Of the beast with seven heads and of a second beast.
13:1. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads
and ten horns: and upon his horns, ten diadems: and upon his heads,
names of blasphemy.
A beast.... This first beast with seven heads and ten horns, is
probably the whole company of infidels, enemies and persecutors of the
people of God, from the beginning to the end of the world. The seven
heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires,
which have exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the
people of God; of these, five were then fallen, viz.: the Egyptian,
Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian monarchies: one was present,
viz., the empire of Rome: and the seventh and chiefest was to come,
viz., the great Antichrist and his empire. The ten horns may be
understood of ten lesser persecutors.
13:2. And the beast which I saw was like to a leopard: and his feet
were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And
the dragon gave him his own strength and great power.
13:3. And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his
death’s wound was healed. And all the earth was in admiration after the
beast.
One of his heads, etc.... Some understand this of the mortal wound,
which the idolatry of the Roman empire (signified by the sixth head)
received from Constantine; which was, as it were, healed again by
Julian the Apostate.
13:4. And they adored the dragon which gave power to the beast. And
they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? And who shall
be able to fight with him?
13:5. And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies: and power was given to him to do, two and forty months.
13:6. And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to
blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.
His tabernacle, etc.... That is, his church and his saints.
13:7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to
overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe and people and
tongue and nation.
13:8. And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slain from the
beginning of the world.
Slain from the beginning, etc.... In the foreknowledge of God; and
inasmuch as all mercy and grace, from the beginning, was given in view
of his death and passion.
13:9. If any man have an ear, let him hear.
13:10. He that shall lead into captivity shall go into captivity: he
that shall kill by the sword must be killed by the sword. Here is the
patience and the faith of the saints.
13:11. And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth: and he had
two horns, like a lamb: and he spoke as a dragon.
Another beast.... This second beast with two horns, may be understood
of the heathenish priests and magicians; the principal promoters both
of idolatry and persecution.
13:12. And he executed all the power of the former beast in his sight.
And he caused the earth and them that dwell therein to adore the first
beast, whose wound to death was healed.
13:13. And he did great signs, so that he made also fire to come down
from heaven unto the earth, in the sight of men.
13:14. And he seduced them that dwell on the earth, for the signs which
were given him to do in the sight of the beast: saying to them that
dwell on the earth that they should make the image of the beast which
had the wound by the sword and lived.
13:15. And it was given him to give life to the image of the beast: and
that the image of the beast should speak: and should cause that
whosoever will not adore the image of the beast should be slain.
13:16. And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor,
freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand or on
their foreheads:
13:17. And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the
character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
13:18. Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the
number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: and the number of
him is six hundred sixty-six.
Six hundred sixty-six.... The numeral letters of his name shall make up
this number.