The Antichrist himself is installed as the 6th supreme executive. As the office of the supreme executive is rotated through the confederation’s regions, the term of the Antichrist’s powerful region comes up 6th in the rotation. The 7th regional power to exercise the authority of the supreme executive is neither the Antichrist’s region nor any of the 3 other regions he controls.
We first looked at Rev 17:9-11 in Chapter One. We saw that this passage deals with a series of rulers who come one after the other and that these rulers are representatives of their respective regions.
Under the original structure of the Roman confederation, each region would have its representative serve a term as the supreme executive. The rotation of each region through the supreme executive position would ensure that no one region gains dominance or permanent advantage in the affairs of the confederation. Each ruler is to serve in turn as the supreme executive for a fixed term. At the conclusion of each term, the supreme executive is to pass to the next region’s representative. Thus, as originally conceived there would have been 10 terms, after which the rotations might begin over again.
Only 7 kings are mentioned in Rev 17:10. The Antichrist or other horn of Daniel 7 effectively throws the original plan for shared leadership into chaos by removing the rulers of 3 regions. After the Antichrist subdues 3 of the 10 rulers and places their authority under his own control, there are only 7 rulers remaining who have undisputed claims to a term as the supreme executive. While all 10 rulers were originally intended to serve their respective term as the rotating supreme executive, the actual portrayal of only 7 rulers serving in Rev 17:10 is the result of the Antichrist’s brazen attempt to hijack the intended power sharing arrangement.
In Chapter One we saw that the other horn of Daniel 7, the wounded ruler of Rev 13:3, and the 8th ruler of Rev 17:11 are in fact the same individual - the Antichrist. The Antichrist is also the 6th ruler. In this next section, we are going to see how we know that.
And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.”
Revelation 17:7-11
The angel who speaks to the Apostle John in Revelation 17 is explaining the meaning of John’s vision in which he sees a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (v. 3). The angel must, therefore, introduce the woman, whom he calls “the great harlot” (v. 1), explain the nexus between the harlot and the beast, and how the beast reacts to the harlot.
During the angel’s explanation, he provides additional information concerning the evolution of the beast that was not previously given. That the beast would have 7 heads, or 7 decision-makers was known from Daniel 7. The 7-headed beast is first introduced in Revelation 12:3, where the beast is identified as a red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. We next find this beast in Rev 13:1-10 where further infamous activities are described. Then, lastly, the beast is presented in its relationship with the harlot in Revelation 17.
We have come to understand that as the beast evolved from the original 10 semi-autonomous regions, the number of the decision-makers or “kings” would be reduced by 3 to a total of 7. We also understand this change to be the direct result of the aggressive actions of the Antichrist as prophesied three times in Daniel 7.
What is new in Rev 17:10 is the angel’s message that the 7 heads also participate in a rotation of the central authority role. Combined with the new information are strong clues about which rotation is held by the Antichrist. In Rev 17:8-11 we find out which of the 7 heads is the Antichrist and which rotation among the 7 is his: The angel reveals that the Antichrist is the 6th supreme executive. The same individual who is the other horn of Daniel 7, the individual who becomes a ruler over one of the 10 original regions, the ruler who subdues 3 other regions, the fatally wounded but recovered ruler, the individual who eventually ends up as the final 8th ruler, serves his term as the supreme executive 6th in the rotations.
The Antichrist will exercise the authority of the supreme executive office 6th in order. Later he regains ruling authority as the 8th ruler. When the former 6th supreme executive regains authority as the 8th ruler, he gathers to himself all the power of the revived Roman Empire. It is at this time that he is the “beast.”
There are three complementary indicators given by the angel in Rev 17:8-11 which clearly identify the 6th ruler as the future Antichrist who will also be the 8th ruler. The first indicator concerns the words used to identify the 7 rulers.
And they are seven kings, the five fell, the one is, the other did not yet come, and whenever he comes it is necessary for him to remain a little while.
Revelation 17:10 (emphasis added)
Three different sets of words are used of the 7 rulers in Rev 17:10.
The five
The one
The other
Since the first 5 rulers are grouped together, we know that none of those 5 are being set apart by the angel for further description. The field of 7 is, therefore, immediately reduced to 2 possibilities.
The angel refers to the last ruler as “the other” in contrast to the 6th ruler who is called “the one.” As we consider these two designations, “the one” and “the other,” it would seem much less likely that the angel would choose to highlight a ruler for further description by referring to him as “the other.” The 6th ruler is called “the one.” When we consider the descriptions for the other six rulers - “the five” and “the other,” the designation of “the one” seems most likely to draw our attention, while the others seem most likely to dismiss the remaining 6. Thus, the first indication used by the angel to highlight the 6th ruler is the way he is described when compared to the other 6.
The second indicator is taken from the implicit present time reference in Rev 17:10. In this verse, the present time is during the term of the 6th ruler. At that point in time, the previous 5 rulers have served, the 6th ruler is currently serving, and the reign or term of the 7th ruler is still in the future.
And they are seven kings, the five fell, the one is, the other did not yet come, and whenever he comes it is necessary for him to remain a little while.
