D. The mystery of the beast is revealed, 6-14.
1. This beast of seven heads and ten horns “was and is not and will come.”
Is this the same idea as, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:12.
2. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss.”
Remember, in 13:1, this beast is rising up out of the sea, powerful and strong, subduing nations. Now, he is rising up out of the abyss. Why was he in the abyss, because he had received a fatal wound on his head “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:3. Now, he is about to rise again. Why, because his “fatal wound” was about to be healed. “And go to destruction.” The fate of the beast is to ultimately be destroyed. God will destroy the destroyer.
3. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. AND they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.”
a. Actually, Rome was surrounded by seven literal mountains – Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel, and Antonio.
As a symbol, mountains often represent nations or governmental authorities. There is some question here in the rendering of εἰσιν that impacts how mountains are to be understood. Some translations read, “they (meaning the mountains) are seven kings” making the mountains and the seven kings one-in-the-same thing. Other translations read, “there are seven kings” implying that in addition to the seven literal mountains, there are also seven kings. If this is correct then the text may well be saying that Rome was sitting upon the seven literal mountains and that also, the chronology of the emperors of Rome consisted of seven rulers through the time of the fulfillment of these events. Regardless of how the mountains of this text may be regarded, the emphasis is on the seven kings, not on the mountains.
b. Who are these seven kings? “Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.”
c. The seventh is prophetic in the sense that he had not come yet. When he did come his reign was only for “a little while.”
4. Who are these seven kings?
The “kings” were not ruling at the same time, for the text states that “five have fallen,” meaning that five of those kings had come and gone. Then, “one is,” referring to the king who was ruling at the time this revelation was given. In this verse, we have one of the clearest proofs for dating this book. If we simply examine the list of Roman Emperors, we will be able to determine who the sixth king was, and the time Revelation was written.
a. “Five have fallen” – Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), and Nero (54-68)
b. “One now is” – This would be Galba.
c. “The other has not yet come and when he comes, he will remain only a little while.”
Otho reigned for only 3 months from January 15 to April 16, AD 69 and Vitellius who reigned only 8 months from April 16 to December 22, AD 69. This would seem to suggest the time in which the beast “was and is not” and the wounding of the beast. These three briefly reigning emperors represent the three of the first horns that were pulled out by the roots in Daniel's vision in Daniel 7. During the period of these three brief reigns, the beast was essentially dead. Rome had no official emperor during this time because the loyalty of the people had been divided between these three want-to-be dictators. These three were in competition for the title with each one claiming to be Caesar. This resulted in succession by murder. After this, Vespasian assumed the throne and reigned for 10 years from December of AD 69 to 79. This is the “wound” that was healed, and the beast lived again. It was under Vespasian's reign that Rome began to stabilize politically. This is why in 13:3-4, “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’”
The reason John only mentions seven rather than ten is because the vision of John only concerns events up to the time of Vespasian. We find in Nero and Galba the terrible persecutors of the Christians at whose hand Peter and Paul were martyred. God used Nero to destroy the Jews. Nero commanded Vespasian to destroy Jerusalem. Nero was the fifth king, suggesting that Revelation was written before the siege of Jerusalem. Traditionally, Nero is the one who persecuted Christians beyond all comparison. John's banishment to Patmos was itself a result of the great persecution of Nero. The apostle Paul was presumably tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. The apostle Peter, who traditionally crucified upside down, was another of Nero's victims.
5. “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven.”
a. “The beast which was and is not....”
Notice, it says the beast. Which beast – the one who “was and is not,” not one of the seven heads of the beast; thus, this is Rome itself.
b. “Is himself also an eighth.”
An eighth what? He is the eighth king. The angel is identifying kings/emperors and he is “one of the seven.” This was Vespatian. His fate was to be the persecutor of God’s people.
6. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” '
Horns' typically refer to power or authority. The ten horns represent the linage of emperors from August to Domitian. This does not take into account the brief reigns of Otho and Vitellius, “They receive their authority from the beast for one hour.” In other words, “for a little while.”
7. “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb...”
These kings exist only to give their power and authority to the beast – Rome. These join with the beast in the persecution of the saints – “war against the Lamb.”
II. Victory for the Lamb, 14-18
A. “And the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Victory belongs not only to the Lamb but also “to those who are with him.” These are the faithful. These are those who would not give their worship to the beast. These are the overcomers. These are those who had kept their first love, who had not defiled their garments.
B. “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” In other words, the sea of humanity.
C. “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.” The nations turn against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 16:39.
D. “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”
This betrayal of Jerusalem by the confederate nations was the work of God who “put it in their hearts.” These nations align with Rome against Palestine and this fulfilled the words of God.
E. “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
1. The woman, the “great city” = Jerusalem
2. “Reigns over the kings of the earth.”
This depiction of Jerusalem actually come out of Deuteronomy 7:17-26 where God promised Israel before they entered Canaan that they would be victorious over the kings of the earth. “He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them,” 24.
1. This beast of seven heads and ten horns “was and is not and will come.”
Is this the same idea as, “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:12.
2. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss.”
Remember, in 13:1, this beast is rising up out of the sea, powerful and strong, subduing nations. Now, he is rising up out of the abyss. Why was he in the abyss, because he had received a fatal wound on his head “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed,” 13:3. Now, he is about to rise again. Why, because his “fatal wound” was about to be healed. “And go to destruction.” The fate of the beast is to ultimately be destroyed. God will destroy the destroyer.
3. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. AND they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.”
a. Actually, Rome was surrounded by seven literal mountains – Zion, Acra, Moriah, Bezetha, Millo, Ophel, and Antonio.
As a symbol, mountains often represent nations or governmental authorities. There is some question here in the rendering of εἰσιν that impacts how mountains are to be understood. Some translations read, “they (meaning the mountains) are seven kings” making the mountains and the seven kings one-in-the-same thing. Other translations read, “there are seven kings” implying that in addition to the seven literal mountains, there are also seven kings. If this is correct then the text may well be saying that Rome was sitting upon the seven literal mountains and that also, the chronology of the emperors of Rome consisted of seven rulers through the time of the fulfillment of these events. Regardless of how the mountains of this text may be regarded, the emphasis is on the seven kings, not on the mountains.
b. Who are these seven kings? “Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come.”
c. The seventh is prophetic in the sense that he had not come yet. When he did come his reign was only for “a little while.”
4. Who are these seven kings?
The “kings” were not ruling at the same time, for the text states that “five have fallen,” meaning that five of those kings had come and gone. Then, “one is,” referring to the king who was ruling at the time this revelation was given. In this verse, we have one of the clearest proofs for dating this book. If we simply examine the list of Roman Emperors, we will be able to determine who the sixth king was, and the time Revelation was written.
a. “Five have fallen” – Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), and Nero (54-68)
b. “One now is” – This would be Galba.
c. “The other has not yet come and when he comes, he will remain only a little while.”
Otho reigned for only 3 months from January 15 to April 16, AD 69 and Vitellius who reigned only 8 months from April 16 to December 22, AD 69. This would seem to suggest the time in which the beast “was and is not” and the wounding of the beast. These three briefly reigning emperors represent the three of the first horns that were pulled out by the roots in Daniel's vision in Daniel 7. During the period of these three brief reigns, the beast was essentially dead. Rome had no official emperor during this time because the loyalty of the people had been divided between these three want-to-be dictators. These three were in competition for the title with each one claiming to be Caesar. This resulted in succession by murder. After this, Vespasian assumed the throne and reigned for 10 years from December of AD 69 to 79. This is the “wound” that was healed, and the beast lived again. It was under Vespasian's reign that Rome began to stabilize politically. This is why in 13:3-4, “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’”
The reason John only mentions seven rather than ten is because the vision of John only concerns events up to the time of Vespasian. We find in Nero and Galba the terrible persecutors of the Christians at whose hand Peter and Paul were martyred. God used Nero to destroy the Jews. Nero commanded Vespasian to destroy Jerusalem. Nero was the fifth king, suggesting that Revelation was written before the siege of Jerusalem. Traditionally, Nero is the one who persecuted Christians beyond all comparison. John's banishment to Patmos was itself a result of the great persecution of Nero. The apostle Paul was presumably tortured and then beheaded by Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. The apostle Peter, who traditionally crucified upside down, was another of Nero's victims.
5. “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven.”
a. “The beast which was and is not....”
Notice, it says the beast. Which beast – the one who “was and is not,” not one of the seven heads of the beast; thus, this is Rome itself.
b. “Is himself also an eighth.”
An eighth what? He is the eighth king. The angel is identifying kings/emperors and he is “one of the seven.” This was Vespatian. His fate was to be the persecutor of God’s people.
6. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.” '
Horns' typically refer to power or authority. The ten horns represent the linage of emperors from August to Domitian. This does not take into account the brief reigns of Otho and Vitellius, “They receive their authority from the beast for one hour.” In other words, “for a little while.”
7. “These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb...”
These kings exist only to give their power and authority to the beast – Rome. These join with the beast in the persecution of the saints – “war against the Lamb.”
II. Victory for the Lamb, 14-18
A. “And the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Victory belongs not only to the Lamb but also “to those who are with him.” These are the faithful. These are those who would not give their worship to the beast. These are the overcomers. These are those who had kept their first love, who had not defiled their garments.
B. “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” In other words, the sea of humanity.
C. “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.” The nations turn against Jerusalem, Ezekiel 16:39.
D. “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.”
This betrayal of Jerusalem by the confederate nations was the work of God who “put it in their hearts.” These nations align with Rome against Palestine and this fulfilled the words of God.
E. “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
1. The woman, the “great city” = Jerusalem
2. “Reigns over the kings of the earth.”
This depiction of Jerusalem actually come out of Deuteronomy 7:17-26 where God promised Israel before they entered Canaan that they would be victorious over the kings of the earth. “He will deliver their kings into your hand so that you will make their name perish from under heaven; no man will be able to stand before you until you have destroyed them,” 24.