Of the beast with seven heads and of a second beast.
1 A beast rising vp out of the sea, hauing seuen heades and ten hornes & ten diademes, 5 blasphemeth God. 7 and vvarreth against the Saincts & destroieth them. 11 And an other beast rising out of the earth vvith tvvo hornes, vvas altogether for the foresaid beast, constraining men to make and adore the image thereof, and to haue the character of his name.
1And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns: and upon his horns, ten diadems: and upon his heads, names of blasphemy.E vidi una bestia, che saliva dal mare, che aveva sette teste, e dieci corna, e sopra le sue corna dieci diademi, e sopra le sue teste nomi di bestemmia.AND I savv a beast comming vp from the sea, hauing seuen heades, and ten hornes, & vpon his hornes ten diademes, and vpon his heades names of blasphemie.Et vidi de mari bestiam ascendentem habentem capita septem, et cornua decem, et super cornua ejus decem diademata, et super capita ejus nomina blasphemiæ. 2And the beast which I saw was like to 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 own strength and great power.E la bestia, ch'io vidi, era simile al pardo, e i suoi piedi come piedi d'arso, e la sua bocca come bocca di leone. E il dragone diede ad essa la sua forza, e il suo potere grande.And the beast vvhich I savv, vvas like to a libarde, and his feete as of a beare, and his mouth, as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gaue him his ovvne force and great povver.Et bestia, quam vidi, similis erat pardo, et pedes ejus sicut pedes ursi, et os ejus sicut os leonis. Et dedit illi draco virtutem suam, et potestatem magnam. 3And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his death’s wound was healed. And all the earth was in admiration after the beast.E vidi una delle sue teste come piagata a morte: ma la sua piaga mortale fu guarita. E tutta quanta la terra con ammirazione seguì la bestia.And I savv one of his heades as it vvere slaine to death: and the vvound of his death vvas cured. And al the earth vvas in admiration after the beast.Et vidi unum de capitibus suis quasi occisum in mortem: et plaga mortis ejus curata est. Et admirata est universa terra post bestiam. 4And they adored the dragon which gave power to the beast. And they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? And who shall be able to fight with him?E adorarono il dragone, che dette potestà alla bestia: e adorarono la bestia, dicendo: chi è da paragonarsi colla bestia? E chi potrà combattere con essa?And they adored the dragon vvhich gaue povver to the beast: and they adored the beast, saying, Vvho is like to the beast? and vvho shal be able to fight vvith it?Et adoraverunt draconem, qui dedit potestatem bestiæ: et adoraverunt bestiam, dicentes: Quis similis bestiæ ? et quis poterit pugnare cum ea ? 5And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do, two and forty months.E fulle data una bocca per dir cose grandi, e bestemmie: e fulle dato potere d'agire per mesi quarantadue.And there was giuen to it a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies: and povver vvas giuen to it to vvorke tvvo and fourtie monethes.Et datum est ei os loquens magna et blasphemias: et data est ei potestas facere menses quadraginta duos.
6And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.Aprì adunque la sua bocca in bestemmie contro Dio, a bestemmiare il suo nome, e il suo tabernacolo, e gli abitatori del cielo.And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemies tovvard God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and those that dvvel in heauen.Et aperuit os suum in blasphemias ad Deum, blasphemare nomen ejus, et tabernaculum ejus, et eos qui in cælo habitant. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.E fu conceduto a lei di far guerra co' santi, e di vincerli. E fulle dato potere sopra ogni tribù, e popolo, e lingua, e nazione:And it vvas giuē vnto him to make battail vvith the sainctes, & to ouercome them. And povver vvas giuen him vpon euery tribe and people, and tongue, and nation,Et est datum illi bellum facere cum sanctis, et vincere eos. Et data est illi potestas in omnem tribum, et populum, et linguam, et gentem, 8And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which was slain from the beginning of the world.E lei adorarono tutti quelli, che abitano la terra, i nomi de' quali non sono scritti nel libro di vita dell'Agnello, il quale fu ucciso dal cominciamento del mondo.and al that inhabite the earth, adored it, vvhose names be not written in the booke of life of the Lambe, vvhich vvas slaine from the beginning of the vvorld.et adoraverunt eam omnes, qui inhabitant terram: quorum non sunt scripta nomina in libro vitæ Agni, qui occisus est ab origine mundi. 9If any man have an ear, let him hear.Chi ha orecchio, oda.If any man haue an eare, let him heare.Si quis habet aurem, audiat. 10He that shall lead into captivity shall go into captivity: he that shall kill by the sword must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.Chi altrui mena schiavo, va in ischiavitù: chi uccide di spada, bisogna, che sia ucciso di spada. Qui sta la pazienza, e la fede de' santi.He that shal leade into captiuitie, goeth into captiuitie: he that shal kil in the svvord, he must be killed vvith the svvord. here is the patience and the faith of sainctes.Qui in captivitatem duxerit, in captivitatem vadet: qui in gladio occiderit, oportet eum gladio occidi. Hic est patientia, et fides sanctorum. 11And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth: and he had two horns, like a lamb: and he spoke as a dragon.E vidi un'altra bestia, che saliva da terra, che avea due corna simili all'Agnello, ma parlava come il dragone.And I savv an other beast cōming vp from the earth: and he had tvvo hornes, like to a lambe, & he spake as a dragon.Et vidi aliam bestiam ascendentem de terra, et habebat cornua duo similia Agni, et loquebatur sicut draco.
12And he executed all the power of the former beast in his sight. And he caused the earth and them that dwell therein to adore the first beast, whose wound to death was healed.Ed esercitava tutto il potere della prima bestia dinanzi ad essa: e fece sì, che la terra, e i suoi abitatori adorasser la prima bestia, della quale fu guarita la piaga mortale.And al the povver of the former beast he did in his sight: and he made the earth and the inhabitants therein, to adore the first beast, vvhose vvound of death vvas cured.Et potestatem prioris bestiæ omnem faciebat in conspectu ejus: et fecit terram, et habitantes in ea, adorare bestiam primam, cujus curata est plaga mortis. 13And he did great signs, so that he made also fire to come down from heaven unto the earth, in the sight of men.E fece prodigi grandi, sin a fare scendere anche fuoco dal cielo sulla terra a vista degli uomini.And he did many signes, so that he made also fire to come dovvne from heauen vnto the earth in the sight of men.Et fecit signa magna, ut etiam ignem faceret de cælo descendere in terram in conspectu hominum. 14And he seduced them that dwell on the earth, for the signs which were given him to do 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 by the sword and lived.E sedusse gli abitatori della terra mediante i prodigi, che fulle dato di operare davanti alla bestia, dicendo agli abitatori della terra, che facciano l'immagine della bestia, che fu piagata di spada, e si riebbe.And he seduceth the inhabitants on the earth through the signes vvhich vvere giuē him to doe in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwel on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast vvhich hath the stroke of the sword, and liued.Et seduxit habitantes in terra propter signa, quæ data sunt illi facere in conspectu bestiæ, dicens habitantibus in terra, ut faciant imaginem bestiæ, quæ habet plagam gladii, et vixit. 15And it was given him to give life to the image of the beast: and that the image of the beast should speak: and should cause that whosoever will not adore the image of the beast should be slain.E fulle dato di dare spirito all'immagine della bestia, talché l'immagine della bestia ancora parli: e faccia si, che chiunque non adorerò l'immagine della bestia, sia messo a morte.And it vvas giuen him to giue spirit to the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should speake: and should make, that vvhosoeuer shal not adore the image of the beast, be slaine.Et datum est illi ut daret spiritum imagini bestiæ, et ut loquatur imago bestiæ: et faciat ut quicumque non adoraverint imaginem bestiæ, occidantur.
16And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand or on their foreheads:E farà, che tutti quanti, e piccoli, e grandi, e ricchi, e poveri, e liberi, e servi, abbiano un carattere nella loro mano destra, o nella loro fronte:And he shal make al, litle & great, and rich, and poore, and free-men, and bond-men, to haue a character in their right hand, or in their foreheads.Et faciet omnes pusillos, et magnos, et divites, et pauperes, et liberos, et servos habere caracterem in dextera manu sua, aut in frontibus suis: 17And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.E che nissuno possa comprare, o vendere, eccetto chi ha il carattere, o il nome della bestia, o il numero del suo nome.and that no man may bie or sel, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.et nequis possit emere, aut vendere, nisi qui habet caracterem, aut nomen bestiæ, aut numerum nominis ejus. 18Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: and the number of him is six hundred sixty-six.Qui consiste la sapienza. Chi ha intelligenza, calcoli il nome della bestia. Attesoché è numero d'uomo: e il suo numero seicento sessanta sei.Here is vvisdom. He that hath vnderstanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: & the number of him is sixe hundred sixtie sixe.Hic sapientia est. Qui habet intellectum, computet numerum bestiæ. Numerus enim hominis est: et numerus ejus sexcenti sexaginta sex.
