Revelation 17:7-13 meaning

In Revelation 17:7-13, the angel explains to John the mystery of the woman, the harlot, and the beast.

In Revelation 17:1-6, an angel who poured out one of the seven bowls showed John “the great harlot” and the “scarlet beast.” At the end of the vision, the text records that John “wondered greatly” at the harlot (Revelation 17:6). Next, the angel addresses John’s response:

And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns” (v. 7).

The angel’s inquiry—Why do you wonder?—suggests that God intends to disclose the meaning behind these symbols. There is divine purpose in revealing that the woman’s apparent dominion, which will soon be destroyed by the beast, is only temporary. Though she appears formidable, her destiny is sealed.

The beast as well, bearing seven heads and ten horns, represents a blasphemous and oppressive empire connected to Rome’s historic identity as “the city on seven hills,” but ultimately culminating in a yet future manifestation of world power. According to the historical chronology of Daniel 2, shattered pieces of the kingdom of Rome will endure as the dominant world power until it is displaced by God’s kingdom (Daniel 2:44). We are just on the brink of this taking place as Revelation unfolds, as Jesus will return and vanquish the beast and his kingdom in Revelation 19:11.

The mention of seven heads and ten horns echoes the prophecy of Daniel 7:7-8. We also saw this in Revelation 13:1. The ten horns represent the ten kings who will give their power to the beast (Revelation 17:12). Their assigned job from God is to consolidate world power in support of the beast. They will create a confederation that allows the beast to have global dominion for a short time.

These symbols point to a forthcoming global confederacy that works in tandem with an economic system to control, exploit, and oppress. That is until the beast and the ten kings eventually turn on and destroy the economic system that is the harlot and Babylon (Revelation 17:16). Over and above these short—lived alliances, Jesus the Lamb of God stands victorious (Revelation 17:14).

Next, the angel explains the beast’s seven heads and ten horns, saying that the primary purpose of the ten kings (represented by the ten horns) is to give global power to the beast.

This passage begins by describing:

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come (v. 8).

This depicts the beast as a twisted counterfeit that contrasts with the true eternal nature of God “who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8). The text says the beast was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss (v. 8). This underscores that this beast may attempt to mimic eternal existence but ultimately will go to destruction (v. 8).

The Greek word translated abyss (“abyssos”) appears in seven verses in Revelation. Other than Revelation 17:8, they are as follows:

• In Revelation 9:1-2, the “bottomless pit” (“abyssos”) is opened at the blowing of the fifth trumpet judgment.
• In Revelation 9:11, the locust demon king is said to be the “angel of the abyss” (“abyssos”).
• In Revelation 11:7, a beast comes out of the abyss (“abyssos”) to kill the two witnesses.
• In Revelation 20:1, 3, the dragon, Satan, is caught and chained and thrown into the abyss (“abyssos”) for a thousand years.

It may be that in Revelation 11:7 the beast coming out of the abyss is a demonic power that indwells the man who is the beast and the antichrist. This same idea would fit here. It could also be that this enigmatic statement—was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss—connects to Revelation 13:3-4, where the beast apparently survives a mortal wound. It might be that Satan manufactures a false resurrection, and the antichrist figure is enabled by Satan to leave the abyss after his death and return to earth, empowered and perhaps indwelt by Satan.

Notwithstanding a false resurrection, the beast’s destiny is sealed: he rises briefly but will go to destruction. The beast will be thrown directly into the lake of fire when he is defeated by Jesus (Revelation 19:20).

Those whose name has not been written in the book of life represent those who did not respond to the “eternal gospel” spoken by the angel, or otherwise, as we saw in Revelation 14:6. These unredeemed people will “wonder” at the beast’s apparent resurrection or re—emergence, as was depicted in Revelation 13:3-4.

The wonder held by those whose name has not been written in the book of life reveals a deeper spiritual blindness; without God’s truth, people are swayed by false displays. As Paul exhorts in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, those who are in the book of life are not of the night, but of the day. Therefore, believers should be alert and not be deceived.

The stated purpose of the book of Revelation is for believers to gain a blessing by reading, understanding, and doing what is written (Revelation 1:3). The main thing Revelation exhorts believers to do is to be alert and maintain a faithful witness regardless of circumstances, knowing that a) God is always on His throne and nothing occurs on earth that He did not authorize, b) it is certain that Jesus will return and set up His kingdom, and c) believers who persevere in being faithful witnesses will gain immense, unfathomable blessings as a reward.

By keeping watch, remaining sober and alert, believers can avoid falling prey to the enemy’s allure, regardless of the age in which they live (1 Peter 5:8-9). Thus, Revelation is not primarily about having knowledge of future events. Rather the focus is on remaining faithful in light of the darkness that will inevitably rise.

