Apocalipse 17

Apocalipse 17

Wiersbe - The seven mountains (Rev. 17:9) probably symbolize the city of Rome, built on seven hills. Certainly in John’s day, the Roman Empire was living in luxury, spreading false religion, polluting the nations with its idolatry and sin, and persecuting the church.....But the woman must not be separated from “the beast” that carries her. “The beast” has seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads symbolize seven mountains (Rev. 17:9) and also seven kings or kingdoms (Rev. 17:10), in keeping with Old Testament imagery (Ps. 30:7; Dan. 2:35). I have already suggested that the seven mountains can be interpreted geographically as the seven hills of Rome, but they may also be interpreted historically as seven kingdoms. Daniel Akin on Revelation 17:9 - There is no unanimity among Bible interpreters on verses 9–12. Godly men and women understand the details differently. The fact that we need wisdom is an understatement! Now, most agree that the phrase “the seven heads are seven mountains” is a reference to Rome in the first-century context. The city was known as “the city on seven hills.” Seven would also communicate great power and authority, something that is true of every coming of the beast. Adrian Rogers - Notice the power with which the beast comes. Revelation 17:9 says, “Here is the mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated.” What city is built on seven hills? Rome. Will this power be concentrated in Rome? Robert Mounce is very dogmatic - The seven heads of the beast are first identified as seven hills upon which the prostitute is sitting. There is little doubt that a first-century reader would understand this reference in any way other than as a reference to Rome, the city built upon seven hills. Rome began as a network of seven hill settlements on the left bank of the Tiber, and was from the time of Servius Tullius (her sixth king) an urbs septicollis. The reference is commonplace among Roman authors.33 Some writers point out that in OT usage the hill may be a symbol of power (cf. Dan 2:35; Jer 51:25), and interpret the seven hills as successive kingdoms or empires.34 Others take the number symbolically.35 Whatever the overtones may be, the immediate reference is to the city of Rome. In John’s day Rome epitomized all the antagonism and opposition to the Christian faith. The beast is about to come from the Abyss and become incarnate in this hostile world order of which the city on seven hills is the governing center. Grant Osborne - The angel identifies the seven heads with “seven hills or mountains,” often used as a euphemism for Rome because it was built on seven hills. In Domitian’s time a festival called the Septimontium celebrated this fact. In 17:1 the woman was said to sit on “many waters” (= the inhabitants, 17:15), meaning she ruled over them. Here she sits on the seven hills, meaning she is enthroned on Rome.2 (Revelation Verse by Verse) John