Revelation of John 13 · The Lantern

Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

Inasmuch, then, as in this world some persons betake themselves to the light, and by faith unite themselves with God, but others shun the light, and separate themselves from God, the Word of God comes preparing a fit habitation for both.

"I saw a beast rising out of the sea," that is, out of an evil people. That he was "rising out" means that he was coming into existence, even as the blooming flower comes forth from the root of Jesse. In the beast coming forth from the sea he signifies all impious who are the body of the devil.

And on its heads names of blasphemy. For they call their kings gods, both dead and supposedly translated to heaven among the gods, and also on earth as Augusti, which is a name of divinity as they will it. Elsewhere, he says the whole beast is full of names of blasphemy.

The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

And for this reason the apostle says: "Because they received not the love of God, that they might be saved, therefore God shall also send them the operation of error, that they may believe a lie, that they all may be judged who have not believed the truth, but consented to unrighteousness." For when he (Antichrist) is come, and of his own accord concentrates in his own person t…

And the beast, he says, which I saw was like a leopard, and because of its swift-moving feet, I think, and quick for deceits. And his feet, he says, are like those of a bear, somewhat weak and patient so as even to walk under heaven to plot against men.

And the dragon gave him his power. Thus the Apostle, speaking of the body of the devil, says: His coming is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish (2 Thessalonians II).

One of the heads of the beast appeared to have been mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

One of its heads refers to the antichrist, because there are seven heads not in regard to number but as a sign of the universality of that earthly kingdom that is hostile to the Lamb. It is evident that the dragon, that is, the devil, will give his authority and his throne to [the antichrist].

And I see, he says, one of his heads as if it were wounded unto death; and his deadly wound was healed. This meaning might have been known to the Spirit-bearing evangelist himself; but as it appears to me, he indicates something of this sort: for the deadly blow which was inflicted upon the Devil that was struck against one of the heads through the devotion of Israel, was heale…

And the whole earth marveled and followed the beast. He uses the genus for the species, saying that the beast is worshiped, when it is the false head, under the name of the truly slain and living head, that earthly men are to worship.

They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to make war for 42 months.

And in like manner it is revealed to John; "For there was given to him," he says, "a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy; and there was given unto him authority and forty and two months." It is wonderful that both of these things occurred under Valerian; and it is the more remarkable in this case when we consider his previous conduct, for he had been mild and friendly tow…

With these months there is completed the three years and six months, which above were understood to refer to the quality of the present age. However, here the severity of the final persecution is especially foretold.

And he was given authority to act for forty-two months, etc. For the first three and a half years, he does not openly blaspheme but acts in the mystery of iniquity, which, after the dissension and the revelation of the man of sin, will be exposed. Then he will say: I am Christ (Matthew XXIV); now, however: Behold, here is Christ, and there (Ibid.).

And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemy against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. As I said earlier that he has taken the authority from the men who willingly bend themselves to his destructive power.

By saying that he opened his mouth, it shows that he spoke with that damnable bravado that while before he blasphemed secretly, he will at that time do so publicly. For he will have dared to attribute to himself that honor that especially belongs to [Christ].

And it was granted to him to make war with the saints, etc. By the part, he means the whole. Those who can be conquered, with the violence of the time, if possible, even the elect will be shaken. That the Jews may be condemned, who, not believing the truth, accepted the lie.

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

He who has an ear, let him hear:

But, to come now to Moses, why, I wonder, did he merely at the time when Joshua was battling against Amalek, pray sitting with hands expanded, when, in circumstances so critical, he ought rather, surely, to have commended his prayer by knees bended, and hands beating his breast, and a face prostrate on the ground; except it was that there, where the name of the Lord Jesus was t…

Every one will receive a recompense worthy of his deeds. Those who are willing to harm their neighbor will be captured by the devil and will undergo the death of his soul by the satanic sword. For, as the great James says, they are made slaves of that one by whom they have been conquered through their works.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. Whenever Scripture interposes this saying, it seeks an attentive listener due to the obscurity of the matter.

“If anyone is destined for captivity, there he will go; if anyone kills by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.

