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Preterism assumes the kings of Revelation 17 were all historical figures. I assume brethren have noticed the Revelation 17:10-11 Scripture is about 8 kings, and NOT popes. Are they historical kings? Apostle John shows us what they are, but we have to listen to him and not men...
Rev 17:8-12
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
We have to pick up the above verse because it is referring to verse 11 further below, so it's about the same subject.
This "beast" that "was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder," is a pope? No. An earthy king of history? No, which is why those on earth 'wonder' or marvel at him.
Did you also notice that this 'beast' ascends out the bottomless pit? The bottomless pit is referred to in Revelation 9:11 as having an angel over it. Can a flesh man ascend out of the same pit as an angel? Let's find out. We are told that angel is a 'king', and names for him are Abaddon in the Hebrew, and Apollyon in the Greek, which both refer to destruction, or destroyer. Flesh king or supernatural king? What does your common sense say to you so far? The "bottomless pit" is another name for the 'abyss' (Greek abussos), so there's no mistaking that is a direct reference to the heavenly abode of the wicked called haides of which Satan is the head. Can we still try to assign this "beast" as some flesh man that ascends out of the bottomless pit? No, we cannot, not if we want to keep what God's Word is showing us on that.
But there's still yet another pointer to Satan as this "beast" that ascends out of the bottomless pit and goes into perdition. As of today, ONLY Satan and his angels have already been judged and sentenced to perish in the future "lake of fire". One of his names Apollyon is from a Greek word that means to perish. Not even Judas Iscariot has been judged and sentenced to perish yet, because God's Great White Throne Judgment doesn't happen until after Jesus returns in the future (and even a thousand years after that). So if you don't understand this "beast" of verse 8 is about Satan himself, you need to pray about it, and quickly, for the time is short.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
These seven mountains are not the seven hills of Rome, nor of Jerusalem. If you look back at Revelation 12:3-4 we're shown a beast kingdom of ten horns, seven heads, but ONLY seven crowns, linked to the timing when the dragon (Satan) drew a third of the stars (angels) to earth, meaning at his original rebellion. That did not happen in the time of Adam and Eve, but in a world prior to Adam and Eve. The beast kingdom of Revelation 13:1 is for the end of our present world, and is to have ten crowns, not seven. (If you don't understand that, then pray about it, and do it quickly; you know the drill).
Those "seven heads" or mountains, existed back at Satan's original rebellion against God is what that Revelation 12:3-4 event shows. Since Ezekiel 28 and Ezekiel 31 are parables that point back to the time of Satan's original rebellion, we are told that "all great nations" dwelt under his shadow back then, a time prior to his rebellion in wanting to be God. He was greatly exalted by God back then before he rebelled. (Once again, if you don't yet understand this, pray about it.)
10 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.
Seven kings here. Flesh or supernatural? Let's see. Five are fallen, meaning they were historical, and one yet was in John's present time, so these must be flesh kings. The emperor Domitian was over Rome in John's day, so he would be the "one is", i.e., a 6th king. The 7th king was still yet to come.
Revelation speaks of that 7th king for the end of this present world. Yeah, that's right, it's about the beast king mentioned in the above Revelation 17:8 verse (and in Revelation 9:11 before that). But that "beast" king isn't a flesh king! (Stay focused, pray about it.)
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
By that same description given back in Revelation 17:8 about perdition, we know this is about that same "beast" king, i.e., Satan. He is also this 8th king, but of all 7.
When is the 8th king role for? Well, what is to happen at the end of Christ's future "thousand years" reign per Rev.20? Satan is to be loosed one final time to go deceive the nations. Would he present himself then to those deceived nations as their king? Yes, one final time he will likely try that, as his original rebellion was about wanting to be The KING, GOD Himself. In all of the pagan king roles of history, Satan has been behind all of them. But for this coming 7th king, the "beast" king that ascends out of the bottomless pit, it means he is coming to earth personally this next time for the end of this present world. And when I say personally, I mean de facto, he will literally appear here on earth with the image of man, and we will see him, and with his angels. That is what the Revelation 12:7-9 Scripture is about, Satan being booted out of the heavenly dimension and instead down to earth in OUR dimension.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
KJV
These ten kings don't come to power until that "beast" king (Satan) gets here. They will reign that "one hour" with the "beast" king. That "one hour" represents the one hour of the parable of the laborers of the field, the one hour our Lord Jesus asked His disciples to stay awake and on watch.