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Witham
I saw a beast coming out of the sea. By this first beast several understand antichrist, as St. Irenaeus, lib. V. ch. XXVIII. and St. Gregory, lib. XXXI. Moral. ch. XLI. But this is not certain. By the other beast[Ver. 1. Though St. Irenaeus, and also St. Gregory, (lib. xxxi. mor. ch. XLI.) by the first of these two beasts understand antichrist, and others would have antichrist to be meant by one of the two, yet this is not to be looked upon as absolutely certain, not being witnessed by the consent of primitive Fathers. The ancient Fathers, especially in the exposition of obscure prophecies, many times give us no more than their private opinions, or suspicions and conjectures, as St. Augustine expressly takes notice in the 20th book de Civ. Dei[City of God], (ch. XIX. tom. 7. p. 597. Nov. Ed.) where he speaks of antichrist: so that though St. Irenaeus had seen St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. John the evangelist, yet he delivers us divers things concerning antichrist, which are no more than his private opinions and conjectures, in which others do not agree with him; as that antichrist shall be of the tribe of Dan; that he shall sit in the temple of Jerusalem. He was also in an error as to Christ's reign of a thousand years upon the earth with his elect. Arethas, bishop of Caesarea, in Cappadocia, in the sixth age[century], in his commentary on the Apocalypse, (tom. vi. Bib. Patrum, Edit. Colon) speaking of this opinion, that some would have the first beast (Apocalypse xiii. 1.) to be antichrist, and others the second beast, only says: quidam sic accipiunt, etc.] coming up out of the earth, (ver. 11) many understand antichrist's false prophet, some famous impostor and magician in antichrist's time, who will do great wonders and signs. The seven heads and ten horns, may again signify a great number of kings and princes, who shall be overcome by antichrist, and submit themselves to him. The dragon, or devil, gives that great power to antichrist, signified by the different parts of the beast, some like to a leopard, others to a bear, and others to a lion. The head wounded to death and cured, is either antichrist himself or some one of those heads or kings, cured by the devil and diabolical arts after a mortal wound. (Witham)
Challoner
This first beast, with seven heads and ten horns, is probably the whole company of infidels, enemies and persecutors of the people of God, from the beginning to the end of the world. The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires; which have exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God: of these, five were then fallen, viz. the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian monarchies: one was present, viz. the empire of Rome: and the seventh and the chiefest was to come, viz. the great antichrist and his empire. The ten horns may be understood of ten lesser persecutors. (Challoner)
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Calmet
M. Bossuet, bishop of Meaux, observes in the emperors Maximian Herculeus, Galerius Maximin, and Dioclesian, the distinguishing characters of these three animals. The leopard represents Maximian, a changeable, restless and cruel prince. The bear figures Galerius Maximin, a man from the north of cruel and brutal disposition, terrible mein, and gigantic stature. Lactantius moreover informs us, that he took a pleasure in feeding bears, which bore so great a resemblance to him in size and brutality. The lion, in fine, is the symbol of Dioclesian, who was cruel and vehement against Christians. (Calmet)
Haydock
The whole of this is by Pastorini applied to the empire of Rome, which was composed of the territories of the three preceding empires, which are represented by Daniel under the figure of these animals. And as the body of the beast was like to a leopard, the centre and capital of the Roman empire, under antichrist will be the Grecian empire, denoted by the leopard, of which Constantinople became the capital. Various interpreters explain the whole of this vision by different ways. (Haydock)
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Challoner
One of his heads, etc. Some understand this of the mortal wound which the idolatry of the Roman empire (signified by the sixth head) received from Constantine; which was as it were healed again by Julian the apostate. (Challoner)
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Witham
They adored the dragon; that is in antichrist's time, they will adore both antichrist and the devil, who will make war against the saints for forty-two months, that is a short time, signified also by 1260 days, and by three years and a half. (Witham)
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Challoner
His tabernacle, etc. That is, his Church, and his saints. (Challoner)
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Challoner
Slain from the beginning. In the foreknowledge of God; and in as much as all mercy and grace, from the beginning, were given in view of his death and passion. (Challoner)
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Pastorini
Here is the patience, etc. Here is the motive of the patience and the faith of the saints, or the servants of God in this world. By faith they rely on the promises of God for the reward of their patience, and leave him to vindicate as he may judge fit their cause with respect to their persecutors. (Pastorini)
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Witham
I saw another[Ver. 11. Vidi aliam bestiam, eidon allo therion. Another wild beast. St. Irenaeus calls this second beast armigerum primoe, and takes notice that he is also called in other places of the Apocalypse (Chap. 16:13.; Apocalypse 19:20.; Apocalypse 20:10.) the false prophet, pseudopropheta of the first beast. By what is said in this chapter, this second beast must live and act at the same time with the first; for it is said, ver. 12, that he exercised all the power of the former beast in his sight, enopion autou; and again, ver. 14, that he did wonders in the sight of the first beast, enopion tou theriou. 2. It is said that this second beast made all that dwelt on the earth adore the first beast. 3. That he made all persons make an image to the first beast, that was wounded and cured, and that they should be slain who adored not that image. 4. He caused that all persons should have the character of the first beast, and the number of his name, that is of the name of the first beast. All those who hold that the first beast in this chapter is antichrist, who is to come a little before the end of the world, hold in like manner that the second beast is not come, but will also come at the same time; and that he is to be a famous imposter and false prophet in antichrist's time. But they who hold the first beast not to be antichrist, but to be the idolatry of heathen Rome, by the second beast understand the philosophers and magicians, who were accustomed to raise the indignation of the pagan emperors against Christians. This exposition of the bishop of Meaux, and of divers Catholic interpreters, I shall here give in Dr. Hammond's words: "By the second beast is meant magic, auguries, and oracles of heathens, made use of to advance idol worship. This beast had two horns, two powers, with some resemblance of Christ, the Lamb; the power of doing some kind of miracles, even of making fire seem to come down from heaven, as Philostratus relates of Apollonius of Tyanea, (lib. v. ch. V.) and the pretended power of prophecy by dubious and obscure oracles; by which also they engaged the emperors to promote idolatry, and to make bloody edicts against Christianity, to force every one to join in their heathen worship, and to shew that they did so by exterior marks and signs, by tickets, to shew that they had sacrificed to idols, otherwise they should be incapable of buying and selling, that is of enjoying any particular advantages, or the common benefits of life." Dr. Hammond did not think it worth taking notice of, that so many writers of the pretended reformation would have the second beast to be a great many popes, whom they affirm to be the famous antichrist. Never was there a more groundless or a more malicious invention, without shadow of authority or reason, and evidently contradictory to both, which I may shew as occasion offers, and as far as these short notes will permit. Here I shall only touch upon what relates to that which is said in this chapter. 1. The late reformers, some of them, make the first beast the popish antichrist, (as we may see in the bishop of Meaux, and also in Dr. Wells) and some affirm this of the second beast. The two beasts are quite different: are they both the popish antichrist? 2. Some of them prove the popes to be the second beast, because the pope's mitre has a resemblance of his two horns: does this deserve an answer? See the bishop of Meaux. 3. Is it not as ridiculous to pretend that by fire coming from heaven, is meant the pope's excommunications? Is not the power of excommunication grounded in St. Paul? Do not the Protestants themselves own, and make use of this power? 4. Those Protestants who tell us the second beast is the popish antichrist, say that the first beast was the state of paganism in the Roman empire. This, as they own, was destroyed before the popes began to be antichrist: how does this agree with what is here said of the second beast, antichrist's armiger, that he exercised all his power in the sight and in the presence of the first beast? 5. How can they pretend that the popes ever ordered all to be slain who would not adore the first beast? (that is, heathen idols, or the images of heathen gods, of Jupiter, Mars, etc.) or who did not bear on his forehead or hand the character, the mark, or the number of some of their heathen gods or heathen emperors? 6. If the second beast be the popish antichrist, all those Protestants have been guilty of a grievous oversight, who have endeavoured to prove the popes antichrist, by finding the number 666 in their names, or in the word Lateinos; for it is evident by this chapter, (ver. 17) that the number of the name belongs to the first beast, and not to the second. 7. This contradicts what the Protestants teach with St. Paul (2 Thessalonians. ii.) that antichrist is to be the man of sin, who will make himself adored above all that is called or worshipped as God; whereas, in this place of the Apocalypse, the second beast does not make himself, but the first beast, to be adored. Therefore this second beast is not the popish antichrist. Of this more in the following chapters.] beast, etc. He had two horns like those of the Lamb, pretending to imitate Christ by an outward sanctity, and by working strange things. (Witham)
Challoner
This second beast with two horns may be understood of the heathenish priests and magicians, the principal promoters both of idolatry and persecution. (Challoner)
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Job i
He executed all the power of the former beast in his sight, or before him, doing great wonders, as Christ foretold should be done by false prophets, (Matthew 24:24) making even fire by lightning come from heaven, as the devil was permitted to do in the time of Job. (Job i.)
