'It is of the seven, and shall go into perdition,' so that he might show it both to be of the same malignant kind, and, by exceeding the septenary number, might designate those more wicked ones in hypocrisy. For just as, in the aforesaid testimony of the Lord speaking of one unclean spirit and mentioning seven, he suddenly subjoined, saying (Luke XI): 'He takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself,' so now, beginning from seven, he wished to designate seven others in one of the same kind, that is, in the eighth. Therefore he says: 'It is of the seven, and shall go into perdition,' and [that] the same punishment might carry through the merit of one kind; and not without reason does he say 'it is of the seven,' whom he also sets down as the eighth in number, and subjoined, 'and goes into destruction.' By the future judgment he says all the wickedness of the evil is brought to an end.
And it says in what manner: 'And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom.' It designates the whole kingdom of this world, which, as a little before, it describes in kings and their subjects; but they receive the power of the kingdom for one hour together with the beast. That 'hour' is here taken for a period of time is taught both by example and by sense — namely, from the passion of the Lord, from which time the apostolic voice cries out: 'It is the last hour.' Therefore, so long as that which is to come is being fulfilled, it says that they have not yet received the kingdom; for although even now he lords it over very many, his mad power of boasting will nevertheless be sharper when he shall have deceived very many even by signs. 'These all shall have one purpose, and shall deliver their strength and power to the beast.'
What it said above as 'with the beast,' it now says more openly: 'they shall deliver their power to the beast' — that is, to that head which, as though slain, feignedly came back to life; with one consent they render all the worship of their intention and offer their servitude. 'These shall fight against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings.' When it had described the power of the adverse party, it here more fittingly proclaimed the victory of the Lamb, and, designating him as triumphing in his own, it added: 'And they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.' Well did it set 'chosen' first, because of what the Lord says (Matt. 20): 'For many are called, but few chosen.' 'And he said to me: The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes of the wicked and tongues.'
That peoples are quite often figured by waters is here easily taught in full. 'But the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, shall hate the harlot with hatred, and shall make her desolate and naked.' As if it should say: the corruptions of carnal desires, which now they love as her very self, shall be turned to hatred for them, when, near the end, they shall recognize themselves condemned by an inevitable judgment, and shall have seen the manifest victory of the Lamb; and the beast is accordingly divided into parts. This can be understood in a twofold manner: either because, as we read (Prov. 13): 'Among the proud there are always quarrels'; or because 'everyone who loves iniquity hates his own soul' (Ps. 10). 'For he that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?' (Eccl. 14). 'And they shall devour her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.'
As if, in the person of the Church, an angel should say: those harmful ones who rise up against me to eat my flesh (Ps. 26) shall eat their own, and shall burn them with fire afterward — after God, provoked to wrath by their excesses, shall have made the world desolate, so that upon their very blasphemies the angel has succeeded to this devastation, and says that they themselves do what shall rightly befall them. For 'God has cast into their hearts to accomplish what is pleasing to him,' and that they be in agreement and in fear, and 'to deliver the kingdom to the beast, until the words of God be fulfilled.' What the Apostle says (Rom. 1), 'God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, to do things that are not fitting,' is also now being said:
'For the Lord has cast into their hearts to do what is pleasing to him.' For justice is pleasing to God, whereby we know that vengeance is inflicted upon the impious, and that those who have given their kingdom to the beast should pay just penalties together with her, 'until the words of God be fulfilled' — words which consist, namely, in judgment and mercy, for 'all the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth' (Ps. 24). 'And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which has kingdom over the kings of the earth.' That very one is she whom it set forth before as flourishing, owing to the corruptions of flesh and blood and to the worldly power of the kingdom.
Since she consists of those very kings, it says that she reigns over them — after its manner dividing one and the same thing into parts, as from genus to species: in the woman, in the city, in the kings; over her the words of the Lord shall be fulfilled, when he shall both have mercifully redeemed his own and justly condemned the obstinate. But where there is mention of the consummation, there let the fitting conclusion of this book be made.