Revelation 13:9-18

9 1If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
10 2If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; 3if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is 4the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

The Beast from the Earth

11 Then 5I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had 6two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a 7dragon.
12 He 8exercises all the authority of the first beast 9in his presence. And he makes 10the earth and those who dwell in it to 11worship the first beast, whose 12fatal wound was healed.
13 He 13performs great signs, so that he even makes 14fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
14 And he 15deceives 16those who dwell on the earth because of 17the signs which it was given him to perform 18in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the 19wound of the sword and has come to life.
15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause 20as many as do not 21worship the image of the beast to be killed.
16 And he causes all, 22the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a 23mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the 24mark, either 25the name of the beast or 26the number of his name.
18 27Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that 28of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six *.

Revelation 13:9-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 13

This chapter contains a description of the Romish antichrist, under the figure of two beasts, the one representing him in his civil power, the other in his ecclesiastical power. The first beast is described by its origin, the sea, and by the monstrous shape its several parts; its heads seven, in which were the name of blasphemy; its horns ten, on which were crowns; its skin like a leopard, its feet as a bear, and its mouth as a lion; and by its state and condition, having power, a throne, and great authority; and having one of its heads wounded, and healed; and by the great regard had unto him, being wondered at, and worshipped by all the world, and declared to be more powerful than any, and none to be like them, Re 13:1-4. Next an account is given of what he was suffered to have, a blaspheming mouth, and power to continue forty two months, Re 13:5; and of what he said or uttered, his blasphemy against God, his name, tabernacle, and the inhabitants of heaven, Re 13:6; and of what he did by permission, made war with the saints, overcame them, and had power over all people, Re 13:7; and of the worship given him by the reprobate part of the world, Re 13:8; and the whole is concluded with an exhortation exciting attention to what had been said, with a threatening to the beast, and a word of comfort to the saints, Re 13:9,10. And then follows the description of the second beast, by its original the earth; by its likeness to a lamb, and a dragon; to the former for its two horns, and to the latter for its speech, Re 13:11; and by the actions ascribed to it, which are many; as exercising all the power of the first beast; causing all the inhabitants of the earth to worship that; doing miracles, of which one is mentioned, thereby deceiving the men of the world; ordering them to make an image to the wounded beast; giving life to it, so that it could speak; putting to death all that refused to worship it; obliging men of all ranks and degrees to have a mark in their right hands or foreheads, and forbidding such that had not to buy or sell, Re 13:12-17. And the chapter is concluded with an epiphonema, exciting men of understanding to search out, and count the number of the beast's name, since it is possible to be done, being the number of a man, and easy to be done, consisting of three Greek letters, c x v, which are numerically 666, Re 13:18.

Cross References 28

  • 1. Revelation 2:7
  • 2. Isaiah 33:1; Jeremiah 15:2; Jeremiah 43:11
  • 3. Genesis 9:6; Matthew 26:52; Revelation 11:18
  • 4. Hebrews 6:12; Revelation 14:12
  • 5. Revelation 13:1; Revelation 16:13
  • 6. Daniel 8:3
  • 7. Revelation 13:4
  • 8. Revelation 13:4
  • 9. Revelation 13:14; Revelation 19:20
  • 10. Revelation 13:8
  • 11. Revelation 13:15; Revelation 14:9, 11; Revelation 16:2; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:4
  • 12. Revelation 13:3
  • 13. Matthew 24:24; Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:20
  • 14. 1 Kings 18:38; Luke 9:54; Revelation 11:5; Revelation 20:9
  • 15. Revelation 12:9
  • 16. Revelation 13:8
  • 17. 2 Thessalonians 2:9
  • 18. Revelation 13:12; Revelation 19:20
  • 19. Revelation 13:3
  • 20. Daniel 3:3f
  • 21. Revelation 13:12; Revelation 14:9, 11; Revelation 16:2; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:4
  • 22. Revelation 11:18; Revelation 19:5, 18
  • 23. Galatians 6:17; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 14:9; Revelation 20:4
  • 24. Galatians 6:17; Revelation 7:3; Revelation 14:9; Revelation 20:4
  • 25. Revelation 14:11
  • 26. Revelation 15:2
  • 27. Revelation 17:9
  • 28. Revelation 21:17

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Or leads "into captivity"
  • [b]. Or "steadfastness"
  • [c]. Or "holy ones"
  • [d]. Or "by his authority"
  • [e]. Or "by the authority of"
  • [f]. One early ms reads "speak, and he will cause"
  • [g]. Lit "causes all,...that they give them a mark"
  • [h]. One early ms reads 616
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