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. HE HAD POWER - `it was given to him.' TO GIVE LIFE - `breath,' 'spirit.' IMAGE. Nebuchadnezzar set up in Dura a golden image to be worshipped, probably of himself; for his dream had been interpreted, "Thou art this bead of gold." The three Hebrews who refused to worship it were cast into a burning furnace. Typifying the last apostasy. Pliny, in his letter to Trajan, states that he punished Christians who would not worship the emperor's image with incense. So Julian, the apostate, set up his image with idols in the Forum, that the Christians, in doing reverence to it, might seem to worship the idols. So Charlemagne's image was set up; and the Pope adored the new emperor (Dupin, vol. 6:...

11-18 Those who understand the first beast to denote a worldly power, take the second to be also a persecuting and assumed power, which acts under the disguise of religion, and of charity to the souls of men. It is a spiritual dominion, professing to be derived from Christ, and exercised at first in a gentle manner, but soon spake like the dragon. Its speech betrayed it; for it gives forth those false doctrines and cruel decrees, which show it to belong to the dragon, and not to the Lamb. It exercised all the power of the former beast. It pursues the same design, to draw men from worshipping the true God, and to subject the souls of men to the will and control of men. The second beast has carried on its designs, by methods whereby men should be deceived to worship the former beast, in the new shape, or likeness made for it. By lying wonders, pretended miracles. And by severe censures. A...

Verse 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 observes: "The influence of the two-horned beast, or corrupted clergy, is farther seen in persuading and inducing mankind _to make an image to the_ _beast which had the wound by a sword, and did live_. This image and representative of the beast is the p...

AND HE HAD POWER TO GIVE LIFE UNTO THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST - That is, that image of the beast would be naturally powerless, or would have no life in itself. The second beast, however, had power to impart life to it, so that it would be invested with authority, and would exercise that authority in the manner specified. If this refers, as is supposed, to the Roman civil power - the power of the empire restored - it would find a fulfillment in some act of the papacy by which the empire that resembled in the extent of its jurisdiction, and in its general character, the former Roman empire, received some vivifying impulse, or was invested with new power. That is, it would have power conferred on it through the papacy which it would not have in itself, and which would confirm its jurisdiction. How far events actually occurred corresponding with this, will be considered in the notes at the close...

EXPOSITION REVELATION 13:1 AND I STOOD UPON THE SAND OF THE SEA. The Revised Version, agreeing with א, A, C, Vulgate, Syriac, AEthiopic, Armenian, Victorinus, reads ἐστάθη, "he stood." The Authorized Version follows the reading ἐστάθην_, _"I stood," which is found in B, P, Coptic, Andreas, Arethas. Fortunately, the point is not important. Whether St. John or the dragon stood on the edge of the sea is not material, since we are distinctly told that the ten-horned beast rose from the sea. Wordsworth aptly contrasts this station on the unstable sand in proximity to the sea, the clement of commotion, with the vision of the Lamb on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1). The imagery which follows is founded upon the vision of

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 Nebuchadnezzar's golden image that he set up, which required another to speak for it and demand adoration to it; and should seem to be preferable to the dumb idols of the Gentiles, which have mouths, but speak not; and may be understood either of the images of the virgin Mary, and other saints, which it is pretended, and the people are made to believe, that they do at times actually speak, and really weep and laugh...

REVELATION 13:15 poih,sh| @i[na# o[soi {C} The word i[na, which seems to be indispensable with avpoktanqw/sin, stands after poih,sh| in A P 1006 2065 _al,_ and before avpoktanqw/sin in 051 1 1854 2073 and the Textus Receptus. The latter reading, which is supported by inferior external witnesses, is an obvious scribal amelioration of the difficulty occasioned by i[na … eva,n followed by two verbs in the subjunctive. The omission of i[na in a 046 1611 1859 _al_ appears to be accidental, resulting in a shift of subject (“that even the image of the beast should speak; and he shall c...

THE SECOND BEAST. This represents the spirit of paganism, and more particularly the priestly system which was organised to enforce Cæ sar-worship. Revelation 13:11 f. The second beast is regarded as inferior to, and deriving its authority from, the first. Revelation 13:12. to worship: an allusion to Emperor-worship. DEATHSTROKE: _ cf._ Revelation 13:3; an allusion to _Nero redivivus_ (Revelation 17:8 *). Revelation 13:13. great signs: an allusion to the displays of

"And be 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."--13:15. The sword had overthrown the Roman Empire. To all human appearance the sway of Rome over the world was gone forever, but the second beast, the spiritual power, by its sorceries and its power over the superstitions of men, succeeded in restoring that dominion, and within three or four centuries of the fall of Rome she had again grasped the empire of the world. The "_ image_ " of the old temporal dominion was established. It was not the old temporal dominion in its ancient form, but it had the likeness of that old power. The Pope,. spiritual ruler, restored "the image," and established. likeness of the power of imperial Rome, by usurping the rule of kings of the earth as his own vassals. The...

THE POWER OF THE BEAST (Revelation 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 whole earth was drawn in wonder after the beast; and they worshipped the dragon, because it had delegated its authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast. "Who," they said, "is like the beast? Who is able to make war with it?" To it there was given a mouth which made arrogant and blasphemous claims; and it was given authority to go on doing so for forty-t