CHAPTER 13
Revelation 13:1-4 And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and upon his horns ten crowns; and upon his heads the names of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto 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 power, and his throne, and great authority. And one of his heads as it were wounded unto death; and his deadly wound was healed. And the whole earth was astonished at the beast, and they worshiped the Dragon, because he had given authority to the beast .
In the vision before this, the prophetic evangelist saw a sign in heaven, and behold he says a red Dragon (Rev. 12:3). Now he tells us he saw coming up out of the sea a beast like a leopard . Then in the vision that follows he again sees another beast rising out of the earth (Rev. 13:11), having two horns like a lamb. So, therefore, he saw three beasts in all: the first in heaven, the second out of the sea , and the third out of the earth. But the first and the third are apparent to all; for the first is the ancient evil Dragon, the apostate and adversary of God the Almighty, Satan, and the third is the Antichrist. This middle beast, which now lies before us for observation, what is it? I think it comes after the apostate Dragon, Satan, and it holds the leading position among the rest of the demons; for many fell together. And it is clear from that passage that the divine Scripture declares the ruler of all the demons has been bound to the sea and to Tartarus 1 , as was shown above (Rev. 9:14); perhaps metaphorically thus naming the commotion and disturbance that accompany them, indicating from what things and to where they have fallen, and that they are reserved for the judgment of the great day according to what is written (Jude 6).
For if this were not so, but it was perceptible in the sea and in Tartarus, how is it that before this it is recorded in the account that, having devised many schemes, he acted against the Lord and against his mother? Except that according to the literal historical sense 2 , which must not be disregarded even itself, he has been assigned to Tartarus and the abyss.
Oecumenius commentary on 2 Peter 2:4
"God did not spare the angels who sinned." He attacks those who were first cut off and says: If the angels who were in honor with God because of the immortality of their substance, when they had shaken off the yoke, sinned, they did not obtain forgiveness: much less will God spare men who cling to their own creation if they have sinned, "But chains of gloomy." This signifies the inevitability of condemnation. For with such chains, we certainly punish those condemned by us. But someone may say: Whence is such condemnation of the demons evident? From the demons themselves, for they plead in the Gospel (Luke 8:31) not to be cast into the abyss, as if all others might also suffer this. It must be understood, however, that although the argument is presented in a hypothetical manner, it is not truly so; for it has nothing else to respond to later, but is proposed only in appearance, while in truth it is a simple persuasive example: and for this reason, it will be said: for if it were as it seems, it would proceed thus: If angels, having sinned, were not spared, nor the ancient world, nor Sodom and Gomorrah, would He spare these? Certainly not; or even in this way: He will not spare them at all. However, He does not rashly approach those who are more distinguished; but wishing to show that these, while they sin, are more liable to punishment.
This beast , then, is the second one. The one now before us has been introduced in the book of Job, engaging in dialogue with God, accusing Job, subjecting him to countless trials, yet saying that he has “walked before the face of heaven.” (Job 1:7) And not only does the book of Job record him, but the Lord has made mention of him to John when addressing the Jews: “You are of your father the Devil, and you desire to do the desires of your father.” (Jn. 8:44) That one was a murderer from the beginning, and in the truth he did not stand, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and the father of it, the one who is now presented to us for viewing, the apostate Dragon, become their leader and ringleader of the revolt; just as the holy Abraham is proclaimed father of nations, having been made beforehand the source of their faith according to what was said to him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” (Gen. 17:5) With these matters therefore clarified according to my view, let us return to the passage in question.
He says, I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten crowns . He sees him coming up from the sea; for his rise and, as it were, his elevation are from the disturbed and unstable life of men, who have chosen him as their tyrant; and the ten horns plainly indicate to him a great dominion, just as the seven heads signify certain ploys and principles of deceit and constructions; for the numbers ten and seven are perfect numbers 3 .
And there were crowns about his horns , showing him as ruler risen up against mankind, because we through deceit had voluntarily delivered ourselves to him.
And upon his head he says names of blasphemy . Properly said, upon his head ; for he raves to himself and, as his own head, mocking God, stealing reverence from God and assigning it to himself.
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 his mouth , he says, is like the mouth of a lion ; “Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” according to what is written 4 . (1 Peter 5:8)
Oecumenius commentary on 1 Peter 5:8
For the Devil does not cease, Peter says, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour; to whom you also resist with firm strength of mind. Concerning such sharp snares and the precise deceit of him against us, the holy Justin Martyr also brings forth the case, stating that the Devil did not clearly know the power of his punishment before the coming of the Lord, when the divine prophets had announced it mysteriously: just as Isaiah (14:4), under the persona of the Assyrian, tragically narrates the entire representation of the Devil. But when the Lord had come and had openly said that the eternal fire is reserved and prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), upon hearing this, he does not cease to lie in wait for the faithful, wanting to have many companions in his defection, lest he be ashamed to cling to this alone, applauding himself with this cold and envious consolation. [Fragments of St. Justin Martyr, 4]
And the Dragon is said to have given him his power . Now the power of that apostate Dragon lies in these deceits and guiles, and he himself became their author and teacher.
