The 7th Head of the Rev 17 Beast

Suggested Previous Reading:  Mountains, Heads, 1st Head (Nimrod's Empire), 2nd Head (Assyrian Empire), 3rd Head (Babylonian Empire), 4th Head (Persian Empire-Fars), 5th Head (Alexander the Great's Empire and Diadochi), and 6th Head (Persian Empire - Parthian and Sassanid)

Revelation 17 tells of a series of empires, five of which are past, one that is current to the first century church, and one that is to come yet in the future of the first century.

Revelation 17:9-10

And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.  And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Nimrod's is the first kingdom to be mentioned in the Bible.  Of the cities built by Nimrod or those who came out of his kingdom, the Assyrian Empire is the first to be mentioned.  The Babylonian Empire defeated the Assyrians around 612 bc.  The Persian Empire defeated the Babylonians around 538 bc.  Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire around 328 bc.  Alexander's diadochi in Mesopotamia was defeated by the Parthians, as a sort of successor to the Old Persian Empire.

Mesopotamia came under Muslim Arab rule in the 7th century AD.  The Muslim empire was ruled by successors of Mohammed called caliphs.  The last caliphate was held by Ottoman Turkish sultans.

As is the case of Alexander, his diadochi, and the Persian Empire of the first century, there is no historical references in the Bible to the Islamic Empire or the Caliphates.

Next in this series: The 8th Head of the Rev 17 Beast