The Meaning of Revelation 17:10 Explained

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.

YLT: and there are seven kings, the five did fall, and the one is, the other did not yet come, and when he may come, it behoveth him to remain a little time;

Darby: And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain only a little while.

ASV: and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Revelation 17:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The seven kings are rulers over seven kingdoms. The prominent kingdom in John"s day that "is" was certainly the Roman Empire. The five most prominent world powers preceding Rome that had fallen are probably Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. [1] The Old Babylonian Empire may have been the first ( Genesis 10:8-10). The seventh kingdom that was yet to come and would remain a little while is the beast"s kingdom ( Revelation 13:3; Revelation 17:8). [2] All of these kingdoms have persecuted or will persecute God"s people (cf. Ezekiel 29-30; Nahum 3:1-19; Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 50-51; Daniel 10:13; Daniel 11:2-4). Another common view is that the number seven is symbolic and stands for the power of the Roman Empire as a whole. Some writers have interpreted the seven kingdoms as figuratively representing kings throughout history. [3]

Context Summary

Revelation 17:1-18 - The Great World City Overthrown
This scarlet-attired woman is that miserable attempt made in every age to counterfeit the true Church of the living God. Man does not like the religion of the cross, of faith, of self-denial, and each age has witnessed some false system from which all these objectionable elements are eliminated. Surely a meretricious system has revealed itself successively in Babylon, Jerusalem, Rome, London, New York, and other great centers. Fashion smiles on it, wealth bedizens it, human power unites with it, and in every age it has been drunken with the blood of martyrs.
Between this miserable travesty of the Church and the Church herself there has been perpetual conflict. But the ultimate victory has always remained with the Lamb, and if only we side with Him, as the called, chosen, and faithful of Revelation 17:14, we also shall be more than conquerors. Human prestige and power shall not ultimately avail in the conflict against the all-conquering Savior. And finally the very world-powers shall turn against the apostate and adulterous Church, Revelation 17:16. Come out from her and be separate! [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 17

1  A woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, with a golden cup in her hand sits upon the beast;
5  which is great Babylon, the mother of all abominations
9  The interpretation of the seven heads;
12  and the ten horns
14  The victory of the Lamb
16  The punishment of the harlot

Greek Commentary for Revelation 17:10

Seven kings [βασιλεις επτα]
This is another change in the symbolism. The identification of these seven kings is one of the puzzles of the book. [source]
The five are fallen [οι πεντε επεσαν]
Second aorist active indicative of πιπτω — piptō with the αν — ̇an ending. Common for the downfall of kings (Ezekiel 29:5; Ezekiel 30:6; Isaiah 21:9, etc.). See 2 Samuel 3:38.The one is (ο εις εστιν — ho heis estin). The one when this vision is dated.The other is not yet come Prophetic second aorist active of ερχομαι — erchomai Charles takes this as the date of this “source” or part of the Apocalypse. But John could himself have used this language in the time of Domitian even if he was the one who had not yet come. The difficulty about counting these emperors is that Galba, Otho, Vitellius reigned so briefly that they hardly merit being included.When he cometh (οταν ελτηι — hotan elthēi). Indefinite temporal clause for the future, with οταν — hotan and the second aorist active subjunctive of ερχομαι — erchomai “whenever he comes.”He must continue a little while Swete takes this to be Titus, who died September 13, 81, after a short reign. [source]
The one is [ο εις εστιν]
The one when this vision is dated. [source]
The other is not yet come [ο αλλος ουπω ηλτεν]
Prophetic second aorist active of ερχομαι — erchomai Charles takes this as the date of this “source” or part of the Apocalypse. But John could himself have used this language in the time of Domitian even if he was the one who had not yet come. The difficulty about counting these emperors is that Galba, Otho, Vitellius reigned so briefly that they hardly merit being included.When he cometh (οταν ελτηι — hotan elthēi). Indefinite temporal clause for the future, with οταν — hotan and the second aorist active subjunctive of ερχομαι — erchomai “whenever he comes.”He must continue a little while Swete takes this to be Titus, who died September 13, 81, after a short reign. [source]
When he cometh [οταν ελτηι]
Indefinite temporal clause for the future, with οταν — hotan and the second aorist active subjunctive of ερχομαι — erchomai “whenever he comes.” [source]
He must continue a little while [ολιγον αυτον δει μειναι]
Swete takes this to be Titus, who died September 13, 81, after a short reign. [source]
Are fallen [ἔπεσαν]
Lit., fell. Constantly used in the Septuagint of the violent fall or overthrow of kings or kingdoms. See Ezekiel 29:5; Ezekiel 30:6; Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 50:15; Jeremiah 51:8. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 17:10

