Before Jerusalem Fell

The Identip of th Sixth King 153
Galba, Otho, and Vitellius on the grounds that they were a mere
interregnum between Nero and Vespasian in that Suetonius calls
them a “rebellw trium principum.” 19
Other scholars (e.g., Mounce, Beckwith, and Sweet)*” see the
“seven kings” reference as primarily symbolic, making no essential
historical allusions. Employing this approach it may be said that
‘~ohn’s history, like his geography and arithmetic, is spiritual (11:8);
his hearers needed to be told not who was reigning but his spiritual
affiliations. The number seven is symbolic — there were many more
churches than seven – though it can refer to actual entities. John means
to represent the Roman power as a historic whole.”21 Some argue
that the series was inconsequential because John was not a “statistical
historian” but ratier an “apocalyptic seer.” Hence, the number seven
involved appeared merely to conform to the sacred requirement of
the task. 22
Still others, particularly among futurists (e.g., Walvoord, Seiss,
Ladd, and Alford)23 hold that the “heads” represent successive king-
doms. This school generally denies the geographical referent as indi-
cating Rome. In this view the seven heads/mountains are representa-
tive either of “seven different manifestations of the world-power in
history”24 or “seven kings who represent seven successive forms of
the kingdom,” that is, “to successive imperial governments.”2 5
Our Approach
Let us consider the most readily apparent and surely the correct
Abhgdon, 1971), p. 964. Martin Rist, “The Revelation of St. John the Divine,” in The
Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, vol. 12 (New York Abingdon, 1957), p. 495.
19. Suetonius, Ves@.sian 1.
20. Mounce, Revelation, pp. 315-316. Isbon T. BeckWith, Tb Apoca~pse of John: Studies
in Zntrodudion (Grand Rapids Baker, [1917] 1967), p. 257.
21. J. P. M. Sweet, Rewlation. Westminster Pelican Commentaries (Philadelphia
Westminster, 1979), p. 257.
22. Shirley Jackson Case, 77u Revelation of John: A Histotial Interpretation (Chicago
University of Chicago, 1919), pp. 343-344.
23. Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 250K. Joseph A. Seiss, The Apoculy@e (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1957), pp. 391ff. George Eldon Ladd, A ComrnentaV on the Raelation of John
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), pp. 229fI Henry Alford, The Creek New 72stamerd, vol.
4 (Chicago Moody, rep. 1958), pp. 710ff.
24. Herman Hoeksema, Behold, He Cometh! An Expm-itwn of the Book of Revelation (Grand
Rapids: Reformed Free Publishing, 1969), pp. 572,573.
25. Walvoord, Revelation, p. 252.