Evidently the beast is one of the seven in the sense that his first kingdom is on a par with the seven major empires just mentioned. He is the eighth in that he establishes an eighth major empire with a worldwide government after he revives a previously dead nation having received supernatural powers from Satan. This explanation views the beast"s kingdom before his revival as the seventh kingdom and his kingdom after these events as the eighth. [1] A variation of this view sees the seventh kingdom as the revived Roman Empire and the eighth as the beast"s kingdom, which comprises the revived Roman Empire and all other nations. [2] Beale explained the eighth as "another way of referring to his future attempted mimicry of Christ"s resurrection." [3][source]
Jesus Christ will destroy the beast and his (eighth) kingdom when He returns to the earth. It will not just "fall" to a conquering kingdom as the other major empires did (cf. Daniel 2:44). [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Revelation 17:1-18 - The Great World City Overthrown
This scarlet-attired woman is that miserable attempt made in every age to counterfeit the true Church of the living God. Man does not like the religion of the cross, of faith, of self-denial, and each age has witnessed some false system from which all these objectionable elements are eliminated. Surely a meretricious system has revealed itself successively in Babylon, Jerusalem, Rome, London, New York, and other great centers. Fashion smiles on it, wealth bedizens it, human power unites with it, and in every age it has been drunken with the blood of martyrs.
Between this miserable travesty of the Church and the Church herself there has been perpetual conflict. But the ultimate victory has always remained with the Lamb, and if only we side with Him, as the called, chosen, and faithful of Revelation 17:14, we also shall be more than conquerors. Human prestige and power shall not ultimately avail in the conflict against the all-conquering Savior. And finally the very world-powers shall turn against the apostate and adulterous Church, Revelation 17:16. Come out from her and be separate! [source]
Chapter Summary: Revelation 17
1A woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, with a golden cup in her hand sits upon the beast; 5which is great Babylon, the mother of all abominations 9The interpretation of the seven heads; 12and the ten horns 14The victory of the Lamb 16The punishment of the harlot
Greek Commentary for Revelation 17:11
Is himself also an eighth and is of the seven [και αυτος ογδοος και εκ των επτα] This is the angel‘s interpretation and it looks like a reference to Domitian as the eighth, who is regarded as one of the seven because he was considered a second Nero (Nero redivivus). For εκ των επτα ek tōn hepta see Acts 21:8. John may have used εκ των ek tōn instead of εις εκ των heis ek tōn to avoid absolute identity between Domitian and Nero (Beckwith). [source]
And he goeth unto perdition [και εις απωλειαν υπαγει] As in Revelation 17:8. “Domitian was assassinated (September 18, 96), after a terrible struggle with his murderers. The tyrant‘s end was a symbol of the end to which the Beast which he personated was hastening” (Swete). Cf. Revelation 19:11-21. [source]
What do the individual words in Revelation 17:11 mean?
Greek Commentary for Revelation 17:11
This is the angel‘s interpretation and it looks like a reference to Domitian as the eighth, who is regarded as one of the seven because he was considered a second Nero (Nero redivivus). For εκ των επτα ek tōn hepta see Acts 21:8. John may have used εκ των ek tōn instead of εις εκ των heis ek tōn to avoid absolute identity between Domitian and Nero (Beckwith). [source]
As in Revelation 17:8. “Domitian was assassinated (September 18, 96), after a terrible struggle with his murderers. The tyrant‘s end was a symbol of the end to which the Beast which he personated was hastening” (Swete). Cf. Revelation 19:11-21. [source]