Rev 17:8-12
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
We have to pick up the above verse because it is referring to verse 11 further below, so it's about the same subject.
This "beast" that "was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder," is a pope? No. An earthy king of history? No, which is why those on earth 'wonder' or marvel at him.
Did you also notice that this 'beast' ascends out the bottomless pit? The bottomless pit is referred to in Revelation 9:11 as having an angel over it. Can a flesh man ascend out of the same pit as an angel? Let's find out. We are told that angel is a 'king', and names for him are Abaddon in the Hebrew, and Apollyon in the Greek, which both refer to destruction, or destroyer. Flesh king or supernatural king? What does your common sense say to you so far? The "bottomless pit" is another name for the 'abyss' (Greek abussos), so there's no mistaking that is a direct reference to the heavenly abode of the wicked called haides of which Satan is the head. Can we still try to assign this "beast" as some flesh man that ascends out of the bottomless pit? No, we cannot, not if we want to keep what God's Word is showing us on that.
But there's still yet another pointer to Satan as this "beast" that ascends out of the bottomless pit and goes into perdition. As of today, ONLY Satan and his angels have already been judged and sentenced to perish in the future "lake of fire". One of his names Apollyon is from a Greek word that means to perish. Not even Judas Iscariot has been judged and sentenced to perish yet, because God's Great White Throne Judgment doesn't happen until after Jesus returns in the future (and even a thousand years after that). So if you don't understand this "beast" of verse 8 is about Satan himself, you need to pray about it, and quickly, for the time is short.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
These seven mountains are not the seven hills of Rome, nor of Jerusalem. If you look back at Revelation 12:3-4 we're shown a beast kingdom of ten horns, seven heads, but ONLY seven crowns, linked to the timing when the dragon (Satan) drew a third of the stars (angels) to earth, meaning at his original rebellion. That did not happen in the time of Adam and Eve, but in a world prior to Adam and Eve. The beast kingdom of Revelation 13:1 is for the end of our present world, and is to have ten crowns, not seven. (If you don't understand that, then pray about it, and do it quickly; you know the drill).
Those "seven heads" or mountains, existed back at Satan's original rebellion against God is what that Revelation 12:3-4 event shows. Since Ezekiel 28 and Ezekiel 31 are parables that point back to the time of Satan's original rebellion, we are told that "all great nations" dwelt under his shadow back then, a time prior to his rebellion in wanting to be God. He was greatly exalted by God back then before he rebelled. (Once again, if you don't yet understand this, pray about it.)
10 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.
Seven kings here. Flesh or supernatural? Let's see. Five are fallen, meaning they were historical, and one yet was in John's present time, so these must be flesh kings. The emperor Domitian was over Rome in John's day, so he would be the "one is", i.e., a 6th king. The 7th king was still yet to come.
Revelation speaks of that 7th king for the end of this present world. Yeah, that's right, it's about the beast king mentioned in the above Revelation 17:8 verse (and in Revelation 9:11 before that). But that "beast" king isn't a flesh king! (Stay focused, pray about it.)
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
By that same description given back in Revelation 17:8 about perdition, we know this is about that same "beast" king, i.e., Satan. He is also this 8th king, but of all 7.
When is the 8th king role for? Well, what is to happen at the end of Christ's future "thousand years" reign per Rev.20? Satan is to be loosed one final time to go deceive the nations. Would he present himself then to those deceived nations as their king? Yes, one final time he will likely try that, as his original rebellion was about wanting to be The KING, GOD Himself. In all of the pagan king roles of history, Satan has been behind all of them. But for this coming 7th king, the "beast" king that ascends out of the bottomless pit, it means he is coming to earth personally this next time for the end of this present world. And when I say personally, I mean de facto, he will literally appear here on earth with the image of man, and we will see him, and with his angels. That is what the Revelation 12:7-9 Scripture is about, Satan being booted out of the heavenly dimension and instead down to earth in OUR dimension.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
KJV
These ten kings don't come to power until that "beast" king (Satan) gets here. They will reign that "one hour" with the "beast" king. That "one hour" represents the one hour of the parable of the laborers of the field, the one hour our Lord Jesus asked His disciples to stay awake and on watch.