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 healed through their subsequent idolatry.
And the whole earth , he says, was astonished at the beast . For how could not even the God-fearing nation of Israel have bowed down to it? And this is what was spoken by Isaiah before God concerning Israel: “for your sake my name is continually blasphemed among the nations,” (Isa. 52:5) yet they also worshipped together with the prime evil one the Dragon, the cause of so great deceit and treacherous devices, in homage to the beast.
Revelation 13:4-8 And they worshiped the beast; saying 5 , "Who is like the beast, and who can make war against him?" And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy, and power was given unto him to continue for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of heaven of the sealed 6 from the foundation of the world .
From whom Israel’s fame was routed; those who were seized by him weave praises to him, saying, " Who is like the beast, and who can make war against him ?" He says that all have been defeated and fallen under his feet, and there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy . Was it given by someone? It was given by those deceived and having worshiped him; for to boast arrogantly is pride. For what is greater than this? To say, “I will ascend into heaven; I will set my throne above the stars of heaven.” (Isa. 14:13) And just a little after that, he says, “I will be like the Most High,” (Isa. 14:14) as Isaiah mocks him, for these are indeed blasphemies against God.
And it is said that power was given unto him to continue for forty-two months . In previous comments, the forty-two months we understood it as a brief time 7 . For all time is brief, even if it seems to be very long, when compared to the unending ages.
He says, and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven . It is said that the blasphemies against God are of the apostate. By the tabernacle of God he means the holy angels because God dwells in them. For if it has been said concerning men, "I will dwell in them and walk among them," (2 Cor 6:16; see Lev. 26:11) what would one say about the heavenly powers, that God has them as a dwelling?
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. Rightly did he say that all those that dwell upon the earth shall worship him ; for apart from the God-fearing Israel, which did not bear this, every remaining race of men and tribe has been found worshipping the destroyer.
Of whom it says whose names are not written in the book of life of heaven of the sealed from the foundation of the world ; the vision very securely predetermined this; for since it has been said that all the inhabitants of the inhabited world have worshiped the apostate Devil, there were nevertheless a few who were pure from this worship, both from the Gentiles and from Israel, such as Job, his four friends, Melchizedek, and the holy prophets of Israel, and those who are testified to in the Old Testament for godliness.
He says all have worshipped him, except these who, because of their godliness, and the precision and purity of their citizenship, are written in heaven, and are guarded by God; for this is signified by the sealing of the book . Concerning this book the Lord says to his holy disciples according to the divinely inspired Luke: “nevertheless in this do not rejoice, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names were written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
Revelation 13:9-10 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone [leads others] into captivity, into captivity 8 he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints .
If anyone , he says, has a mind able to comprehend the things said, let him hear the things said and know that the one ready to take others captive will be taken captive by the beast and will voluntarily defect to it; for receiving no assistance from God, he will be carried off to utter evil. If anyone prepared for murders, he will die the spiritual death in the worship of the Devil. Therefore, he says, is the endurance and the faith of the saints . Therefore one becomes innocent of the slavery to the evil one, from which slavery may we all be shown to be free by the grace of the God who called us to the knowledge of Him. To Him be glory to the ages, amen.
[Eighth Discourse]
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.
Revelation 13:11-13 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a Dragon. And it exercised all the authority of the first beast before it. And it made the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And it performed great signs, so that it even made fire come down from heaven to the earth in the sight of men .
And I saw , he says, another beast coming up out of the earth , from where also is the beginning of origin for all men. For the Antichrist is a man, “whose presence is according to the working of the Devil,” (2 Thess. 2:9) as it seems to the most wise Paul.
Oecumenius commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:9
He said, The Lord will abolish the coming of the Antichrist to himself, whose coming will be according to the operation of Satan. For through his action the Devil will work all things. “with all power and signs.” He foretold this, so that those present then would not be deceived. “He will show all power,” he says. But of falsehood, either because he will act only according to illusion and so will deceive the eyes; or because they lead to falsehood. Or in every matter that can deceive and harm those who believe. Or, as has been said, he will make signs solely for imagination and appearance.
And it had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a Dragon . He said reasonably that he does not have the horns of a lamb, but that he is like a lamb , and that he is not a Dragon, but speaks like a Dragon. For since the true one is thought to be Christ, it is not that he was given horns like a lamb . And since through every sort of wickedness he contends equally with the Devil, yet he is not the Devil, he did not say that he is a Dragon, but that he speaks as a dragon. Since therefore these things are so, the Word preserved for him the image also in the vision, and gives him a form not of a lamb, but like a lamb , neither of a dragon, but like a dragon . For Christ has been called a lamb, the Devil a Dragon, but it was neither this nor that.
