Revelation 13:4 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

The Two Beasts

Personification of the two powers inspired by the devil to persecute the Church.

1-10. The dragon stands by the sea (i.e. the Ægean Sea), from which there rises to meet him a 'beast,' i.e. something inhuman: signifying the Roman empire, which came to the Province of Asia, in which were the Churches addressed in Rev., from the sea. The beast has ten horns and seven heads: cp. Daniel 7. On the horns are diadems and on the heads 'names of blasphemy,' i.e. blasphemous titles: cp. Revelation 17:3. The ten horns (see on Revelation 12:3) are the ten emperors from Augustus to Titus. The seven horns are those of the ten who had reigned long enough for worship to be paid to them, i.e. omitting Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. The 'names' were, probably, 'Augustus' or 'Sebastos,' i.e. 'reverenced,' under which the emperors were worshipped: cp. Revelation 13:12., Revelation 2:13 note (Revelation 13:1).

'The emperor represented the majesty, the wisdom, and the beneficent power of Rome: he was in many cases actually represented in different parts of the empire as an incarnation of the god worshipped in that district.. Domitian.. delighted.. to be idolised as the Divine Providence in human form; and it is recorded that Caligula, Domitian, and Diocletian were the three emperors who delighted to be styled dominus et deus' (Ramsay, 'Church in Rom. Empire,' pp. 191, 275).

The monster combines the powers of the four beasts in Daniel 7 (Revelation 13:2). One head is smitten unto death, but the death stroke is healed. This head probably represents Nero (54-68 a.d.), of whom popular report said that he was not dead, or that if dead he would return to life (Tacitus, 'Hist.' ii. 8, Suetonius, 'Nero,' 57): cp. Revelation 17:8. The word translated wounded, RV 'smitten,' is that translated 'slain,' of the Lamb, Revelation 5:6. It is implied that Nero, both as the head of the world kingdom, and in his death and return to life, was the counterpart of Christ in God's kingdom. St. John took this Nero superstition, and used it to symbolise the breaking out again of Nero's persecuting spirit in Domitian, 81-96 a.d. (Revelation 13:3). As Nero is represented as the counterpart of Christ, so the worship of the dragon and the beast is the evil counterpart of the worship of God: cp. 'who is like,' etc., with Exodus 15:11; (Revelation 13:4). The beast blasphemes God and His tabernacle (i.e. the Church, the dwelling-place of God) by the assumption of divine honour and by imputing evil practices to Christianity: cp. 1 Peter 2:12; (Revelation 13:5.). He is appointed (i.e. by God, who overrules the work of evil men to His glory) to war against the 'saints' in world-wide power (Revelation 13:7), and worship is offered to him by the ungodly (Revelation 13:8.). The description of the beast ends with an injunction to the saints to submit to God's will in unresisting patience (Revelation 13:10).

Related Commentaries of Revelation 13:1

Revelation 13:1-18

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 namea of blasphemy.

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.

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

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?

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

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

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.

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.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

15 And he had power to give lifed 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.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receivee a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

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.

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 threescore and six.