Devine Scripture

Revelation 17:10

What does Revelation 17:10 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 17:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 17:10 means

The seven heads are also seven kings—a sequence of rulers or regimes. “Five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come,” and the coming one will last only “a little while.” The point is not to feed curiosity with exact lists but to teach that earthly powers rise and fall under God’s timetable. The present reign in John’s day is not the final word, and the next is brief by divine design. History is not adrift; it is bounded. This measured language comforts believers living under oppressive rule: even the most intimidating empire is temporary, and the Lord numbers its days.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And they are seven kings; the five have come to an end, the one is, the other has not come; and when he comes, he will have to go on for a little time.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and there are seven kings, the five did fall, and the one is, the other did not yet come, and when he may come, it behoveth him to remain a little time;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain [only] a little while.

Context

Verse 10 advances the interpretation from geography to chronology. It locates the vision within a series of rulers, affirming that John and his readers stand within God’s plan at a definite juncture. The stress on brevity anticipates the beast’s final phase in verse 11, where continuity and escalation are held together. The flow prepares for the introduction of the ten horns—additional powers that will briefly join the beast in a concerted, but doomed, opposition to God’s reign.

v.9Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth:

v.10This passage

v.11And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven; and he goeth into perdition.

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