(Cont.)
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Didn't the early verses talk about this "woman" sitting on a scarlet coloured beast having ten horns, and seven heads? Yes, that's the beast kingdom again. Now the subject has changed again. Here it has reverted back to the matter of the beast kingdom. The seven heads are "seven mountains". Now that is really... simple. The seven mountains are seven regions upon the earth, for after all, we were told this "woman" sits upon "many waters" and the waters we were told involve peoples, multitude, tongues, and NATIONS.
10 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.
Once again, the subject changes, back to the beast king now. There are seven beast kings, for that is the idea. Five of them are already history in John's day. And the 6th beast king was in John's time. The other to come, the 7th, will work for a short time, and will be the beast king we were just shown back at the Rev.17:8 verse, i.e., Satan himself, in person on earth with his angels (Rev.12:7-14). That "short space" is the tribulation time.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
There's that beast king idea of the 8th verse again, and the link to his going into perdition, making it easy to know that is about Satan himself. Satan was once king when he rebelled, and we were actually shown that back at Rev.12:3-4 with him as that "red dragon" that drew a third of the stars (angels) to earth with him in rebellion. The beast kingdom system given there had only seven crowns instead of ten (how many missed that?).
Satan was that beast king of old "that was, and is not". But he is the eighth beast king. The 6th beast king was in John's day, and the 7th is yet to come still, even in our day, as he will be the beast king of the coming tribulation, the short time. That has to mean this 8th beast king will be Satan's future roll after the "thousand years" reign by our Lord Jesus and His elect, when Satan is loosed one final time upon the nations to deceive them. Then he will go into perdition, into the lake of fire.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest 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 unto the beast.
It's obvious these ten horns are about ten kings that reign concurrently at the very end, not one after another. These will give their power to the beast king, Satan. And they all will rule for the symbolic "one hour". (would you not watch with Me 'one hour' our Lord Jesus said; the workers in the field were paid the same for only 'one hour' work, etc.). That "one hour" is symbolic for the time of great tribulation, a time when the deceived and wicked will be saying, "Peace and safety" (1 Thess.5).
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
No doubting what time this is for then. That war with The Lamb Jesus will be on the last day of this present world when Jesus returns to gather His Church and defeat Satan and his host on earth.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
KJV
Now we know that "woman" that sits over the nations and peoples of the world for the end, is a great city. It is Jerusalem on earth during the tribulation. It will be the ruling city over all nations for the end. It will be Satan's headquarters on earth for the trib.