(23) And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and (1) saw a beast rise up (2) out of the sea, having seven heads and (3) ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, (4) and upon his heads (5) the name of blasphemy. (23) That is, as a mighty tempest he poured out on the whole world (whose prince he is) to... [ Continue Reading ]
And the beast which I saw was like (6) unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: (7) and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (6) Swift as the leopard, easily grabbing all things, as the bear does with his foot, and... [ Continue Reading ]
(8) And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (8) This is the other place that pertains to the description of the beast of Rome: that besides that natural dignity, and breadth of the Roman Empire, which was el... [ Continue Reading ]
(9) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him (10) to continue forty [and] two months. (9) The second part containing a history of the acts of the beast, as I said See Revelation 13:1". The history of them is concluded in two points: the... [ Continue Reading ]
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, (11) and his tabernacle, (12) and them that dwell in heaven. (11) That is, the holy Church, the true house of the living God. (12) That is, the godly who as a group hid themselves from his cruelty. For this bloody beast charg... [ Continue Reading ]
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, (13) whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (13) That is, such as are not from everlasting elected in Christ Jesus. For this is that Lamb slain; (Revelation 5:6). These words I do with... [ Continue Reading ]
(14) If any man have an ear, let him hear. (14) The conclusion of this speech of the first beast, consisting of two parts, an exhortation to attentive audience, in this verse: and a foretelling, which partly contains threatenings against the wicked and partly comfort for those who in patience and f... [ Continue Reading ]
(15) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; (16) and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (15) The second part of the vision, concerning the ecclesiastical dominion, which in Rome succeeded that which was politic, and is in the power of the corporation of false pr... [ Continue Reading ]
(17) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein (18) to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (17) The history of the acts of this beast contains in sum three things, hypocrisy, the witness of miracles and tyra... [ Continue Reading ]
(19) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, (19) The second point of the things done by the beast, is the credit of great wonders or miracles, and pertaining to the strengthening of this impiety: of which signs some were given from... [ Continue Reading ]
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 (20) image to the (21) beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (20) That is, images, by "enal... [ Continue Reading ]
(22) And he had power to give (a) 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. (22) The papists books are full of these miracles of the images of the beast, (that is, which the b... [ Continue Reading ]
(23) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive (24) a (b) mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (23) The third point is a cruel exercise of power, as was said before, usurped over men, in this verse: and over their goods and actions, in the next v... [ Continue Reading ]
And that no man might (25) buy or sell, save he that had the (26) mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (25) That is, have any trade or dealings with men, but only those who have this annointing and consecration of Clearkely shaving of the head, as they call it, read Gratian "d... [ Continue Reading ]
(27) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the (28) number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six. (27) That is, in this number of the beast consists that popish wisdom, which to them seems the greatest of all others. In the... [ Continue Reading ]