Revelation 13 Rev 13:1 (12:18) And I stoode on the sea sand. And I sawe a beast rise out of the sea, hauing seuen heads, and ten hornes, and vpon his hornes were ten crownes, and vpon his heads the name of blasphemie. Rev 13:2 And the beast which I sawe, was like a Leopard, and his feete like a beares, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gaue him his power and his throne, and great authoritie. Rev 13:3 And I sawe one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondred and folowed the beast. Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gaue power vnto the beast, & they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like vnto the beast! Who is able to warre with him! Rev 13:5 And there was giuen vnto him a mouth, that spake great things and blasphemies, and power was giuen vnto him, to doe two and fourtie moneths. Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against God, to blaspheme his Name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heauen. Rev 13:7 And it was giuen vnto him to make warre with the Saints, and to ouercome them, & power was giuen him ouer euery kinred, and tongue, and nation. Rev 13:8 Therefore all that dwell vpon the earth, shall worship him, whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe, which was slaine from the beginning of the world. Rev 13:9 If any man haue an eare, let him heare. Rev 13:10 If any leade into captiuitie, hee shall go into captiuitie: if any kill with a sword, he must be killed by a sword: here is the patience and the faith of the Saints. Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming vp out of the earth, which had two hornes like the Lambe, but he spake like the dragon. Rev 13:12 And he did all that the first beast could doe before him, and he caused the earth, and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. Rev 13:13 And he did great wonders, so that hee made fire to come downe from heauen on the earth, in the sight of men, Rev 13:14 And deceiued them that dwell on the earth by the signes, which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound of a sword, and did liue. Rev 13:15 And it was permitted to him to giue a spirit vnto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speake, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, should be killed. Rev 13:16 And he made all, both small and great, rich and poore, free and bond, to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads, Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, saue hee that had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Rev 13:18 Here is wisdome. Let him that hath wit, count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is sixe hundreth threescore and sixe. |
REVELATION 13 Commentary Notes 1 c Which signifie manie prouinces. 1 b Meaning Rome, because it was first gouerned by seuen Kings or Emperours after Nero, and also is compassed about with seuen mountaines. 1 a Here is the description of the Romaine empire which standeth in crueltie and tyrannie. 1 ! The beat deceiueth the reprobate. 2 e That is, the deuil. 2 d By these beastes are signified the Macedonians, Persians & Chaldeans whome the Romaines ouercame. 2 ! And is confirmed by another beast. 3 g For the empire was established againe Vespasian. 3 f This maie be vnderstand of Nero, who moued the first persecution against the Churche, and after shew him slef, so that the familie of the Cesars ended in him. 4 h By receiuing the statutes, or dinances, decrees, ceremonies, & religion of the Romaine empire. 5 i Antichrists time & power is limited. 7 k In their bodies, not in soule. 7 l He meaneth that vniuersal departing where of S. Paul speaketh to the Thessalonians. 8 n As God ordeined from before all beginning, & all the sacrifices were as signes & sacraments of Christs death. 8 m Antichrist hathe not power ouer the elect. 10 o Thei which led soules captiues, go them selues into captiuitie. 11 q Which signifie the priesthode & the kingdome, and therefore he giueth in his armes two keis, and hathe two swordes caryed before him. So Boniface the eight which first ordeined the Jubile, shewed him self one day in apparel as a Pope, & the next day in harnes as the Emperour, and the two hornes in the bishops mitre are signes hereof. 11 r He spake deuelish doctrine, accused Gods worde of imperfection set vp mans traditions and spake things contrarie to God and his worde. 11 p As the kingdome of Christ is from heauen, & bringeth men thither: so the Popes kingdome is of the earth & leadeth to perdition, & is begonne, & established by ambition, couetousnes, beastelines, craft, treason & tryannie. 12 s For the Pope in ambition crueltie, idolatrie, & blasphemie did folow & imitate the ancient Romaines. 12 t Broght them to idolatrie & astonished them with the name of that holie empire (as h termeth it). 13 u The man of sinne according to the operation of Satan shalbe with all power, signes & miracles of lies {2 Thes. 2,10} 14 x Before the whole empire which representeth the first beast, ans is the image thereof. 14 y For the first empire Romaine was as the paterne, & this seconde empire is but an image & shadowe thereof. 15 a The same things which the Pope or false prophetes instruct him in. 15 b Receiue the ordinances & decrees of the seat of Rome, & to kisse the vilens sorte, if he were put there unto. 15 z For except the Pope confirme the autoritie of the King, of Romaines, he is not estemed worthie to be made Emperour. 16 c Whereby he renounceth Christ: for as faith, the wrode & the Sacraments are the Christians markes: so this Antichrist wil accept none but suche as wil approue his doctrine: so that it is not ynough to confess Christ, & to belieue the Scriptures, but a man must subscribe to the Popes doctrine: moreouer their chrismatories, graisings, vowes, othes ??? shauings are signes of this marke in so muce as no nation was excepted that had not manie of these marked beasts. 17 ! The priuiledge of the beasts marke. 17 d He that is not sealed with Antichrists marke, can not be suffered to liue among men. 18 e Suche as may be vnderstand by mans reason: for about 666 yeres after this reuelation the Pope or Antichrist began to be manifest in the worlde: for these characters ??? signifie 666: & this nomber is gathered of the smale nomber ??? which in the whole make 666 & signifieth Lateinus, or Latin, which noteth the Pope or Antichrist who vseth in all things the Latin tongue, & in respect thereof he conteneth the Ebrewe & Greke wherein the worde of God was first & best write: & because Italie in olde time was called Latinum, the Italians are called Latini, so that hereby he noteth of what countrey chiefly he shulde come. |