The angel next tells us about the seven mountains:

Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits  (v. 9).

Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom is the skill to live life to gain the greatest lasting benefit for oneself as well as for others. With wisdom, believers can gain the greatest experience of life and avoid the false allure of the world, which promises life but gives death.

To “fear” something or someone is to adjust our actions due to consequences we believe can be imposed upon us by that someone or something. The “eternal gospel” we heard in Revelation 14:7 was to “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come.” The basic proposition in this “eternal gospel” is to fear God’s judgment more than the judgment that could be brought by the beast, who will be given the power to overcome the saints, and therefore not take his mark (Revelation 13:7).

The mind which has wisdom then is the mind that adopts God’s perspective and takes actions accordingly. Now we are told God’s perspective—the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. Recall that the woman is the harlot who is also Babylon. She is the economic system that is actually more influential than the beast, until the beast and his allies destroy it (Revelation 17:16).

We see that the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits (v. 9). The idea of seven mountains or seven hills is historically connected with the city of Rome. It is said to be built on seven hills. The Greek word translated mountains could also be translated “hills” as it is in Matthew 5:14.

According to Daniel 2:44, Rome is the kingdom that lasts until the kingdom of God is physically inaugurated upon the earth. Although it breaks into pieces and has multiple rulers, it is still a descendant of ancient Rome. As an example, historically, “Kaiser,” the German name for “king” was also “Caesar” in German. Similarly, “Tsar” was Russian for “Caesar.”

These kings have been replaced by rulers by other names in modern times, but they are still fundamentally the same people, having similar Greco—Roman mentalities. We can take from this that the western economy will be the initial primary driving force of the beast’s kingdom, since we see the harlot riding the beast and sitting on the heads and mountains.

From the description in Revelation 18:11-15, part of the beast’s rule will be a time of great economic prosperity for the kings and their people. This will be at the expense of others, including God’s people, as well as “slaves and human lives” (Revelation 18:13). It could be that the beast destroys the woman, who is a global commercial and economic system, at or near the same time he commits the “abomination of desolation,” as predicted in Daniel 9:27 and as spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24:15.

As outlined in Daniel 9:27, this desolation will occur during the “middle of the week” which refers to the seventieth week, or the seventieth of the seventy seven—year periods that will mark the fulfillment of God’s plan for Israel. It might be that the “desolation” spoken of in Daniel 9:27 and mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 includes the predicted event of Revelation 17:16, where the beast and his ten rulers who support him destroy the harlot—the commercial and economic system.

At the time of John’s writing, Rome was the hub of an empire dominating the Mediterranean world, enforcing emperor worship, and fostering economic structures that often trampled righteousness. Roughly two hundred years prior to the time of John, Antiochus Epiphanies, a Greek ruler who presided over a realm that included Israel, sacrificed a pig on the altar and erected a statue to Zeus in the Jewish temple. This foreshadowed the abomination of desolation of Daniel 9:27. In the second century AD, Emperor Hadrian further desecrated the temple mount as well as erected a pagan temple over the empty tomb of Jesus. These and many other events foreshadow the ultimate fulfillment of the beast and his kingdom.

We know that the economic system represented by the harlot is global from passages such as Revelation 18:9-11, where the “kings of the earth” and “merchants of the earth” weep because this global system has collapsed. The economic system is global, and the beast’s realm is also global. We are told an additional riddle with respect to the seven kings:

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 (v. 10).

The seven heads are further identified as seven kings (v. 10), and we see a historical dimension: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come. The phrase one is suggests the Roman emperor in power when John wrote Revelation is one of the seven kings of Rome. That five have fallen indicates that the prophetic sequence includes five emperors who have come before the one in current power during the time of John.

That leaves the other who has not yet come. This would refer to the beast, who will have the same kind of global power possessed by the first six. The Roman Empire decayed and began to splinter, as predicted in Daniel 2. Its collective power continued to grow, and it became known more familiarly as “the west.” But it had no central command as it had in the early days of the Empire.

In this last age the seventh king, the beast, will consolidate power once again, as in the days of old. Then he must remain a little while. The little while is called in Revelation 17:12 “one hour.” Merging the picture being painted in Revelation 17-18 with Daniel 9, it seems that the beast will preside over a great rise in commercial benefit for the west, at the expense of many others, that will last approximately three—and—one—half years.

Then toward the end of the three—and—one—half years, the beast will cause the “desolation” and “abomination” which might be both a centralization of demonic spiritual power (abomination) as well as a centralization and collapse of the global economic system (desolation). This will then begin the last three—and—one—half years of “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21).