Revelation 17:10 [*]
By speaking as if the present time period, the ‘now’ of this verse, is during the term of the 6th ruler, the angel provides us with the second of his indications.
The third indicator considers the existence or absence of each ruler as the angel describes them in v. 10. The angel describes the first 5 rulers as being collectively absent because they “fell.” The 7th ruler is also described as being absent because he has not yet arrived. Only the 6th ruler is described as existing in the present time of v. 10. This condition of the rulers, either existing or absent, will be referred to as the Existence Indicator. This is the third indication provided by the angel to identify which of the 7 rulers still has more history to fulfill and thus deserves further attention.
The Time Reference and Existence Indicators are part of the angel’s elegant literary presentations. These presentations are found in Rev 17:8a, 8c, 10, & 11. These four verses contain four statements from the angel using the same literary pattern or template, each containing the same elements which are used very similarly but with a few crucial differences. An accurate interpretation and application of these four verses must account for the elegant structure through which the angel communicates his message.
Meaning is communicated through a linguistic structure. The meaning of any passage or phrase cannot mean something other than what it means within the immediate context of its literary structure. Therefore, the literary patterns of Rev 17:8a, 8c, 10, & 11 must be thoroughly understood if we are to properly understand the angel’s fully intended meaning in this pivotal passage. In Rev 17:8a the beast is described in the following way:
The angel uses an introductory phrase to identify the subject followed by four descriptive lines that combine together to portray the beast. At the end of v. 8, the angel repeats this template using the first three descriptive lines. While the meaning of these descriptive lines in Rev 17:8 is important, currently we should focus on the literary clues they provide.
The literary template of Rev 17:11 contains nearly the same introductory statement followed by four descriptive lines. The template in v. 11 is also concerned with the identity of that 8th and final ruler.
The only variation between the four descriptive lines in v. 8a and v. 11 involve the dual phrases in the third line of 17:11. The angel changes the third line and by doing so he gives us crucial information regarding the identity of this individual. This third line is a compound because it actually contains two phrases.
The literary clues can be more clearly defined by considering the two verses of 17:8 and 11 together. In vs. 8 & 11, the statements introducing the subjects and three of the four descriptive lines are very nearly identical. However, the third lines in both verses are very different. Even though the words and meaning of the third lines are not identical, their usefulness as literary clues is not diminished. Rather, it is enhanced.
These descriptions in the four lines of Rev 17:8 & 11 serve dual purposes. First, they tell us that the individual who was wounded and recovered is responsible for the blasphemous aggression against God and his people (v. 14a). Second, the descriptions themselves also set up a pattern, and by doing so provide literary clues which aid us in identifying this future world ruler.
There are four very skillfully prepared templates within our area of main interest in Revelation 17. They are found in vs. 8a, 8c, 10, & 11. As we will discover, the templates in vs. 8a & 8c have points of strong connection with the template in v. 11. The template of v. 10 is different in structure and meaning, but it is not so different that the shared pattern between all four templates is broken. Verse 10 also has points of strong connection with v. 11. Thus, v. 11 has strong connections with vs. 8a & 8c, as well as v. 10. The elements that form these two connections are very different. These two connections with v. 11 impose interpretational forces upon the meaning of this verse. This means that obtaining the message the angel intended to communicate by means of these 4 templates requires an interpretation that successfully incorporates these two very different but very strong connections with v. 11.
Do you remember learning to ride a bicycle and trying to figure out how all the different parts worked together (balancing, steering, pedaling, braking, leaning in the turns)? If you were like me, it probably seemed you would never figure it out. But after a while, the bike stayed upright. All the different parts just came together. In time, you stopped thinking about the different parts and just rode your bike. It is sort of like that with elements that make up these four literary templates. The explanation of how all it works may seem daunting (not to mention tedious). So, if you don’t immediately grasp this next section, don’t get bothered. It will become much clearer as we move forward.
Each of the four descriptive lines in both vs. 8a & 11 tell us whether the beast is there, or is not there. Perhaps, more simply stated, each descriptive line indicates whether the beast is present (E), or absent (A). The ‘existence’ indicator is the way each of the four descriptive lines tells us whether the beast is present and existing or absent and non-existing.
The four descriptive lines also use a second type of indicator. This second indication refers to the time perspective of each line. Each line refers to either the past, present, or future. The second descriptive line is the present time within the template of each verse. The other lines describe events or conditions before (past) or after (future) those of the second line.
The first line for both vs. 8 & 11 refers to the past, in that the events or conditions of the first line occur before the time of the second. The second line in both vs. 8 & 11 refers to the present or the ‘now’ of that template. The third and fourth lines both refer to the future, with the third line referring to the near future, and the fourth line referring to a more distant future within the template.
All four lines in Rev 17:8a & 11 employ both indicators. The first indicator refers to the existence or absence of the beast, and the second refers to the time period of that existence or absence.
Each first line in vs. 8a, 8c, and 11 shows that the beast will exist (E) in the past. The second line in each of these three verses shows that the beast will be absent (A) in the present. The third lines show that the beast will again exist (E). Both vs. 8a & 11 have the third line referring to the near future, while the fourth lines show that the beast will again be absent (A) in a more distant future. The third line for v. 8c describes how the beast will exist again in a generic future.
