Revelation 13:14-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 13:11-18

Those who think the first beast signifies Rome pagan by this second beast would understand Rome papal, which promotes idolatry and tyranny, but in a more soft and lamb-like manner: those that understand the first beast of the secular power of the papacy take the second to intend its spiritual and ecclesiastical powers, which act under the disguise of religion and charity to the souls of men. Here observe, I. The form and shape of this second beast: He had two horns like a lamb, but a mouth... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 13:1-18

13:1-18 I saw a beast coming up from the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads; and it had ten royal crowns on its horns; and on its heads I saw blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's feet; its mouth was like a lion's mouth; and to it the dragon delegated its power and its throne and its great authority. I saw that one of its heads looked as if it had been wounded to death; and its deadly wound had been healed. The... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 13:14

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth ,.... The Complutensian edition, and two of Stephens's copies, read "mine", instead of "them"; creatures of God, and professors of Christ, carnal and unregenerate men; not the elect of God, and true believers in Christ, these cannot be deceived by the signs and wonders of false Christs and false prophets; antichrist's deceivableness of unrighteousness only operates in them that perish: by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 13:15

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast ,.... Or "breath"; he breathed into it, and animated it; he gave this new religion a sanction, he confirmed and established it, and obliged all in his dominions to embrace and acknowledge it; and this he did by his decrees and canons, and those that refused were delivered over to the secular power, which he also exercised under another consideration: that the image of the beast should both speak : so that it was not like... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 13:14

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 - The image of the beast must designate a person who represents in himself the whole power of the Latin empire, therefore it cannot be the emperor; for though he was, according to his own account, supremum caput Christianitatis , the supreme head of Christendom, yet he was only the chief of the Germanic confederation, and consequently was only sovereign of the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 - I would just observe that the Brahmins, by repeating incantations, profess to give eyes and a soul to an image recently made, before it is worshipped; afterwards, being supposed to be the residence of the god or goddess it represents, it has a legal right to worship. On this verse the learned bishop... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 13:1-18

The foes of God and of his Church: the two beasts. The evil one is responsible for much of the mischief in the world, but his responsibility for it is not an unshared one. Two other enemies are here portrayed as the emissaries and agents of the first ( Revelation 13:2 ). The thought underlying the chapter is that of the predominance of brute force over moral power; or, in other words, of might over right. Here are two beasts. The first, described in Revelation 13:1-10 , is seen... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 13:1-18

The two wild beasts; or, the world and its wisdom. There are few chapters in the Bible which have been entirely passed over by. Christian preachers as containing nothing that would edify and instruct men living m circumstances like our own. But this chapter seems to have been so dealt with. We have searched the lists of thousands of printed sermons, and not one, or rather but one, have we found which seeks to show that this portion of God's Word has anything to do with us today. The vast... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 13:1-18

The domain of antichrist. "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," etc. £ Fanciful interpretations of this chapter, as well as other portions of this book, are abundant. The last seems to us not less unfounded and absurd than those that have gone before. Most of such interpretations assume that the comparatively few people who lived in Rome... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 13:11-17

Subtle dangers. The Book of Revelation presents us with a view of the conflict between the varied kingdoms of this world and the undivided kingdom of our God and of his Christ, and it uniformly declares to us this one consolatory truth, that these kingdoms shall become submissive to his kingdom. These kingdoms present themselves in the great world drama as various powers standing more or less in active opposition to the dominion of Christ over the life of men—in opposition to truth, to... read more

Group of Brands