Now we revisit the beast and its relationship to the seven kings:

The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction (v. 11).

This cryptic statement reinforces that the beast emerges from among historical precedents while also setting him apart as something completely different. He is one of the seven, sharing their global power oppressive characteristics. But he is also an eighth. This sets him apart in a unique end—time scenario.

A reason he might be an eighth, having different characteristics than the ancient Roman emperors, might include having dominion over the actual globe rather than just the known world of the Mediterranean. The Roman Empire of the Mediterranean might serve as a mini model of what is to come under the beast.

Another reason he might be an eighth is because he has an actual or apparent resurrection, perhaps coming back from the abyss. And when he does, it seems this comeback is a catalyst to him gaining global power from the ten kings (Revelation 13:3-4, 17:12-13). The seven kings, who become eight kings, are a series of kings, a sequence of tyrants who rule.

The ten kings, which will be introduced in verse 12, are a collection of kings or rulers whose appointed purpose is to give power to the beast. This might be why the beast is an eighth, in that he leads a global coalition, which is a material departure from the pattern of ancient Rome.

While the beast may temporarily appear unstoppable, the verse concludes decisively: he goes to destruction. This emphasis on the beast’s destruction underscores a prominent theme: no matter how devastating or seemingly invincible evil appears, God’s ultimate victory is never in doubt (Revelation 19:20).

Believers living under persecution—from the Roman emperors in the first century to the final Antichrist, the beast—are meant to receive comfort, hope, and exhortation to live as faithful witnesses. We know from these passages that we can expect that circumstances will deteriorate. But Revelation calls believers to fear God, know that His judgment is coming, and not fear rejection, loss, or death from the world.

Our faithfulness should stem from the confidence that evil forces will, in the end, be utterly overthrown by Jesus, the Lamb who was slain and is now resurrected in victory (Revelation 5:5-6).

Next, we see the path by which the beast experiences a vast expansion of earthly power:

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. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. (vs. 12-13).

The ten kings’ coming reign is future tense; they have not yet received a kingdom. This highlights that Revelation extends beyond first—century circumstances into ultimate end—time events. These ten kings partner with the beast, receiving authority for one hour. One hour is a concise period. Daniel 9:27 indicates that the one hour the beast has his authority will take place within a seven—year period. Somewhere within that period the beast will gain global authority. But the fact that it is limited to one hour indicates that God has put strict limits on the span of his rule. This again reminds us that all authorities are appointed by God (Romans 13:1).

These ten kings are future to John. They have not yet received a kingdom. But they apparently align themselves with the beast and form an international coalition of global power. Undoubtedly, they see themselves as powerful and important. But this passage minimizes their role: These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast (v. 13).

The only real impact made by the ten kings is to pave the way for the beast to seize global power. We can consider the majesty we have seen from God’s throne room, and the power and judgment that overshadows earthly powers, and recognize that while such alliances will appear formidable, they remain subject to God’s authority and timeline.

Notably, the shortness of their rule amplifies the reality that human authority can flourish for a moment but will inevitably yield to God’s eternal dominion—emphasizing the futility of opposing the King of kings (Philippians 2:9-11). Jesus stated that this time of distress was shortened, because, if it was not, no one would remain (Matthew 24:22). That might also be a part of the stated timing of one hour: an abbreviated time of global woe.

The consolidation of power under the beast will apparently merge global economic and political might for a single oppressive end. In the next section, the coalition of the ten kings and the beast will turn on the harlot and destroy her (Revelation 17:16). In the next chapter, the kings and merchants of the earth will mourn the destruction of the economic system that has made them rich (Revelation 18:9-11).

When corrupt and evil people partner together, it is just a matter of time before one or more of the group seeks to dominate the others. In this case, the beast and ten kings will obliterate the harlot—the global economic system (Revelation 17:16). We saw in Revelation 13:17 that the beast will accumulate sufficient power to prevent anyone from buying and selling. Perhaps he simply confiscates all the wealth that has been accumulated by the commercial merchants. This might be a means by which Revelation 17:16 (the beast’s hatred of the harlot) and 18:17 (the end of wealth for the merchants) could transpire.

That the ten kings have one purpose is written from God’s perspective. It is certain that arrogant leaders who seek global dominance would not see themselves so small. Yet, from God’s perspective everything is small. The Lamb ultimately overcomes all earthly confederations (Revelation 17:14).

In every generation, Christ’s followers are reminded to “seek first His kingdom” (Matthew 6:33) and not be seduced by fleeting power structures. As we see the stage set for final judgments, our calling remains the same: be a faithful witness who does not fear rejection, loss, or even death in order to gain the greatest experience and greatest rewards from life (1 Corinthians 2:9).