John had mentioned these kings in relation to the prostitute in Revelation 17:2. John borrowed the phrase from Psalm 2:2, which describes the rulers of the world, that is, the mighty men (the movers and shakers) who conspire “against the Lord and against his Anointed.” In the battle announced in Genesis 3:15, the “kings of the earth” default to the side of the seed of the serpent against the Seed of the woman. It is necessary to note that the elite receive a mention here, not the little people who are their victims.
9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.