The interpretation of Daniel 7 can be a bit perplexing. I thought I would attempt a quick and hopefully simple breakdown of Daniels four beasts that rise from the sea. It will aid in the interpretation of the beast kingdom in Revelation 13, and 17, and perhaps offer some clarity concerning the fourth kingdom which rises in the latter days, prior to the second coming of Christ Jesus - Yeshua Hamashiach.
The writing below is simply a reiteration of scripture. The Bible is interconnecting as scripture defines scripture. Daniels night vision interconnects with Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar was perplexed by a dream that prophesized the future of his kingdom. His dream began with his role as King of Babylon, the head of gold which ruled the middle east. This kingdom was followed by two additional kingdoms, one of silver and another of brass. These future kingdoms would rise to rule the middle east - the kingdom of Babylon. The dream ended with a fourth and final kingdom that will rise to seize world power in the latter days. The Bible doesn't require outside sources to interpret scripture but, we often find that historical events fill in the gaps.
Daniel 7 adds additional information which paralleled the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. The kings dream presented an historical timeline of Babylon, which revolved around four metals indicating the decline of his kingdom, and three additional kingdoms that would rise to rule the middle east - the kingdom of Babylon.
The four beasts parallel four metals from the dream image:
Four Beast: 1) Lion - Babylon 2) Bear- Mede-Persian 3) Leopard - Greek, Grecian 4) Beast of ten horns - Tribulation-Antichrist kingdom.
Four Metals: 1) Gold - Babylon, 2) Silver - Mede-Persian, 3) Brass - Grecian, 4a) Iron - God's judgement, fall of Babylon, 4b) Iron mixed with clay - Tribulation - Antichrist.
The fourth beast was different then the three before, and it had ten horns that grew from his head. Fortunately, there was an angel close by to add clarification to what Daniel was witnessing.... the angel told Daniel:
Daniel 7:23,24 The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other (beast) kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
Daniel chapter 7 documents a night vision where Daniel saw four beasts rise up from the sea. The fourth beast symbolizes the tribulation-antichrist kingdom which is specifically recognized by its ten kings, and an eleventh king, who rises up among them. Each beast influenced Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon kingdom in some way. Three kingdoms had kings who occupied Babylonian territory, living within the confines of the Babylonian city. These kings were mighty warriors, conquering the middle east.
The four beasts from the sea are four kingdoms. These kingdoms have qualities that are similar to, or comparable with, those of the animal presented. The four beasts are visuals of four kingdoms; just as the mystery woman in Revelation 17 is a visual of the tribulation-antichrist city, which rises with the beast in the latter days.
In Daniel's vision, the sea was stirred up by the four winds of heaven, with such force that four great beast rose from its depths, each beast different than the one before. The sea in Daniels vision was most likely the Mediterranean, though this is not explained in further detail or, given additional interpretation by an angel. The Mediterranean was often used by Yahweh to set boundary markers for Israel throughout the Bible. At the time of Daniel's night vision, the borders of Babylon extended to the various seas which bordered the middle east, with the Mediterranean as its western border.
In the end of days, John sees a great beast rise from the sea: Rev 13: 1-4 having seven heads and ten horns. The beast that rises from the sea is Daniels fourth beast kingdom.
The first beast was a golden lion with the wings of an eagle:
The lion is a symbol of authority, bravery, pride and royalty, the eagle is full of majestic grace and power. The first beast that rose from the sea was Babylon. Historically, the lion and the eagle were the symbols of the Babylonian kingdom. Bel-Marduk, the snake-dragon, was the ruling god of the kingdom. Ishtar, the Babylonian form of Inanna was the primary goddess. Her symbol was also the lion, as she was a goddess of love and war.
The lion was humbled, made to stand on two legs, and given the heart of a man. This description intertwines a beast kingdom with a king, which was King Nebuchadnezzar II as he was the 'head of gold' who built a mighty kingdom, and ruled the entire middle east: Daniel 2:37. Nebuchadnezzar was humbled before God: Daniel 4. The wings were plucked, most likely representing the night of the writing on the wall, when the armies of Cyrus the Great and, Darius the Mede removed Babylons power, and the prophetic fall of Babylon began.
