Revelation 13:1-16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:2

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard - This similitude of the beast to a leopard appears to be an allusion to the third beast of Daniel, which is well known to represent the empire of the Greeks. The Latin empire greatly resembled the modern empire of the Greeks; for that the power of the Greeks was still said to be like a leopard, even after its subjugation by the Romans, is evident from Daniel 7:12 ; : "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:3

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death - This is the second and last place where the heads of the beast are mentioned with any description; and therefore the meaning here must be forms of government, as these were noticed last in the angel's double explanation. The head that was wounded to death can be no other than the seventh draconic head, which was the sixth head of the beast, viz., the imperial power; for "this head," as Bishop Newton observes, "was, as it were, wounded... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:4

And they worshipped the dragon - Worshipping the dragon here evidently means the voluntary religious subjection of the members of the Latin Church to the revived western empire, because of the eminent part it has taken in the support of their faith. And they worshipped the beast - Not only the dragon or revived western empire was worshipped; the beast, the whole Latin empire, is a partaker in the adoration. The manner in which it is worshipped consists in the subjects of it: - Saying,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:5

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things - That is, There was given to the rulers of the Latin empire, who are the mouth of the beast, (and particularly the Roman emperors of Germany), power to assume great and pompous titles, indicative of their mighty sway over many subjugated countries, (see the imperial instruments of the middle centuries in the Corps Diplomatique), and also to utter against their opponents the most terrible edicts. And blasphemies - The system of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:6

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name - The Latin empire is here represented as a blasphemous power in three respects. First, he blasphemes the name of God. This has been most notoriously the case with the different popish princes, who continually blaspheme the sacred names of God by using them in their idolatrous worship. The mouth of blasphemy against God cannot be more evident than in the following impious words which form a part of the Golden Bull... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:7

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them - " Who can make any computation," says Bishop Newton, "or even frame any conception, of the numbers of pious Christians who have fallen a sacrifice to the bigotry and cruelty of Rome? Mede upon the place hath observed, from good authorities, that in the war with the Albigenses and Waldenses there perished of these poor creatures in France alone a million. From the first institution of the Jesuits to the year 1580,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 - The earth here is the Latin world, as has been observed before in similar cases. The meaning therefore is, that all the corrupt part of mankind who are inhabitants of the Latin world shall submit to the religion of the empire, except, as Bishop Newton expresses it, "those faithful few whose names, as citizens of heaven, were enrolled in the registers of life." Slain from the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:9

If any man have an ear, let him hear - These words are evidently introduced to impress the reader with the awfulness of what has just been spoken - all shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life, as well as to fix his attention upon the following words: - read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:10

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity - The Latin empire here spoken of must go into captivity, because it has led into captivity, by not only propagating among the various nations its abominable antichristian system, but also in compelling them to embrace it under the penalty of forfeiting the protection of the empire. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword - The Latin empire must be also broken to pieces by the sword, because it has killed the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:11

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth - As a beast has already been shown to be the symbol of a kingdom or empire, the rising up of this second beast must consequently represent the rising up of another empire. This beast comes up out of the earth; therefore it is totally different from the preceding, which rose up out of the sea. Earth here means the Latin world, for this word has been shown to import this already in several instances; the rising up of the beast out of this... read more

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