The Seven Kings
A sermon about the desire for power
"There are seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. When he comes he will only remain a short time." Revelation 17.10
These words are offered by the angel to John as part of an explanation of what is meant by the woman that he saw riding on a scarlet beast. Seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one who rules, and one who has not yet come. They are meant by the seven heads of the beast that the woman rides. Who are these kings? How do they explain the meaning of the woman and the beast?
Many Biblical stories are about power and control. The Book of Revelation as a whole describes a struggle for the control of heaven. Throughout the book various evil characters, such as the dragon and the beast, try to rule. In the end they are judged and cast out. Nowhere in the Bible, however, is there any doubt about who really rules. Story after story testifies to the fact that the Lord reigns, whether His government is seen and accepted by people or not.
According to New Church teachings, the story of the scarlet woman, the beast that carried her, her destruction, and the later defeat of the beast and his armies by the Man on the white horse, is an episode which illustrates the role of the Word of God in the struggle for control. This struggle occurred as it is described here during the Last Judgment, and it continues in the world today. It also goes on in some form in everyone, as you go through the process of regeneration. The struggle has to do with the nature of leadership in your life. What do you actually respect, what do you obey? What role does the Word of God play in the leadership of your life?
This chapter, and especially the enigmatic explanation in our text that the angel gives John about the woman and the beast, describes what happens in the church when the authority of the Word is misunderstood or misused. The seven kings are all the Divine truths of the Word. When they rule everything is good. But there are forces in every person that work to defeat them.
The woman who rides the beast depicts the human tendency to reject these truths and to use them for their own purposes. She stands for religious organizations hungry for power, riding on a beast which represents the Word, the source of their authority (Apocalypse Revealed 723). The woman is overthrown later in this chapter, and in a following chapter the Man on the white horse defeats the beast and his armies. He defeats the beast just as a true understanding of the Word will, in the long run, defeat the confusing and misleading ideas based on the Word that can and do cause confusion and pain with people. The struggle, however, is not an easy one, and an important part of it is described by the words of the angel as he explained the meaning of the woman and the beast to John.
John had seen this woman and the beast and "marveled with great amazement." The reason that he was so amazed is that it is not apparent to people how frightening this desire for control is and the harm that it causes. The angel, however, is not surprised at all, and he explains to John what it is that he is seeing, as follows.
a. The beast was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and be destroyed.
b. The seven heads of the beast are seven mountains. They are also seven kings. Five of these kings have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he does come he will only remain a short time.
c. The beast is the eighth king, and he will be destroyed.
d. They will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them.
e. The woman is the great city Babylon, which reigns over the kings of the earth, and she will be burned with fire (Revelation 18.8).
This may not sound like a very meaningful explanation of what the beast and the woman are, yet each phrase is significant. Whenever Babylon is mentioned in the Word, for example, this is a sign that the main topic is the desire for power, or the need for control. The woman is especially the desire to dominate religiously, and the truth then becomes the means to control others. The Apocalypse Revealed describes the scarlet woman as the church’s tendency to claim authority over the souls of people, the power to send them to heaven or to hell (Apocalypse Revealed 725). It sits on the truths of the Word as the basis for its authority, which is the scarlet beast, (Apocalypse Revealed 723) It uses the Word, but the love of rule ruins its true meaning with those who use it that way.
The beast, on which the woman sits, which "was and is not" is the "Word with them acknowledged as holy, but in reality not acknowledged" (Apocalypse Revealed 733). Therefore it "was" but "is not". And yet later it is said "and yet is", because nevertheless the Word of God endures.
The reason why the Scriptures are believed but in reality not believed is that the church is founded on the Word. When people are part of a church founded on its doctrines, there is no choice but to maintain a show of belief in them (Apocalypse Revealed 725). If the Lord's authority is questioned, then the church loses the basis of its influence and existence. But if the belief is not real, their understanding deteriorates, even though they continue to claim belief in the church.
The beast that the woman rides has seven heads, standing for seven kings, five of whom have fallen. As we read in our lesson:
"This means that all the Divine truths of the Word have been destroyed except this one: that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to the Lord; and except another, which has not yet come into question; and when it does, it will not remain. This truth is that the Lord's Human is Divine." Apocalypse Revealed 738
This phrase about the seven kings, which are the words of our text, is the crux of the entire chapter. It speaks about what happens when all the truths that the Lord taught, which are the five kings that have fallen, are ignored except those regarding His authority - and also except for the Divinity of His Human, which will be denied once it comes into question. This state of affairs is given as the reason why the church has become Babylon, where power is the only thing that matters.
This teaching is a significant one for religious people. It is not difficult to center your religious thinking on the fact of the Lord's absolute power, and on the authority of the Word, and not think so much about what He actually teaches. When this is the focus, other people become either "believers" or "nonbelievers" in your eyes. Everything then becomes a matter of being "for" or "against" things, such as for or against the church and what it teaches and does, and not so much in terms of the life of charity. They can begin thinking almost exclusively in terms of whether people accept or do not accept the authority of the Word and of the church.