Witham
He caused men to adore the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, and the image of the first beast, of antichrist, to be adored, and that no one should buy or sell any thing, unless he had on his forehead or on his arm, some particular mark, called the character of this false Christ, or antichrist; or his name, or the number of his name, that is, his name which was made up of numeral letters, 666; but as St. Irenaeus thinks, in Greek letters or characters, as St. John wrote his Revelation in Greek. According to the application made by the bishop of Meaux, etc. by the first beast with seven horns were signified the cruel persecutors of the Church, Dioclesian and other six persecuting emperors, to wit, Maximian Herculeus, Galerius Maximian, Constantius Chlorus (father to Constantine), Maxentius, Maximinus, and Licinius. These they look upon to have been the seven heads of the first beast, and by this beast they understand the idolatry of the heathen Roman empire; and by the ten horns, a great many barbarous nations, who in their time made irruptions and pillaged the empire, and afterwards brought destruction upon the whole Roman empire, to wit, the Goths, Vandals, and the rest. The resemblances of a leopard, bear, and lion, are introduced with an allusion to what is written by the prophet Daniel, (Daniel vii.) meaning the four great empires: by the leopard, that of the Chaldeans; by the bear, that of the Persians; by the lion, that of the Grecians and of Alexander the great; lastly, that of the Romans, which is not represented by any one beast, but as a compound of others. When it is said that the beast had received a mortal wound, and was cured again, these interpreters understand the idolatry of the empire, which was in a great measure destroyed by Constantine, but which was again revived and renewed by Julian the apostate. He might well be said to have a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; but his power lasted only for a short time, signified by forty-two months, though literally he did not reign so long. By the other beast, (ver. 11) these interpreters, as also Dr. Hammond, understand the philosophers and magicians, with their auguries and pretended oracles of the heathen gods. For these men, under Dioclesian, and particularly under Julian, were constantly exciting the emperors and the people against the Christians, telling them that the gods required that the religion of the Christians should be utterly destroyed. We find in the histories of those times, that an image or statue was erected to Julian, together with Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, and orders given to put to death all those who refused to adore that image. See St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. 3. contra Julianum, and Sozomen, lib. V. Hist. ch. XVII. Under Dioclesian, and also under Julian, meats offered to idols, were thrown into fountains; and waters consecrated to idols, were sprinkled upon all things to be sold in the market, to the end that the Christians might be defiled by every thing that they bought or eat. As to the number of the name of the beast, 666, in these Greek letters, chxs, nothing can be produced but mere conjecture. St. Irenaeus[Ver. 12. Est enim numerus hominis, et numerus ejus sexcenti sexaginta sex; arithmos gar anthropou esti, kai o arithmos autou chxs. St. Irenaeus, (lib. v. ch. XXX. p. 370) numerus nominis bestiae secundum Graecorum computationem per litteras quae in eo sunt, sexcentos habebit et sexaginta et sex. Eusebius (lib. v. History of the Church, ch. VIII. Ed. Valesii) citing the words of St. Irenaeus, in Greek, p. 172: oti o arithmos tou onomatos tou theriou, kata ten ton ellenon psephon dia ton en auto grammaton emphainetai. But he declares it rash and dangerous to affirm any thing: emeis oun ouk apokinduneuomen, etc. As for the name itself, he proposes first euanthas and then of Lateinos says, that valdè verisimile est quoniam novissimum, regnum (to wit, of the four kingdoms, in Daniel) hoc habet vocabulum. It is evident he speaks of the empire, not of the Christian church of Rome. Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant, sed non in hoc nos gloriabimur. Sed et Teitan....omnium nominum, quae apud nos inveniuntur magis fide dignum est....but adds, nos tamen non periclitabimur in eo, nec asseverantes pronuntiabimus, etc. Dr. Wells in a note observes, that Mr. Mede and Mr. Whiston, without sufficient grounds, take notice of this conjecture of St. Irenaeus, as favouring their notion of the pope to be antichrist.] (lib. V. ch. XXX. p. 371. Ed. Feuardentii) says, that according to the testimony of those who had seen St. John, the number of the beast was to be computed by Greek letters. He takes notice that this number of 666 may be found in several names. He produces some examples, and amongst others the word Lateinos; of which he says, it may seem very likely that this is the name, because the last of the four empires, which were spoken of by the prophet Daniel, was then extant, and had this name of the empire of the Latins. Take notice, that he has not a word that hints at the Latin Church, as some of the late pretended reformation would insinuate. But, says he, the word Teitan carries with it a greater probability. Yet, he concludes, that such expositions are uncertain, and he will not venture to say that this will be the name. The bishop of Meaux proposes, DIoCLesAVgVstVs: but this is to look for it in Latin letters. Others have produced other names. Such fancies and conjectures seem full as well omitted. (Witham)
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Challoner
Six hundred sixty-six. The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number. (Challoner)
13:1
A beast.... This first beast with seven heads and ten horns, is probably the whole company of infidels, enemies and persecutors of the people of God, from the beginning to the end of the world. The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires, which have exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God; of these, five were then fallen, viz.: the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian monarchies: one was present, viz., the empire of Rome: and the seventh and chiefest was to come, viz., the great Antichrist and his empire. The ten horns may be understood of ten lesser persecutors.
13:3
One of his heads, etc.... Some understand this of the mortal wound, which the idolatry of the Roman empire (signified by the sixth head) received from Constantine; which was, as it were, healed again by Julian the Apostate.
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His tabernacle, etc.... That is, his church and his saints.
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Slain from the beginning, etc.... In the foreknowledge of God; and inasmuch as all mercy and grace, from the beginning, was given in view of his death and passion.
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Another beast.... This second beast with two horns, may be understood of the heathenish priests and magicians; the principal promoters both of idolatry and persecution.
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Six hundred sixty-six.... The numeral letters of his name shall make up this number.
13:3
They that now folow the simplest & grossest heretikes that euer were without seeing miracles, vvould then much more folow this great seducer working miracles.
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No heretikes euer liker Antichrist, thē these in our daies, specially in blasphemies against Gods Church, Sacraments, Saincts, ministers, and al sacred thinges.
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7. To make battel vvith the saincts.] Great persecution by Antichrist and his ministers. He shal kil the saincts then liuing, Elias and Enoch, and infinite moe that professe Christ, vvhereby vve must learne, not to maruel vvhen vve see the vvicked persecute and preuaile against the iust, in this life. Then shal his great persecution and crueltie trie the saincts patience, as his vvonderful meanes to seduce shal trie the stedfastnes of their faith, Their blessednes that continue cōstant. vvhich is signified by these vvordes folovving, Here is the patience and the faith of saincts. And vvhen it is said, They adored the beast, vvhose names are not vvritten in the booke of life of the Lambe, it giueth great solace and hope to al them that shal not yeld to such persecutions, that they are of Gods elect, and their names vvritten in the booke of life.
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8. A beast comming vp.] Many mysteries expounded. This beast is the vniuersal companie of the vvicked, vvhose head is Antichrist: & the same is called (Apoc. 17) the vvhoore of Babylon. The 7 heades be expounded (Apoc. 17) seuen kings: fiue before Christ, one present, and one to come. The 10 hornes be also there expounded to be to kings that shal reigne a short vvhile after Antichrist. This dragon is the Diuel, by vvhose povver the vvhoore or beast or Antichrist vvorketh. for in the vvordes folovving (v. 3 & 4) Antichrist is called the beast, to vvhom the dragon, that is, the Deuil giueth that povver of feined miracles. and as vve adore God for giuing povver to Christ and his folovvers, so they shal adore the Deuil for assisting Antichrist and giuing him povver.
Concordance Apoc. 3. 5
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Concordance Gen. 9, 6
Concordance Mt. 26, 52.
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An other false prophet inferior to Antichrist, shal vvorke vvonders also, but al referred to the honour of his maister Antichrist. So doth Caluin & other Arch-heretikes peruert the world to the honour of Antichrist, and so do their scholers also for the honour of them.
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14. The image of the beast.] The honour of Christs image is for the honour of Christ. They that novv refuse to vvorship Christs image, vvould then vvorship Antichrists. And vve may note here, that as the making or honouring of this image vvas not against the honour of Antichrist, but vvholy for it, as also the image erected of Nabuchodo nosor, and the vvorship thereof vvas altogether for the honour of him, so is the vvorship of Christs image, the honour of Christ him self, and not against him, as Protestants madly imagin.
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17. The character or the name.] Antichrists triple honour against the honour of Christ. As belike for the peruerse imitation of Christ, vvhose image (specially as on the Roode or crucifixe) he seeth honoured and exalted in euery Church, he vvil haue his image adored (for that is Antichrist, in emulation of like honour, aduersarie to Christ) so for that he seeth al true Christian men to beare the badge of his Crosse in their foreheads, he likevvise vvil force al his to haue an other marke, to abolish the signe of Christ. By the like emulation also and vvicked opposition he vvil haue his name and the letters thereof to be sacred, and to be vvorne in mens cappes, or vvritten in solemne places, and to be vvorshipped, as the name of IESVS is and ought to be among Christian men. And as the ineffable name of God vvas among the Ievves expressed by a certaine number of 4 characters (therfore called Tetragrāmmaton) so it seemeth the Apostle alludeth here to the number of Antichrists name. 〈Greek〉 The Protestāts by abolishing of Christes image, & crosse and irreuerēce to the name IESVS, make a ready vvay to the honour of Antichrist.
And here it is much to be noted, that the Protestants plucking dovvne the image of Christ out of al Churches, & his signe of the crosse from mens foreheads, and taking avvay the honour and reuerence of the name IESVS, doe make roome for Antichrists image, & marke, and name. And vvhen Christs images and ensignes or armes shal be abolished, and the Idol of Antichrist set vp in steede thereof, as it is already begonne: then is the abomination of desolation vvhich vvas foretold by Daniel and our Sauiour.
