Revelation 13

Revelation 13:6

6.—his tabernacle, and them that dwell] He blasphemes the tabernacle of God, His temple, and His church, by anathematizing as hereticks and schismatics true Christians who are of the house of God, or by perverting to the worship of saints and angels places dedicated to the worship of God. He blasphemes “them that dwell in heaven,” angels and glorified saints, by idolatrous worship and impious adoration, and disgraces their lives and memory by fabulous legends. Bp. Newton.

Revelation 13:7

7, 8. And it was given unto him to make war &c.] The power of this new Roman government became so great by Divine permission, that it prevailed against the worshippers of God, either to force them to a compliance with its corruptions, or to persecute them for their constancy: and this oppressive power was extended far and wide, insomuch that all the inhabitants of the earth, where it reached, were prevailed upon to receive its idolatrous constitutions, and yield obedience to it; those true and faithful servants of God only excepted, who were enrolled in the registers, as heirs of eternal life, according to the promises of the Gospel of Christ, who from the beginning was the true propitiation, and Mediator of acceptance and blessing. Lowman.

Revelation 13:8

8.—the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.] That is, from the time that the first promise of the new covenant was made. Then Christ undertook to pay this ransom, by dying instead of mankind; which therefore took place immediately in the Divine purpose, as much as if it was already done. Bp. Beveridge.

Revelation 13:9

9. If any man have an ear, &c.] See chap. ii. 7. St. John, after giving a large prophetic description of antichristian power sitting in the seat and temple of God, &c., adds these words, bespeaking attention to shew that these are matters in which all sincere Christians are more or less concerned to take heed to themselves, that they be not imposed upon by delusions of worldly power and ambition, and by empty shows in matters of religion. Dr. S. Clarke.

Revelation 13:10

10. He that leadeth into &c.] This is added by way of consolation to the church, that these enemies of God and Christ, represented under the character of the beast, shall suffer the law of retaliation, and be as remarkably punished and tormented themselves, as they punished and tormented others. This promise might administer some comfort, which would indeed be wanted, since the patience and the faith of the saints would be tried to

with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:11

11. And I beheld another beast &c.] From the description of the ten horned beast or Roman state in general, the Prophet passes to that of “the two horned beast,” or Roman church in particular. “The beast with ten crowned horns” is the Roman empire, as divided into ten kingdoms; “the beast with two horns like a lamb” is the Roman hierarchy, or body of the clergy, regular and secular. This beast is afterwards called “the false prophet,” chap. xvi. 13; xix. 20; which sufficiently proves that false doctors or teachers are particularly designed. “He had two horns like a lamb;” he derived his powers from the Lamb, and pretended to be, like the Lamb, all meekness and mildness. But “he spake as a dragon;” he had a voice of terror, in usurping divine titles and honours, in commanding idolatry, and in persecuting and slaying the true worshippers of God, and faithful servants of Jesus Christ. Bp. Newton.

—he spake as a dragon.] A dragon in the prophecies is the known symbol of the old Roman government, in its pagan, persecuting state. When therefore it is said that the beast spake as a dragon, the meaning is, that antichrist should assume the highest tone of civil authority, in promoting his tyrannous purposes, though he clowed his fierce pretensions under the meek semblance of a spiritual character. Bp. Hurd.

Revelation 13:12

12. And he exerciseth all the power &c.] This second persecuting power had all the powers of the first, or new revived form of Roman government; and used its authority to spread the power of this new Roman government beyond the bounds of its own proper dominion, so as to oblige the several nations to yield obedience to the new authority revived in the city of Rome, after it had been so long deprived of all authority, and seemed to have lost all hope of recovering it. Lowman.

Revelation 13:13

13. And he doeth great wonders, &c.] He pretends, like other false prophets, to shew signs and wonders, and even to call for fire from heaven, as Elias did. His imposerures too are so successful, (ver. 14,) that “he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth.” Thus miracles, visions, and revelations, are the mighty boast of the church of Rome, the contrivances of an artful priesthood to impose on an ignorant credulous laity. Bp. Newton.

Anno DOMINI 96. The image of the former beast. The number of the beast.

