This list includes all the kingdoms who at some point in history exercise rule over God's people. Furthermore, they are leading world powers that officially endorse the mysteries of Babylon as their state religion. Because the United States was originally founded on the principle of the separation of church and state, constitutional America is not included as one of the heads.

This view sees the "mother of harlots" featured in Revelation 17 at the height of her power, therefore it identifies the sixth head, the one that "is," as medieval Rome.

The papacy received a deadly wound in 1798 when the pope was taken captive by the French army. For the next two centuries the leading western powers allowed freedom of religion. So in a sense the blasphemous beast of Revelation 17, carrying and supporting Mystical Babylon, really doesn't exist during that time. But Revelation 13 foretells the forming of an "image" of the slain beast. That will be the seventh head. Once again religion will be enforced by the state.

This view requires the chapter to have two time references. Verse 8, where the beast "is not", must be set after the papacy's deadly wound, while verse 10, based on the status of the heads, has to have an earlier, medieval context.