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18. Let him count.] Though God vvould not haue it manifest before hand to the vvorld, vvho in particular this Antichrist should be: yet it pleased him to giue such tokens of him, that vvhen he commeth, the faithful may easily take notice of him, according as it is vvritten of the euent of other prophecies concerning our Sauiour. Io. 14, 29. That vvhen it is come to passe, Antichrists name secrete. you may beleeue. In the meane time vve must take heede that vve iudge not ouer rashly of Gods secretes, the holy vvrite, here signifying, that it is a point of high vnderstanding. illuminated extraordinarily by Gods spirit, to recken right and discipher truely before hand, Antichrists name and person.
18. It is the number of a man.] A man he must be, and not a Diuel or spirit, as here it is cleere, and by S. Paul 2 Thessal. 2. vvhere he is called, Antichrist shal be one special man, and of a peculiar name. the man of sinne. Againe, he must be one particular person, & not a nūber, a succession, or vvhole order of any degree of men: because his proper name. and the particular number, and the characters thereof be (though obscurely) insinuated. Vvhich reproueth the vvicked vanitie of Heretikes, that vvould haue Christs ovvne Vicars, the successors of his cheese Apostle, yea the vvhole order of them for many ages together, to be this Antichrist. Vvho by his description here and in the said Epistle to the Thessalonians, must be one special man, and of a particular proper name, as our Lord IESVS is. And vvhosoeuer he be, these Protestants vndoubtedly are his precursors for as they make his vvay by ridding avvay Christs images, crosse, and name, so they excedingly promote the matter by taking avvay Christs cheefe minister, that al may be plaine for Antichrist.
If the Pope had been Antichrist, The Pope can not be Antichrist. and had been reuealed novv a good many yeres sithence, as these fellovves say he is to them, then the number of this name vvould agree to him, and the prophecie being novv fulfilled, it vvould euidently appeare that he bare the name and number here noted. for (no doubt) vvhen lie commeth, this count of the letters or number of his name vvhich before is so hard to knovv, wil be easie. for he will set vp his name in euery place, euē as we faithful men do novv aduance IESVS. And vvhat name proper or appellatiue of al or any of the Popes do they finde to agree vvith this number, notvvithstanding they boast that they haue found the vvhole order and euery of them these thousand yeres to be Antichrist, and the rest before euen from S. Peter, forevvorkers tovvard his kingdom?
1•. The number 666.] Forasmuch as the auncient expositors and other do thinke (for certaine knowledge thereof no mortal mā can haue vvithout an expresse reuelatiō) that his name cōsisteth of so many, Al scaming of letters to expresse Antichrists name, is vncertaine. & such letters in Greeke, as according to their maner of numbering by the Alphabete make 666, and forasmuch as the letters making that number, may be found in diuers names both proper & common: Irem. li. 5 in fine. (as S. Irenaeus findeth them in Latinos and Teitan, Hippolytus in 〈Greek〉, Aretas in Lampetis, & some of this age in Ludérus, vvhich vvas Luthers name in the Alman tōgue:) therfore vve see there can be no certaintie, and euery one frameth and applieth the letters to his ovvne purpose. and most absurd folly it is of the Heretikes, to applie the vvord, Latinos, to the Pope: neither the vvhole order in common, nor euer any particular Pope being so called. and S. Irenaeus the first that obserued it in that vvord, applied it to the Empire and state of the Romane Emperour, vvhich then vvas Heathen, and not to the Pope of his daies or after him: and yet preferred the vvord, Teitan, as more agreable, vvith this admonition, that it vvere a very perilous and presumptuous thing to define any certaintie before hand, of that number and name. And truely vvhatsoeuer the Protestants presume herein of the Pope, vve may boldly discharge Luther of that dignitie. He is vndoubtedly one of Antichrists precursors, but not Antichrist him self.
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 5.28.2
… If any one have ears, let him hear. If any one shall lead into captivity, he shall go into captivity. If any shall slay with the sword, he must be slain with the sword. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.”
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Sulpicius Severus † AD 420 The Sacred History Of Sulpitius Severus 2.29
… certainly his body was never found. It was accordingly believed that, even if he did put an end to himself with a sword, his wound was cured, and his life preserved, according to that which was written regarding him,—“And his mortal
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St Dionysius of Alexandria † AD 265 Containing Epistles, or Fragments of Epistles 11.2
2. And to John a revelation is made in like manner: “And there was given unto him,” he says, “a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemy; and power was given unto him, and forty and two months.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 7.10.2
2. “And in like manner it is revealed to John; ‘For there was given to him,’ he says, ‘a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy; and there was given unto him authority and forty and two months.’
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St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.15
135. John, likewise, saith that heretics are Antichrists, plainly marking out the Arians. For this [Arian] heresy began to be after all other heresies, and hath gathered the poisons of all. As it is written of the Antichrist, that “he opened his mouth to blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, and to make war with His saints,”
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St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 8
… And this is why he passes by all the others, and leads his discourse back to this man. And he calls him “father, as pertaining to the flesh,” to throw them out of the genuine relationship ( συγγενείας γνησίας ) to him, and to pave the Gentiles’ way to kinsmanship
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 69.29
… These He hath written down, these same the Book of Life doth contain. Lastly, in the Apocalypse, what saith the Spirit of God, when the same Scripture was speaking of the oppressions that should be from Antichrist? “There shall give consent to him all they that have not been written in the book of life.”
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 5.28.2
… And he shall perform great wonders, so that he can even cause fire to descend from heaven upon the earth in the sight of men, and he shall lead the inhabitants of the earth astray.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Treatise on Christ and Antichrist 48
… and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for if is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred threescore and six.”
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St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 5.28.2
… and he shall cause those to be slain who will not adore it.” He says also: “And he will cause a mark [to be put] in the forehead and in the right hand, that no one may be able to buy or sell, unless he who has the mark of the name of the beast or the number of his name; and the number is six hundred and sixty-six,”
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St Hippolytus † AD 235 A discourse by the most blessed Hippolytus, bishop and martyr, on the end of the world, and on Antichrist, and on the second coming of our lord Jesus Christ 28
… and in him there is no repentance. But such an one is lost at once to God and to men, and the deceiver will give them scanty food by reason of his abominable seal. And his seal upon the forehead and upon the right hand is the number, “Six hundred threescore and six.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 3.18.2
2. Irenæus, in the fifth book of his work Against Heresies, where he discusses the number of the name of Antichrist which is given in the so-called Apocalypse of John,
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 5.8.5
“As these things are so, and this number is found in all the approved and ancient copies,
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"And I saw from the sea a beast ascending, having seven heads and ten horns." — You will ask, what is this beast? First, some think it to be the prince of demons, namely Lucifer: thus Haymo, Albert, and our Pineda in Job chapter XL, verse 10, § 1. But it is objected that the dragon, that is Lucifer, is said to have given his power to this beast: therefore this beast is not Lucifer, but some other subject to him, and as it were his vassal. Second, others according to Arethas think this beast to be a primary demon, second to Lucifer, and superior to the others. Third, Primasius, Bede and Richard understand by this beast the body of the devil, or the whole assembly and multitude of the impious. Fourth, St. Antony, Euthymius, Cedrenus and Zonaras, whom Genebrardus follows, book III of the Chronology, and our Salmeron think it to be Mahomet. To this view adhere Caponsachius here, and Louis of Leon, book On the Names of Christ, who assert that this beast signifies the Turkish empire, of which again verse 11. Fifth, Lindanus, book III of the Doubting, is of the opinion that it is Luther. Sixth, Alcazar understands by this beast the Pagan Roman Empire, devoted to idolatry, which harassed the Christian Church severely, as soon as it, having abandoned the Jews, passed over to the Gentiles. He proves this first, because this beast is the same as the beast upon which sits the harlot Babylon, chapter XVII, verse 3. But Babylon there signifies Pagan Rome: therefore this beast also. But the major proposition is false, as will be evident in chapter XVII, and the consequence is lame, indeed it destroys itself. For if Babylon is Pagan Rome, then the beast is not Pagan Rome. For Babylon is other than the beast; for it sits upon the beast: therefore the beast is like a horse; but Babylon like a rider. He proves it second, because this beast is the same as the fourth beast of Daniel chapter VII, 7; for both have ten horns: but that of Daniel signifies the fourth monarchy of the Romans: therefore this beast of John signifies the same. But the major proposition is false, as will soon be evident: for although there is similarity in the horns, yet in other things there is dissimilarity; for this beast of John is said to have been like a lion, a bear and a leopard; which in Daniel are the first, second and third beasts. The sense therefore according to Alcazar is this, as if to say: The dragon stirred up the Pagan Roman princes to persecute the Church, when it began to spread itself among the Gentiles. The seven heads are seven principal persecutions, which occurred between Nero and Julian the Apostate. For he omits the persecution of Nero, because he dealt with it in chapter XII. The first therefore was that of Domitian; the second, of Trajan; the third, of Antoninus; the fourth, of Severus; the fifth, of Decius; the sixth, of