Revelation 17:9; Here is the Mind Which Hath Wisdom
Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Here is the mind that has understanding. This first clause parallels an earlier statement, “Here is wisdom. Let anyone who has a mind calculate the number of the beast” (Revelation 13:18).
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Applied wisdom is not a study of history, politics, and geography to clarify which king was in power, under what circumstances, and where he ruled. Instead John’s Apocalypse must be understood theologically, for the writer depicts a reality that comprises all rulers and their times. The symbolism that characterizes the entire book is also pertinent here. In this chapter notice where the woman sits: on many waters (v1,15), the beast (v. 3), and seven hills (v9). All three places are to be understood symbolically.
Revelation 17:1 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:
Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation 17:3 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.
Revelation 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
“The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.” Some commentators see in this clause a reference to Rome, which is situated on seven hills. Marcus Terentius Varro, writing in the second century before Christ, seems to have been the first to use the expression Septimontium (the Seven Hills) to refer to Rome; in later years many authors followed him. Aune observes: “The traditional Seven Hills are listed on an inscription from Corinth on the base of a statue erected during the first half of the Second Century A.D., probably depicting Dea Roma [the goddess personifying Rome] seated or standing on the Seven Hills of Rome.” There is no doubt that John could identify the seven hills with Rome, but the question should be asked why he would want to switch from a figurative to a literal meaning. All along, the idiom seven heads in Revelation has been interpreted symbolically (commentary on v. 3; 12:3; 13:1). In other words, there is good reason to believe that the angel is speaking metaphorically and biblically. The parallelism is significant: seven heads are seven hills. If the one is understood symbolically, so is the other. The Old Testament indicates that mountains may symbolize political power, as is evident in these passages:
• “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isaiah 2:2).
• “Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.” (Jeremiah 51:25).
• “… and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Dan. 2:35b).
Therefore, the symbolism of the seven hills points to world powers that have their place in history. The woman sits not on literal hills but positions herself above world empires to direct them against God’s kingdom. Throughout the ages, she has been trying to overthrow the city of God but has failed to conquer it.
And they are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, another has not yet come. John is more specific because he counts five kings that belong to the past, one to the present, and the last one to the future. Many interpreters apply this sentence to Roman emperors but have difficulty agreeing on the sequence of rulers. These are the Roman emperors, ranging from Julius Caesar to Domitian:
1. Julius Caesar (49–44 b.c.)
2. Augustus (27 b.c.–a.d. 14)
3. Tiberius (14–37)
4. Gaius Caligula (37–41)
5. Claudius (41–54)
6. Nero (54–68)
7. Galba (June 68–January 69)
8. Otho (January–April 69)
9. Vitellius (April–December 69)
10. Vespasian (69–79)
11. Titus (79–81)
12. Domitian (81–96)
A number of questions arise. Where do we begin counting and where do we end? Do we begin with Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, or Galba? Are Galba, Otho, and Vitellius excluded because of their brief reigns? Do we omit the name of Julius Caesar since he is not part of New Testament history? If we adopt a late date for Revelation, is Domitian the sixth, the seventh, or the eighth emperor? Should we begin with Domitian and start counting backward? Scholars have tried to answer all these questions, but the numerous calculations they collectively present make it impossible to arrive at even a semblance of unanimity.
Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 470–473). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.