Revelation 13

Revelation 13:1

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast

rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And I stood upon the shore of the island Patmos, and, behold, there was a further vision presented to me: for I saw out of the ambitious stirs and tumults of the world, there arose the great Roman Empire, in the form of a beast, by reason of the brutish conditions of those that swayed it; whose chief seat was placed upon seven hills; and whose government was managed by seven several forms of sovereignty; and whose strength consisted in ten several kingdoms, which were under the command of that Empire; and divers profane and wicked governors of that Monarchy made profession of horrible blasphemies and impieties, in that they challenged to be stiled and adored as gods.

Revelation 13:2

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 seat, and great authority. And the beast which I saw, representing the Roman Empire, was, as it were, composed of the qualities of those other three former Monarchies which were past: for, in fierceness and speed of conquest, it was like the Leopard of the Greek Monarchy; and, for ravening, like the Persian Bear; and, for haughtiness and cruelty, like to the Babylonian Lion: and the VOL. IV. P P Devil did, by all means, set forward the power and authority of this Empire; advancing it by frauds and cruelties, that it might serve for his own purposes.

Revelation 13:3

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast.

And I saw one of his heads wounded deadly, in the cutting off of the Cæsar’s line in Nero; and in the intercision of the Empire, for some time by the Huns, and Goths, and Vandals: but this wound was soon healed up; and the flourishing condition of that Empire was such, as all the world wondered at it, and were glad to do their homage and fealty to it.

Revelation 13:4

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

And men were so besotted with the admiration thereof, that they were ready to adore those hellish powers, by whose means and furtherance this Empire was so advanced; and to doat upon the honour and greatness of this, which they called a sacred and perpetual Monarchy; saying, What Empire was ever so great and large as this, and what nation or kingdom is able to stand out against it?

Revelation 13:5

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

And Satan had so prevailed with divers of these Cæsars, that, in the pride of their heart, they spake horrible blasphemies against God; proclaiming their own deity, and calling for adoration from the people; and, through the permission of God, power was given unto this Empire, to prevail and execute tyranny and cruelty for the space of a thousand, two hundred, and sixty years.

Revelation 13:6

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

And these proud and atheous governors opened their mouths against God, to blaspheme his Name, and to arrogate his title to themselves; as also to slander and traduce his Church, raising wicked calumniations against his saints and servants.

Revelation 13:7

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

And, beside their blasphemies, they were permitted, in the just judgment of God, to raise cruel persecutions against those that professed the Name of Christ, and to put them to death; and this power was yielded to them universally, in all kingdoms and countries, under their dominion.

Revelation 13:8

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

And all that dwell upon the earth, under the Roman dition, shall be forced to burn incense to their Caesars, and to worship them as gods; even all they, whom God hath not, by his especial favour, decreed and designed to eternal life, from eternity, purchased by the death of his son Jesus Christ.

Revelation 13:9

If any man have an ear, let him hear.

If God have given to any man an understanding heart and a hearing ear, let him well consider of these great and mystical things, which are spoken of this Empire.

Revelation 13:10

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

For, as this Roman Empire shall long tyrannize over the world, and lead many thousands into captivity; so itself shall be dealt with, at the last: and, as it hath been guilty of much innocent bloodshed; so it shall accordingly be served again, and shall perish by the sword of an enemy: but, in the mean time, there is much patience required of God’s Saints; and much faith, to expect and attend the accomplishment of these things, which must, though late, yet, in their just time, be fulfilled.

Revelation 13:11

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

And, besides this Secular, I beheld a Spiritual Tyranny; arising from small and weak beginnings, to a great height of pride and impiety; the semblance and outward show whereof was meek and lamb-like, as tending to the advancement of the Name of Christ; but the doctrine and practice of it was proud and cruel.

Revelation 13:12

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

And he taketh upon him to exercise all imperial power; making indeed but a mere shadow of the Empire: yet outwardly pretends to draw all the earth to the subjection and obedience of that Monarchy, whose deadly wound was healed. See verse 3.

Revelation 13:13

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men:

And this Spiritual Tyranny doth advance itself continually, by boasting of great miracles, that are daily done by the abettors thereof: so that, as Elijah, in his time, by calling down fire from heaven, did approve the truth of his doctrine and mission from God; so doth this tyrannical state go about P P 2 to justify their teaching and usurpation, by strange and wonderful miracles:

Revelation 13:14

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of those miracles which he had power to do 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.

And this Spiritual Tyrant deceived the inhabitants of the earth, by those miracles which he had power to do, in the presence of the subjects of that great Empire; and caused the people to renew and receive a new restored form and image of that long vacant Empire of the West, which had received that deadly wound by the sword of the Huns, and Goths, and Vandals.

Revelation 13:15

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

And he had power to put a new life into that new restored image or shadow of the ancient Empire; that it should be able to do the wonted actions of life, and make laws for its own government and the establishment thereof; and, joining the force of his decrees with the edicts of that meanly-revived Empire, should constrain all men, under pain of death, to yield their homage and subjection to that monarchy of his own erecting.

Revelation 13:16

And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, and in their foreheads.

And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, to make open profession of themselves, to be the subjects and vassals of the Roman Empire; and, both in their countenance to declare it, and with their hands to fight for it.

Revelation 13:17

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

And he excommunicated all that would not subject themselves unto it; inhibiting them from all liberty of trade and traffic, or any affairs of secular commerce; which did not profess their reverence and obedience to that his Latin Empire, and the honourable titles given thereunto.

Revelation 13:18

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six.

Here is a proof of the wisdom and sagacity of any reader: let him, therefore, that hath skill and knowledge, reckon the number of the numeral letters, which are in the name of this Empire; for they make up the name of a man, even of one of the