And it says that he e xercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. That is, he becomes the successor of the power of the Devil, and prepares all to worship him, whose deadly wound was healed . This has been said among the preceding. Now it must only be marked. For since he said that he has all the authority of the first beast before him, and first of all he named the Dragon the fiery one, whom the vision shown in heaven revealed, so that no one might think to say now that he received the authority as that of the first beast, I am not speaking about that first of all of all, but of him who comes after that one, yet before the Antichrist, whom the vision showed rising from the sea like a leopard (Rev. 13:1-2). For the wound of this one's death was healed, as stated above.
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)
Revelation 13:11-13 And deceives those who dwell on the earth by the signs that were given it to perform in the presence of the beast, saying those who dwell on the earth to make an image for the beast who 9 had the wound of the sword and lived. And it was given it to give breath to the image of the beast, [that the image of the beast might even speak and make as many as do not worship the image of the beast] 10 be killed. And it makes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to give them a mark [on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one be able to buy or sell except the one having the mark,] 10 the name of the beast or the number of its name. Here is wisdom. The one having understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and its number is six hundred sixty-six .
And deceives , it says, those who dwell upon the earth by the signs . For he makes signs indeed, but by charming the eyes of those who see, just as the magicians also did before Pharaoh 11 ; for they were directed by one and the same deceiving demon, both those and this one. And it says well that he makes the signs in the presence of the beast . For since he will erect an image for it, which he will also force all to worship , he will perform the signs supposedly by it, as deifying the image , because indeed from it he has the power to do these things.
And it says it was given to him to give breath to the image . For they say that many of the idols both sweat and seem to speak by diabolical power.
And it says that the Antichrist also gives a mark and seal of his own name , without which no one will either buy or indeed sell .
Here it says is wisdom : let him calculate the number of the beast and through the calculation let him find it. For I will not say, it says, a foreign and unusual calculation, nor one named with concealment and doubling, but a calculation well-worn and known to men, which sums to the number six hundred sixty-six . This number also signifies many other proper and common names, and it also signifies these: as principal names Lampetis 12 [Λαμπέτις], Benedictus [Βενέδικτος], Titan [Τιτάν]. For Titan is written with the letter iota, and in some cases it is written as a diphthong 13 .
For if Teitan [Τειτάν] is from teísis [τείσεως - tension], and the verb is teinō [τείνω], and the future tense will be tenô [τενῶ], it is reasonable to write it with a diphthong, as phteírō [φθείρω] from phthérō [φθερῶ], and speírō [σπείρω] from sperō [σπερῶ]. By form of address, however, the Victor [ὁ νικητής], for perhaps he so named himself, from whom the three horns, that is, having waged war against the kings, he will uproot. See what Daniel says about these things in his eighth vision: "He says that attention was paid to its horns, that is, of the fourth beast; and behold, another little horn came up among them, and three of the horns that were before it were uprooted from its presence; and behold, eyes like the eyes of a man were in that horn, and a mouth speaking great things." (Dan. 7:8)
Then the unstable one 14 [ὁ ἐπίσαλος], a wicked guide [κακὸς ὁδηγός], truly harmful [ἀληθὴς βλαβερός], ancient slanderer [πάλαι βάσκανος], an unjust lamb [ἀμνὸς ἄδικος]; for perhaps by these names he would be called by those opposing him. But he will not only not be ashamed to be called these things, he will also take pleasure in such labels, so as not to be embarrassed to call himself accordingly. Stitching such wicked and God-hating choices together, the wise apostle says: “whose glory is in their shame.” (Philip. 3:19) Therefore, with many names having been found, the authority to attach the more fitting one rests with the one who wills it to the accursed one.
_____________________
Translator’s notes for chapter 13.
1. Oecumenius says in his commentary on Jude 6, “Those who had indeed received the honor of angelic position, since they did not remain in their origin, but corrupted the gift given to them from the goodness of celestial life, were reserved and kept for judgment or condemnation on the day of great and intolerable punishment. For this also now signifies kept. According to what Christ said: "Who is prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:41) And Oecumenius, in his commentary on 2 Peter 2:4 says, " But chains of gloomy ." This signifies the inevitability of condemnation. For with such chains, we certainly punish those condemned by us. But someone may say: Whence is such condemnation of the demons evident? From the demons themselves, for they plead in the Gospel (Luke 8:31) not to be cast into the abyss, as if all others might also suffer this.”
2. The Greek phrase κατὰ τὸ γράμμα τῆς ἱστορίας translates to "according to the letter of history" or "according to the literal historical sense." In classical and ecclesiastical contexts, it refers to an interpretation that focuses on the factual, literal, and chronological sequence of events as they are written, rather than seeking deeper symbolic or allegorical meanings.