The second beast was the bear. The bear represents brute strength and territorial supremacy. The bear represents the Mede-Persian kingdom of Cyrus the Great and King Darius - the arms and chest of silver in the dream image. King Darius took the throne and ruled over the Babylon kingdom, the night that Babylon fell. This ended the reign of the Chaldean dynasty: Daniel 5.
The third beast was like a leopard, denoting swiftness and stealth; a ruthless and precise hunter. This beast had four wings, and four heads. The four heads represent a division into four separate dynasties or kingdoms that proceeded the death of Alexander the Great: Daniel 8:8; 11:4. Antiochus Epiphanes, was a little horn that rose from one of those four heads: the Seleucid empire: Daniel 8:9-12. Antiochus was a prototype of the little horn who will rise from the head of the fourth beast, the beast of ten horns, in the end of days.
It is important to note that the heads of the Leopard symbolize four distinct dynasties or kingdoms that rose up from the beast 'like' the Leopard; just as the seven heads of the beast in Revelation 13:1,2, who is also 'like' the leopard, symbolizes seven world kingdoms.
The territory seized by the Grecian empire was vast and, its conquering strength was swiftly executed. The Grecian kingdom under Alexander the Great controlled a large amount of territory, taken over a short period of time.
Alexander the Great ruled the middle east from the city of Babylon. He made Babylon his secondary home, where he lived, and later died. He had plans to rebuild the great city, and restore her to her former glory. His plans included a fleet of military ships to prowl the Euphrates, but, his life was cut short, and his dreams were never realized. The Grecian kingdom was the belly and thighs of brass, in Nebuchadnezzar's dream image.
So far, we have three kings who ruled the middle east from the ancient Babylonian city - built by the head of gold: King Nebuchadnezzar II. Daniels fourth beast provides the fourth and final king.
The fourth beast is different from the rest, as it is incredibly strong and vicious. The beast is dreadful and terrible, having great iron teeth which devours all in it path, raking the earth with its brass nails. It breaks and devours, and what it doesn't devour, it stomps with its feet: Daniel 7:19. The beast contains two metals from the dream image: the brass and the iron.
The fourth beast goes forth to conquer and devour the entire world, in the latter days.
After this, I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, stamping the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beast that were before it; and it had ten horns. Daniel 7:7The ten kings in Daniel 7:24, are ten horns that rise from the beast. The ten horns parallel the (ten) toes of the feet and toes of iron and clay: Daniel 2:44. "In the days of these kings" place the feet and toes into the scriptural position of the fourth kingdom - the tribulation-antichrist kingdom which rises on the end of days, prior to the return of Christ. The visual of the ten kings in Revelation 13:1; 17:12,13 indicate that Daniel's fourth kingdom rises just prior to the time of tribulation, to fulfill the prophecies found in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7.
The fourth beast fights for world power, and ten kings rise out of the kingdom before the return of Christ. The beast of ten horns is the kingdom that rises after Rome, seizing world power in the end of days, and continues a short space: Rev 17:10b. The beast of ten horns and its parallel in Daniel 2, the feet and toes of iron and clay, rise as the beast from the sea (iron) and the beast out of the earth (clay) in the last days: connecting the beast of ten horns and the feet and toes of iron and clay, to the prophecy found in Revelation 13.
Daniel and Revelation Converge:
Revelation 13:2 indicates that the beast from the sea, the kingdom of ten horns is formed from his three previous predecessors: the lion, bear and leopard. These three beasts were kingdoms that conquered the middle east, whose kings lived in Babylon. These three beast are mortally wounded and deceased and yet, they are part of the fourth kingdom's genetic makeup.
