Verse 8 describes the beast, the antichrist political
system in terms of the past, present and future.
Verse 9, the seven heads of the beast is mountains, in the
Bible mountains are used as a symbol for a kingdom or
nation. The seven heads are seven kingdoms all of whom
supported the religious system of the harlot.
Verse 10 “five are fallen,” this refers to Egypt, Assyria,
Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece. “One is” refers to Rome,
“The other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must
remain a little while.” Who is this seventh king, kingdom?
Verse 11 informs us the beast that was, is not, and would
come again actually becomes an eighth kingdom, since one of
the six mentioned existed, the Roman Empire, when John saw
the woman on the beast, does this mean the beast will come
up from one of the five that has fallen? In Revelation 13:2
John said, “the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and
his feet was like those of a bear, and his mouth like the
mouth of a lion.” In Revelation 13:1, John said the beast
had ten horns and seven heads. Why would he say the beast
that he saw was like a leopard, bear, and lion? John is
using the leopard to stress swiftness. The beast John saw
coming up from the sea will accomplish in a short time,
seven years, what took the previous six beast empires never
accomplished. The feet like a bear stress the vicious,
destructive nature of the beast. The mouth like a lion
refers to his blasphemous ways that exceed those of the six
previous beast empires.
Verse 12, the ten horns represent ten kings, “They receive
authority with the beast” means the beast will probably be
one of the kings or certainly one who will rise up from one
of the ten nations to take control and become the head of
this confederation (Daniel 7:23-24). They will give him
their authority and power thinking he can solve the world’s
problems and provide a leadership that the world needs
against the threat of the king of the north, his allies, and
solve the Arab-Israel dispute.
In verse 14, we are told they will wage war with the Lamb,
but that the Lamb will overcome them as the King of kings
and Lord of Lords. This is the subject of chapter 19.
