Ok, so lets go through Revelation 17 and see what perspective that John is seeing, and I will try to put it in its correct context..

Revelation 17
King James Version
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

This is the christian church already changed and riding the beast at Rome, Papal Rome, and John will be shown the judgement that will happen to it. I think we can agree that John is amazed at the change from the pure woman of Revelation 12, into a harlot full of abomination. Now the angel begins to identify both of them.

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that 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 that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

So the beast John saw, "was, and is not", so that gives us the clue that this is the beast of the "deadly wound" of Revelation 13, and repeated in verse 9, "behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." So, lets see if this is the perspective of 1798, with the next verses.

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.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

So in 1798, we had the following fallen beasts, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome and lets say Papal Rome with the wound is the last of the five. So in 1798 we have the image of the Beast risen up, America as the sixth,. so that would fit "and one is".
But now we have "and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space", so John is not seeing it from the perspective of 1798, and that leaves us with a question mark for the seventh beast. Could it be the UN, New World Order? Its a short time, so it could be, but we cant say for sure.

So now we have "the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth", which matches up to the fifth beast, that "was, and is not", which is linked to the beast of the "deadly wound" of Revelation 13, the Papacy.

This would line up as the as the following:
Babylon
Media-Persia
Greece
Pagan Rome
Papal Rome
America as the image to the Beast
UN/New World Order?
Fully restore Papal Rome

Then we have a final but short event which looks like the end...

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.
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.

The "one hour" in prophetic time would be around two weeks, and it seems they unite to fight against Christ at the Second Coming, and then you have the angel giving a final review of some key points..

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.

It looks like at the end, the nations will turn against the 'Harlot' or apostate church but still follow the Beast.

What is everyones thoughts..

Where did you get the 1 hour=2 weeks

Rick,
Good, I think we agree then on the first five heads(as we see them depicted in Daniel 7, with Papal Rome as the fifth head that received the deadly wound)

The apostle John, in Rev. 13, simply picked up the prophetic symbolism of Daniel 7, and basically tells us this is the fourth beast of Daniel 7, then proceeds with advanced information on future events --the fatal wound of the beast, an intermittent period, and the beast restored working together with the American beast in the final crises.


Rev, 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and IS NOT; and shall rise

The beast received it's deadly wound back in 1798. That's when its "IS NOT" phase began.

THE SIXTH HEAD

So five heads fell by 1798, the beast is fatally wounded he Is NOT.
Yet one head "IS" (a sixth head)
What head is operating without the "beastly power to enforce religion with the sword" but is still an agent of this European beast?
What head "IS" while the beast "IS NOT"?

It has to be part of the European beast. Ignoring that is where confusion in interpretations come in.
Because it is not logical to jump the ocean and call America the sixth head in this sequence as America (though it is definitely involved, is for many centuries operating in a lamb like capacity standing firmly AGAINST the Roman beast)
Rev.
12:16 And the earth helped the woman,
-- it was the beast from the earth (America) in which the "woman" finally found refuge.
And when people try to put America in as the sixth head back in 1798 it just doesn't fit.

THE BEAST OF REVELATION 11:7 is the SIXTH HEAD
(it's NOT the one in the second half of Revelation 13 that is the sixth head)

There is another beast (mostly ignored) that comes up in Europe exactly at the same time the fifth head receives it's deadly wound. That beast is found in Revelation 11: 7. It is clearly defined in Great Controversy chapter 15 as Atheism -- a governing power. It arises during the French Revolution. It's position is not to enforce a religion but to destroy trust in God and the Bible. The Papacy tried to keep the Bible away from the people. But now the Bible was available, so another power came up to destroy people's faith and trust in the Bible and in God.

This sixth head is now -- in our time pretty much in control of things.
The dragon has been working for over 200 years to take down America and get it under the control of his papal beast. The beast knows it needs America in order to achieve it's beastly life of enforced worship once again.

The sixth head IS NOT THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST.
The sixth head is using the principles of Balaam -- destroy Christian principles in America and America will fall. That is the work of the sixth head -- the atheistic controlling power.
The sixth head is RIGHT NOW in full power in all the countries that once held Christian principles.

