CompleteConcise
We have, in this chapter, a further discovery and description ofthe church's enemies: not other enemies than are mentioned before, butdescribed after another manner, that the methods of their enmity may more fullyappear. They are represented as two beasts; the first you have an account of (v.1-10) the second (v. 11, etc.). By the first some understand Rome pagan, andby the second Rome papal; but others understand Rome papal to be represented byboth these beasts, by the first in its secular power, by the second in itsecclesiastical.
We have here an account of the rise, figure, and progress of thefirst beast; and observe, 1. From what situation the apostle saw this monster.He seemed to himself to stand upon the sea-shore, though it is probablehe was still in a rapture; but he took himself to be in the island Patmos,but whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell. 2. Whence thisbeast cameout of the sea; and yet, by the description of it, it wouldseem more likely to be a land-monster; but the more monstrous every thing aboutit was the more proper an emblem it would be to set forth the mystery ofiniquity and tyranny. 3. What was the form and shape of this beast. It was forthe most part like a leopard, but its feet were like the feet of abear and its mouth as the mouth of a lion; it had seven heads, and tenhorns, and upon its heads the name of blasphemy: the most horrid and hideousmonster! In some part of this description here seems to be an allusion to Daniel'svision of the four beasts, which represented the four monarchies, Dan. 7:1-3,etc. One of these beasts was like a lion, another like a bear, and another likea leopard; this beast was a sort of composition of those three, with thefierceness, strength, and swiftness, of them all; the seven heads and the tenhorns seem to design its several powers; the ten crowns, its tributary princes;the word blasphemy on its forehead proclaims its direct enmity and opposition tothe glory of God, by promoting idolatry. 4. The source and spring of hisauthoritythe dragon; he gave him his power, and seat, and great authority.He was set up by the devil, and supported by him to do his work and promote hisinterest; and the devil lent him all the assistance he could. 5. A dangerouswound given him, and yet unexpectedly healed, v. 3. Some think that by thiswounded head we are to understand the abolishing of pagan idolatry; and by thehealing of the wound the introducing of the popish idolatry, the same insubstance with the former, only in a new dress, and which as effectually answersthe devil's design as that did. 6. The honour and worship paid to thisinfernal monster: All the world wondered after the beast; they alladmired his power, and policy, and success, and they worshipped the dragonthat gave power to the beast, and they worshipped the beast; theypaid honour and subjection to the devil and his instruments, and thought therewas no power able to withstand them: so great were the darkness, degeneracy, andmadness of the world! 7. How he exercised his infernal power and policy: He had amouth, speaking great things, and blasphemies; he blasphemed God, the name ofGod, the tabernacle of God, and all those that dwell in heaven; and he made warwith the saints, and overcame them, and gained a sort of universal empire inthe world. His malice was principally levelled at the God of heaven, and hisheavenly attendantsat God, in making images of him that is invisible, and inworshipping them;at the tabernacle of God, that is, say some, at the humannature of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which God dwells as in a tabernacle; this isdishonoured by their doctrine of transubstantiation, which will not suffer hisbody to be a true body, and will put it into the power of every priest toprepare a body for Christ;and against those that dwell in heaven, theglorified saints, by putting them into the place of the pagan demons, andpraying to them, which they are so far from being pleased with that they trulyjudge themselves wronged and dishonoured by it. Thus the malice of the devilshows itself against heaven and the blessed inhabitants of heaven. These areabove the reach of his power. All he can do is to blaspheme them; but the saintson earth are more exposed to his cruelty, and he sometimes is permitted totriumph over them and trample upon them. 8. The limitation of the devil'spower and success, and that both as to time and persons. He is limited in pointof time; his reign is to continue forty-and-two months (v. 5), suitableto the other prophetical characters of the reign of antichrist. He is alsolimited as to the persons and people that he shall entirely subject his will andpower; it will be only those whose names are not written in the Lamb's bookof life. Christ had a chosen remnant, redeemed by his blood, recorded inhis book, sealed by his Spirit; and though the devil and antichrist mightovercome their bodily strength, and take away their natural life, they couldnever conquer their souls, nor prevail with them to forsake their Saviour andrevolt to his enemies. 9. Here is a demand of attention to what is herediscovered of the great sufferings and troubles of the church, and an assurancegiven that when God has accomplished his work on mount Zion, his refining work,then he will turn his hand against the enemies of his people, and those who havekilled with the sword shall themselves fall by the sword (v. 10), and those wholed the people of God into captivity shall themselves be made captives. Here nowis that which will be proper exercise for the patience and faith of thesaintspatience under the prospect of such great sufferings, and faith inthe prospect of so glorious a deliverance.
