Evidence for such an emphasis can be found in the broader context of Revelation, especially chapters 7, 11-12, and 14. The view which takes Egypt as the first kingdom is based, in part, on understanding the seven heads as Gentile kingdoms and the context of Revelation 17 as favoring a Jewish/Gentile distinction. So Isaiah writes, “For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause” (Isa. But in its still earlier history, Israel had been in slavery to Assyria, and, in its beginnings was in slavery to Egypt.
It had been in subjection to Greece, Persia and Babylon. Īt the moment John wrote, Israel was in subjection to Rome. The empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia and Greece each ruled the known world.The Roman Empire ruled in John’s day. įive empires ruled the known world in succession before John the Apostle wrote his book of Revelation. The persecutor of God’s people during John’s lifetime was Rome.So the angel’s clarifying word to John about the seven heads spans essentially the entire history of Gentile world empires. The five kingdoms of the past are the ones who have persecuted God’s people (Egypt, Eze. The most likely candidates are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. Since Israel was born as a nation in the Exodus from Egypt, the five fallen kings represent all fallen kingdoms of significance which oppressed Israel from her birth to John’s time-the time of Rome.
If we limit our scope of inquiry to kingdoms of special relevance to Israel, then two additional candidates immediately come to mind: Assyria and Egypt. We know from the book of Daniel that the three kingdoms which precede Rome are Greece, Medo-Persia, and Babylon (see Four Beasts/Kings).
Assuming Rome is the kingdom which “is” at the time of John, then five kingdoms precede it and one will follow. 17:10) appear to represent kingdoms (see Seven Heads/Kings). The five kings which had fallen by John’s day (Rev.
0 kommentar(er)
