8 kings of Revelation 17

–

Interpreting the scriptures using a historical viewpoint.

–

Guest Author:  Jim Giordano

–

There are a couple of verses in Revelation 17 that have confounded bible scholars throughout the centuries, primarily because most of the prophecy had not happened. Now with history behind us, we in the end times can finally decode Revelation 17 properly.

Rev 17 KJV

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

These 8 “kings“ have been thought to be everything from Roman emperors to U.S. presidents. But none of these explanations make any real sense.

The trick to understanding these verses is in understanding that the books of Daniel and Revelation are part of the same story. The prophecy of Daniel continues directly into the Book of Revelation. Once you realize that, you are ready to start.

Daniel clearly states that the four beasts discussed are Kingdoms, also often referred to as “kings.” They are not people! True, sometimes the beasts are referred to as “he” or in the form of a single entity, but you must realize that the “he” is referring to the actual image given to the kingdom such as a lion or a bear. So “he” the bear means the kingdom of Medo-Persia, not the leader or any other person. So, beast = kingdom… never a person or a king/leader. Once you’ve got these definitions / rules straight, you are ready to continue.

So, looking backwards, “king” = kingdom, “beast“ = kingdom, therefore beast = king and vice versa. The verses being discussed here may be called “kings” in the bible, but they also mean beasts, again, not people.

So the verses in question should read:

10 And there are seven beasts: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.

Now the verses are on an equal par.

Even better:

10 And there are seven kingdoms: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when it comes, it must continue a short space.

11 And the kingdom that was, and is not, even it is the eighth, and is of the seventh, and goes into perdition.

Now the verses are properly constructed.

So what were (or are) the 7th and 8th kingdoms? Well, we have to go back to Daniel for the first four – Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. What do these four kingdoms have in common and why are they important enough to be part of bible prophecy? These kingdoms are important to God because they are the kingdoms that His people were living in and controlled by throughout history after Israel ceased to be a sovereign nation in 575 B.C.

John describes parts of the 4 Daniel beasts before he describes his first beast, just so we understand that he is continuing from the book of Daniel.

–

Beast 5 = Rev beast 1= first four combined

Rev 13: KJV

1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Johns first beast / kingdom comes directly from the first four of Daniel, so it shares some characteristics with it’s predecessors, including some pagan religious practices that God considers blasphemous.

The mouth of the lion refers to Babylon, the bear is Medo-Persia and the leopard is Greece. The ten horns represent the ten states that the Roman Empire broke up into when it became the Holy Roman Empire.

Then he goes on to describe two successive kingdoms as “beasts” which are to follow directly from the last kingdom of Daniel – the Roman empire.

If we read from history alone, we find that what followed the Roman empire was known as the Holy Roman Empire which was ten former Roman provinces ruled by a new, religious power – the Vatican. This empire would last from 528 to 1798 or 1260 years. This is confirmed by Daniel, who prophesies beyond the Roman empire all the way to the second coming. He describes a beast with ten horns ruled by a “little horn” and that the little horn would be a false religious power (blasphemous). And both Daniel and Revelation indicate that the Holy Roman Empire / kingdom would last 1260 years. That can’t be just a huge coincidence.

–

–

Little Horn

Daniel 7: KJV

24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

The three kings (Roman states) that were subdued (disappeared) were the Vandals, the Heruli and the Ostrogoths.

Here is the deal with the little horn… it can be tricky.

The “little horn” of Daniel is the Vatican, which controlled the other ten horns (more stout than its fellows) at least in religious matters.

So technically he speaks of 11 horns, but then 3 are “plucked up by the roots, leaving 7 plus the Vatican for a total of 8. Weird eh?

So in the statue and later beast descriptions Daniel refers only to the ten / seven actual nations, but the Vatican is never given full nation status like the others. Until 1929 that is when it does become a genuine beast / kingdom.

**Confirmation Note: the little horn was the Papacy

Reference:

https://amazingdiscoveries.org/S-deception_end-time_Antichrist_Daniel_Papacy

Author: Professor Walter J. Veith, PhD

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots (Daniel 7:8).

Three of the ten kingdoms were to be destroyed by the instigation of the little horn power. Only the Papacy fits this description. Three kingdoms that did not accept the papal mandates regarding Christ’s divinity were literally uprooted and mercilessly destroyed. Although the doctrine of the divinity of Christ was correct, the method of dealing with it was not.

