my question: we are told about an Ottoman empire but it doesn't exist anymore. The Germanic tribes didn't have an empire. When we are told about Babylonia, there were different kings who maintained the empire, same for the Medo-Persian empire and Greece and Rome. The Ottoman empire and the German tribes don't have the same continuity. Moreover, God's kingdom was supposed to come in the days of those kings? What about England who had the biggest world empire and what about America who has had the military and political powers till now?
These 7 Kingdoms are all about having "Dominion" over Israel and the whole Mediteranean Sea Region. So, if Israel is not a nation, this Prophesy that will eventually bring them unto repentance has no bearing. In other words after Rome this Figurative Seven Haded Beast receives a Mortal Wound for two reasons, God says Israel is as Dead Men's Bones for nigh 2000 years until He revives these bones (brings them back to Israel) AND the gates of hell could not overcome the Church. So, Egypt was over Israel and the Mediteranean Sea Region, as was Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Mortal Wound was the Church turning Rome from a Beast nation into a conveyor belt of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God locked Apollyon up in the bottomless pit, he will only be released as REv. 17 says when t is time for the "Beast to arise" again via the conquering of Israel and the whole Mediterranean Sea Region as Dan. 11:40-43 clearly shows us he does. So, Satan is a Beast over the Region because he's over the whole world, but these 7 Heads and 10 Horns show WHAT REGION is being spoken of, the 7 CROWNS in Rev. 12 show he's over all nations as Luke 4 says also.
The Anti-Christ "Beast" is shown via the 7 Heads and 10 Horns also because he is one of the 7 (his Conquering of Israel and the whole region brings the "Figurative Beast back to life) and is the king over the 10 (Complete Europe) who freely give their power over unto this MAN/A.C./Little Horn/Beast Power. The Beast Man of Rev. 13 ARISES out of the Sea and has CROWNS n the 10 horns because he is over ALL Europe. (Completeness = 10)
The Rev. 17 Scarlet Colored Beast (Apollyon) arises out of the pit, he has NO CROWNS in his depiction via the 7 Heads and 10 Horns because he is not a human on this earth who become a King/Beast, and because this earth is Satans kingdom, thus he is of the 7 (Satan placed him over the region with av job to DESTROY Israel) and is an 8th King in that God loves His riddles, thus this man indeed is an 8th King, but his kingdom is the Bottomless Pit as Rev. 9 tells us, thus this Beast, when he is released, kills the Two-witnesses.
So, your hunch is correct, neither the Ottoman Empire nor the Brits were Beasts" because this LAST BEAST is a man, not a Kingdom, he never passes his kingdom on t others like all of the other "Kingdm Beasts" he is killed and then cast into hellfire.