Apocalisse 13:1-6

1 (G12-18) E si fermò sulla riva del mare. (G13-1) E vidi salir dal mare una bestia che aveva dieci corna e sette teste, e sulle corna dieci diademi, e sulle teste nomi di bestemmia.

2 E la bestia ch’io vidi era simile a un leopardo, e i suoi piedi erano come di orso, e la sua bocca come bocca di leone; e il dragone le diede la propria potenza e il proprio trono e grande potestà.

3 E io vidi una delle sue teste come ferita a morte; e la sua piaga mortale fu sanata; e tutta la terra maravigliata andò dietro alla bestia;

4 e adorarono il dragone perché avea dato il potere alla bestia; e adorarono la bestia dicendo: Chi è simile alla bestia? e chi può guerreggiare con lei?

5 E le fu data una bocca che proferiva parole arroganti e bestemmie e le fu data potestà di agire per quarantadue mesi.

6 Ed essa apri la bocca per bestemmiare contro Dio, per bestemmiare il suo nome e il suo tabernacolo e quelli che abitano nel cielo.

Apocalisse 13:1-6 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.