Revelation 17:10

and they are seven kings; the five are fallen, the one the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a little while.

And they are seven kings ... See under preceding verse for identification of these as seven successive world powers which persecuted God's people.

Five are fallen ... Please note that if the death of five successive emperors had been meant, the word would have been that "five are dead." "Fallen" is a ridiculous word for describing the death of Augustus Caesar; he did not "fall"; he died. This has no reference at all to the death of certain emperors, whether by suicide or other means. What is meant is that Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece, the first five successive heads of the beast, have passed from history as persecuting powers, or world empires.

The one is ... This, of course, is Rome, the great worldwide power when John wrote.

The other is yet to come ... Alas, there is to be another; and it will come just like all the others came, that is, after its predecessor has fallen, in this case, after the fall of Rome. The significance of this is that the seventh head (the Great Harlot) will not fully appear until after Rome has fallen. This makes it impossible to identify this seventh head as the emperor cult, Nero Redivivus, or any other such thing.

And when he cometh, he must continue a little while ... The entire Christian dispensation is meant by this. The word continue means remain; and Hendriksen declared that the emphasis is on remain."[41] "In the language of the Apocalypse, this entire gospel age is but a little while (Revelation 11:2,3; 12:6,14; 13:5)."[42] This dispensation is indeed only "a little while" as it relates to eternity and to all the things of God. Plummer also agreed that, "This short space (as in KJV) describes the remainder of the time of the world's existence."[43]

One thing that must commend this interpretation is the fact of its being in full and complete harmony with what is known, historically, to have happened since it was written. See more on this under Revelation 17:11.

[41] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 204.

[42] Ibid.

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