The nations that once were looked upon as being "Christian", are now mostly secular, putting very little value on the Bible or on faith. Secularism, immorality, a culture called Sodom and Egypt, crucifying the Lord afresh.

BUT THERE IS A SEVENTH HEAD.
The head that EGW has pointed out all along.
The beast being healed! Papal political power restored.
The seventh head comes into power when America is brought low by the sixth head.

That's when we see "the daughters" actively joining the "mother" and mounting the political beast to BRING BACK MORALITY!
Notice in Revelation 13 -- once America repudiates Protestantism and it's constitution THEN it makes an image to the Roman Beast. It operates with the Roman Beast. Makes laws in honor of the beast. "causes all on earth to worship the first beast," (13:12) "had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. " (13:14)

America JOINS and gives military power to the papacy. It is this relationship that heals the beast.
The seventh head is the healed beast. It is the last crises.

America is also the false prophet -- leading the people of America and the whole world back under papal primacy. deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast )13:14)beast, regaining "the sword" of civic authority to enforce religion. And all the world will wander after the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

THE DAUGHTERS -- Protestants churches that left Papal Rome, resisted Papal Rome, now denounce their protest, join hands with papal Rome and take control of the government.
The "harlot and her daughters' are about to take control of the "beast" and fully restore him.

The seventh head will come suddenly, with a big backlash against the sixth head.
Already we see the "daughters" protestants, shaking hands with the "harlot" Rome, and climbing on the back of civil power to enforce morality. We are on the very brink of the seventh head rearing up it's fearful face, bringing life and vicious vitality to the beast.

It will be only for a short time.


I don't think we should bring in any unbiblical power. (UN, One world government, etc)
Just stick to the Bible -- it's all there.

The heads --
Five fallen -- Babylon, Media Persia, Greece, Imperial Rome, Papal Rome,
The sixth -- Atheism is the governing power to prepare the way for the seventh
The Seventh -- Restored Papal Roman beast, using chiefly the power of America as well as the "ten European horns".
.

It's happening before our very eyes.


TEN EUROPEAN HORNS
Right now kings in Europe don't have much power, but apparently they will be given dictatorial power for a short time in the near future.

They will at first support the seventh head, but when God steps in they will realize they were deceived and turn on the harlot and her daughters.

THE EIGHTH
IS NOT A HEAD.
The beast only has seven heads.

17:3 a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.
13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast:

What power was present in all seven heads? Who gave them power? Bible is plain, it is the dragon, Satan, that old serpent the devil. It's his beast, created in his likeness, controlled by him.

And according to scripture the beasts and the dragon end up in the lake of fire

Its prophetic time, so applying the day-principle, each day is a year and 1 hour would be 1/24 of the day/year or 15 days,

Well, lets put it to seven kings as that is what Revelation 17 lays out.

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.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

But you have "the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth", which matches up to the fifth beast, that "was, and is not", still is linked to the beast of the "deadly wound" of Revelation 13, the Papacy.
So France/French Revolution as the sixth just doesnt fit, but America with a image that is trying to "destroy Christian principles in America" is here now as we clearly see and they are doing it with sweeping power.
The seventh is a unknown, thats why I put UN/New World Order, but I agree it will come up for a short time, and we should see it soon and recognize it, but clearly we see the Eight is " the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven". So whether the Dragon/Satan, it is linked to Papal Romes deadly wound, with the "that was, and is not".

This would line up as the as the following:
Babylon
Media-Persia
Greece
Pagan Rome
Papal Rome
America as the image to the Beast
?
Beast "that was, and is not"

Thanks for your reply!


Here's one point in which I see confusion --

In the seven headed beasts of Revelation a beast does not represent A kingdom.
Each of those seven heads represents a kingdom in the history of the beast.
The seven headed beast symbolizes seven kingdoms spanning earth's history.


In Daniel 7, Rev. 11:7, as well as the earth beast of Daniel 13,
each beast represents ONE kingdom.
1 LION- Babylon -- government controls religion
2 BEAR -Media Persia - government controls religion
3 LEOPARD - Greece - government controls religion
4 beast - ROME - government controls religion
5 with stout horn - Papal Rome. Religion uses government power
6 Rev. 11:7 beast - Atheism takes over government taking away religious control of governments
7 Rev. 13 Two horned beast - America restores religious control of government, protestants in union with papists.