Anno DOMINI 96. in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Revelation 13:14

14.—that they should make an image to the beast,] “The image” or representative of “the beast,” here designed, is most probably the pope. He is properly the idol of the church. He represents in himself the whole power of the beast, and is the head of all authority, temporal as well as spiritual. He is nothing more than a private person without power or authority, till the two borned beast, or the corrupted clergy, by choosing him pope, “give life” unto him, and enable him to speak, and utter his decrees, and to persecute even to death as many as refuse to submit to him, and to worship him. Bp. Newton.

Revelation 13:16

16.—to receive a mark &c.] We must understand that it was customary among the ancients for servants to receive the mark of their master, and soldiers of their general, and those who were devoted to any particular deity, of that deity to whom they were devoted. These marks were usually impressed “on their right hand, or on their foreheads.” It is in allusion to this ancient custom that the symbol and profession of faith in the church of Rome, as ministering to superstition, idolatry, and tyranny, is called the mark or character of the beast; which character is said to be received “in their foreheads,” when they make open and publick profession of their faith; and “in their right hand,” when they live and act in conformity to it. If any dissent from the stated and authorized forms, they are condemned and excommunicated as hereticks; and, in consequence, are no longer permitted to “buy or sell;” they are interdicted from traffick and commerce, and all the benefits of civil society. Bp. Newton.

Revelation 13:18

18. Here is wisdom.] That is, here is a secret whereby may be tried the attention and understanding of all serious and religious minds. Among the ancients, one way of propounding and solving secrets and difficult problems, was by finding out things, or persons, or names, by numbers, answering to, or expressing them. See Dan. viii. 13. Pyle.

—count the number of the beast.] That is, find out, by a given number, the name of the beast, so as to know when this tyrannical power shall arise. Lowman.

—it is the number of a man.] Meaning, it is a method of numbering, practised among men: as “the measure of a man,” chap. xxi. 17, is such a measure, as men commonly use in measuring. Bp. Newton.

—is Six hundred threescore and six.] The number is here specified, from which we are to collect the name intended. And no name seems more proper or suitable, than that famous one mentioned by Ireneus, who lived

not long after the time of St. John, and was the disciple of Polycarp, the disciple of St. John. He says, that the name Lateinos, which is the Greek word for Latin or Roman, contains the exact number “six hundred threescore and six.” It is also remarkable that the word Romiith, which signifies in Hebrew the Roman beast or the Roman kingdom, expresses the same number. To explain this, it is to be mentioned, that both the Greeks and Hebrews were accustomed to express numbers by different letters in their respective alphabets. Thus the eight letters in the Greek alphabet, which make the word Lateinos, stand respectively for the Numbers 30, 1, 300, 5, 10, 50, 70, 200, making altogether 666: also the six letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which compose the word Romiith, stand respectively for the Numbers 200, 6, 40, 10, 10, 400, thus making altogether the same number 666. It is really surprising that such a marked coincidence should take place in both these languages; and here seems to be a most full and satisfactory proof, independently of the many others which we possess, that the idolatrous Roman power is intended in this part of the prophecy. Bp. Newton, Pyle.

Chap. XIV. As the description of the melancholy state of the church and the world, during this period, in the foregoing chapters, might be apt to discourage good Christians, and the faithful worshippers of God, the scene of the prophetical vision is now changed from earth to heaven, from a view of the church under the persecution of the beast, to a view of it in the presence of the Lamb, delivered from its state of corruption and oppression, and arrived at a state of complete and perfect happiness. This vision then represents the sure destruction of the enemies of truth and righteousness in the end; it shews the great reward of the faithful, and the dreadful punishment of the apostate, who shall fall from the faith and purity of Christian worship, in the day of trial. Thus this part of the prophecy unites, with awful warnings, the strongest motives to confidence and hope, than which nothing could be more proper or useful to the church, in such a state of providence, or more consistent with the general design of the whole prophecy, which is to encourage the constancy and patience of the saints under all their trials. Lowman.

Ver. 1—3.—and, lo, a Lamb stood &c.] Our Saviour is here seen as the true Lamb of God, standing “on the mount Sion,” the place of God’s true worship; “and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand,” the same select number that was mentioned before, chap. vii. 4, the genuine offspring of the twelve Apostles apost-