Revelation 17:9

Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth:

Here is the mind that hath wisdom ... These words seem to be addressed to any temptation of taking an easy, literal view of the prophecy. As Plummer warned, any literal application as to the seven hills of Rome must not be considered to be the full significance of these words, despite the fact that, "They may indeed be a partial fulfillment, but not the whole signification."[36]

The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth ... In this there is a subtle extension of the harlot's stature, for she is represented as gathering up in herself all the authority and power of the first beast (Revelation 13:1), even as did the second beast (Revelation 13:12). "The seven heads" are here called seven mountains, just as they will be called seven kings in the next verse. Heads, mountains, kings ... they all mean the same thing. Oh yes, to be sure, Rome sat on seven hills, and it was quite natural to think of Rome in this context, for that was correct, in that Rome was indeed the sixth of the mountains, and the sixth of the kings, and the sixth of the heads. No mere "hills" are in view here.

"Rome dwells on her seven hills, but the Great Harlot in the vision sits among the great empires that have arisen, like mountains, in the history of the world."[37] This understanding completely clears up the perplexity mentioned by Ladd: "John immediately goes on to say in the next verse that they are also seven kings. It is difficult to see any connection between the seven hills of Rome and seven of its emperors."[38] Of course, there is not any connection, for the seven "hills" are not in it at all. There are no "mountains" in Rome. The seven mountains mean exactly the same thing as the seven heads and seven kings.

The seven mountains, kings, or kingdoms mentioned in this paragraph are seven manifestations of the beast in the successive eras of persecution suffered by God's people: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, the latter being the "one is" when John wrote; and the seventh appeared after Rome fell.[39]

Roberson fully agreed with this: "The seven mountains, or seven kings, are manifestations of the beast in successive eras of oppression suffered by the people of God."[40]

[36] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 417.

[37] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 612.

[38] George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972), p. 227.

[39] Frank L. Cox, op. cit.. p. 102.

[40] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas; P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 130.