Charles Ellicott Commentary Revelation 13

And I . . .—Better, And he (not “I stood,” as in the English version, but he, i.e., the dragon) stood upon the sand of the sea. Some make this sentence a separate verse and insert it as the closing verse of Revelation 12:0. It is true that the sentence has a connection with that chapter, but it is also closely linked with what follows. The way in which the dragon carries out his plan of war is described. Like Milton’s “superior fiend,” he stands upon the shore and summons his legions (Paradise Lost, Book I.) to another form of war. Two monsters, one distinguished by more brutal, the other by more subtle power, rise at his bidding.

And saw . . .—Translate, And I saw a wild beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.—The wild beast rises out of the sea. In the vision of Daniel (Revelation 7:0) the beasts rose out of the sea upon which the four winds strove. The sea represents the great, restless mass of humankind; or, as it is expressed in Revelation 17:15, peoples and multitudes. Saint James represented an undecided man as a wave driven by the wind (James 1:6). The individuals, like larger and smaller waves, make up this great ocean-like mass of men, swayed by impulse or passion.

Out of the sea rises a wild beast. The word is not the same as that used in Revelation 4:7 (see Note there), but is a word which implies the predominance of the beast nature. Whatever power rises is one which rules not by love or right, but by fear and wilfulness. It is the great force of the world-power, which in every age has been antagonistic to the power of right. The wild beast is always the figure of the kingdoms of this world—i.e., the kingdoms which are founded on passion or selfishness. They are seven in number, as the beast had seven heads.

We read later of seven mountains. These world-powers are spoken of as mountains for their strength and stability; as heads of the wild beast because, though separate, they are inspired by the dragon spirit, the spirit of utter enmity to the rule of the Righteous King. The seven kingdoms, or heads of the wild beast, are more distinctly explained in Revelation 17:10. There we read that five are fallen, one was in possession of power, and the seventh had not yet arisen. The key is thus placed in our hands. The sixth head is imperial Rome, the successor of those great world-powers which were, one and all, founded in unrighteousness—i.e., in violation of the law of brotherly kindness and faith.

The heads carry the names of blasphemy. The spirit of arrogant self-sufficiency characterised all the world-powers. Illustrations would be too numerous for our space. It is enough to refer to the spirit in Babylon: Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? The words were Nebuchadnezzar’s (Daniel 4:30). He became a beast in uttering them; but the spirit of them went through all the world-powers, from the days of Lamech (Genesis 4:23–24) and Babel (Genesis 11:4) to the days when Roman poets prostituted their pens in abject flattery of emperors, and a degraded people welcomed them as gods, and put those to death who refused to offer frankincense and wine to the images of those who wore the purple.

Ten horns.—The beast has, besides seven heads, ten horns, which are explained further on (Revelation 17:12) as the kings which have received no kingdom as yet, but which, when they rise, will draw their strength from the dragon and be members of the wild beast.

And the beast . . .—The wild beast combined the features of three wild animals: the leopard, the bear, the lion. In Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:4) the kingdoms were described: the first, like a lion; the second, like a bear; the third, like a leopard or panther.

Here all these features are combined, because the wild beast is a representative of all forms of world-power, which have been swift to shed blood: like a leopard leaping on the prey, tenacious and relentless as a bear, and all devouring (Their throat is an open sepulchre) as a lion. The reader will remember the wild beasts which in vision hindered Dante when he sought to ascend the “pleasant mount”—the “cause and source of all delight.” The leopard, the lion, the wolf were symbols of luxuriousness, cruel ambition, and hungry and heartless avarice, which oppose men and nations when they seek the Holy Hill, where the light of God ever rests. (Compare to Inferno, i. 10-74)

And the dragon.—Read, And the dragon gave him his power and his throne (not his “seat,” as in the English version; it is the royal seat, the throne, which is meant). (See Notes on Revelation 11:16 and Revelation 4:4.)

And great authority.—It is through this succession of world-powers that the dragon carries on his war. The wild beast becomes the vicegerent, so to speak, of the prince of this world.

And I saw . . .—Translate, And (I saw) one from among his heads as if having been slain [The expression is the same as that applied to the Lamb in Revelation 5:6: the wound marks are there when the vision rises] to death; and the stroke of his death was healed. When the wild beast rose from the sea, the seer saw the deadly wound on the head: the wound was really to death; the beast that had waged war against the true kingdom of righteousness and faith has received his death-blow.

This is the historical point from which the vision starts. This being the case, the death-blow is the one that has just been dealt: the seed of the woman has bruised the serpent’s head. The blow that casts down the dragon inflicts a deadly wound upon the wild beast, which is his agent. When Christ overthrew the wicked one, He gave the death-blow to the world-power—to all systems founded on passion, self-sufficiency, or inhumanity. But the death-blow is apparently healed.

What is this, if not telling the Church of Christ that the fruits of Christ’s victory will not be seen without delay? The world-power is smitten to death, but the actual death does not follow immediately. The power of evil, contrary to all expectation, rises with new vigor. This revived power showed itself, with more or less force, in the way that the spirit of the wild beast broke forth when Christianity seemed to have put fetters on the Roman Empire.

And all the world wondered . . .—Literally, And the whole earth wondered after the wild beast, and worshipped the dragon, because he gave the authority and worshipped the wild beast, saying, Who is like to the wild beast? and who is able to war with him?

The healing of the death-blow causes wonder to all. Their wonder leads to worship. The spirit of the wild beast is adored wherever worldliness prevails. There is nothing so successful as success, and the homage of men is more often paid to power than to principle.

Who is like to the beast? The words are a parody, and a blasphemous parody, on the ascription of praise to God which the name Michael imported. (compare to Psalms 112:0, Micah 7:18.) Who is like to God? is the legend of the saints: the opposing cry is, Who is like to the beast?

“Can you not hear the words coming across the centuries from the lips of two Roman youths talking with each other, as they lounge together in the Forum?” (Maurice.) Can we not hear the echo of the words in the Champs Elysées, in Piccadilly, in the Broadway, or Unter Den Linden, from the lips of young men who have taken fashion, rank, wealth, world-power in any shape, as their god?

And there was given . . .—In these verses the words and the works of the wild beast are described. The 5th verse tells us that the liberty to speak and work was given to him. There is consolation in the words: he has no power beyond what is given; behind his reckless and apparently irresistible power there stands the veiled but real power of God. Thou couldest have no power (the saints may take up their Lord’s words) against me, except it were given thee from above. He speaks great things, and blasphemy. And there was given him authority to act (literally, to do) forty-two months. Again the familiar period, the limited time of the world-power.