Those beasts are all symbolic beasts representing ONE kingdom each.

BUT
THE SEVEN HEADED BEASTS represent ALL seven individual beasts.
They are a conglomeration of all seven kingdoms.
A SEVEN HEADED BEAST does not represent a single kingdom.
A seven headed beast represents a the whole history of KINGDOMS (all seven of them)


Sorry if I didn't explain it more fully, but no, the eighth is not head
The number "eighth" is not another mountain, king, or head.
Yes, I know the NIV translates the verse as "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king." But I don't think that's a correct translation.


The "BEAST" of Revelation 13 and 17 is not like the beasts of Daniel in which each was symbolic of ONE kingdom.
The "seven headed BEAST" of Revelation 13 and 17 is a conglomerate of ALL the single beasts.
Three leading up to Rome, the last four showing phases through which Rome passes.



America was NOT the image of the beast in 1798, nor has it been the image of the beast in the last 200 or so years.
America was NOT part of Rome, it very decidedly was against Rome.
What has changed that?
The image of the beast has not yet been formed, though I believe it is about to be formed.

One point I think is very important is this:
The image of the beast is not the atheistic/pagan power that is NOW destroying Christian principles.


So what is destroying Christian principles?

"The war against the Bible, carried forward for so many centuries by the papacy in France, culminated in the scenes of the Revolution. That terrible outbreaking was but the legitimate result of Rome's suppression of the Scriptures". So what happened in France was very much part of the agenda of the "beast". The beast saw the fifth papal head failing, so he got a sixth head to remove the papacy out of the way and work to undermine the scriptures, that couldn't be hid anymore, in another way.
The power to enforce religion was/is dead for the time being. But Satan will bring back the papacy as the "savior" of moral principles.

That's where I see a grave deception is now brewing in Adventism.
Many thinking this seeming victory of atheism and immorality is the final crises.
When the image is set up many Adventists will get on board the wagon, thinking they are helping bring back Christian principles not even realizing they are supporting in setting up the image of the beast.

It was in 1798 that the atheistic power began to exert control over governments. "Terrible were the scenes enacted in France when atheism became the controlling power". It is not "France per say it is the atheistic power taking control of governments.

After all the BEAST is all about government controlling or being controlled by religion. In 1798 the government was no longer controlled by religion or in control of religion, now atheism was grasping that control. Atheism has redefined "freedom of religion" as "freedom FROM Religion".

When America develops the image of the beast -- in the sight of the papacy, under papal supervision -- commanding the world to worship the Roman beast that was wounded and comes back to life, it will NOT be a movement to destroy Christian principles.
It will be a movement to ESTABLISH MORAL PRINCIPLES and return the nation (and the world) back to their idea of "God".

The sixth head -- atheistic powers controlling the governments in which Christianity was once embraced, is the one undermining the BIBLE and moral principles. That's what you are seeing NOW. ALL denominational Christians, are appalled by the depths of deprivation this causing. The image to the beast is not yet fully formed, though the "daughters" (protestant) and the "harlot" (papal) Christians are working hard to get control of the government to enforce morality and Christian principles again. And they will get it -- that is prophecy.

They will join hands to bring back what they consider Christian principles.

The image to the beast is not yet formed -- the churches as yet do not have control of the government. But the sixth head (atheism) is pushing so far into immorality that the reaction is about to happen and the seventh head -- the image of the beast, will be formed.


That is the seventh head.

AN EIGHTH

The eighth is not another head -- it was the power generating all seven heads.
Rev. 12 shows us the dragon with the seven heads and identifies it as satan, the devil.
It is he that gives his power to the seven headed beast according to Rev. 13.
The seven headed beasts show these seven heads are earthly kingdoms. The seven headed beast is symbolic of the whole conglomeration of ALL the single beast kingdoms. The seven headed beast is not symbolic of one more kingdom.

In the end -- when the seventh head appears and gains strength, satan himself will appear to claim the worship due only to God and he give great support to the "seventh head". He will pretend to be the Messiah coming to set up a millennium kingdom. BUT He will not succeed, though it will be an almost overwhelming deception -- all our senses will say, this is the Christ, but it isn't. The whole sinful mess will be destroyed.

The true Messiah will appear in the clouds of glory.