Since the little horn made its appearance after the subdivision of Rome into ten different states (after 476 AD) but before the destruction of three of them because it arises among all ten, we now have a very definite time frame for the rise of the Antichrist power. The Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths were eliminated by the year 538 AD. This power was to arise between 476 AD and 538 AD.

These conquests strengthened the hand of the Papacy, which was established by the year 538 AD. In that year, Vigilus, the bishop of Rome, ascended the papal throne under the protection of the Roman general Belisarius. The date for the establishment of papal Rome as an independent power can thus be pinned at 538 AD.

25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

This refers to a year, 2 years plus half a year which equals 3-1/2 years or 42 months. Using the day-for-a-year conversion for prophecy 42 months = 1260 days or 1260 actual years.

–

Rev 13: KJV

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Using the year-for-a-day conversion in prophecy, 42 months actually means 1260 years. So without a doubt, the 1st beast of Revelation must be the Holy Roman Empire.

2nd beast of Revelation

Rev 13: KJV

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

First of all, this kingdom is religious (Christ-like as the lambs horns reveal) and it continues to wield the religious power of the first beast, the Holy Roman Empire. All we have to do is look in our history books again. After the pope was captured by Napoleon (the final Holy Roman Emperor) in 1798 the Holy Roman Empire was ended and the Vatican was stripped of power (a deadly wound to the “little head“ of the first beast (Holy Roman Empire).

It officially became a world kingdom in 1929 when Mussolini restored it to nation status, confirmed today by its seat in the U.N. Thus the current Vatican system / kingdom is the 2nd beast of Revelation and the 6th kingdom overall including Daniel.

Note that after the messiah came, God’s people became the Christians, centered in Rome and no longer the Jews centered in Jerusalem. And to this day, the primary Christian church on earth is controlled by the Vatican. Revelation 12 outlines how the Jewish church (12 tribes) became Christian with the birth of the messiah and how that church was persecuted by the upcoming first beast of Revelation (Holy Roman Empire).  Revelation 12 is a direct prequel to Revelation 13. The woman of Revelation 12 is the true Christian church and the beasts of Revelation 13 are the evil forces who corrupted her.

Now to the proper context of the following verses we discussed at the beginning:

–

Was, is not, and will be

Rev 17: KJV

10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

**note:
So at the time of the 7th “king” which is the European Union (after 2010), the only one of John’s kingdoms that “was” is the first beast – the Holy Roman Empire which was long gone by then.

–

These verses appear after the Vatican, or the 6th “king” overall had been written by John. But he elaborates on a few other topics in Revelation 13 thru 16 and most readers forget about the beast / kingdom story from Revelation 13. So he continues with another “flashback” to what has been said so far. He says that up to this point of the story he has discussed six beast kingdoms. But there is a seventh one still to discuss.

So, up to this point in John’s story (he is currently talking about the 6th kingdom – the Vatican), the first five (Babylon thru the Holy Roman Empire) are gone (fallen). But the 6th beast / kingdom (the Vatican) still “is” (the Vatican was not an “is” at the time of John, but Rome was the “is”) and that a 7th kingdom will come sometime after 1929 and only last a short time. This event would be a restoration of the remnant of the 4th beast, the Roman empire, which in 2010 became the European Union. It is only 8 years old and won’t last too much longer. In any case, its reign can be considered very short compared to the previous kingdoms.

–

So who is the mysterious 8th kingdom?

Simple logic reveals the answer. John just described three beasts – the Holy Roman Empire, the Vatican and the European Union (kings 5, 6 and 7).

Of these, only the 6th king – the Holy Roman Empire “is not” any more. The Vatican and the European Union will last until the second coming. So, the kingdom that “is not” can only be one thing – the 8th kingdom – a restored version of the original Holy Roman Empire.

So the 8th kingdom must be a restored version of the original Holy Roman Empire. It will be a combination of the modern Vatican and the European Union – the 6th and 7th beasts. Except that not the entire European Union will be a part of it, only a select ten nations, according to Revelation.

