THE TEN HORNS INTERPRETED (VERSES 12-14)

12 “‘The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.’”

The ten horns are ten kings without a kingdom, but exercising power as kings for “one hour,” a brief period, along with the beast. They are allies of the beast, giving him their strength and power. Who are the ten horns, the ten kings? Several interpretations have been advanced: (1) They are unknown future rulers toward the end of the Roman Empire who will join in helping to destroy her; (2) Governors of provinces under the Roman Senate that hold office for a year; (3) Parthian satraps that will be coming back with Nero at the head of the Parthian forces to capture the Roman Empire; (4) Purely symbolic powers, representing all of the powers of the nations that are subservient to the beast, the antichrist; (5) The mighty persons of all the earth in every realm of endeavor who serve evil influences and work against the cause of Christ. The first and fourth seem more plausible.

The ten all have one purpose—to oppose and to fight against Christ and His people. This purpose is expressed in the words, “These shall make war with the Lamb,” [verse 14]. One is not to think here of a literal war in which Christ and His people are drawn up against the evil forces of the world, but rather a spiritual war in which the Lamb, along with His called, chosen, and faithful ones, will overcome the beast and the kings associated with him. Christ is called here “the Lord of lords, and King of kings,” acclaiming Him the true Ruler over all.

THE WOMAN SITTING ON MANY WATERS (VERSES 15-18)

“15 Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the Words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.’”

We have already referred to verse 15 in interpreting the waters, which signify the great polyglot of peoples that made up not only the Roman Empire of the 1^st Century, but make up the nations of the world bewitched by Satan’s influence [verse 15]. Interestingly enough, the horns associated with the beast in their power turn upon the harlot to strip her of her finery and make her desolate and naked, then eat up her flesh and burn her up with fire [verse 16]. This is what eventually happens to her, even though she is so prosperous, beautiful, and seemingly fortunate. God’s overruling providence enables these very agents to fulfill His Will “until the Words of God are fulfilled,” [verse 17]. Swete [in his commentary] sees the fulfillment in the long series of disastrous invasions of Rome and her Empire, bringing its fall.

Here we see illustrated once more the great Truth that Jesus taught, “The house divided against itself cannot stand” [Mark 3:23-26: “23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.”]. Satan divided against himself is bound to fall. The seeds of destruction are within every force of evil, and nothing could illustrate it better than the close of this chapter. Bowman (The Drama of the Book of Revelation, p. 117) comments, “For John and his contemporaries, the Empire was coextensive [extending equally in time or space] with the civilized world, and so included within its borders all the peoples known to them. But the Harlot is also the Great City, and hence from age to age not Rome’s peoples only, but also those of every other secular power opposed to the Kingdom of God on earth.” While Rome may have represented Babylon the Great in the days of John, this certainly does not exhaust the meaning of this figure.