In the Book of Revelation we read about a beast comprising of seven heads rising out of the sea. Many are the interpretations of what the heads are and what this Beast is exactly. But we are told in the Book of Revelation that the seven heads are seven mountains and also seven kings. But how do we know that it is talking about seven kingdoms or empires rather than seven kings from a single empire?
Mountains throughout the Old Testament of uses a mountain to signify a kingdom or empire. In Jeremiah. 51:25 we see that Babylon is called a mountain.
“I am against you, you destroying mountain…”
And in Ezekiel 35:2, we read:
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, land I will make you a desolation and a waste. I will lay your cities waste, and you shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Even in Daniel 2:35 we read about a huge mountain that filled the whole earth. Which has been interpreted to mean the Kingdom of God.
But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
And for further clarification, the Kingdom of Judah is often referred to as Mount Zion.
So there you have it. The seven mountains in Revelation 13 and 17 are seven kingdoms.
Now if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, read on to learn what kingdoms are being referenced.
First thing to note is the Beast rises out of the Great Sea. That sea is the Mediterranean. In other words, the empires are specific to those located in the Middle East and Southern Europe. So what does history show us? Indeed there were seven successive empires that ruled this part of the world. These empire are as follows:
- Egypt – 3100 to 677 BC (Genesis 12:10)
- Assyria – 677 to 626 BC (Genesis 2:14)
- Babylon – 626 – 539 BC (Daniel 1:1)
- Medo-Persia – 539 – 449 BC (Daniel 5:28)
- Greecia – 449 – 146 BC (Daniel 10:20)
- Rome – 146 BC-476 AD eastern leg / 1453 AD western leg or Byzantium (Daniel 9:26 & Romans 1-7)
- Ottoman – 1453 – 1924 AD (Future empire when Revelation was written, but historical empire today)
Okay, so history attests to seven empires. But what about today? There is no empire in this part of the world anymore. Does that means the Beast is dead? Yes, actually it does mean that. Scripture attests to this. In Revelation 13:3 we read:
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”
And in Revelation 17:8 we read:
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.,
Next we read in Revelation 17:11:
The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
Okay, so the Beast died and now we await an eighth king. So who is this eighth king or eighth kingdom?
Find out here. Or read the first forum post below to learn more.
