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And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings: possibly by ten kings here are not meant monarchs, but governments.
Which have received no kingdom as yet; which were not in being in John’s time, nor in many years after.
But receive power as kings one hour with the beast; but should, during some time of the beast’s reign, have power with the papacy, employing their power with his to establish his idolatry. But who these ten monarchs are, or what these ten governmts are, I must confess myself at a loss to determine. It is plain they should be:
1. Such as should be contemporaneous with the reign of the beast.
2. Such as employed their power in conjunction with his.
3. Such as should afterwards be instruments to ruin the papacy, Rev_17:16,17.
The beast’s reign being twelve hundred and sixty years, there hath been, and will be, such a variety of princes and governments, as it is very hard to determine who they shall be. But their being contemporaneous with the beast, makes me think it cannot be understood either of any that were in the world before the year 606, when the beast’s reign began (though the mystery of iniquity was working, and the image of the beast was making, long before); as also that the ten barbarous nations that disturbed Italy from the year 410 till near 600 could not be meant, being all before antichrist came to any reign; nor did they ever show any great love or hatred to the pope; sometimes serving, sometimes opposing him, as suited their respective civil interests. I am very inclinable to think the prophecy to concern some kings nearer the end of antichrist’s reign, who though for a while they served the papacy, yet shall at last be instruments to ruin him; but who they are shall do this, or when it shall be, I cannot determine.