Those who think the first beast signifies Rome pagan by thissecond beast would understand Rome papal, which promotes idolatry and tyranny,but in a more soft and lamb-like manner: those that understand the first beastof the secular power of the papacy take the second to intend its spiritual andecclesiastical powers, which act under the disguise of religion and charity tothe souls of men. Here observe,
I. The form and shape of this second beast: He had two hornslike a lamb, but a mouth that spoke like the dragon. All agree thatthis must be some great impostor, who, under a pretence of religion, shalldeceive the souls of men. The papists would have it to be Apollonius Tyranaeus;but Dr. More has rejected that opinion, and fixes it upon the ecclesiasticalpowers of the papacy. The pope shows the horns of a lamb, pretends to be thevicar of Christ upon earth, and so to be vested with his power and authority;but his speech betrays him, for he gives forth those false doctrines and crueldecrees which show him to belong to the dragon, and not to the Lamb.
II. The power which he exercises: All the power of the formerbeast (v. 12); he promotes the same interest, pursues the same design insubstance, which is, to draw men off from worshipping the true God toworshipping those who by nature are no gods, and subject the souls andconsciences of men to the will and authority of men, in opposition to the willof God. This design is promoted by the popery as well as by paganism, and by thecrafty arts of popery as well as by the secular arm, both serving the interestsof the devil, though in a different manner.
III. The methods by which this second beast carried on hisinterests and designs; they are of three sorts:1. Lying wonders, pretendedmiracles, by which they should be deceived, and prevailed with to worship theformer beast in this new image or shape that was now made for him; they wouldpretend to bring down fire from heaven, as Elias did, and God sometimes permitshis enemies, as he did the magicians of Egypt, to do things that seem verywonderful, and by which unwary persons may be deluded. It is well known that thepapal kingdom has been long supported by pretended miracles. 2.Excommunications, anathemas, severe censures, by which they pretend to cut menoff from Christ, and cast them into the power of the devil, but do indeeddeliver them over to the secular power, that they may be put to death; and thus,notwithstanding their vile hypocrisy, they are justly charged with killing thosewhom they cannot corrupt. 3. By disfranchisem*nt, allowing none to enjoynatural, civil, or municipal rights, who will not worship that papal beast, thatis, the image of the pagan beast. It is made a qualification for buying andselling the rights of nature, as well as for places of profit and trust, thatthey have the mark of the beast in their forehead and in their righthand, and that they have the name of the beast and the number ofhis name. It is probable that the mark, the name, and the numberof the beast, may all signify the same thingthat they make an openprofession of their subjection and obedience to the papacy, which is receivingthe mark in their forehead, and that they oblige themselves to use all theirinterest, power, and endeavour, to promote the papal authority, which isreceiving the mark in their right hands. We are told that pope Martin V. in hisbull, added to the council of Constance, prohibits Roman catholics fromsuffering any heretics to dwell in their countries, or to make any bargains, useany trades, or bear any civil offices, which is a very clear interpretation ofthis prophecy.
IV. We have here the number of the beast, given in such amanner as shows the infinite wisdom of God, and will sufficiently exercise allthe wisdom and accuracy of men: The number is the number of a man,computed after the usual manner among men, and it is 666. Whether this be thenumber of the errors and heresies that are contained in popery, or rather, asothers, the number of the years from its rise to its fall, is not certain, muchless what that period is which is described by these prophetic numbers. The mostadmired dissertation on this intricate subject is that of Dr. Potter, where thecurious may find sufficient entertainment. It seems to me to be one of thoseseasons which God has reserved in his own power; only this we know, God haswritten Mene Tekel upon all his enemies; he has numbered their days, andthey shall be finished, but his own kingdom shall endure for ever.