Valerian; the seventh, of Diocletian. For two others which some number, namely those of Maximinus and Aurelian, are not numbered here, because the persecution of Aurelian was not carried out, and that of Maximinus was not universal against all the faithful, but only against the preachers of the Gospel. Alcazar adds that by this seven is signified the multitude and complexity of all persecutions: for a definite number is put for an indefinite one. The ten horns, he says, signify polyarchy, namely the multitude of Roman Senators; for these were powerful like kings. Whence Cineas, having entered the Senate of Rome, and returned to King Pyrrhus, said that he had seen a city of kings, in which there were as many kings as Senators, as Plutarch relates in Pyrrhus, and Livy, book XI. Moreover that there were many Senators is clear, since there were three hundred and more; indeed Julius Caesar wished to increase the number to nine hundred, although he did not actually accomplish this. But I say this beast is Antichrist. It is the common opinion of Irenaeus, book V, chapter XXVIII, Tertullian; Victorinus here (although these three were Millenarians, yet in other things they were catholic and orthodox); Hippolytus, On the End of the World; Ephrem, tract. On Antichrist; Prudentius, Gregory, Prosper, in passages to be cited presently. Thus also almost all Interpreters here, namely Ambrose, Andrew, Methodius, Arethas, Haymo, Rupert, Albert, Thomas, Pannonius, Gagneius, Seraphinus, Ribera, and even heretics generally. Antichrist is called θηριον, that is beast, or wild beast, on account of bestial ferocity and manners. Hear St. Gregory Nazianzen, Iambic 5: "Antichrist... that worst one, ... spewing forth poison." And St. Irenaeus, book V, chapter XXIX: "In the beast (Antichrist) coming, there is a recapitulation of all iniquity and all deceit, so that in it flowing together and shut up all apostate power is cast into the fire of the furnace." Here it ascends, that is, it rises, springs forth, grows, and gradually increases and becomes great, and is raised up to the high summit of the kingdom, "from the sea," that is, from this world and wicked age. For the sea, because it is agitated by so many winds, waves, and storms, and by continuous tides now increases, now decreases, is a symbol of the world, in which all things are full of bitterness, inconstancy and dangers; for in it great fishes devour small ones. Thus Clement of Alexandria, Origen, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, Cyril, Gregory, whom Alcazar cites and follows. Hence also Daniel, cap. VII, vers. 3, saw four beasts, indices of four monarchies, coming forth from the sea. To ascend therefore from the sea here is the same in reality and meaning as to ascend from the earth, as is said of another similar beast vers. 11. For it is certain that the Antichrist will be born not from the sea, but from the earth. Whence Daniel cap. VII, vers. 17, what he had said about four beasts ascending from the sea, he soon explains as four kingdoms which arise from the earth. Some add, and our Acosta lib. II De Tempor. noviss., that the Antichrist will come by sea with a great fleet, so that he may rule over both sea and islands, and also the earth. Furthermore, the Lutherans and Calvinists understand by this beast the Antichrist, but they think he is the Roman Pontiff. But this is refuted from Scripture so clearly, as I have demonstrated II Thessalon. II, 9 and following, that whoever is not convinced by this and does not yield is either stubborn or of unsound mind: and to pass over other things which I produced there, what are the Pontiff's ten horns and ten diadems in this place? what are the seven heads, one of which is slain and rises again and revives? For the Antichrist will rise again as it were from death: what Pontiff ever showed or feigned resurrection from death? what Pontiff blasphemed God, and His Church and the Saints, whom she herself worships and invokes, teaches and commands to be worshiped and invoked by all? what is his statue to which he himself gives power and faculty of speaking? what Pontiff ever worshiped, and commanded to be worshiped, the dragon, that is, the devil? Having Seven Heads The seven heads signify seven kings who will precede the Antichrist, whose kingdoms he himself alone will occupy, concerning which cap. XVII. Symbolically, the seven heads signify the discord and dissensions of kings, which have lost the kingdom. Hence recently Suleiman, Emperor of the Turks, in order to show his empire more powerful than the empire of Caesar, said to his legates, "that he was a dragon of one head, but of many tails; but Caesar and the Christians were a dragon of many heads, but of one tail," that is to say, My empire is monarchical, and therefore harmonious and strong; but the empire of Christians is polyarchical, and therefore discordant and weak. And Ten Horns Common painters distribute these horns thus, that they give one horn to each of the seven heads, and distribute the three remaining at will, namely by affixing two horns to three heads as they please. Better does Alcazar depict all these ten horns on one and the same head, namely the primary head of the beast: for since it was one beast, it had one primary head, as will be evident cap. XVI, vers. 13. Moreover, these ten horns are ten kings; hence they have diadems: who will be in the world when the Antichrist comes, of whom he himself will overcome and kill three in battle; soon the other seven, terrified, will submit themselves to him willingly, as Daniel teaches cap. VII, vers. 21, 23, 24, 25. See the things said there. Wherefore foolishly, and equally impudently, the Anglo-Calvinist says these ten horns are the ten first Christian Emperors, who increased and defended the power and dignity of the beast, that is, of the Antichrist, that is, of the Roman Pontiff, namely Constantine the Great; Constantine, Constantius and Constans, his sons; Julian, Jovian, Valentinian, Gratian, Valentinian the Second, and Theodosius. For this is a great calumny of these pious princes, and a great and inexpiable insult, namely to call them helpers and promoters of the Antichrist. Add that Constantius, as an Arian, and Julian, as a Pagan, were enemies of the Church and the Pontiff. Again, if then the Pope began to be the Antichrist: therefore Athanasius, Chrysostom, Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome, and all the holy Fathers who lived in that age, and honored the Roman Pontiff as the head of the Church, were servants and soldiers of the Antichrist, which is a blasphemy unheard of in all ages. And Upon His Heads Names of Blasphemy Because the seven heads, that is, seven kings, are precursors of the Antichrist, attacking the Church, and blaspheming Christ, as will be evident cap. XVII.
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"And the beast, which I saw, was like to a leopard." — The leopard is, first, spotted; second, cruel and bloodthirsty; third, most swift, as Daniel shows in chapter VII, 6. Such also will be the Antichrist, namely spotted with all crimes, and versatile in all frauds and deceits; second, a murderer and parricide of many: for he will kill Enoch his ancestor, from whom he himself is descended; third, like lightning he will traverse the world, and subject it to himself, and thereby will procure for himself great triumph, applause and glory, of which symbol is the spotted and beautiful skin of the leopard. His Feet Like the Feet of a Bear Namely, most strong and most apt for winning over the faithful and saints. Alcazar adds that the feet here extend to the legs and thighs, and denote the luxury of the bear (concerning which Pliny, book VIII, chapter 36), that is of the Antichrist. The Arabic here disagrees with the Greek and Latin; for it translates: "And the animal which I saw was like to a bear, and his feet were the feet of a lion, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion." And His Mouth Like the Mouth of a Lion "Mouth," namely the form of the mouth, the gape and roar was leonine, that is proud, savage, striking terror and horror into the faithful, and tearing and rending them. Note: This beast is like the vision of Daniel, chapter VII, where Daniel saw four beasts, the first like a lioness, the second a bear, the third a leopard, the fourth stronger than the others, and having ten horns, which signified four Gentile monarchies, namely of the Chaldeans, Persians, Greeks and Romans; which will go before and end in the monarchy of the Antichrist, and will be as it were his precursors; to whom therefore as to his head, are attributed all things which belonged to the others, so that he himself alone is a lion, leopard, bear, and the fourth unnamed beast of ten horns, and appears to be formed and compacted from all of them; because in him will be the pride of the lion, the savagery and luxury of the bear, the spotted figure of the leopard, etc. Moreover, just as this beast, so also those four of Daniel had seven heads; for the third beast, namely the leopard, had four heads, which joined to the three remaining (for each of the three had one head) universally made seven heads. Mystically Hugo and Alcazar (though he himself thinks this to be literal): this beast is the world, in which, as St. John says, in his first epistle, chapter II, verse 16, there is nothing other than "the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life," that is luxury, avarice, ambition; for the bear is the symbol of luxury; the leopard spotted all over the body, of avarice; (for the avaricious man has his eyes and heart fixed on money: where the heart is, there also are the eyes; whence it is commonly said: "Where the eyes are, there is love; where the hand is, there is sorrow"); the lion, of pride and ferocity. Furthermore, that luxury is placed in the feet, avarice in the body, pride in the mouth, that is in the head of the beast, signifies that in the lowest men, who are as it were the feet of the world, luxury chiefly dominates; in the middle, avarice; in the heads and leaders, pride. And the body indeed of the panther, the bear's feet, and the leonine mouth shadow forth that the world's body hungers to heap up riches, so that it may stand out and be eminent, and pour itself into a foul and libidinous manner of living. Again in the middle avarice is placed, because pride and lust need the help of money, and the aid of avarice; and between those two, namely avarice and lust, pride rears its head, as being erect and arrogant in the very mouth and head, according to that in Proverbs XIV, 3: "In the mouth of the fool is the rod of pride." But luxury, as foul and base, is cast down to the very feet. Thus far Alcazar. And the Dragon Gave Him Great Power In Greek exousia, that is first, authority and majesty of his own; second, license and faculty of persecuting the faithful in every way; third, the arts, forces and efficacy of deceiving; fourth, the power of working false miracles, through sleight of hand, through revelation of secrets, through a shadowy raising of the dead, etc. In Greek is added, "and his throne," so that all the children of the demon, that is all the impious, may worship the Antichrist, and he himself be as it were the vicar of the devil, king over all the children of pride.
