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 prætors. 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 Cæsars, which continued more than four hundred years. The seventh power was the patriciate, which continued about fifty years. These are the seven heads and ten horns—the seven forms of government, and the ten kingdoms out of which grew the eleventh horn which Daniel saw, or the beast which John saw. Thus we have the beast with its seven heads and ten horns. Ver. 2. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Sins and worldliness are termed spots by the Bible. The leopard is a spotted beast, so no other animal could better represent the Romish sect with its dark spots of sin and crime. The bear makes use of the foot to deal the deadly blow upon an enemy. The papacy with its tyrannical feet has trodden down all that would dare rise against it. Great thunderings and loud roarings proceed out of the mouth of the lion in his strength and glory. So this beast fitly represents the Catholic church in her boasted strength, power, and authority. The dragon that gave this ecclesiastical beast its authority and seat was the Roman state. In connection with this we will consider the first three verses of the twelfth chapter of Revelation. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” Ver. 1. The woman is the church. By believing or standing upon the Word a soul is brought into the church by the Spirit. Thus the church stands upon the moon (the Word of God), clothed by the sun (the Spirit). This is no disagreement with a former use we have made of the sun and moon as symbols. An object may be used to symbolize different things in different prophecies.