The beast of ten horns, a combination of three mortally wounded beast kingdoms, has the appearance of death, a mortal wound: Rev 13:3. This beast will rise from the abyss with its mortal wound healed, undergoing a transformation, emerging from the bottomless pit, as an eighth world power: Rev 17:8,11. Only a 'beast' kingdom can suffer a deadly wound and be raised from death, as it is a 'beast,' - a living, breathing entity. This transformation from wounded head to global kingdom is orchestrated by the kings of the earth, and promoted by the false prophet to create a mark of submission to the beast, who was wounded by the sword but did live: Rev 13:2b,14. The beast is a kingdom, the horns are his kings.
Daniel continued to watch as a little horn rose up among the ten horns; Daniel 7:8a. As the power of the little horn increased, he uprooted three kings, removing their power. The little horn has the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking vile blasphemies against the God of heaven. The little horn begins his rise to power just prior to the time of tribulation, while the seventh head, the seventh kingdom rises to global dominance. The seventh head rises from the abyss as the eighth world kingdom as the great tribulation begins. The beast is a kingdom and, the little horn is his eleventh king.
One very important clue from this, is that the ten kings, and Daniels fourth beast are already established before the little horn rises up among them. The ten horns represent ten individuals in very powerful positions of authority, who conspire for global control. These kings do not have a kingdom, which means that the ten horns do not represent individual kingdoms, but are simply ten kings in positions of great authority. These ten horns rule as kings empowering the beast kingdom: Rev 17:12b.
Daniels fourth beast represents a future kingdom that has not yet come.
So far, we have four beast kingdoms: Babylon, Mede-Persian, Grecian, and the beast with ten horns. There were two non-beast kingdoms that had fallen prior to the rise of the Babylonian kingdom: Egypt and Assyria, and another non-beast kingdom which rose after the leopard kingdom of Alexander the Great: Rome. This progression of world powers gives us a total of six heads; but, there are seven heads upon the beast. This places the beast of ten horns into position of the seventh head, the seventh world power, the kingdom that rises after Rome. The beast of ten horns is the one who has not yet come. So now, the list of biblical world kingdoms looks like this:
World Kingdoms Recorded in Scripture:
1) Egypt-fallen, 2) Assyria-fallen, 3) Babylon-fallen beast kingdom, 4) Mede-Persia-fallen beast kingdom, 5) Grecian-fallen beast kingdom, 6) Rome-the one that is, 7) beast with ten horns- the one that has not yet come.
And they are seven kings: five are fallen: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greek, and one is: (Rome), and the other is not yet come: Daniels fourth beast with ten horns: and when he comes, he must continue a short space. Revelation 17:10
This positioning of kingdoms is reflected in the number of heads upon the red dragon, and his earthly kingdom birthed from the abyss: the beast of ten horns. The beast kingdom is a mirror image of the red dragon, who also has seven heads and ten horns: Rev 12:3. The beast kingdom is a reflection of the red dragon, just as Antiochus Epiphanes was a reflection or prototype of the little horn.
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. Revelation 12:3 .... .... And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.... Revelation 13:1a
Seven heads upon the Red Dragon: 1) Egypt 2) Assyrian 3) Babylon - beast kingdom 4) Mede-Persian -beast kingdom 5) Grecian - beast kingdom 6) Rome - the one that is 7) fourth beast with ten horns, the one who has not yet come. The beast was, is not - was slain, yet is; the beast of ten horns is formed by three previous beast kingdoms which dominated the middle east: the lion, bear and leopard:13:2. These three kingdoms are currently mortally wounded and deceased; and yet, they are infused into the genetic make up of the fourth beast - the kingdom of ten horns, who reeks of blasphemy and, death.
In the numbering or, order of the kingdoms listed above, Nebuchadnezzar's fourth kingdom of ten horns is represented as the seventh head of the red dragon, the seventh world kingdom. It is the future kingdom of ten horns that the little horn or antichrist rises from. The kingdom had not yet come in John's timing of events, but it is beginning to form in ours. This is the kingdom that is rising now, methodically conquering and devouring the earth for global control. This kingdom will seize world power in the latter days.