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"And I saw one of its heads as it were slain unto death." — The Syrian version: "as it were slaughtered unto death;" the Arabic: "as it were a wound of death." He says "as it were," either because it was not truly slain, but only lethally wounded, as some expound; or rather, because these things were not truly happening, but were represented to John only through symbolic vision and similitude. For otherwise this head was truly to be slain, that is, to be killed, at least according to external appearance and the opinion of men; for it follows: "And the wound of his death was healed." Thus in cap. V, vers. 6, he says: "I saw a lamb as it were slain;" for Christ was truly slain, but was seen by John "as it were," that is, similar to a slain lamb. For the Antichrist will simulate, in imitation of Christ, a true resurrection from death. Now as to the sense, Alcazar, who understands by the beast the Roman Empire, and by the Emperors those persecuting the Church, thus expounds: "I saw one," that is, the first head, namely the first Emperor persecuting the Church, to wit Nero, slain, and soon in Domitian his successor as it were raised up and reviving; for Domitian revived and renewed the persecution begun by Nero, and suppressed under Titus and Vespasian. Hence certain of the ancients, deceived by simplicity, understanding the allegory not as an allegory but as it sounds, thought Nero would be the Antichrist, and again to be raised up and to appear at the end of the world, as St. Jerome reports in Daniel XI, among whom was Victorinus writing on that passage of the Apocalypse XVII: "And the same is the eighth." Thus also Prosper in Dimidio temporis cap. VIII. But truly this renewal of persecution was not a miracle, nor anything wonderful, or new and unheard of: which yet appears to have been so here, both from other things, and from what is added: "And all the earth was in admiration after the beast," namely so that it would follow the beast, honor it and adore it, as follows. In Greek it is, και εθαυμασθη εν ολη τη γη οπισω του θηριου, that is, and admiration was in all the earth after the beast. Wherefore the exposition of Luther, Illyricus and David Chytraeus is altogether impertinent and preposterous, who likewise think the beast to be the Roman Empire, which was wounded unto death, that is, was plainly declining and failing; but the Antichrist, they say, that is, the Pope, revived another, when he transferred it into Charlemagne. For, to pass over other things, this happened in the year of the Lord 800, when they themselves contend that the Antichrist began to reign in Rome in the year 600. Again, from this it follows that Charlemagne, and all his successors as Emperors, are creatures and offspring of the Antichrist: which is a most atrocious insult to the Imperial Majesty and the whole Empire. Others go further, who by "one head," that is, the first, understand Julius Caesar, by whose death the Roman Empire seemed to have perished, but Augustus soon revived it. I say therefore, the sense is first, as if to say, "I saw one of the heads," that is, the first of the kings subject to the Antichrist, struck with a mortal wound, for example in the war which he will wage for the Antichrist, wounded even unto death, and then healed and restored to life by the Antichrist through the aid and power of the devil; whence all his forces, admiring him, submitted themselves to him: thus Aretas, Suarez, tract. De Antichristo, and others. Secondly and rather, understand by "one of the heads" the Antichrist himself, who is a seven-headed beast, and at the same time its first and principal head; for in vers. 12, it is said that men adored the beast whose wound was healed: but they will adore the Antichrist, not however any other of the kings. The Antichrist therefore will feign a lethal and incurable wound, and from it will simulate himself dead, and after three days have passed will unexpectedly present and show himself alive to all, so that in this way he may imitate Christ rising from death on the third day. Thus Bede, Primasius, Richard, Ansbert. But he says "one," because, as we shall see in cap. XVII, there will properly be only one head of the Antichrist; for the other six are of other kings: yet they are also called those of the Antichrist, because he will claim their kingdoms for himself, and will subject them to himself and as it were incorporate them into himself, so that in himself as it were the head there may be the whole kingdom of the impious, and the whole body of the devil; for he alone will contain and surpass the impiety and tyranny, and the power and dominion of all the kings who preceded him. Note, that this wound of the Antichrist will not truly be mortal; but will appear such to men only, not however such in reality: or, if it will truly be incurable, that will be only with respect to art and human aid. For to a demon pervading our whole body, and penetrating the powers of herbs and medicines, it will naturally be curable, and therefore its cure will neither transcend the power of a created agent (such as an angel and a demon), nor will it be a miracle. For God has reserved to himself the key and power of miracles.
13:4
"And they adored the dragon who gave power to the beast," — to raise itself from death: truly therefore then they will adore the devil, as if the divinity of the Antichrist. And They Adored the Beast Alcazar takes the adoration of the dragon properly, but that of the beast, that is of Rome and the Roman Empire, improperly, so as to signify a foolish reverence and blind subjection, which is as it were a certain adoration. For thus Rome was called by pagan writers, or rather flatterers, "the Goddess of lands and of nations." And Goltzius exhibits many coins with this inscription: Roma Goddess, Rome and the temple of Augustus, of the Goddess Rome, etc. But properly, as the adoration of the dragon, so also that of the beast, that is of the Antichrist, is to be understood: for he himself will wish to be adored as God, and therefore as if a divinity he will sit in the temple of God, as the Apostle says, II Thess. II, 4. Saying: Who Is Like the Beast? Thus John calls the Antichrist, namely the beast; but his followers and the Antichristians will say: "Who is like our Christ?" for as the Messiah and Christ they will receive and worship him: thus Bede.
13:5
"And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies." — "Great," that is proud, arrogant. Thus Psalm XI, 4 and 5, it is said: "May the Lord destroy the tongue of great speakers," that is swollen and arrogant. And Psalm XXXVII, verse 17: "Great things (that is presumptuous) have been spoken against me." For the Antichrist will boast that he is Christ the Son of God, and therefore God. Hence secondly Alcazar, "great," that is blasphemies, so that the word may be taken as "that is." Thus the Poet says: "You shall say nothing great," that is, do not utter blasphemies. And Horace, lib. IV Carm., ode 6: "Rich one, whom the offspring of great Niobe, the avenger of language, and the rapist of Tityos, felt, and Phthian Achilles, nearly victor of lofty Troy." And Power Was Given to Him to Make Some Greek codices add "war"; but better others omit it and read generally "to make," that is to do whatever he wishes. Forty-Two Months That is, three and a half years: see what is said at cap. XI, verses 2 and 3.
13:6
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven." — The Antichrist therefore will first blaspheme God: for he will be an atheist, and will remove all God and divinity, so that he alone may be worshipped as God, as I said II Thess. II, 4; secondly, his tabernacle, that is the Church and temples; thirdly, all the saints, the heavenly ones and the Blessed. Hence it is clear that the precursors of the Antichrist are, and are moved by his spirit, our Innovators, who oppose the worship of temples and the veneration of Saints and strive to abolish them. For what they begin, the Antichrist will perfect. The Antichrist therefore will wish to be held as king of the world, and will preach that he himself is the true Christ, the savior of the world, but that our Christ was an impostor: whatever things concerning the miracles, kingdom, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ into heaven were predicted by the Prophets, in himself alone all will most certainly be fulfilled. Wherefore he will also simulate himself dead and rising from the dead, and after three and a half years from the Mount of Olives, on which Christ ascended into heaven, he himself likewise will attempt to ascend into heaven; but there he will be destroyed by Christ and cast down into Tartarus. Thus from Daniel and the Apocalypse teach St. Jerome, Richard, Anselm, St. Thomas and St. Gregory, lib. XXX Moral., cap. III.
13:7
"And power was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome" — to subjugate by war, to capture and to kill them. And Power Was Given to Him Over Every Tribe and People, and Tongue, and Nation Hence it is clear that the Antichrist will gradually so extend his empire, that at length he becomes the monarch of the world, and that empire will be bounded by no other limits than the ends of the earth. Thus Joseph Acosta, lib. II De Temp. novissimis, cap. IX.
