This problem does not, however, undermine the view I have presented. In an important sense the revival of the Empire under Vespasian, was a revival under “an eighth,” who is, nevertheless, “of the seven.” The same Roman Empire is coming back to life from the death of the civil wars—not some new empire. John’s concern particularly regards the contemporaneous events: the Roman civil wars that occurred within the compass of the reign of the seven kings. The eighth is beyond his most pressing and immediate