The little horn is the king, who will rule the kingdom centralized in the physical location, where three previous kingdoms once ruled; the middle east. In Daniels vision, all four beasts rose from the same sea. This is the sea, where the beast with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 13:1,2 rises from in the last days. This is the same beast where the woman sits: Rev 17:9, ruling over the kings of the earth: Rev 17:18. The woman is carried upon the seven heads of the beast, the seven world kingdoms.
And I (John) stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (kingdom) rise up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard (Grecian), and his feet were as the feet of a bear (Mede-Persian) and his mouth as the mouth of a lion (Babylon): and the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
The beast that John documents, is formed from three previous beast kingdoms which ruled the middle east. It was 'like' the four-headed leopard, (Grecian) and had the feet of the bear (Mede-Persian), with brass nails (Grecian) and the mouth of a lion, (Babylon - the head of the beast): Daniel 7:7,19. These kingdoms are mortally wounded, and deceased, having the appearance of death; a mortally wounded seventh head; the fourth beast of ten horns.
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast (kingdom) Revelation 13:3
Daniel 7:23,24 The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other (beast) kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
The beast is Daniel's fourth kingdom which expands from the middle east to crush and devour. It will be swift and deadly as the leopard: Grecian, using the brute force of a bear: Mede-Persian, devouring all in it's death-vice jaws as a mighty lion: Babylon. These former geographical areas pinpoint the location of the beast kingdom. The kingdom will have ten horns (seats of power, kings) that rise up, exerting authority over the kingdom and, eventually the entire globe. The ten kings rule the world during the time of tribulation while the little horn wars with the saints.
Satan gives his power and throne to the beast: the horns have received crowns, and the beast has accumulated the seven heads of the red dragon. The little horn spews blasphemy against the most High, and the seven heads wear the name of blasphemy. The heads or kingdoms, will be full of blasphemous men and women, who mock the God of heaven, the sacrifice of His son and, the power of the cross. The seven kingdoms are united to the little horn by enmity against Israel, the seed of Abraham, and those who carry the testimony of Christ Jesus: Rev 12.
Before the little horn can rise among the ten horns and, take power over the kingdom, everything he needs for world domination must be prepared, and seized by the ten horns. With seven nations subdued under the ten kings or ten horns, the little horn begins to rise.
We are witnessing the beginning of this scenario now, as the conquest of the ancient Roman kingdom (the sixth head) continues. The conquest of the territorial lands of Europe is preparing the world for the formation of the seventh kingdom. The seventh head of the red dragon will form right before our eyes, as the sixth world power makes the way for the fourth beast to rise. As the tribulation nears, Daniel's fourth kingdom will rise to seize world power, just prior to the appearance of antichrist. Revelation 17:8,11
The beast (kingdom) that you saw (carry the woman) was, and is not (was mortally wounded); and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they who 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 (kingdom) that was, and is not, and yet is. Revelation 17:8
Only a 'beast' kingdom can be mortally wounded or slain, as it is a 'beast' - a living, breathing entity: lion, bear, leopard. A beast kingdom is different from a non-beast kingdom as it can be revived, and brought back from death.
Beast in the Aramaic, is חֵיוְתָא which translates to: animal. Beast in the Greek is: θηριον -wild animal, genetically non-human, an animal hunted by man. The beast is a wild, untamed animal, defining the characteristics of three kingdoms that were centralized in the middle east; the lion, the bear, the leopard and the fourth that is yet to come; the beast with ten horns. This is all symbolic, but can be pieced together just as pieces of a puzzle are fitted to form a picture. A beast is a kingdom, and the horns are his kings.
As the eleventh king rises, the seventh head, or kingdom, rises from the depths of the abyss and becomes the eighth, the totality of the beast. (there is no eighth head which are mountains and kings: R 17:9,10) The eighth is the beast which rises from the sea with all his parts and pieces forming a collective whole.
Revelation 17:11 And the beast (kingdom) that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven (heads, mountains, kings) and goes into perdition.
