Revelation 13:2

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. LEOPARD ... BEAR ... LION. This beast unites in itself the God-opposed characteristics of the three preceding. It rises up out of the sea, as Daniel's four, and has ten horns, as Daniel's fourth beast, and seven heads, as Daniel's four beasts had in all-namely, one on the first, one on the second, four on the third, and one on the fourth. Thus it represents the world-power (represented by four) of all times and places, as opposed to God: just as the woman is the Church of all ages. The beast is vicar of Satan, who similarly has seven heads and ten horns: implying his universal power in all ages. Satan as a serpent is archetype of beast nature ...

1-10 The apostle, standing on the shore, saw a savage beast rise out of the sea; a tyrannical, idolatrous, persecuting power, springing up out of the troubles which took place. It was a frightful monster! It appears to mean that worldly, oppressing dominion, which for many ages, even from the times of the Babylonish captivity, had been hostile to the church. The first beast then began to oppress and persecute the righteous for righteousness' sake, but they suffered most under the fourth beast of Daniel, (the Roman empire,) which has afflicted the saints with many cruel persecutions. The source of its power was the dragon. It was set up by the devil, and supported by him. The wounding the head may be the abolishing pagan idolatry; and the healing of the wound, introducing popish idolatry, the same in substance, only in a new dress, but which as effectually answers the devil's design. The...

Verse Revelation 13:2. _AND THE BEAST WHICH I SAW WAS LIKE UNTO A LEOPARD_] This similitude of the beast to a leopard appears to be an allusion to the third beast of Daniel, which is well known to represent the empire of the Greeks. The Latin empire greatly resembled the modern empire of the Greeks; for that the power of the Greeks was still said to be like a leopard, even after its subjugation by the Romans, is evident from Daniel 7:12: "As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away; yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time." The Latin empire was, in the first place, like to its contemporary, because both adhered to an idolatrous system of worship, professedly Christian, but really antichristian; and it is well known that the Greek and Latin Churches abound in...

AND THE BEAST WHICH I SAW WAS LIKE UNTO A LEOPARD - For a description of the leopard, see the notes on Daniel 7:6. It is distinguished for bloodthirstiness and cruelty, and thus becomes an emblem of a fierce, tyrannical power. In its general character it resembles a lion and the lion and the leopard are often referred to together. In this description, it is observable that John has combined in one animal or monster, all those which Daniel brought successively on the scene of action as representing different empires. Thus in Daniel 7:2 the lion is introduced as the symbol of the Babylonian power; the bear, as the symbol of the Medo-Persian; the leopard, as the symbol of the Macedonian; and a nondescript animal, fierce, cruel, and mighty, with two horns as the symbol of the Roman. See the

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 THE BEAST WHICH I SAW WAS LIKE UNTO A LEOPARD,.... To which the Grecian kingdom is compared in Daniel 7:6; because of that rapidity and swiftness with which Alexander overran the world, and set up this monarchy; and to which the Roman Papal monarchy bears some resemblance; for as the Grecian monarchy was divided into several parts, which the leopard's spots may also point out, so the Roman empire was divided into ten parts, and united under the pope, as the head of them; and may be, in this form, compared to a leopard for its swiftness, Habakkuk 1:8; because this beast, as soon as he arose and got power, quickly, and in a very short time, extended it over all emperors, kings, princes, bishops, and over all kingdoms and churches; and for its spots,...

LIKE UNTO A LEOPARD The three animals, leopard, bear, and lion, are found in (Daniel 7:4) as symbols of the empires which preceded Rome, and whose characteristics all entered into the qualities of the Roman empire: Macedonian swiftness of conquest, Persian tenacity of purpose, Babylonish voracity....

REVELATION 13:1. A BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE SEA: _cf._ the vision of the four great beasts that come up out of the sea in Daniel 7:3. As the beasts in Daniel represent empires, we may suppose that this beast also stands for an empire. TEN HORNS: the horns represent emperors, either beginning with Julius Cæ sar and ending with Titus or beginning with Augustus and ending with Vespasian, or if we omit some or all of the three usurpers (Galba, Otho, Vitellius) we may end with Domitian, Nerva, or even Trajan. [Perhaps the seven heads are emperors (Augustus to Titus), and the ten horns provincial governors or dependent kings, _cf. Revelation 17:12_ *, p. 939. A. J. G.] NAMES OF BLASPHEMY: possibl

In the thirteenth chapter, there again appears. monster with seven heads and ten horns, which it will now be our purpose to show to be. symbol of THE TEMPORAL POWER. The fourth beast of Daniel's vision (Dan. 7) is. ten-horned monster. The dragon who assails the woman in Rev. 12, has seven heads and ten horns. Here again, in chapter XIII. appears. beast with the same characteristics. In Rev. 17, there is recorded. vision of. harlot who sat upon. scarlet beast of seven heads and ten horns.. believe that all the best commentators, Catholic as well as Protestant, are agreed in the opinion that these various monsters are all symbols of the same mighty power, and all, with one consent, admit that power to be ROME. Here, however, there is. divergence. Romanists contend that the reference is to Pagan Rome alone, and that Papal Rome is not signified. This involves them in. labyrinth of difficult...

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