Seven Hills and Broken Kingdoms

I'm a biblical scholar, and this verse has generated volumes of commentary trying to identify the beast. Rome? Modern governments? Consumerism?

But the point isn't identifying the specific beast. The point is that all kingdoms built on injustice fall. The seven hills will crumble. And John's offering that as comfort to people oppressed by them.

I teach my students to read Revelation not as prediction, but as promise. Whatever system is currently crushing you will not endure. That's the eternal gospel.

Every generation reads Revelation as about their empire. Maybe that's because every empire thinks it's permanent. And Revelation comes to tell you it's not.