These four descriptive lines along with the introductory phrases form an easily recognizable pattern or template. The fact that this pattern is repeated exactly in the two separate verses of Rev 17:8 & 11 gives us a high degree of certainty that these verses do in fact contain these templates. Having established the pattern of these introductory phrases and the four descriptive lines in vs. 8a & 11, in which the fatal wounding, unexpected recovery, and ultimate destiny of the beast is stylistically described by the angel, we can now examine v. 10 which also contains the same pattern elements.
A cursory examination of v. 10 with v. 8a, and also v. 11 will reveal the nearly identical overall structure of these three verses. In all three verses, there is a short phrase which introduces the subjects of the template, followed immediately by the four descriptive lines.
The four descriptive lines of v. 10 use the same existence and time reference indicators that we saw in vs. 8 & 11. Each of the four lines indicates whether the subject of that line is present and existing, or is absent and not existing. Each of the four descriptive lines also refers to either the past, present, or future. Both types of indicators in the four lines of v. 10 operate just as they do in vs. 8 & 11.
Literary patterns, by their very nature, do not occur randomly or by accident. The repetition of similar or identical items forming a pattern demonstrates thoughtful intent. When a reader happens upon such repetitions, he understands that these patterns were intentionally created. As we encounter them in vs. 8, 10, and 11, we know that their author constructed them as a unique literary vehicle to better communicate his message.
Similarities in the patterns are instructive, but so too are the differences. Differences that are not so great as to break the pattern may indicate crucial information in the author’s message. The author may use differences within the patterns to highlight what may be most important to his message, knowing that the reader will perceive the differences in the patterns more acutely.
Just as a single red rose stands out among a bed of yellow roses, so a difference within a carefully crafted literary pattern stands out in the perception of the reader. While the similarities create the pattern, the occasional difference creates the mechanism for conveying some of the most essential components of an author’s message.
The differences or variations in the patterns of vs. 8 & 11 contain important information and is confined to the third descriptive lines. All of the other descriptive lines are identical, which creates the pattern. So, the difference in the third position naturally draws our attention.
There are also differences between the pattern we find in Rev 17:8 & 11 and the pattern of Rev 17:10. In vs. 8 & 11 the subject is the beast, and the message centers around his fatal wounding and unexpected recovery. However, the order or polarity of the ‘existence’ indicators in the pattern of v. 10 is reversed, creating differences within the pattern. In v. 10 the subject is the 7 rulers and the intended message is to identify which of them will become the ultimate ruler. To communicate this message, the angel speaks of the first 5 rulers as fallen or absent in past time. The angel then speaks of the 6th ruler as existing in present time. He then speaks of the 7th ruler as being absent in the near future, but as existing in a more distant future.
In the patterns of vs. 8a, 8c, and 11, the “beast” is the subject and he is not absent in past time (line 1), nor in near future time (line 3). While in v. 10, the 7 rulers are absent in past time (line 1), and in near future time (line 3). Again, in vs. 8a, 8c, and 11 the “beast” is absent in present time (line 2), and in distant future time (line 4). Yet the 7 rulers in v. 10 are not absent in present time (line 2), nor in the distant future time (line 4).
When the angel communicates that the beast would be fatally wounded, he uses the second line of the patterns in both vs. 8 & 11. This second line indicates the existence or absence in the present time. That the Antichrist would be killed and his life removed for a period of time will also be a clearly identifying feature. The beast is identified as the one who is absent in the present time in the literary pattern in 17:8 & 11. The subject of the literary pattern in v. 8 is the beast (Antichrist) who, though existing in the past and again in the future, does not exist in the present time of the pattern (line 2).
Similarly, when the angel identifies which member of the 7 rulers will become the ultimate and final ruler in v. 10, he also uses the second line, which contains the events or conditions in the present time of the pattern. However, in this pattern, unlike vs. 8 & 11, the existence indicator is positive. The ruler who would be fatally wounded is identified in the pattern of vs. 8 & 11 by his absence in present time. The opposite literary choice is made by the angel in the pattern of v. 10. He portrays the 6th ruler as existing in present time, while the other rulers are all absent. The only ruler who exists in the present time of v. 10 is the 6th ruler. The way the angel uses the existence and time reference indicators in v. 10 has the literary effect of drawing a red circle around this 6th ruler, marking him as the individual who will be described further in the verse that follows.
By highlighting the 6th ruler in v. 10, the angel tells us who is being described in v. 11. The angel again draws the reader’s attention by varying his literary pattern in the third line. In this third line, the angel describes how the previously highlighted 6th ruler “is himself also an eighth” ruler. The angel then continues on to confirm that the 6th ruler “is out of the seven.”
Through his literary skill, the angel creates an elegant yet simple pattern in which one of the 7 rulers is mortally wounded but unnaturally recovers and who also becomes the 8th ruler. Thus, this seemingly cryptic passage can now be seen as a clever delivery system for crucial information, which obscures its message from the casual reader but discloses it to the persistent