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
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