Revelation 17 10

Revelation 17:10 kjv

And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Revelation 17:10 nkjv

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.

Revelation 17:10 niv

They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

Revelation 17:10 esv

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.

Revelation 17:10 nlt

Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

Revelation 17 verses

Revelation 17 10 Meaning

Revelation 17:10 describes the symbolic nature of the seven heads of the beast, interpreting them specifically as "seven kings." These kings represent successive political powers or empires. The verse states that five of these kings have already reigned and fallen, one is currently in power at the time of the prophecy's vision, and another is yet to come, whose reign will be brief. This sequence underlines divine sovereignty over human history and the progression of powers that oppose God and His people, culminating in a final, short-lived, anti-God regime before Christ's ultimate victory.

Revelation 17 10 Context

Revelation 17 focuses on "Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth" (Rev 17:5), identified with "the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (Rev 17:18). This chapter portrays a powerful, corrupt system (religious, political, or economic) allied with the multi-headed Beast. The "seven kings" in verse 10 are the interpretation of the "seven heads" mentioned in earlier verses (Rev 17:3, 7). These heads are simultaneously "seven mountains" (Rev 17:9), indicating both geographical prominence (e.g., Rome and its seven hills) and the metaphorical mountains of power and authority. This verse specifically offers a timeline for these kings, situating the prophecy within a historical progression of global powers hostile to God. It frames these successive rulers as components or manifestations of the Beast's broader oppressive system. Historically, this prophecy is understood by many as pertaining to Roman imperial power and subsequent empires.

Revelation 17 10 Word analysis

• And there are seven kings;

  • And: (kai - Greek) Connects this interpretation directly to the previous verse identifying the heads as mountains. It serves as a continuing explanation.
  • seven: (hepta - Greek) A number signifying completeness, perfection, or entirety in biblical symbolism, here indicating a full sequence or manifestation of oppressive world powers, often associated with spiritual opposition to God. It is also literally the number of specific kings.
  • kings: (basileis - Greek) Denotes literal rulers, kingdoms, or successive imperial forms of power. This moves from the symbolic "heads" and "mountains" to specific political entities or epochs of rule. This directly ties the beast to earthly governments.

• five are fallen,

  • five: (pente - Greek) A specific count, indicating a significant number of past ruling powers within the specified sequence.
  • are fallen: (epesan - Greek, aorist tense of pipto) Denotes a completed action; these rulers or regimes have already come to an end, having lost their power and authority. This highlights their temporality and divine judgment.

• one is,

  • one: (heis - Greek) Refers to the current ruling power at the time John received this vision (e.g., the Roman Empire). This places the vision squarely in John's historical context, providing a specific reference point.
  • is: (estin - Greek, present tense of eimi) Indicates active, current existence and rule. This is the reigning power that persecuted God's people at the time of the writing of Revelation.

• and the other is not yet come;

  • the other: (ho allos - Greek) Refers to a future, distinct ruling power in this sequence.
  • is not yet come: (oupō parestin - Greek) Points to its futurity; this power has not yet appeared on the world stage from John's perspective. It sets up anticipation for a final manifestation of opposition.

• and when he comes,

  • when he comes: (hotan elthē - Greek, aorist subjunctive) A future contingency, emphasizing that its arrival is certain and determined.

• he must continue a short space.

  • he must continue: (dei menai - Greek, lit. "it is necessary for him to remain") "Dei" implies divine necessity or decree. This future king/power is divinely permitted to rule, but for a predetermined, limited duration.
  • a short space: (oligon chronon - Greek, lit. "a little time") Emphasizes brevity. This contrasts with the longer reigns of prior empires and indicates a powerful but ultimately temporary reign, signaling its eventual and relatively swift end, often linked to the consummation of end-time events.

Revelation 17 10 Bonus section

The identification of the "five fallen," "one is," and "one to come" kings has been a subject of intense scholarly debate. Some interpretations propose specific Roman emperors:

• If "one is" refers to Vespasian (ruled AD 69-79), the "five fallen" could be Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.
• If "one is" refers to Domitian (ruled AD 81-96), the "five fallen" might be Galba, Otho, Vitellius (short-lived, often counted with the Julio-Claudians as part of the initial seven) before Vespasian.However, given the highly symbolic nature of Revelation, many prioritize the "empire" interpretation over strict emperor counting, where "seven" represents the completeness of all Gentile world powers opposing God until the very end, each embodying aspects of the "Beast." The "short space" of the seventh king often alludes to the intenser but brief period of final persecution and conflict before Christ's return, echoing similar prophetic durations like the "time, times, and half a time" in Daniel. This emphasis on brevity reinforces God's control and the ultimate defeat of these adversarial powers.

Revelation 17 10 Commentary

Revelation 17:10 serves as a crucial interpretative key for the symbolic imagery of the Beast. The "seven kings" are widely understood as representing either a chronological sequence of Roman emperors (where John's "one is" could point to emperors like Vespasian or Domitian, with five previous emperors having fallen), or a symbolic progression of world empires hostile to God and His people throughout history (e.g., Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and a final end-time kingdom). The latter view often aligns the "five fallen" with Old Testament empires that persecuted Israel. The phrase "one is" strongly anchors the vision to John's immediate historical reality, typically identified as the Roman Empire. The "one not yet come" signifies a future power, which will exert a dominant influence for a comparatively "short space," implying its temporary nature under divine sovereignty, before the final judgment and Christ's everlasting kingdom. This verse asserts God's ultimate control over the rise and fall of all human kingdoms and their limited time frames.