13:8
"And they adored the beast (that is, the Antichrist), all who dwell upon the earth" — those who savour of the beast, earthly and impious men, whence limiting this he adds, "whose names are not written in the book of life." Hence mystically Alcazar: "To adore the beast is to love and worship the world." Whose Names Are Not Written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, Who Was Slain from the Foundation of the World Some place a comma after "was slain," and refer "from the foundation of the world" to "whose names are not written." Thus Andrew, Aretas, Ticonius, Ambrose, Bede, Ribera and Alcazar, and then the sense is easy, namely that those who adored the beast are those whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, that is, those who are not predestined, but reprobate. But others, as is more likely, thus more plainly refer "from the foundation of the world" to "was slain," and remove the comma which others place in the middle, just as the Roman Bible and others do in various places. Then the sense is twofold; the first, as if to say "From the foundation of the world," that is already long ago, from the beginning, and before all things; from all eternity, namely from eternity, the Lamb "was slain," that is, was decreed to be slain, foreknown and predestined by God, because by His merit all the elect were predestined and written in the book of life. Wherefore there is here an elegant antithesis between the book of life and the slain Lamb: for that life to which the elect are destined is the effect and fruit of the passion and death of Christ. Hence also Ticonius for ἐσφαγισμένου, that is "was slain," reads ἐσφραγισμένου, that is "was sealed." Thus Paul says God gave (that is, decreed to give and predestined) to us His gifts before the times of the ages, II Timothy, chapter 1, 9. For often by Hebraism real words are put for mental ones, as I have shown elsewhere. Thus Hugo, Gagneius, and others here, and Gregory of Valencia, III part., Question XIX, disp. 1, point 3, and Gabriel Vasquez, III part., disp. 77, num. 66. Secondly, the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, not in Himself, but in His types and figures, namely the holy Patriarchs and Prophets, who were slain for the sake of faith and piety. Thus Ambrose, Anselm, Ansbert, Thomas, Hugo, Viegas and others. Christ therefore was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, because He was prefigured first in the sacrifice of Abel, who offered the firstborn of his flocks, that is, lambs, to the Lord; and therefore pleasing to God, he himself became as an innocent lamb a victim to God, when slain by the fratricide Cain he was the first virgin and martyr of the world. Secondly, in the ram or male lamb, which Abraham substituted for Isaac and immolated, Genesis XXII, 13. For thus in the passion of Christ, to the Jews and torturers in place of the divinity, the humanity suffered and was immolated. Thirdly, in the paschal lamb, concerning which I have spoken at length in Exodus XII. For "Christ our Pasch is immolated. The Lamb redeemed the sheep, Christ the innocent reconciled sinners to the Father." Fourthly, in the continual sacrifice; for daily the Hebrews by the law of Exodus XXIX, 38, immolated to God both morning and evening a lamb: and this is the morning and evening sacrifice, which David often offers and repeats in the Psalms, and the Prophets. Thus Origen, Cyril and Euthymius in John, chapter 1, verse 24. Fifthly, in other sheep and lambs, which by the law of God were to be offered on every feast. Sixthly, because by Isaiah, chapter LIII, verse 7, and Jeremiah, chapter XI, verse 19, Christ is compared to a lamb. Hence also John the Baptist demonstrated to the Jews Christ or the Messiah promised to them: "Behold the Lamb of God, behold He who taketh away the sin of the world." Elegantly as well as truly St. Paulinus, epistle 27 to Aprus: "From the beginning of the ages Christ suffers and triumphs in His members; in Abel, he was slain by his brother; in Noah, mocked by his son; in Abraham, he journeyed as a stranger; in Isaac, he was offered; in Jacob, he served; in Joseph, he was sold; in Moses, he was exposed and fled; in the Prophets, he was stoned and cut in pieces; in the Apostles, he was tossed about on land and sea; in the Martyrs, he was slain so many times and in so many ways. He himself suffers reproaches in you also, and the world hates him in you; but thanks to him, because he conquers when he is judged, and triumphs in us."
13:9
"If any man hath ears, let him hear," — both those things which I have already said concerning the beast and its adoration, and rather those things which follow concerning the exchange of lots. For the matter is not of great moment, and demands great attention.
13:10
"He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity." — In the Greek, for "leadeth" and "shall go," there is an elegant paronomasia in the words συναγει, υπαγει. The sense is, as if to say, "Be not troubled, O faithful, when ye shall see Antichrist thus raging at his pleasure and prospering, because at length he also who taketh others captive shall himself be taken captive by Christ, nay, bound by the devil and dragged captive to the depths, to the eternal prison of hell." He That Killeth With the Sword Must Be Killed With the Sword "With the sword," that is, by the sword, is a Hebraism; for the Hebrews attach ב, that is, "with," to instruments. Now "by the sword," that is, by violent slaughter, death and vengeance. Thus Matt. XXVI, 52, Christ saith: "All that take the sword shall perish with the sword; with the sword," that is, by violent death, God avenging; not however that all such murderers shall be precisely slain by the sword. It signifies therefore that Antichrist, a murderer, nay a parricide, shall likewise be slain and destroyed by violent death from God. Here Is the Patience and Faith of the Saints In these adverse things and persecutions, and in the patient endurance of them, shall be shown and shall shine forth, as if to say, In such persecution and prosperity of Antichrist shall be proved and declared the illustrious virtue, constancy and faith of the Saints; because they themselves shall retain patience with faith, hoping for a speedy change of lots, namely the depression and vengeance of Antichrist, and their own exaltation and glory. Note: Tribulations are as it were a touchstone, by which the fidelity and constancy of the Saints are proved. This is what Eccles. cap. XXVII, vers. 6, saith: "The furnace proveth the potter's vessels, and the trial of tribulation proveth just men." Hence in Tobias XII, 13, it is said: "Because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee." Whence the Arabic version here rendereth it: "And he that hath patience and the faith of the Saints, blessed is he." Patience is therefore as it were an impenetrable breastplate, receiving and turning aside all the blows of enemies. Wherefore the Apostle exhorteth the faithful, Hebr. XII, 1, saying: "Let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us." And St. James cap. I, vers. 2: "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you shall fall into divers temptations; knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience: and patience hath a perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing." Again the Apostle to the Romans V, 3: "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience worketh probation, and probation worketh hope, and hope confoundeth not." At the end therefore of the world there shall be men most patient and most strong, and therefore most illustrious Martyrs. Morally, see here how virtue shineth forth through adversities and cometh to glory. Jet is kindled by water, extinguished by oil, saith Pliny, lib. XXXVI, cap. XIX. So true virtue burneth in adversities, groweth lukewarm in prosperity, and when the oil of pleasure is poured upon it, languisheth and is overwhelmed. "For virtue is a vain name, Unless honour attend it in suffering, when the times of death Are near, and it seeketh fair praise through wounds," saith Silius, lib. IX. The Dionysian stone is dark, having red marks; which if mixed with water and ground, smelleth of wine, saith Solinus: so virtue, stirred up by adversities and as it were crushed, smelleth more keenly. Wherefore rightly Ovid, lib. IV Trist., eleg. 3: "Fill thy sad virtues with the bitter draught; Glory through steep and perilous paths doth go. Who would have known Hector, had Troy been blessed? Through evils is the public way of virtue made." And Aratus, lib. I in Acts of the Apostles: "Nor yield to cares. Rest is hurtful to virtue, and no honour crowneth In the stadium the secure: his glory to the strong Shall be the cause of labour, and rare to joys the soldier Comes to whom peace alone hath been; victory receiveth seed from the enemy." Pennyroyal flourisheth in winter, with cold rigorous everywhere. Whence Cicero, lib. I De Divinat.: "The livers of brute males are said to increase, and dried pennyroyal to flourish on the very winter solstice: so virtue flourisheth when agitated by adversities." Hence St. Ambrose, lib. I Offic., cap. XXXIX: "Fortitude defendeth the ornaments of all virtues against impending dangers, and decideth in inexpiable warfare against all vices: unconquered in labours, strong against dangers, more rigid against pleasures, hard against enticements." On the coin of Trajan was seen a club resting on a lion's head, namely a strong and wise man is πανδαματωρ, the tamer of all, like some earthly God. "But the wise man standeth near and next to the gods, like God save for mortality," saith Seneca, cap. VIII, lib. De Constantia sapientis. The same, epist. 66, giveth this type of true virtue: "As the brightness of the sun obscureth lesser lights: so virtue by its greatness crusheth and suppresseth pains, troubles, injuries; and whithersoever it hath shone, whatever appeareth without it is extinguished, nor do inconveniences have any more portion when they have fallen upon virtue than a cloud hath in the sea." Wherefore Charles, king of Naples, had in his arms a rock cleft by the earth, on whose summit was a cross, on the top of the cross a rose with this motto: "In patience sweetness."