–

10 Horns = 10 Kings

Rev 17: KJV

12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

–

–

Summary

So to recap, here is a complete list of the 8 kings (kingdoms):

1. Babylon (575-539 B.C.) [1st beast of Daniel, 1st king overall]

2. Medo-Persia (539-449 B.C.) [2nd beast of Daniel, 2nd king overall]

3. Greece 449-146 B.C. [3rd beast of Daniel, 3rd king overall]

4. Rome (146 B.C. – 476 A.D.) [4th beast of Daniel, 4th king overall]

5. Holy Roman empire (538-1798) [1st beast of Revelation, 5th king overall]

6. Vatican (1929-present) [2nd beast of Revelation, 6th king overall]

7. Revived Roman empire (European Union 2010-present) [3rd beast of Revelation, 7th king overall]

8. Restored Holy Roman Empire Future Kingdom -The 6th + the 7th kingdoms = 8th kingdom. [4th beast of Revelation, 8th king overall]

Note: The above dates are when each kingdom took control of God’s people. Many kingdoms overlapped for a while.

–

5 Fallen

Now let me further explain the 5 have fallen part of the story.

First we must realize that the 5 kingdoms which have fallen were not fallen at the time of John’s writing in 95 A.D. This is future prophecy so events in 95 A.D. have no part in the story. The 5 kings that have fallen are simply fallen by that point in the story.

Let me clarify:

John describes kings 5 and 6 as “beasts 1 & 2” in Revelation 13.

As we read Revelation John describes the first 2 beasts in Revelation 13, but then he side-tracks for 3 chapters in further describing these beasts in detail. So by the time we get to Revelation 17 many people have forgotten that John was still telling the beast story. By Revelation 17 he had described the first six (including Daniel’s) so he now continues the kingdom thread of his story by saying there will be another kingdom – #7.

While he doesn’t describe this kingdom as he does the first two beasts we can deduce this kingdom from recent history. The kingdom follows the previous ones, so we can assume it is not the U.S., nor China, Australia, Africa etc. as these kingdoms are not related to all the previous ones.

Remember that the story is about God’s people and the kingdoms that control them, and since the time of Christ these are the Christians. The great majority of Christians are Catholics, and have been controlled by the Vatican, which is located in Europe. Therefore, the 7th kingdom must involve the European Union nations.

We can also confirm this by reading ahead to the 8th kingdom, which is the “same” as the 5th kingdom (the fallen beast). And since the 5th kingdom was the Holy Roman Empire, then logic dictates that the 8th kingdom will be a modern version of the Holy Roman Empire.

In order to restore the Holy Roman Empire, you need to combine the Roman empire with the Vatican just as it was for the original. That requires the 7th kingdom to be a new version of the Roman empire, and the European Union fits the bill perfectly since it includes Italy and the Vatican.

John also claims that the 8th kingdom is “of the 7th” so if it is a restored Holy Roman Empire then the 7th kingdom must be the European Union combining with the Vatican. No other nations on earth fit the bill.

Now the big question, “Why would the European Union (or parts of it) give the Vatican the same sort of power it had during the Holy Roman Empire?

The answer relates to the mark of the beast.

–

–

–

THE MARK OF THE BEAST.

While the purpose of this article is not to prove what the mark of the beast is, I will outline my interpretation and you can Google the topic for more details.

Briefly, we know from Rev.12 and 14 that those who do not suffer the plagues are those who keep the commandments. Therefore, the mark of the beast is the breaking of a commandment.

Rev 12: KJV

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman [God’s true church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 14: KJV

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

So clearly, those saints who keep the commandments do not get the mark of the beast, so the mark must be the breaking of a commandment.

But which commandment constitutes the mark of the beast?

In Daniel 7:4 it says that the little horn (Vatican) will think to change laws AND times. The only commandment (law) that deals with time is the 4th commandment, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”

Well, we all know that the Catholic church changed the Sabbath day to Sunday, but few Christians realize that it will become the mark of the beast.

But what about the mark and that buying and selling thing?

First, in your bible concordance you will discover that a mark is not physical, but a “sign.” And the right hand and the forehead are referring to your works (most people are right handed) and your mind or beliefs.

Revelation 7 says it will take 144,000 righteous people and “seal“ them in their foreheads. Note that a “seal” also means a mark. So mark / seal = “sign.” These people will not be physically marked (nor chipped). In fact, God forbids His people to mark (tattoo) their bodies.

KJV Def. “sign”: A mark by which persons or things are distinguished and made known.“

In this case the sign is that the sealed are deemed righteous by God and they understand His laws. Note that if they also follow His commandments then they are sealed in their right hands – their works.