After this he likewise describes his armour-bearer, whom he also terms a false prophet: "He spake as a dragon, and exercised all the power of the first beast in his sight, and caused the earth, and those that dwell therein, to adore the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Having made many digressions and having returned from the later principles to the earlier principles, he arrived at the matter under discussion. And that was to narrate to us the things concerning the wicked and God-hated Antichrist. This one therefore is now set forth in the midst, and see what he says about him.

And I saw another beast ascending from the earth, and it had two horns, like those of a lamb; and he spoke like a dragon—The beast that ascends from the earth declares the future kingdom of the Antichrist; the two horns, however: himself and the false prophet who is with him.

And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.

And the words, "he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed," signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater glory to himself.

"And he did great signs, even making fire come down from heaven in the sight of people." Although it says that he would do many signs, he mentions only this remarkable sign. This translation speaks as though of the past, while it announces the future, although indicating that the future will also be different.

And all power preceded him to that first beast, and he made the earth and those who lived in it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed—That signifies: after the image of the law of Augustus, by whom the Roman Empire was established, thus he also established and imposed the law of all, since he was strong, and through that obtained for himself great praise.

And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down upon the earth in the presence of the people.

"And he shall make fire come down from heaven in the sight of men." Yes (as I also have said), in the sight of men. Magicians do these things, by the aid of the apostate angels, even to this day. He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and thence utter voices and oracles.

And it performed great signs, so that it even made fire come down from heaven to the earth in the sight of men. And the doing of signs and wonders by the power of the Devil is attested by the apostle; for after saying where "the presence is by the operation of Satan, he brings upon all power and signs and lying wonders." (2 Thess. 2:9)

And he performed great signs, so that he even made fire come down from heaven to earth. He presented the miracle of fire as the greatest among others, so that, just as the Lord Christ gave His disciples the grace of virtues with the coming of the Holy Spirit in fire, so he, with deceptive cunning, might also deceive his followers with a similar charisma.

Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived my own people who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

It is as though he had said that the deception had succeeded to such an extent that the earthly, led astray by the wonders of the beast, gave their full miserable assent to the beast and by a mutual devotion encouraged each other to make an image of the beast in the fraudulence of their hearts.

Saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, etc. That is, to be like him and thus to make an image to him, as another version says: As it has the wound of the sword and lived.

The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.

For this is what is meant by the prophet when he says, "He will give life unto the image, and the image of the beast will speak." For he will act with vigour again, and prove strong by reason of the laws established by him; and he will cause all those who will not worship the image of the beast to be put to death.

Therefore, he is said "to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak." This may be interpreted in two ways.

This is what is said by the prophet: He will give breath to the image, and the image of the beast will speak—He will make those who are designated by him strengthened through the law. And he will make all who do not worship the beast be killed: then the faith and patience of the saints will appear.

And the second beast required all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,

Here the faith and the patience of the saints will appear, for he says: "And he will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name." For, being full of guile, and exalting himself against the serv…

And he will eagerly strive to place the mark of the ruinous name of the apostate upon everyone. He will make the mark upon their right hands to bring to an end the doing of good works, and upon their foreheads in order to teach those deceived to be bold in their deception and darkness. But those who have had their faces sealed with the divine light will not receive the mark.

And he will make all these, small and great and rich, etc., and he will give them a sign upon their hands—For he is shrewd and eager to be exalted over the servants of God. And he wants to harass and drive them out of the world, because they do not give him praise.

so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.

Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

Such, then, being the state of the case, and this number being found in all the most approved and ancient copies [of the Apocalypse], and those men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony [to it]; while reason also leads us to conclude that the number of the name of the beast, [if reckoned] according to the Greek mode of calculation by the [value of] the letters conta…

This calls for wisdom. Whoever has understanding, let him reckon the number of the beast, for the number of the beast, it says, is that of a man. Let us reckon the number that is to be received, so that in the number we might also learn the name and the mark.

Three errors are to be guarded against in the sciences, which destroy sacred Scripture and the Christian faith and all wisdom: one against the cause of being, another against the reason of understanding, and the third against the order of living. These errors are signified in the Apocalypse in the number of the name of the beast.

Revelation of John13