The beast that ascended from the bottomless pit is the king, who is against the church of God throughout the Christian dispensation. The seven churches parallel with the seven-headed beast. The seven-headed beast is also named "seven kings" (Rev. 17:10). Each head of the beast carries the harlot who sit upon the beast.

The Beast = a king = the angel of the bottomless pit (Rev. 9:11)
Seven kings = the seven-headed beast = carries the harlot (See Rev. 17:1-10)
The harlot sits on the seven-headed beast = the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (Rev. 17:8) = Papacy

The Papacy ruled 1,260 years (Thyatira church period); wounded his head at the French Revolution (Sardis church period)—"five are fallen" (Rev. 17:10); the ten horns=the ten kings give "power and strength unto the beast"—"the other is not yet come" (Rev. 17:10)—the seventh and eighth head of the beast exist with Laodicean church period.

Seven churches Seven-headed Beast
Ephesus--------------- First head
Smyrna---------------- Second head
Pergamon------------- Third head
Thyatira--------------- Fourth head
Sardis------------------ Fifth head
Philadelphia----------- Sixth head
Laodicean------------- Seventh head + Eighth head

Rev. 17:9 "And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth."

Rev. 13:18 "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man."

The "seven mountains" depicts insurmountable powers of the beast against the seven churches. However, Jesus guarantees us to be the overcomer by the throne of God, which is the victory in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rev. 3:21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Correction:

Wounded his head during the reformation church period. French Revolution marks the beginning of the Philadelphia church period, which is the sixth head.

Chapter 12:
Great wonder in heaven:
-->woman-->travailing in birth-->child born-->caught up unto God

another wonder in heaven:
-->Red dragon-->7 heads (7 crowns)/10 horns-->ready to devour the child-->woe to earth

Chapter 13
The dragon persecuted the woman (church) which brought forth the man child.
The beast-->7 heads/10 horns (10 crowns)

Rev. 12:17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Dragon with 7 heads (7 crowns)/ 10 horns==>Beast with 7 heads/10 horns (10 crowns)
Woman==>Seven churches. The dragon is wroth with the woman and went to make war with her through his vicegerent, the beast. No wonder that the dragon and the beast have the same feature of the 7 heads and ten horns.

The beast is called a king, who ascended from the bottomless pit because he is the angel of the bottomless pit. (See Rev. 9:11). So the seven-headed beast power is called seven kings, which is against the seven churches (Rev. 17:10). Got wisdom to understand this? "here is the mind which hath wisdom" (Rev. 17:9). "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast" (Rev. 13:18).

Therefore, the seven heads of the beast are the seven kings. And in a figurative word, the seven heads are also called seven mountains because the beast power appears to be so powerful to conquer. But notice this, the "five are fallen" and eventually, all the heads of the beast will "go into perdition" (Rev. 17:8,11).

Conclusively, the seven-headed beast is the antagonist power against the seven churches.

[Karen
I see that you have kept this thread alive after I set is aside for some time. I am sorry to go back 6 pages to reply to something that does not fit the current conversation. But I just saw some posts addressed to me that I had overlooked.]





Here is the whole paragraph quoted:




Ellen White says in that quote that the papacy is symbolized by the dragon.

I can see why that would make more sense. But prophecy is oftren like a chain of events.

The events in Revelation 12 are not sequential .

vv 1-2= woman appearing
vv 3-4= dragon taking stars from heaven
vv 5=manChild born & returned to Heaven

The correct sequencing of vv 1-5=a reversal of narration
war--woman--Christ's birth & return to Heaven

v 6=woman flees into wilderness 1260-days
vv 7-9=war in Heaven

The correct sequencing of vv 6-9=a reversal of narration
war--woman flees 1260-days/years

combining vv 1-9=
war--woman flees 1260-years--Christ's birth & return to Heaven

vv 10-11=Christ uplifted/Satan cast down
v 12=joy in Heaven & woe on earth

The correct sequencing of vv 6-9=a reversal of narration
Satan cast down--joy in Heaven--Christ uplifted--woe on earth

v 13-16=persecuted woman fled to earth to escape flood 1260-days
v 17=dragon made war with the remnant after Christ in Heaven

after Christ returned to Heaven war for 1260-years with the remnant

there are 2 1260-year periods mentioned here
1) Before the manChild was born
2) After Christ ascended to Heaven

Rev. 17:17 "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

The Words of God has been fulfilled regarding the beast and very short time is left for the beast. We are told just "one hour" remained for the beast. Rev. 17:12 says, "the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings ONE HOUR with the beast." (emphasis added by me).

