Revelation 17 - Who Are the Ten Kings Who Will Align With the Anti-Christ in the Last Days?

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Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”

We again see Babylon, who is referred to as a prostitute. A prostitute is someone who commits adultery for a fee. In the Old Testament, Israel was compared to a prostitute because its infidelity toward God by worshipping idols. Babylon could represent the apostate church, or the kingdom of this world, which is ruled by Satan. 

Revelation 16:19 and 14:8 have already declared Babylon’s fall. In Revelation 17 and 18, the fall of Babylon is carefully detailed. Babylon is mentioned 287 times in the Scriptures, more than any other city except Jerusalem.  (Guzik)

Babylon was later the capitol of the empire that cruelly conquered Judah. “Babylon, to them (the Jews), was the essence of all evil, the embodiment of cruelty, the foe of God’s people, and the lasting type of sin, carnality, lust and greed.” (Tenney)

To those familiar with the Old Testament, the name Babylon is associated with organized idolatry, blasphemy and the persecution of God’s people. (Guzik)

This is unification of all false, idolatrous religion, with representatives from apostate Catholicism, Protestantism, as well as a smorgasbord of other religions of the world. (Guzik)

3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.

Babylon is now personified as a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. Scarlet is red, the color of blood. Purple was the color royalty. This woman was wealthy and unabashedly blasphemous against the holy things of God. The key thing is that she was once faithful to God and now has abandoned God with her filthy adulteries. 

The idea of fornication often has strong associations throughout the Bible with idolatry. Since this is a well-accepted religious system, it is likely to appear as attractive and spiritual, though not necessarily moral. (Guzik)

Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and have the “faith” everybody wants.

The woman was arrayed: The woman is clothed with emblems of luxury (purple… gold and precious stones) and government (scarlet). Yet she offers idolatry (abominations) and impurity (filthiness of her fornication) in this sumptuous setting.

Her association with blasphemy and the dragon’s beast are clearly seen from God’s perspective. But to the people of the earth she will look quite religious, and have the “faith” everybody wants.

There is a stark contrast between the woman of Revelation 12 (representing Israel, God’s people), and this woman (representing idolatrous, false religion)..

What are some of the false religions today that look glamourous on the outside but are really only filled with the idolatrous things of the world like money?  (Guzik)

One example is the healthy and wealth gospel. If you only believe in Jesus you will be rich and always healthy! 

6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

The woman rode on the beast (the antichrist). The antichrist is once again portrayed as having seven heads and ten horns. The antichrist will come and go and ultimately come out of the abyss for its final destruction, but not before it has brought God's tribulation and wrath upon those whose names are not written in the book of life. I.e. Those God saved out of this world since the beginning of Creation. This affirms the doctrine of predestination. I.e. Some will be saved and others not, but God knew from the beginning. 

The woman not only persecutes, she also revels in her persecution of the godly as a drunk revels in wine. The focus of the explanation is on the beast. It appeared that the harlot ruled (rode) the Antichrist’s system, but he is the dynamic factor, using her as tyrants have always used religion – as a mere tool to accomplish their purposes. (Guzik)

9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 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. 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.

What do the seven heads represent?

The seven heads are seven mountains: It is probably better to see the seven mountains as representing the seven kings and kingdoms described in Revelation 17:10. (Guzik)

Who are the seven kings? 

Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come: This is one of the more difficult passages in the Book of Revelation. Some explain these seven kings, five past, one present, and one to come in the succession of Roman Emperors in John’s era, but there are many historical difficulties with this approach. More likely, it is a reference to: Five have fallen refers to the five world empires before John’s day: Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medo-Persia, and Greece. (Guzik)

The key is that these earthly kingdoms are not God's kingdom, which came from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world!" Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords and He rules over an eternal kingdom. Kingdom means "rule" or "reign". For now the evil one rules the world, but one day every knee will bow and tongue Jesus is Lord to glory of the Father and His kingdom will have no end. 

When John the Baptist came on this scene his message was in Matthew 3:1, 

"In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

The beast (the Antichrist) is clearly identified as the eighth king.

And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. Is himself also the eighth: He is of the seven in the sense that he shares characteristics with all previous world empires, but his fate is clear. Perdition means “destruction,” and the beast will be destroyed. (Guzik)

12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

The beast (the Antichrist) is clearly identified as the eighth king. And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. Is himself also the eighth: He is of the seven in the sense that he shares characteristics with all previous world empires, but his fate is clear. Perdition means “destruction,” and the beast will be destroyed. (Guzik)

Who are the ten kings?

Though many have tried to equate the ten kings with different political organizations like the EU. it is not clear this is the true fulfillment of this. 

Many have seen the European Union (formerly the European Economic Community) as the potential fulfillment of this. Perhaps, but now there are more than ten nations in this revived European power, and more on the way. (Guzik)

But I think these are all kingdoms that will come in the future perhaps a revival of some form of the Roman Empire. The key things is that they are kings of world power under the direction of the antichrist. You could put many groups in this now. I.e. Iran, China, North Korea. 

I believe GotQuestions.org has it right when they comment, 

The Ten Horns - Knowing that the beast is the Antichrist who holds political power during the second half of the great tribulation helps us make sense of the ten horns. Daniel says, “The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom” (Daniel 7:24). Revelation corroborates this: “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They will wage war against the Lamb” (Revelation 17:12–13a).

Our view is that the Antichrist will rise from a “revived” Roman Empire in the last days. That empire will be divided into ten parts, governed by ten kings, who will rule under the Antichrist. These ten kings, symbolized as horns, voluntarily cede authority to the one-world leader, the Antichrist. These kings will wage war against Jesus (“the Lamb”) and His people. Despite their power and authority, these ten kings will be defeated at the return of Jesus Christ: “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet. . . . The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (Revelation 19:19–20).

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Their main goal being allied with the antichrist is to kill the Lamb (Jesus), but in the end Jesus will triumph because He is the king of Kings and Lord of lords. And we will reign with Jesus in heaven both those who have been raptured and those who he had called and chosen who will survive the seven year tribulation. 

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

The beast and the ten kings will judge the great whore of Babylon, as graphically John sees them eating her flesh and burning her with fire. God gave them the authority to do this in His divine plan. Though you see the beast and the ten kings are evil, God allows them to do his bidding as he judges them and the world. 

This violence probably takes place at the mid-point of the tribulation period. Here, apostate religion discovers the true nature of the beast. Ultimately, the Antichrist will not tolerate any worship except of himself. Once his power has been consolidated, the Antichrist no longer needs the help of religious Babylon. He will then work to dismantle and destroy her and her one-world religion. This has always been the goal of tyrants – and most politicians – to use religion for their purposes, then discard it. (Guzik)

God will ordain the political support of these ten kings for the Antichrist. God will give the world just what it wants: godless religion and godless rulers. (Guzik)

What or where is the great city? 

In John’s day, there was no doubt which city reigns over the kings of the earth. Rome was the political, economic, and religious center of the world of that time.

Rather, Rome was the ready personification of Babylon – the world in rebellion against God – in John’s day. Today, idolatry is just as strong, but more dispersed. Today, which city in the world is most readily identified with the world system? Hollywood? Wall Street? Washington? (Guzik)

As you read this chapter how does it change your view on the events in the world right now? I.e. the events in the Middle East. The build up of nuclear weapons that can destroy the world many times over?