PART 7: Antichrists revealed by Christ – Enmity of the antichrists towards Christ

3. The Beast and the Eighth King (Revelation 17:9–11)

Revelation 17:11 says:

“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”

Let the Holy Spirit guide the interpretation here:

• The beast is Rome – “Was” during the height of Roman rule.

• “Is not” – Rome fell and ceased to be the ruling world power.

• “Yet is” – It re-emerged through the Papacy.

• The eighth king – The Papal Rome (not separate from Rome but a continuation), is both distinct and part of the seven.

The Antichrists, working through the office of the Papacy, are central in this revived system. Both the Roman Empire and the Papacy will ultimately be destroyed—they go into perdition, just as Scripture declares.

4. Misunderstandings About Egypt

Some historians and scholars include Egypt among the world’s rulers. This is incorrect in the biblical context. Egypt was a great civilization and the source of many aspects of culture, but it did not rule the world. There’s a difference between being culturally influential and being a global empire.

5. Focus on Revelation Chapters 17 and 18

These chapters give a detailed account of the beast, the woman, and the final judgment on the great city—Mystery Babylon.

Key Highlights from Revelation 17:

• The woman sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns (v.3).

• She is identified as Mystery, Babylon the Great, full of abominations (v.5).

• The seven heads represent seven mountains and seven kings—five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come (v.10).

• The beast that was and is not, is the eighth, and belongs to the seven (v.11).

• This beast makes war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome (v.14).

• The woman is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth (v.18).

Key Highlights from Revelation 18:

• Babylon is declared fallen and judged (v.2).

• The world mourns her destruction due to her wealth and corruption (v.11–19).

• Heaven is told to rejoice over her fall, for God has avenged the saints (v.20).

• Babylon’s end is final and total—she shall be found no more at all (v.21–24).

Verses 10 &12. Seven kings or kingdom or rulers

1. Akkadian’s
2. Sumerian empire 
3. Assyrians
4. Babylonians
5. Medo-Persians
6. Greece
7. Carthaginian Empires ( where Rome came from
8. Roman Empires the eight in number of the ruling empires, whose nativity was Carthage. And the evil Bishop of Rome, who was Roman born. According to the world’s views of the ruling worlds empires Medo-Persia, Grecian empires were not listed as world rulers. But the words of God made us to know that they were worlds rulers according to the image that Daniel saw in the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, first the Daniel 2:31 ¶ Thou, O King, sawest, and behold a great image: this great image whose brightnesse was excelleut, stood before thee, and the forme thereof was terrible.
9. Daniel 2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his armes of siluer, his belly and his thighes of brasse:
10. Daniel 2:33 His legs of yron, his feete part of yron, and part of clay.
11. Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image vpon his feete that were of yron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
12. Daniel 2:35 Then was the yron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer, and the golde broken to pieces together, and became like the chaffe of the summer threshing floores, and the wind caried them away, that no place was found for them: & the stone that smote the image became a great mountaine, and filled the whole earth. and the one that Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 7: 9-11Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadfull and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great yron teeth: it deuoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feete of it, and it was diuers from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten hornes.
13. Daniel 7:8 I considered the hornes, and behold, there came vp among them another little horne, before whom there were three of the first hornes pluckt vp by the roots: and behold, in this horne were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. Daniel 7:11 I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horne spake: I beheld euen till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and giuen to the burning flame.
14. Daniel 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their liues were prolonged for a season and time. Daniel 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome vpon earth, which shall be diuerse from all kingdomes, & shall deuoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in pieces.

Verses 10 & 12: The Seven Kings (Kingdoms or Rulers)

1. Akkadians

2. Sumerian Empire

3. Assyrians

4. Babylonians

5. Medo-Persians

6. Greece

7. Carthaginian Empire (Rome came from this line)

8. Roman Empire — The eighth ruling empire, whose roots trace back to Carthage. From this empire came the Bishop of Rome, a Roman by birth.

According to secular history, Medo-Persia and Greece were often not counted among the dominant world powers. But God, through His word, made it clear that they were, as revealed in Daniel’s visions during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel’s Vision: The Great Image

Daniel 2:31–35
Daniel saw a statue representing successive world empires:

• Head of gold – Babylon

• Chest and arms of silver – Medo-Persia

• Belly and thighs of bronze – Greece

• Legs of iron – Rome

• Feet partly of iron and partly of clay – Divided kingdoms

• A stone cut without hands struck the feet, breaking the statue into pieces and becoming a great mountain that filled the earth.

This image symbolized the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms, ending with God’s eternal kingdom.

Daniel’s Second Vision: The Four Beasts

Daniel 7:7–8, 11–12, 23–25
Daniel saw a dreadful fourth beast, which represented Rome. It was powerful, terrifying, and different from the others:

• It had iron teeth, devoured and broke in pieces, and trampled what was left.

• It had ten horns, and a little horn rose among them, uprooting three.

• This little horn had eyes like a man and a mouth speaking boastfully.

Daniel 7:24–25 interprets this:

• The ten horns are ten kings.

• Another king (the little horn) will arise, different from the others.

• He will subdue three kings, speak against the Most High, oppress His saints, and attempt to change times and laws.

• The saints will be delivered into his hands for a time, times, and half a time.

This describes the rise of the Papacy, which emerged from the Roman Empire, ruling differently than previous kingdoms—through spiritual deception and manipulation, not military force.

Revelation Confirms the Judgment

Revelation 20:9–10 speaks of the final judgment:

• Satan and his armies, including the antichrists, will surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city (New Jerusalem).

• Fire will come down from heaven and devour them.

• The devil, the beast, and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever.

The New Jerusalem and the Twelve Tribes

Revelation 21:12–13 describes the New Jerusalem with twelve gates bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. All saints, Jew and Gentile alike, who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, are part of this spiritual Israel. This fulfills God’s promises:

• To Abraham (Genesis 17:4–6): “I will make nations of you.”

• To Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 27:29): Nations and kings would come from them.

• The man who wrestled with Jacob (Genesis 32) confirmed this blessing.

Thus, all true believers in Jesus Christ are spiritual Israelites, though not necessarily Jews or Hebrews.