The heads of the beast are the heads of the red dragon, kingdoms of the world which showcase the dragon's power and ruling authority. These kingdoms belong to the red dragon, mounted like trophies of conquered territory. This is similar to how a big game hunter displays his mounts or trophies upon a wall. This can be compared to the positioning of four heads upon Daniel's third beast, the leopard, which symbolize the division of the Grecian empire into four dynasties, after the death of Alexander the Great. Instead of four heads like the leopard, the fourth beast will have the seven heads of the dragon, seven kingdoms.
Daniel 7:6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads and dominion was given to it.
Revelation 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The dragon will transfer his power and authority to the beast kingdom of ten horns. These seven territories will be given to the beast as seven heads.
.... and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat (throne, territorial domain) and great authority. Rev 13:2b
Prior to the early stages of tribulation, kingdoms of the world surrender their authority to the ten horns. This may be some sort of global threat of war, as the beast kingdom rises and expands, convincing the kings of the earth to surrender to nefarious authorities. Or, the result of conquest, as world powers surrender their sovereign authority to the east. World leaders who want to hold their entitled positions will submit, never realizing the monster they are unleashing over their nations. The ten kings hand their consolidated global authority to the fourth beast, and the eleventh king, when he rises up among them. Rev 17: 12,13
And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13) These have one mind and shall give their power and strength to the beast.
The red dragon removes the diadems or crowns, from his seven heads (Rev 12:3) and places new crowns upon the ten horns: Rev 13:1b. The crowns that were upon the heads or, kingdoms, are replaced with the name of blasphemy, the name of the beast or, the number of the name of it; submitting to the authority of the beast kingdom.
This is a transfer of power. Ruling power is removed from seven world kingdoms, and given to the ten horns. The crowning glory of Satan had been his influence over world kingdoms as they belonged to him, but now, that power and authority is given to the ten horns that rise from the seventh head or, Daniels fourth beast kingdom. This shows power and authority is given to the ten horns, to dominate the kingdoms of the earth.
Once the beast kingdom begins to rise, the transfer of power will be quick and brutal; the authority of the kingdom will be lethal - for those who do not comply.
Just as the little horn mocks and blasphemes the most high, all those who dwell under the authority of the beast kingdom, will do the same. The little horn will have a ready made army who will follow him blindly. It won't be hard to gather armies to hunt the tribulation saints, once the woman (Judea / Israel) is hidden and protected in the wilderness during the Great tribulation period.
And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Rev 12:6
Beast kingdoms rise from the sea: 7:3,23 while kings rise from kingdoms.
Daniel 7:17 These great beasts (kingdoms), which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Four kingdoms: Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greece, beast of ten horns.
Four kings: Nebuchadnezzar II, Darius the Mede, Alexander the Great, Antichrist / little horn.
There are seven heads and ten horns on the red dragon and, seven heads and ten horns upon the beast kingdom, suggesting that the beast is made in the image of the red dragon - the devil's spawn.
Heads of the Beast: 1) Egypt - fallen, 2) Assyria - fallen, 3) Babylon - fallen beast, mortally wounded, 4) Mede-Persian - fallen beast, mortally wounded 5) Grecian - fallen beast, mortally wounded 6) Rome - the one that is, 7) beast with ten horns - the kingdom that has not yet come: Revelation 17:10
As mentioned earlier: prior to the rise of the Babylonian kingdom, there were two other kingdoms that had their power removed: Egypt and Assyria.
Egypt was the first head of the dragon. Assyria conquered Egypt, Babylon conquered Assyria, Mede-Persia conquered Babylon, Grecian conquered the Mede-Persia, and finally Rome conquered and absorbed most of the Grecian empires; transferring power from the middle east to Rome. When the Ottoman empire rose, it removed the last remnant of Rome from the middle east, replacing a Christian stronghold with Islam.
When the seventh head with the ten horns rises, the kingdoms of the middle east will solidify their strength, combining into one - uniting them with one goal: global dominion. Europe aka: the ancient Roman empire is the current area of conquest. Eventually, all nations will be controlled by the beast of ten horns and power will return to the middle east.
This new kingdom, revived from a combination of three previous 'beast' kingdoms; the lion, the bear and the leopard, will form the beast of ten horns. This kingdom is controlled by ten kings, and war begins, as the eleventh king, the little horn, rises up among them.
Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads (kingdoms) as it were (εσφαγμενην) wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast.
This verse is revealing that one of the seven heads was wounded to death but, by the time John saw the beast kingdom rise from the sea, the deadly wound was healed. A beast kingdom will revive from death, and the world will wonder in amazement over this feat. (See Revelation 17:8,11) This is speaking of a kingdom, not hills and not seven Roman emperors who died thousands of years ago.
The Greek word for wounded to death, slain is: εσφαγμενην which translates from the Greek as: having been butchered. This word in the Greek implies that this was done in a 'ritual state' or ritual sense, as an act of God in a balance of power, or, to take power away - such as seen in the fall of Babylon.
The three mortally wounded beast kingdoms: lion, bear and leopard, are genetically bound, forming the seventh head, which rises from the abyss, healed and revived before it rises from the sea, with all his genetic parts and pieces in place: Rev 13:1-4.
Revelation 13:4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast (kingdom); and they worshiped the beast, saying, who is like the beast and who is able to make war against him?
The beast kingdom is given male pronouns such as he, him and his which can cause some confusion in interpretation, oftentimes transposing a mortally wounded head (kingdom) for a mortally wounded horn (king). AntiChrist is the little horn, not the little head.
Not one nation will be able to gather an army to make war against the seventh kingdom. Once the eleventh king rises, war against the beast will be futile. The only one who can destroy the beast kingdom is Christ Jesus; the stone that will strike the fourth kingdom - the feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar's dream image, destroying it. Daniel 2:34,35
The seventh head is Daniels fourth beast with the ten horns; a combination of three ancient beast kingdoms that had been slain or mortally wounded. A beast kingdom is different from a non-beast kingdom, as a 'beast' can be mortally wounded or slain. This seventh head of the beast, comprised of three former beast kingdoms: the lion, the bear and the leopard, will be revived from its deadly wound, brought back to life, and rise from the abyss, as an eighth kingdom: the antichrist-tribulation kingdom: Babylon the Great.
Heads of the Beast: 1) Egypt, 2) Assyria, 3)
Babylon, 4) Mede-Persia, 5) Greece, 6) Rome, 7) beast kingdom with ten horns =
transformed into an eighth world kingdom, the antichrist kingdom.
And the beast (kingdom) that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven (heads, mountains / kings = kingdoms) and goes into perdition. 17:11
The heads of the beast are kingdoms; which is further confirmed in the following passage:
The angel is telling John to use wisdom: deep thought and, biblical discernment when considering the meaning of the seven heads. Daniel would have known exactly what the mountains represented and, after some consideration I believe John did as well. The angel is using an old testament symbolic reference which defines a mountain as a kingdom. This is found in several passages of scripture. Here are a few:
Daniel 2:35b: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain (kingdom) and filled the whole earth.
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain (kingdom) of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Jerimiah 51:25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain (kingdom), saith the LORD, which destroys all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.
Let's look at Revelation 17:9 again: And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven (ὄρος) mountains (kingdoms) on which the woman sits.
The Greek word John used was ὄρος which translates to mountain. When used in prophetic text, a mountain represents a kingdom. A hill has no prophetic significance or symbolic reference. A hill in the Greek is βουνός - bounos, and is not used in this verse. The heads upon the red dragon and the beast that carries the woman in Revelation 17 are seven world kingdoms. The reference to kings in the following verse (17:10) reinforces this, as kings rule kingdoms and, kingdoms are ruled by kings.
17:10 And they are seven kings; five are fallen (1 Egypt - fallen, 2 Assyria - fallen, 3 Babylon - fallen beast, 4 Mede-Persia - fallen beast, 5 Grecian - fallen beast), and one is (6 Rome), and the other is not yet come (7th kingdom, beast with ten horns), and when he comes, he must continue a short space.
17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven (heads, kingdoms) and goes into perdition.
Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down to worship him. He could do this because the kingdoms belong to him. The kingdoms sit upon the red dragon as trophies of conquest.
Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
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