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They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while.
Verse Takeaways
1
The "Seven Kings" Puzzle
Scholars are deeply divided on the identity of the "seven kings." The main interpretations see them as: 1) a succession of Roman emperors, 2) a series of world empires hostile to God (e.g., Egypt, Assyria, Rome), or 3) different forms of Roman government. As commentators point out, the difficulty in making any historical list fit perfectly leads many to see a broader, symbolic meaning rather than a literal one-to-one correspondence.
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Revelation
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6
18th Century
Presbyterian
And there are seven kings. That is, seven in all, as they are listed in this verse and the next. An eighth is mentioned in Revela…
Seven kings (βασιλεις επτα). This is another change in the symbolism. The identification of these seven kings is one of the puzzle…
19th Century
Anglican
And there are seven kings...—A better translation is: They are seven kings: five (not “are fallen,” but fell…
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If the seven heads symbolically represent the full source of evil power and blasphemy, why, then, does John talk about five fallen heads or kings, …
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
And there are seven kings The Arabic version renders it, 'who are seven kings'; and it should be rendered, as it is …
The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which…
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