The Seven Kings And The Ten Horns

John's Revelation speaks about Rome under the symbol of "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations" (Rev. 17:5). She is drunk with the blood of the saints, the martyrs or witnesses of Jesus. The angel with the seventh bowl explains this mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her, the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads are the seven mountains or hills on which Rome is founded . . . and "they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while" (Rev. 17:9-10).

So who are these seven kings? A variety of conclusions have been offered. Here is a list of the Emperors or "kings" of Rome in the first century:

1. Julius Caesar (founder) —13 July 100 BCE - 15 March 44 BCE (murdered by senators)
2. Augustus — 23 September 63 BCE - 19 August 14 CE (natural death)
3. Tiberius — 16 November 14 CE - 16 March 37 CE (natural death)
4. Caligula — 18 March 37 - 24 January 41 (murdered by soldiers)
5. Claudius — 25 January 41 - 13 October 54 (poisoned)
6. Nero —15 December 37 - 9 June 68 (suicide)
7. Galba — 8 June 68 - 15 June 69 (lynched by soldiers)
8. Vitellius —18 July 69 - 20 December 69 (lynched by soldiers)
9. Otho —15 January 69 - 16 April 69 (suicide)
10. Vespasian — 1 July 69 -23 June 79 (natural death)
11. Julius Sabinus — Spring, Summer 70 (hiding; executed 79)
12. Titus — 24 June 79 - 13 September 81 (natural death)
13. Domitian — 14 September 81 - 18 September 96 (murdered by courtiers)
14. Nerva —18 September 96 - January 98 (natural death)
15. Trajan — 28 January 98 - 7 August 117 (natural death)

Julius Caesar sculpture at the Louvre

As to which of these emperors the Revelation refers we can only guess, as have many. Some suggest that the list of seven begins with Julius, others with Tiberius, yet others with Nero. They further suggest that the interim, short-lived emperors (Galba, Vitellius, Otho, Sabinus and Titus) not be included in the list of the seven heads. All that any commentator can do is guess, because it is unclear, regardless of how much speculation you do, exactly to whom the symbol of Babylon in the Revelation initially pointed.

The same thing holds true for the ten horns. Could they refer to the ten governors in Palestine who supported the Romans or legates of the army? As noted, we can only make inferences, based upon Roman history and the parallel history of Babylon, the writings of the Old Testament and various non-Biblical sources.

So what is the point of it all? The Lord God guides the destiny of nations and calls and gathers his people to Himself. Ultimately the harlot and the beast upon whom she rides will perish. The next chapter takes up that theme as a voice from heaven calls God's people to come out of her. We will take up that call in Revelation 18 in the next post.

The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns

As Rev. 16 closes the seventh angel pours out his bowl and a mighty voice cries from the temple, "It is done!" Judgment Day for Babylon has arrived. Babylon falls amidst flashes of lightning, earthquakes and hailstones. The seven plagues come to an end. The great city is split into three parts and the cities of the nations fall. Babylon's fall symbolized the ultimate destruction of imperial Rome, but such a treasonous prophecy was hidden beneath the symbol of ancient Babylon. Babylon had persecuted and enslaved God's people earlier. Now it was gone. So Rome, the current Babylon, would be destroyed by the avenging power of God.

To emphasize this John sees yet another picture of Rome as one of the seven angels with the bowls carries John "in the Spirit into a wilderness." And what does he see there?

The Beast With Seven Heads

... I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. - Rev 17:3-6 ESV

John marvels at  this vision, marvels as had many of Jesus' disciples when he performed His miracles and signs (Matt. 8:27; 9:33). So the angel explains the symbolism.

This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." - Rev 17:9-14 ESV 

Ancient Rome was built on seven hills. She is a prostitute, the courtesan of the world, resplendent and seductive, "adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality" (Rev. 17:4).

The Roman historian Tacitus was a fierce critic of Emperor Nero. In his annals he described what happened to those who followed Christ after a great fire burned down a large part of the city:

Yet no human effort, no princely largess nor offerings to the gods could make that infamous rumor disappear that Nero had somehow ordered the fire. Therefore, in order to abolish that rumor, Nero falsely accused and executed with the most exquisite punishments those people called Christians, who were infamous for their abominations. The originator of the name, Christ, was executed as a criminal by the procurator Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius; and though repressed, this destructive superstition erupted again, not only through Judea, which was the origin of this evil, but also through the city of Rome, to which all that is horrible and shameful floods together and is celebrated. Therefore, first those were seized who admitted their faith, and then, using the information they provided, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much for the crime of burning the city, but for hatred of the human race. And perishing they were additionally made into sports: they were killed by dogs by having the hides of beasts attached to them, or they were nailed to crosses or set aflame, and, when the daylight passed away, they were used as nighttime lamps. Nero gave his own gardens for this spectacle and performed a Circus game, in the habit of a charioteer mixing with the plebs or driving about the race-course. Even though they were clearly guilty and merited being made the most recent example of the consequences of crime, people began to pity these sufferers, because they were consumed not for the public good but on account of the fierceness of one man.

Translated by Richard Hooker

So Rome was drunk, not with wine, but with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, killed by dogs, nailed to crosses, set aflame and murdered in the Circus games, all under the command of Emperor Nero.

Such type of atrocities continue in our day. And they will continue, but not forever. The beast with the ten horns . . .

...will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful." - Rev 17:14 ESV

In the next post we will continue our study of the beast and the fall of Rome as described in the end of Rev. 17 and on into Rev. 18.