Who are the kings in Revelation 17:9-11?

The Kings – Revelation 17

“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.”

Revelation 17:9-11

In Revelation 17, there is a woman sitting on that beast. A woman in prophecy symbolizes a church. Jesus symbolizes His true, pure church (Zion) as a pure woman and an apostate church as a harlot. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman” (Jeremiah 6:2); “And say unto Zion, Thou art my people” (Isaiah 51:16). A few other texts which also utilize this symbolism are 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:22, 23 and Revelation 19:7, 8.

The apostate church has become involved in manipulating the Roman government. The “seven heads” represent the seven hills or mountains upon which Rome was built (Revelation 17:9, 10).

“Seven kings”- 7 kingdoms. Here are the seven kings and their interpretations:

“Five are fallen”- five kingdoms that persecuted God’s people are: [(1) Egypt, (2) Assyria, (3) Babylon, (4) Medo-Persia, (5) Greece]*.

“One is”– (6) Pagan Rome (ruled by czars) was the kingdom ruling at the time that John the revelator received the vision.

“Other is not yet come” (7) Papal Rome ruled by the Pope. The Pope was wounded to death by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798.

“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven”– the Papacy who’s deadly wound is healed will come again as the 8^th king.

* [These kingdoms are the powers that ruled and persecuted God’s people. Bible prophecies do not deal with all the kingdoms of the Earth.  Bible prophecy only deals with the kingdoms that directly affected God’s people. In other words, China, India, North and South America had great empires during the time of Israel, however they did not affect Israel.]

Looking backward and forward from John’s time, we can understand these seven kings as historical world empires that have directly opposed God’s people.

The Seven Kings and the Beast That Is the Eighth

1. Egypt (First Kingdom – Fallen)
   • Egypt was one of the earliest persecutors of God’s people, enslaving Israel for 400 years (Exodus 1:8-14).
   • Pharaoh resisted Moses and God’s command:
     • “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’” (Exodus 8:1, NKJV).
   • Egypt fell under divine judgment through the plagues and the Red Sea destruction (Exodus 14:27-30).
2. Assyria (Second Kingdom – Fallen)
   • Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.
   • They were known for their cruelty and idolatry (Nahum 3:1-4).
   • The prophet Isaiah warned:
     • “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger… But they do not mean so, nor do they think so; But it is in their heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations.” (Isaiah 10:5-7, NKJV).
   • Assyria later fell to Babylon around 612 B.C.
3. Babylon (Third Kingdom – Fallen)
   • Babylon conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C.
   • King Nebuchadnezzar took the Israelites captive (Daniel 1:1-6).
   • Babylon was full of idolatry and was judged by God:
     • “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.” (Isaiah 21:9, NKJV).
   • Babylon fell to the Medo-Persians in 539 B.C.
4. Medo-Persia (Fourth Kingdom – Fallen)
   • The Medes and Persians ruled Israel after Babylon.
   • King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-3).
   • Artaxerxes I gave a temporary opposition to Israel, when Israel’s enemies falsely accused the Jews, leading to a temporary stop in the temple construction (Ezra 4:21 (NKJV).
   • Medo-Persia fell to Greece under Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.
5. Greece (Fifth Kingdom – Fallen)
   • Alexander the Great conquered the world rapidly including Israel (Daniel 8:21).
   • After his death, his empire was divided among four generals.
   • One of these rulers, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, persecuted the Jews and defiled the temple (Daniel 11:31).
   • Greece fell to Rome in 168 B.C.
6. Pagan Rome (Sixth Kingdom – Present at John’s Time – “Is”)
   • When John received his vision (about A.D. 95), Pagan Rome was the ruling world power.
   • Rome was responsible for:
     • The crucifixion of Christ (John 19:15-16).
     • The persecution of early Christians (Acts 12:1-3).
     • The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Matthew 24:2).
   • Pagan Rome eventually declined and transitioned into Papal Rome (476 A.D.).
7. Papal Rome (Seventh Kingdom – Yet to Come and Will Receive a Deadly Wound)
   • After Pagan Rome’s decline, the Roman Catholic Church rose to power.
   • The Papacy ruled for 1,260 years (538 A.D. – 1798 A.D.)
   • Daniel prophesied:
     • “He shall persecute the saints of the Most High… Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25, NKJV).
   • The Deadly Wound (1798):
     • In 1798, Napoleon’s general Berthier captured Pope Pius VI, marking the end of Papal civil power.
     • This was the “deadly wound” of Revelation 13:3:
       • “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.”
8. Papal Rome Revived (Eighth Kingdom – The Beast That “Was and Is Not” Will Come Again in Full Power)
   • The deadly wound will be healed, and Papal Rome will regain global influence.
   • The final form of this system will combine political and religious power (Revelation 13:12-17).
   • The false prophet and the beast will enforce the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17).
   • Papal Rome will once again persecute the faithful before its final destruction:
     • “And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” (Revelation 17:11, NKJV).

The Final Judgment and Destruction

• The eighth king, Papal Rome revived, will face divine judgment:
  • “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings.” (Revelation 17:14, NKJV).
  • The final kingdom will be destroyed at Christ’s second coming (Revelation 19:20).

Conclusion

The seven kings represent major world empires that have ruled and persecuted God’s people. The eighth king is a revival of Papal Rome, which will return to power before its final destruction. This interpretation aligns with biblical prophecy, showing a continuous conflict between God’s faithful followers and oppressive world powers.

Christians must remain vigilant and faithful, knowing that Jesus Christ will ultimately defeat all earthly kingdoms and establish His eternal reign.

For more on the beast, check: https://bibleask.org/who-is-the-beast-of-revelation-13/

Disclaimer:

The contents of this article and website are not intended to be against any individual. There are many priests and faithful believers in Roman Catholicism who serve God to the best of their knowledge. They are seen by God as His children. Thus, the information contained herein is directed only towards the Roman Catholic religio-political system which has reigned in varying degrees of power for nearly two millennia. This system has established an increasing number of doctrines and statements that directly go against the Bible.

It is our purpose to lay the clear Word of God before you, the truth-seeking reader, to decide for yourself what is truth and what is error. Therefore, if you find anything here contrary to the Bible, do not accept it. However, if you desire to seek for Truth as for hidden treasure, and find herein something of that quality and feel that the Holy Spirit is revealing Truth to you, please make all haste to accept it.