According to the Doctrines, the positions that a person takes on the issues of the day are not what makes him or her a religious person (Arcana Coelestia 1799). It is not that it isn’t important to take positions on significant issues. But when issues and positions dominate a person’s religious thinking, and when ongoing debate is the main feature of the life of religion, this may be a sign that the real issue is power and control. This is what Babylon is about.
The mental image of God in Babylon is of an all-powerful dictator, who is watching and judging everyone at all times, loving those who are on His side, and angry with those who are not. The reason for this is the emphasis on power and authority, rather than on the life which leads to love and happiness. When people think in terms of uses such things as kindness, honesty, morality, industry, and dedication - rather than "for" or "against" - the emphasis is a much happier one.
Perhaps the more powerful message of the phrase that “five have fallen and one is,” is that if people ignore and distort the teachings of the Word, and do not keep the Ten Commandments or live the life of charity, then all that is left in the church is power and authority. Issues of leadership and power crop up repeatedly. Decision-making degenerates into power struggles.
The sad result is described in the next phrase: "the beast which was and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to destruction." The beast here is the Word with the people, and the meaning is that when the truths of the Word are ignored, and there is only the love of dominion, then even the Word as a support for this love is lost.
The Doctrines talk about how especially virulent the desire for control and power is with people:
"The most difficult combat of all is that with the love of dominating from the love of self. He who subjugates this, easily subjugates all the other evil loves, because it is their head." Divine Providence 146e
"It is known that a person has from his parents implanted or hereditary evil, but in what it consists is known to few. It consists in the love of ruling, which is such, that as far as reigns are given it, so far it bursts forth, until it even burns with the love of ruling over all, and at length of wishing to be invoked and worshipped as God." Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment 61
"The love of honor, command, and super-eminence is the last state of the Church,...(it is here said that) this love would reign in the Church in its last times." Apocalypse Explained 1010.2
When a church is in its last times the desire for control is a tremendous problem. In the end this desire overshadows any allegiance to the Lord, and futilely looks to overcome even Him:
"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. For He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings." Revelation 17.14
The love of ruling in its good form is a very good thing. The Lord does rule like a lamb - gently leading us in innocence and freedom. This is a love which does not fight and yet always conquers, because it leads people according to what they love, never forcing them but gently bending them towards good (Arcana Coelestia 1950.2). It is slow, yet it is sure, and its changes are permanent.
Those who will truly be of the New Church, we read, "will not be in the love of self and in self intelligence...but in spiritual light from the Divine truth of the Word" (Apocalypse Revealed 919). There will be sincerity and love, and an honest love of the truth. Therefore leadership will be from those things, and the struggles that people in the world now experience with leadership and the need for control will diminish. People will be both trusting and trustworthy.
The way that this will come about is through the power of the Man on the white horse, who is the Word of God. The white horse is a true understanding of the Word, an understanding enlightened by the Lord. Those who wish to be of the Lord's New Church will read the Word, pray to the Lord for understanding, and keep its teachings.
John was amazed when he saw the scarlet woman on the beast. We can also be amazed when we recognize our own need for power, and when we see its effects around us. There is no need for amazement, though. The Lord tells us that this is what we are like, and He shows us how to deal with this need. The Man on the White Horse is a true understanding of the Word. His focus is not on power or control, because He is also the Lamb – innocent and humble. Genuine power looks to serve, not to rule, and willingly submits itself to the Lord and what He teaches. As you come to see the real message of the Word the focus shifts from the need for control to the desire to serve the Lord and the neighbor. The scarlet woman is removed.
In Revelation the place of the scarlet woman was taken by the bride, the Holy City New Jerusalem, the Lamb's wife, descending from God out of heaven. She fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of the daughter of Zion, free of her enemies. In the same way the rule of authority for the sake of power will be removed, and its place will be taken by the rule of truth from love in a holy city where many peoples look to serve and not to rule, and where the Lord is King. AMEN
Readings from the Word
Isaiah 52:
Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!
3 For thus says the LORD:
“ You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.”
4 For thus says the Lord GOD:
“ My people went down at first into Egypt to dwell there;
Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the LORD, “ That My people are taken away for nothing?
Those who rule over them make them wail,” says the LORD,
“ And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day
That I am He who speaks: ‘ Behold, it is I.’”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “ Your God reigns!”
Revelation 17:
So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. Those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he will only continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Apocalypse Revealed 738:
Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he will only continue a short time." This means that all the Divine truths of the Word have been destroyed, except this one, that all authority in heaven and in earth was given to the Lord; and except another, which has not yet come into question; and when it does, it will not remain; which is, that the Lord's Human is Divine. By "five" is not signified five, but all the rest; here all the rest of the Divine truths of the Word, which are signified by "kings." They are said "to fall," because kings are spoken of, who fall by the sword. By "one is" nothing else is signified but this Divine truth, that all power in heaven and on earth was given to the Lord according to the words of the Lord Himself . That this one has not been destroyed is because otherwise they could not claim to themselves dominion over all things of the church and the Word and over heaven.
[2] By "the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he will only continue a short time" is signified the Divine truth which has not yet come in question, and when it does, will not remain with them, which is, that the Lord's Human is Divine.
Bryn Athyn Church, Box 277, Bryn Athyn PA 19009 215-947-6225 www.brynathynchurch.org
