described the seven heads as the seven hills that babylon(the harlot) rests on. The ten horns on the beast represent ten kings or something like that. and again the harlot refers to Babylon, the city of evil. all the other interpretations should help explain the harlot and.... ya... a7x refers to Babylon as Hollywood. According to them, Hollywood is poisoning the residents, making them drunk on the wine of sin. a7x is a badass band and beast and the harlot is a badass song. unfortunately I'm in school right now and can't write a whole lot...

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 18th 2008 !⃝

    Well harlot means prostitute so it has something to do with that.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



More Avenged Sevenfold songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]




Blog posts mentioning Avenged Sevenfold

Just Posted

Happy? anonymous
Rock Show anonymous
Don't Go anonymous
Tek It anonymous
Don't Leave Me anonymous
Chop Suey anonymous
Taking Over Me anonymous
All The Good Girls Go To Hell anonymous
Wingriddenangel anonymous
I Spoke to The Devil in Miami anonymous
This Woman's Work anonymous
Action! Not Words anonymous
Everybody Loves Me, Baby anonymous
Fall in to Sleep anonymous
Lemon Boy anonymous

(We won't give out your email)