The angel wants John (and his readers) to know that the beast and the ten kings (= horns, bullies) have a single purpose. The mind/purpose of the beast is made abundantly clear in Revelation 17:13–14, in that the beast works in close collaboration with the dragon to destroy the people of God. (The great prostitute as the beast’s rider clearly has the same purpose; hence her enticements to make people seek their happiness in created things instead of in the Creator.) These ten bullies are like-minded with the beast; they also seek to separate God’s people from their Lord. As evidence of their being like-minded with the beast, these ten give their power and authority to the beast. The beast, then, is their superior, their guide, their master
13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.