Revelation 13:1-11

The Beast out of the Sea

1 The dragon[a] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[b]
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed[c] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.”[d]This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

Revelation 13:1-11 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 25

  • 1. Daniel 7:1-6; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:13
  • 2. S Revelation 12:3
  • 3. Daniel 11:36; Revelation 17:3
  • 4. Daniel 7:6
  • 5. Daniel 7:5
  • 6. Daniel 7:4
  • 7. Revelation 2:13; Revelation 16:10
  • 8. ver 12,14
  • 9. Revelation 17:8
  • 10. Exodus 15:11
  • 11. Da 7:8,11,20,25; Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:4
  • 12. S Revelation 11:2
  • 13. Revelation 12:12
  • 14. Daniel 7:21; Revelation 11:7
  • 15. Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 10:11; Revelation 17:15
  • 16. ver 12,14; S Revelation 3:10
  • 17. S Revelation 3:5; Revelation 20:12
  • 18. S John 1:29
  • 19. S Matthew 25:34
  • 20. S Revelation 2:7
  • 21. Jeremiah 15:2; Jeremiah 43:11
  • 22. S Hebrews 6:12
  • 23. Revelation 14:12
  • 24. ver 1,2
  • 25. Revelation 16:13

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Some manuscripts "And I"
  • [b]. Or "written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain"
  • [c]. Some manuscripts "anyone kills"
  • [d]. Jer. 15:2
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