The fifth trumpet describes precisely what the beast is doing to torment people: such torments as "men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them" (Rev. 9:6).

Rev. 13:10 says, "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword."

Therefore, the beast must be recompensed. Notice where the fifth plague is poured out. Rev. 16:10 "the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain".

The seat of the beast gnaw their tongues for pain and blaspheme God "because of their pains and their sores" (Rev. 16:11). This event is announced by the fifth trumpet which portrays the one and the same torment. Thus God is warning the world by the trumpet that the close of probation is very imminent and the seven plagues are coming.

The seat of the beast began to be plagued, when "all the world wondered after the beast" (Rev. 13:3). And when "all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast)" (Rev. 13:8)—except those of whom are recorded in the book of life of the Lamb—the beast and his kingdom will suffer the plague.

How can our names be recorded in the book of life of the Lamb? by making Jesus Christ our intercessor, who pleads God for us with His blood in the heavenly sanctuary. In another words, our names can be taken out from the book of life, if we do not make Jesus as our intercessor. Rev. 22:19 says, "God shall take away his part out of the book of life." Rev. 20:15 says, "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

[The book of life is mentioned seven times in Revelation and each time it has some connection with the warnings of the beast (Rev. 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27, and 22:19). We are not to be surrendered to the beast but make sure our names are recorded in the book of life.]

The seven trumpets message indicates that we have approached the close of probation.
There is a "time no longer" as the interlude of the seven trumpets gives an answer in the pause. Let us make Jesus our intercessor and keep our eyes on Him now that our names can remain in the book of life.

The beast is the "woe" to the inhabitants of the earth because he is allied with the dragon. Rev. 12:12 says, "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he fnoweth that he hath but a short time." The dragon "gave him (the beast) his power, and his seat, and great authority" (Rev. 13:2). So the beast is the dragon's agent.

The dragon realizes that his time is short and Bible says the beast have only "one hour" before he goes into perdition. Satan will not yield up the conflict without a struggle but God's people will ever be strong to tell the world that the close of probation is imminent and Jesus is coming soon.

The seat of the beast and his kingdom is full of darkness now, which is the fifth plague upon them. They suffer pain and they gnaw their tongues for pain. They will not repent even in the such pain and torment but continues to blaspheme God. The fifth trumpet announces their torments: "in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them" (Rev. 9:6).

"Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are with upon us." Mar 257.5

No reversal. There are 2 1260 time periods
1) 1260 years after Christ ascended to Heaven
2) 1260 days before Christ comes

Difficult to understand what you are posting in relation to the post that you are commenting on.

The motif of the Seven Trumpets is the close of probation. In the instruction, the ministration of Jesus is clearly presented, which denotes that while the Seven Trumpets message goes out, His intercession is available.

The interlude of the Seven Trumpets further explains what we need to know about the close of probation. We are to "measure the temple ... and the altar" and "leave out" the court and "measure it not" (Rev. 11:1,2). What does it mean? I believe that we are to study the sanctuary where Jesus is ministering the final phase in the heavenly courts to understand the meaning of the close of probation. Another words, we need to know that Jesus is ministering upon the altar having a golden censer with the collected prayers of all saints, including Adam to last generation. When Jesus cast the ashes upon the earth, the probation will be closed.

We are to leave out and measure not the close of probation with the mankind's history. We cannot measure the heavenly things with the finite history of men. The science of redemption of man is so deep and great, it can only uttered by the things above. God instructed Moses to build the sanctuary by the heavenly pattern which was shown.

Each trumpet portrays the close of probation:
1) 1/3 humanity will be destroyed
2) 1/3 sea creature dies and ships destroyed
3) many men die by the drinking water turned bitter
4) heavenly bodies manifest signs of the time
5) spiritual torments to unsealed of God
6) the four angels loosened and 1/3 of men slain
7) the kingdoms of the earth becomes Christ's

The shadow of the Seven Plagues are already falling:
1) grievous sores upon men
2) sea became bloody and deadly
3) drinking water became bloody
4) sun scorching heat
5) seat of the beast darkened
6) three unclean spirits unite
7) It is done-voices, thundering, lightning, earthquake, and hail upon the earth

The Seven Plagues fall before the close of probation. The plagues are getting worse and worse right now in this world and the close of probation is imminent. Many men will be dying and will be spiritually tormented at the close of probation.