Rev. 13 Rev. 13:1–10 beast with seven heads and ten horns riseth out of the sea, to whom the dragon giveth his power, wherewith he blasphemeth God, and vexeth the saints. Rev. 13:11–17 Another beast cometh up out of the earth, which supporteth the worship of the former beast. Rev.

And I stood upon the sand of the sea: the place of John’s present residence was Patmos, which was an island, Rev. 1:9. He was yet in a vision, but thought he was upon the sea-shore, either in Patmos, or elsewhere.

Daniel, in his vision of the Chaldaic, Persian, Grecian, and Roman monarchies, by which the world was successively ruled from his time to St. John’s, and many years after, had the first represented to him by a lion, for its nobleness and fierceness; the second by a bear, for its cruelty; the third,…

And I saw one of his heads; that is, the leopard’s head. As it were wounded to death: the seven heads of this beast are interpreted by the Spirit of God himself, to be seven kings, Rev. 17:10, i.e.

And they worshipped the dragon: by the dragon, here, is to be understood the devil. Which gave power unto the beast; who gave power to these emperors; not that they did so directly, but interpretatively; they worshipped idols, which ordinarily in Scripture are called devils.

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: by him here must be meant antichrist, (as appears by the forty-two months, his period, being the same with one thousand two hundred and sixty days), both the secular power of the emperors of Rome at this time, and the…

That is, antichrist opened his mouth to blaspheme God. Mr. Mede noteth well, that antichrist’s time must not be counted from his beginning to persecute, but from his beginning to blaspheme, either by maintaining pernicious doctrine, or setting up idolatrous worship; for till the year 1206, when the…

God showeth John, that after antichrist had gone on blaspheming the name, and tabernacle, and saints of God, some years, the devil should influence him also to make war against God’s holy ones, and he would suffer him to overcome them; and he should have a power over all the nations of that part of…

God here showed his prophet the general subjection that would be of all people to the papacy, except some few, whom he had chosen to eternal life and salvation, whom Christ had redeemed with his blood, and would preserve from this pollution.

Either, let him hear what hath been already said, and take heed that he be not one of those that worship the beast; or, let him hear what followeth concerning the ruin of antichrist and his adherents: but from the usage of this phrase in other scriptures, where it is oft made use of to stir up…

As it was God’s manner by the prophets of old, when he had denounced judgments against his people, to comfort them by a prediction of the ruin of their enemies; so here, by this his New Testament prophet, he assureth his church, that antichrist also should have his period, and have the same measure…

There are great disputes about this other beast, who is represented or signified by it. The popish writers say it is some eminent impostor, who shall appear in the world before the coming of antichrist.

The power of the first beast was to speak great words and blasphemies, and to make war with, and overcome the saints, Rev. 13:5, Rev. 13:7. This power also should be exercised by the papacy, (according to this prophecy), and time hath witnessed the truth of it.

And he doeth great wonders; lying wonders, 2 Thess. 2:9, such as, by God’s permission, false prophets might do, Deut. 13:1–2. Prophets were to be judged true or false, not from any signs or wonders which they did, but from the doctrine they taught, and would by those signs establish.

The Lord showeth his prophet by what means the papacy should cheat the world, viz. by pretences of miracles, which it had a power to work, (the doctrines of the Church of Rome to this are sufficiently known), all which are done in the sight of the beast, that is, to his honour, and to gain him a…

The beast, mentioned Rev. 13:11, had power to give life unto this new formed idolatry, conformable to that of the pagans, in which the old beast again lived: he gave life to it by his decrees and bulls, and canon laws, and by his excommunications and censures of those that would not comply with his…

No particular character is here to be understood, but only the general imposition of the Romish faith upon all sorts of persons. His mark was nothing else but either the profession of his faith and religion, or a vowed subjection to his commands, which we know is the practice of the papacy where it…

And that no man might buy or sell: this the popish church effects by its excommunications; it was begun in the council of Lateran, anathematizing all who entertained any of the Waldenses, or traded with them; and the late learned bishop of Armagh, in his book Deu Successione Ecclesiae, hath given…

Here is wisdom; that is, Herein is the wisdom, the unsearchable wisdom, of God seen in the trial of his church; or, (which is more probably the sense), this is a point will exercise the wisdom of men.