Revelation 17:9

The angel prefaced his identification of the beast’s seven heads with a statement that understanding this part of the revelation requires wisdom (cf. Revelation 13:18). Evidently many would incorrectly identify these seven heads. Indeed various writers have suggested a multitude of different interpretations. The most popular of these include seven Roman emperors, [Note: Beckwith, pp. 699, 704-11; Swete, pp. 220-21. For refutation of this view, see Ladd, pp. 228-29.] the seven hills of Rome, [Note: E.g., Newell, p. 263; Mounce, pp. 313-14; Beasley-Murray, p. 256. For extensive evidence that these are kingdoms rather than literal mountains, see Seiss, pp. 391-94.] and various non-literal views, such as the following.

"By his use of seven, he indicates completeness or wholeness. The seven heads of the beast symbolize fullness of blasphemy and evil. It is much like our English idiom ’the seven seas,’ i.e., all the seas of the world." [Note: Johnson, p. 559.]

Revelation 17:9-11 are an exposition or clarification of Revelation 17:8. The text is always its own best interpreter. The seven heads are "seven kings" (Revelation 17:10). They are the heads and personifications of seven empires (cf. Daniel 7:17; Daniel 7:23). The angel also referred to them as "mountains" (Revelation 17:9). In the Bible a mountain is sometimes a symbol of a prominent government (cf. Psalms 30:7; Psalms 68:15-16; Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 41:15; Jeremiah 51:25; Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44; Habakkuk 3:6; Habakkuk 3:10; Zechariah 4:7).

"The call for special wisdom in Revelation 17:9 a probably has in view the ability to grasp this double meaning of the mountains [i.e., as individuals and kingdoms]." [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 296.]

The woman sits over the seven rulers and empires, but she is not one of them. She exercises authority over them.