1 John 3:2 It is not yet made manifest [ουπω επανερωτη]
First aorist passive indicative of πανεροω — phaneroō For the aorist indicative with ουπω — oupō with a future outlook Brooke notes Mark 11:2; 1 Corinthians 8:2; Hebrews 12:4; Revelation 17:10, Revelation 17:12.What we shall be (τι εσομετα — ti esometha). Not τινες — tines (who), but τι — ti (what) neuter singular predicate nominative. “This what suggests something unspeakable, contained in the likeness of God” (Bengel).If he shall be manifested As in 1 John 2:28, which see. The subject may be Christ as in 1 John 3:9, or the future manifestation just mentioned. Either makes sense, probably “it” here better than “he.”Like him (ομοιοι αυτωι — homoioi autōi). Αυτωι — Autōi is associative instrumental case after ομοιοι — homoioi This is our destiny and glory (Romans 8:29), to be like Jesus who is like God (2 Corinthians 4:6).We shall see him even as he is Future middle indicative of οραω — horaō The transforming power of this vision of Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12) is the consummation of the glorious process begun at the new birth (2 Corinthians 3:18). [source]
Revelation 4:4 Crowns [στεφάνους]
See on 1 Peter 5:4; see on James 1:12. Στέφανος with the epithet golden is found only in Revelation. Compare Revelation 9:7; Revelation 14:14. The natural inference from this epithet and from the fact that the symbolism of Revelation is Hebrew, and that the Jews had the greatest detestation of the Greek games, would be that στέφανος is here used of the royal crown, especially since the Church is here represented as triumphant- a kingdom and priests. On the other hand, in the three passages of Revelation where John evidently refers to the kingly crown, he uses διάδημα (Revelation 12:3; Revelation 13:1; compare Revelation 17:9, Revelation 17:10; Revelation 19:12). Trench (“Synonyms of the New Testament”) claims that the crown in this passage is the crown, not of kinghood, but of glory and immortality. The golden crown ( στέφανος ) of the Son of Man (Revelation 14:14) is the conqueror's crown. It must be frankly admitted, however, that the somewhat doubtful meaning here, and such passages of the Septuagint as 2 Samuel 12:30; 1 Chronicles 20:2; Psalm 20:3; Ezekiel 21:26; Zechariah 6:11, Zechariah 6:14, give some warrant for the remark of Professor Thayer (“New Testament Lexicon”) that it is doubtful whether the distinction between στέφανος and διάδημα (the victor's wreath and the kingly crown ) was strictly observed in Hellenistic Greek. The crown of thorns ( στέφανος ) placed on our Lord's head, was indeed woven, but it was the caricature of a royal crown. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Revelation 13:3 As though it had been smitten [ως εσπαγμενην]
Perfect passive participle of σπαζω — sphazō as in Revelation 5:6, accusative singular agreeing with μιαν — mian (one of the heads), object of ειδον — eidon understood, “as though slain” (so the word means in seven other instances in the book). There is a reference to the death and new life of the Lamb in Revelation 5:6.And his death-stroke was healed (και η πληγη αυτου ετεραπευτη — kai hē plēgē autou etherapeuthē). First aorist passive indicative of τεραπευω — therapeuō “The stroke of death” (that led to death). Apparently refers to the death of Nero in June 68 a.d. by his own hand. But after his death pretenders arose claiming to be Nero redivivus even as late as 89 (Tacitus, Hist. i. 78, ii. 8, etc.). John seems to regard Domitian as Nero over again in the persecutions carried on by him. The distinction is not always preserved between the beast (Roman Empire) and the seven heads (emperors), but in Revelation 17:10 the beast survives the loss of five heads. Here it is the death-stroke of one head, while in Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:14 the beast himself receives a mortal wound.Wondered after the beast First aorist passive (deponent) indicative of ταυμαζω — thaumazō to wonder at, to admire, as in Revelation 17:8. For this pregnant use of οπισω — opisō see John 12:9; Acts 5:37; Acts 20:30; 1 Timothy 5:15. “All the earth wondered at and followed after the beast,” that is Antichrist as represented by Domitian as Nero redivivus. But Charles champions the view that Caligula, not Nero, is the head that received the death-stroke and recovered and set up statues of himself for worship, even trying to do it in Jerusalem. [source]
Revelation 13:3 And his death-stroke was healed [και η πληγη αυτου ετεραπευτη]
First aorist passive indicative of τεραπευω — therapeuō “The stroke of death” (that led to death). Apparently refers to the death of Nero in June 68 a.d. by his own hand. But after his death pretenders arose claiming to be Nero redivivus even as late as 89 (Tacitus, Hist. i. 78, ii. 8, etc.). John seems to regard Domitian as Nero over again in the persecutions carried on by him. The distinction is not always preserved between the beast (Roman Empire) and the seven heads (emperors), but in Revelation 17:10 the beast survives the loss of five heads. Here it is the death-stroke of one head, while in Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:14 the beast himself receives a mortal wound. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 17:10 mean?

And kings seven there are The five are fallen the one is other not yet has come when he shall have come a little while him it behooves to remain
καὶ βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἰσιν οἱ πέντε ἔπεσαν εἷς ἔστιν ἄλλος οὔπω ἦλθεν ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὀλίγον αὐτὸν δεῖ μεῖναι

βασιλεῖς  kings 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
ἑπτά  seven 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἑπτά  
Sense: seven.
εἰσιν  there  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
πέντε  five 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: πέντε  
Sense: five.
ἔπεσαν  are  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: πίπτω 
Sense: to descend from a higher place to a lower.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
ἄλλος  other 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
οὔπω  not  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὔπω  
Sense: not yet.
ἦλθεν  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ἔλθῃ  he  shall  have  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ὀλίγον  a  little  while 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὀλίγος  
Sense: little, small, few.
δεῖ  it  behooves 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: δεῖ  
Sense: it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper.
μεῖναι  to  remain 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.

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