3. “for the numbers ten and seven are perfect numbers.” This specific phrasing is highly characteristic of Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BC– 50AD), a Jewish philosopher who blended Greek philosophy with biblical exegesis. Philo frequently argued that numbers like 7 and 10 were "perfect" to explain the divine order of the Torah and the creation of the world. This statement also reflects Pythagorean and Middle Platonic number symbolism rather than modern mathematics. In the ancient world, "perfection" (teleios) referred to completeness, cosmic order, or mystical properties rather than just the mathematical definition of a perfect number (a number equal to the sum of its divisors, like 6 or 28). The Pythagoreans considered 10 the most sacred and "perfect" number because it represents the Tetractys (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10). It was seen as the number of the universe, encompassing all arithmetic and geometric proportions. Seven was viewed as perfect because it "unites" the spiritual and material worlds—often described as the sum of 3 (the triangle/spirit) and 4 (the square/matter). In ancient thought, it was also linked to the seven visible planets and the seven days of creation.
4. Oecumenius, in his commentary on 1 Peter 5:8 says, “For the Devil does not cease, Peter says, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour; to whom you also resist with firm strength of mind. Concerning such sharp snares and the precise deceit of him against us, the holy Justin Martyr (Fragments of Justin Martyr, 4) also brings forth the case, stating that the Devil did not clearly know the power of his punishment before the coming of the Lord, when the divine prophets had announced it mysteriously: just as Isaiah (14:4), under the persona of the Assyrian, tragically narrates the entire representation of the Devil. But when the Lord had come and had openly said that the eternal fire is reserved and prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), upon hearing this, he does not cease to lie in wait for the faithful, wanting to have many companions in his defection, lest he be ashamed to cling to this alone, applauding himself with this cold and envious consolation.
5. The oldest Oecumenius manuscript 146 (Messina 99) omits, “saying, ‘who is like the beast?’” 203 (Salonika Blat. 53) and 240 (Athos 770) has that section, therefore I added it in because that is obvious the correct reading.
6. “ are not written in the book of life of heaven of the sealed from the foundation of the world .” Some Revelation manuscripts read, “ is not written in the book of the life of heaven of him who was slain before the foundation of the world .”
7. Oecumenius said in his comments on Rev. 11:2: What then does the measure of the forty-two months signify? It clearly indicates that the time of the new order on earth will be brief, and that the end will soon come. The number forty , composed of four tens, is not perfect, nor is the number two . From this, the argument shows that the new state will not endure long in the present life; therefore, the Scripture calls the final hour, and again the eleventh hour (Matt. 20:6, 9.), the time of the new era, during which the Only-Begotten came into the world; and in the future, it will be eternal.
8. In the Oecumenius manuscripts, the second “into captivity” is omitted, and literally reads “If anyone [leads others] into captivity, he goes.” Oecumenius probably had the original reading found in the Scripture text written by John because he does appear to support it in his comments, saying “to take others captive will be taken captive”.
9. In the oldest Oecumenius manuscript it reads, “image for the beast, as it has the wound of the sword and lived.” It has the conjunction ὡϛ, not the correct pronoun ὅϛ. Other Oecumenius manuscripts have the correct reading, which is the one that I chose to use here.
10. The oldest Oecumenius manuscript omits two small sections of the Scripture text, but other Oecumenius manuscripts has the full correct readings, which I placed in brackets.
11. That phrase describes the actions of the Egyptian magicians in the Book of Exodus 7-8, who used their "secret arts" or "enchantments" (like conjuring, illusions, or sorcery) to imitate the signs and wonders performed by Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh, trying to match God's power but ultimately failing, as their feats were limited compared to divine miracles, particularly after the first few plagues, showing God's supremacy.
12. The name Lampetis [Λαμπέτις] constitutes one of the historical attempts to interpret the number 666 of the Revelation, as recorded by Irenaeus of Lyons in his work “Against Heresies”. The word is the feminine form of the adjective lampetis and means “the shining one”, “the radiant” or “the luminous one”. In the literature of the 2nd century, the term is used rarely to describe the dawn (ἀώς). Irenaeus mentions “Lampetis” as one of the names whose numerical value of the letters (isopsephy) equals exactly 666: Λ (30) + α (1) + μ (40) + π (80) + ε (5) + τ (300) + ι (10) + ς (200) = 666.
13. In Greek, a diphthong (from di- "twice" and phthongos "sound") is a combination of two vowels pronounced together in a single syllable. The pronunciation of these combinations has evolved significantly from Ancient to Modern Greek. Combinations of short vowels with ι or υ (e.g., αι, ει, οι, αυ, ευ, ου, υι).
14. The term ὁ ἐπίσαλος is an adjective in the ancient Greek language that is used mainly metaphorically to describe the state of uncertainty and instability.