What scriptural connections can be made between Revelation 17:10 and Daniel's visions? Revelation 17:10 in Focus “ ‘They are also seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while.’ ” (Revelation 17:10) Daniel’s Prophetic Parade of Empires • Daniel 2:37-43 – Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (gold, silver, bronze, iron, iron-clay) foretells successive world empires • Daniel 7:3-8, 17 – Four great beasts represent four kings/kingdoms arising from the earth • Daniel 8:20-22 – Ram and goat identify Medo-Persia and Greece, preparing the way for later rulers • Daniel 11 – Long-range panorama of Persian, Greek, and later conflicts until “the time of the end” Connecting the “Seven Kings” to Daniel’s Sequence 1. Five have fallen – Egypt – Assyria – Babylon (head of gold; first beast as lion) – Medo-Persia (silver chest; bear) – Greece (bronze belly; leopard) 2. One is – Rome (iron legs; dreadful fourth beast) – the empire in power when John wrote 3. One has not yet come – A future revived form of the Roman sphere, mirrored in Daniel’s iron mixed with clay feet and the ten-horned phase of the fourth beast (Daniel 2:41-43; 7:24) Shared Themes: Sovereignty, Succession, and a Final Rebel King • God reveals history in advance, proving His sovereign control (Daniel 2:21; Revelation 17:17) • Each empire follows God’s timetable, then yields to the next (Daniel 4:17; Revelation 17:10) • Both prophets look beyond successive empires to a climactic, short-lived ruler who opposes God The Ten Horns, the Little Horn, and the Coming Eighth King • Revelation 17:11 calls the beast an “eighth king,” springing from the seven • Daniel 7:8, 24 – A “little horn” arises among ten horns, uprooting three, wielding global power for “a time, times, and half a time” • Revelation 17:12-13 – “The ten horns you saw are ten kings… they hand over their authority to the beast” • Both visions converge: ten contemporaneous rulers give way to one blasphemous leader, the final Antichrist Christ’s Unshakable Kingdom • Daniel 2:44 – “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.” • Revelation 17:14 – “The Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.” Key Takeaways for Today • History’s empires march exactly as Scripture foretold, confirming the Bible’s reliability • God sets limits on every earthly power—each is “for only a little while” (Revelation 17:10) • The same prophetic stream that predicted past kingdoms assures believers of Christ’s coming, unending reign |
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