Now , what about the buy and sell thing? The bible says that those who do not take the mark of the beast (and remember, the last beast is the restored Holy Roman Empire) will not be able to “buy and sell” or in other words, own a business.

**Marianne Note: we see this discrimination today with the censorship of Christian businesses and websites. This discrimination will increase.

So, if the mark of the beast involves breaking the Sabbath law, then the mark is a sign that people will believe in or practice breaking the Sabbath law, primarily by worshipping on a different day.

It is clear that currently over 99% of all practicing Christians already worship on the wrong day, and the Vatican church has been practicing Sunday worship since its beginnings, claiming that it had the power to change God’s laws thru the power of the pope. It seems that God has predicted His 4th commandment would be forgotten, even though it begins with the word “remember.”

And even non-church goers who simply believe that Sunday is the true Sabbath will have the mark. People in other religions who don’t know or practice Sunday worship will actually be spared. God only punishes His own people (or those who wish them harm – on occasions).

Since the Vatican already believes in and practices Sunday worship it has been spreading the mark of the beast for 1,700 years, so the prophecy that the end-time Vatican would be pressing for Sunday worship is already here. Also, in 2002 pope John Paul II signed a papal decree forcing Sunday-only worship where Friday and Saturday are outlawed. So it is already on the books, it just can’t be enforced… yet.

But what about the buying and selling part?

Well, that just means that there will soon be a requirement for all business owners to follow the mark. They will be required to honor the false Sabbath by closing their shops on Sundays and remain open on all other days. These laws are already in place in France today and used to be known as “Blue Laws” in the U.S. only 60 years ago.

But mandatory Sunday-only worship is not in force today as it was in the Holy Roman Empire. But it is coming back, according to prophecy. As I mentioned before, the 8th kingdom will be a restored Holy Roman Empire, created by the European Union and the Vatican combining forces. The European Union will give the Vatican complete religious power (in 10 European countries) and the pope will finally be able to enforce the mark in these countries.

–

–

Now comes the all-important question. Why on earth would the leaders of 10 countries give the pope complete religious power?

This relates to the removal of unwanted people in “Christian countries.”

Consider this… what might be the consequences of forced Sunday-only worship? Well, obviously, any religion which worships on any other day such as the Muslims on Friday and the Jews on Saturday will no longer be able to practice properly in these nations.

If a Jew wants to honor the true Sabbath or if a Muslim wants to properly pray to Mecca on Friday, they will no longer be allowed to do so. If they are serious about their religion, they will have to move to a different country.

Now, let’s say you were the leader of Germany, and you wanted to get rid of all radical Islamists and many not-so-radical Muslims, but you didn’t want to round them up Gestapo-style and put them in box cars headed for Syria and points south. You want them to leave voluntarily and not blame it on the government. So you give the Vatican complete religious power. With the Muslims and Jews unable to worship on the proper days, and add to that the inability to obtain a business license, the overcrowded European nations will be able to get rid of many unwanted peoples.

After all, radical Islam is a religious institution, so a country can simply claim they are a “Christian nation” and it will be run in such a way. Just look at what has happened to Christianity in many Muslim countries. Before their liberation, Iraq had over 300 Christian churches. Today there are none. So if Islam wants to eradicate competing religions, why not do the same in Christian countries? Seems only fair.

So all these ten nations need to do is adopt the mark of the beast and their Islamic problem is over, or at least improved. It is a clean and simple solution to the growing problem that is now plaguing Europe. Also note that anti-Semitism is now greater in Europe than ever before, even during WW2. So the mark would solve two religious problems at once.

And speaking of the restored Holy Roman Empire, many European businessmen and journalists etc, are now talking about a new Holy Roman Empire and are even considering who they might want to be the next Holy Roman Emperor. So this idea is not as far-fetched as it might seem.

–

–

Conclusion:

Between Daniel and Revelation, the Bible tells the complete story of God’s peoples , from Babylon thru the second coming. Continuous and unbroken, without jumping all over the world. There will be a total of 8 kingdoms (beasts) that control God’s peoples, at least the vast majority of them.

Daniel speaks of the first four… Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.

Revelation discusses the last four: the Holy Roman Empire, the Vatican, the European Union (revived Roman empire) and a yet to form a restored, modified Holy Roman Empire. Knowing these 8 beast / kingdoms will greatly enable a bible reader to understand prophecy and be ready for soon-to-come events.

–

–

See also:

Is the Beast Rome?