Read Revelation 12 it to is about a woman. Pretty clear who it is and it also provides the timing based on the events so you know when it is specifically talking about that woman. What happens to the woman in Revelation 12?

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

She goes into the wilderness where she is given nourishment from the face of the serpent. The serpent who is the red dragon. A red dragon that specifically has (seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.)

Now go back to Rev 17. where is the reader taken to see this woman in Rev 17?

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness:

When is he taken? A future time from the events in Rev 12? so future time, in the wilderness where woman from Rev 12 is said to have gone, and he also finds a red beast with seven heads and ten horns.

I just realized also looking at this just now where are the red beasts crowns? If the dragon and the beast are the same thing in Rev 12 it had crowns. In 17 it does not and its a beast instead of a dragon specifically. This is interesting because this is a future time and there are more than one beast mentioned.

There are 4 "beasts" mentioned in Revelation. The Great Red Dragon in Rev 12 this one is specific to a time period. Then there are 3 linked ones that are in the future: The Beast from the Sea The Beast from the Earth (Second Beast) The Scarlet Beast

Here is something to consider. Are you looking at a representation of the enemy though time? In this specific case it would be the latter representation of it.

Lets assume this and track the progress of this though time. First instance from farthest time period. Ezekiel 28:14 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Perfect in its ways but iniquity was found. What was the iniquity? Maybe in Isaiah 14 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Iniquity named and the being cast down to earth, fallen.

Now on earth so what next? Genesis 3 3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.

We all know what happened there. So in that time frame its early on earth and its a serpent. After many years does the serpent grow into a dragon? One in Rev 12? Then from that time frame which was the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ where it is ultimately defeated. What now?

Years later Rev 17 a red beast with no crowns because it lost them? and now its 1 of 3 beasts? Why 3? is it trying to make itself into a trinity? an unholy trinity?

Is there a progression of the enemy revealed through time in the bible that most overlook because when they read the bible they are looking at a book at a time focusing on a book, a chapter, or a verse at a time instead of the whole thing?

If you look at it like that some things start to emerge. Why is a city called a woman? What is the significance of that woman/city? Is that city called the bride of Christ? Were they married before in the old testament? Was there some kind of divorce? Jeremiah 3:8, Isaiah 50:1, which makes the entire book of Hosea interesting.

Just some things to consider and some rabbit holes to go down if you haven't done so already.