wer. "Sea" is often used to
represent trouble, upheaval, and commotions. History abounds with accounts
of the upheavals in the ecclesiastical heavens between bishops in the
third century. Out of these contentions and strivings and confusions arose
in the year 325 A.D., a beastly or mannish form of ecclesiastical
government; namely, the Roman Catholic church.

The "seven heads" have by some writers been interpreted to be the seven
mountains on which the city of Rome is situated. For proof of this
interpretation they quote Rev. 17:9. How that inanimate, literal mountains
can represent heads, since the head contains the power of intellect and
authority, lies beyond our comprehension.

That the ten horns are the ten kingdoms spoken of by Daniel (chap. 7, ver.
24) is, we consider, unquestionable. Now it may be a little obscure why
the Revelator will make use of ten stately kingdoms to represent the ten
horns of an ecclesiastical government. It is because this ecclesiastical
government is human the same as a state government; and because the
beastly Romish church was supported, and became what they were pleased to
call both church and state.

The seven heads are seven supreme forms of government. These seven heads
are seven mountains (not literal) and the seven mountains are seven kings.
Rev. 17:9, 10. History tells us there were seven distinct forms of
government in the Roman empire. The first, a royal or kingly government,
continued about 428 years. The second was republic in form under the
administration of dictators. This form of government continued eighty and
eight years. The third form of government was under the absolute control
of ten magistrates called decemvirs, and are also called praetors. The
duration of this form of government exceeded three hundred years. In the
year 336 B.C., the third form of government came to an end by the Latins
being conquered by the Romans, and the consulate government succeeded,
which continued until about the year 50 B.C. The fifth form of government
was under the control of three men, and therefore called a triumvirate.
The triumvirate form of government came to an end before John's vision of
these heads. These are the five "fallen ones." Rev. 17:10. The power that
then was, which was the sixth head of the beast, was the imperial power of
the Caesars, which continued more than four hundred years. The seventh
power was the patriciate, which continued about fifty years.

These are t