13:11
"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and it had two horns like unto a lamb, and it spoke as a dragon." — First, Lyra, Aureolus and Dominicus Soto in IV Sentences, dist. 49, quest. I, art. 2, by the former beast, of which verse 1, understand Sinochius, or, as others call him, Siroem, or Sirus, son of Cosroes king of the Persians, who afflicted many, such as Anastasius and other seventy monks with martyrdom: but by this beast they understand Mahomet, the author of Mahometanism, whose miracles the Saracens relate: First, that he came forth from his mother's womb without pain, circumcised and joyful. Second, that at his nativity all idols throughout the whole world fell down. Third, that Lucifer seized by Angels was then immersed in the depths of the sea. Fourth, that winds, birds and clouds contended concerning his upbringing. Fifth, that an ass called him with human voice, the seal of the Prophets. Sixth, that a dark cloud always, even in clear sky, hung over his head. Seventh, that he divided the moon in two parts and joined and fastened it together; hence the Turks venerate the moon, and carry it in their standards and camps. Eighth, that an Angel spoke to him. Ninth, that a fig tree called forth by him humbly bowed itself to him. Tenth, that an ox and a lamb spoke to him, as to the greatest messenger of God. Wherefore they assert that the name of Mahomet was before the creation of the world in the sight of God; and that unless it had been, He would by no means have created the world. Mahomet instituted an image of the beast, that is, the supreme Pontiff of his sect, whom the Turks call the Caliph, whom they revere greatly, and to whom they obey as we do to the Roman Pontiff. His character is circumcision and other ceremonies introduced by him. He commanded the followers of his sect that they dispute with no one concerning his religion and law, but kill anyone who blasphemes it. The number of his name 666 signifies, says Innocent III, that this sect will last 666 years. But it has already lasted a thousand years; for it began in the year of Christ six hundred. To this opinion John Annius accedes, and from him Hentenius in the judgment concerning the Apocalypse, which as a prologue is prefixed to the Commentaries of Arethas on the Apocalypse. For these understand by this beast Mahomet, whom they assert was the Antichrist. But that Mahomet was not the Antichrist, our Suarez demonstrates by many and certain reasons in his tract. On the Antichrist, and Pererius treats of this matter, namely, that Mahomet is not the Antichrist. Second, Alcazar, just as by the beast of the sea, verse 1, so also by this beast of the earth understands the Roman Empire attacking the Church of Christ; for by the beast of the sea is signified the extent and majesty of the Roman Empire, which was directly opposed to the humility of the Gospel; but by the beast of the earth is signified the earthly affection of unbridled desires, which in the Romans and other nations subject to them, existed whole and alive. And, to speak in a word, there are signified here three enemies of the faithful and the Church, namely the dragon, that is the devil; the beast of the sea, that is the world, and the beast of the earth, that is the flesh: which three are likewise signified and allude to Satan, Leviathan and Behemoth, of which mention is made in the book of Job. The two horns of the beast are threat and severity, by which the wisdom of the flesh strove to exterminate the Gospel. Secondarily these two horns were two notable Magi more distinguished than the rest, namely Simon Magus and Apollonius of Tyana, who most stubbornly resisted Christ and the Apostles by false miracles and vain display of wisdom. "It spoke as a dragon," that is its speech was sweet, and insinuating itself easily, so that to hear it was the same as to hear the hissings of the serpent or the devil. For spiritual men say and teach that the speech of the flesh and its instinct is the speech and instinct of the demon. It alludes to the speech of the serpent, which deceived Eve through gluttony, persuading her to eat of the forbidden fruit, Genesis III. Hence Jacob, cap. III, verse 15, concerning this wisdom of the flesh says, that it is "earthly, sensual, devilish," because namely it speaks as a dragon. It made "fire come down from heaven," that is, it put forward zeal for the divine and as if descended from heaven, as if it simulated nothing else in persecuting the Church than zeal for honor and worship to be paid to the gods. And it made the image of the beast speak, because through idols the demon spoke and gave answers. Thus he from his own end and purpose. Thirdly, St. Gregory does better, in the Thirty-third book of the Morals, chapter XX. Aretas, Rupertus, Haymo and Pannonius here understand by this beast all the ministers of Antichrist, especially preachers and heralds. "For to ascend from the earth," says St. Gregory, "is to grow proud in earthly glory. It has two horns like the Lamb's, because through the hypocrisy of sanctity, which the Lord truly possessed in Himself, it falsely claims to have singular wisdom and life in itself. But because under the appearance of the Lamb it pours serpentine venom into the ears of reprobate hearers, it is rightly added: And he spoke as a dragon." Fourthly and most rightly, Ambrose, Andrew, Irenaeus in book V, chapter XXVIII; Tertullian in the book On the Resurrection of the Flesh, chapter XXV; Ribera, Viegas and others understand by this beast some notable impostor, who will be as it were a forerunner and will precede Antichrist: for Antichrist will have him in the manner that Christ had His forerunner, St. John the Baptist. Wherefore Irenaeus, in book V, at the end, calls him the shield-bearer and armor-bearer of Antichrist. And by this reasoning Antichrist, who will wish to be worshipped as God, will imitate the mystery of the Holy Trinity, which is in God, namely that the dragon be the Father, he himself be the Son, and this impostor and his herald be in the manner of the Holy Spirit; for just as Christ defers to the Father, and the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ: so Antichrist will worship the devil as his father, and this false prophet will proclaim and exalt Antichrist by great signs. Thus Joseph Acosta, in book II On the Last Times, chapter XVII, who also in chapter XI relates a remarkable example of a certain forerunner of Antichrist whom he himself saw in Peru: who, being a Doctor of Theology and held as an oracle of that place, deceived by a little woman, said he was the redeemer of the world by efficacy, whereas Christ was only by sufficiency; and therefore delivered to the flames, obstinate in his pride and heresy, the wretched man passed twice from present death into the eternal. And It Had Two Horns Like the Lamb These two horns will be the appearance and simulation of meek sanctimoniousness, so that he may seem to be a Lamb; and the power of working miracles, so that he may seem to be a wonder-worker like Christ: by which horns, as it were, he will most powerfully win men to himself, and will draw many to the sect and yoke of Antichrist. Secondly, the two horns could signify two of his notable administrators and cooperators, instructed with the gifts already mentioned for deceiving. For thus the horns of the beast, that is of Antichrist, will be ten kings, his administrators and helpers. Thirdly, Joseph Acosta, in book II On the Last Times, chapter XVII: "Two horns are the insignia of Episcopal dignity, namely the mitre or infula (for this is two-horned)." It appears therefore that this false prophet will be some apostate Bishop and simulator of religion, a traitor to ecclesiastical honor, who will administer the dragon's poison to the people through his sermons. Moreover, foolish heretics think that the grade and mitre of the Bishop are taxed here as if two-formed, when rather it is praised; for it is called "two horns of the Lamb," that is, two strengths equally and ornaments of Christ. Therefore not the infula, but the infulated apostate is taxed, who will wickedly abuse these horns of Christ for spreading the sect of Antichrist. Thus once Ursacius, Valens, Eusebius and other Bishops propagated the heresy of Arius. Note: The horn among the ancients was a sign and symbol of kingdom, indeed of divinity. Alexander the Great, in order to persuade the common people that he was the son of Jupiter Ammon, assumed his horns, as Athenagoras says in book XII, and Clement of Alexandria in the Exhortation to the Gentiles. For, as Silius Italicus sings in book XIV: "Ammon was the divinity of the Libyan fleet, and sitting with horned brow beheld the blue." Bacchus, before he was born, had horns with which he pierced Jupiter. Whence Euripides in the Bacchae, act I, calls him bull-horned. Statius in book II of the Thebaid makes Inachus horned: "The father himself two-horned, leaning prone to the left, sits Inachus in his urn." The horn of Amalthea is famous. From the gods horns were transferred to those ancient kings, proximate to the gods in innocence and virtue. Hence the soothsayer, having seen horns on the head of Cippes, said these portended to him the kingdom of Latium, as Ovid testifies in book XV of the Metamorphoses: "Hail, O king. For you, for you, Cippes, and yours, this place, and the citadels of Latium will obey the horns." Io is said to have borne horned kings of Thebes, as Euripides testifies in the Phoenissae, act 3. Sharp was the answer of Demetrius given to King Philip: "If you wish to be king, hold the ox by both horns," that is Peloponnesus: Plutarch in the Life of Aratus is witness. Not only among the pagans, but also among the faithful and the holy. God affixed to Moses in Exodus XXXIV horns, that is, rays of light in the manner of horns, so as to authorize him as leader and lawgiver, "Flaming with horned countenance bearing light, And carrying the supreme laws in sacred books." Therefore a horn is a symbol of strength and power. To Joseph, that is, to his descendants, namely to the kings of Israel to be born from his son Ephraim, Moses blessing in Deuteronomy XXXIII, 17: "The horns of the rhinoceros are his horns: with them he shall push the nations even to the ends of the earth." And God to David, Psalm CXXXI, verse 17: "There will I bring forth the horn (empire) of David;" who in turn, resigning it with grateful mind to its good author, in II Kings chapter XXII, verse 3: "O God, etc., the horn of my salvation." And verse 48: "O God, who givest me vengeance, and subduest the peoples under me." This two-horned impostor therefore strives to represent and persuade that his master Antichrist's empire is equal to his divinity, by these two horns. Symbolically, the two horns are fraud and force, by which Antichrist and his precursor here shall subject the nations to himself, according to that common saying: "By art and by war." And He Spoke Like a Dragon Because his doctrine will be serpentine, that is, cunning, fraudulent, poisonous and diabolical, and therefore most apt for deceiving men. For just as the dragon, that is the devil, deceiving Eve, spoke through the mouth of the serpent, so also shall they speak through the mouth of this false prophet.
13:12
"And he made all the power of the former beast (Antichrist) in his sight," — that is to say, This false prophet and precursor of Antichrist, on behalf of Antichrist and before Antichrist, shall work miracles, and all those things which appear illustrious, which Antichrist himself shall work, and this at the command and with the aid of Antichrist himself, so that through these deeds and signs he may persuade men that Antichrist is the Messiah, the Son of God, and therefore to be adored. Whence it follows: And He Made the Earth, and Those Dwelling in It, Adore the First Beast, Whose Deadly Wound Was Healed "And" signifies "that is," that is to say, "The earth," that is, those dwelling on the earth, earthly men and those attached to earthly goods, shall allow themselves to be seduced by this false prophet, and shall adore Antichrist on account of his miracles, especially because he appeared to raise himself from death.
13:13
"And he did great signs, so that he even made fire come down from heaven." — St. John here predicts three miracles which Antichrist, either by himself or through his precursor, shall work. The first is that he shall simulate rising from a lethal wound, as he said in verse 3. The second is this, that he shall evoke fire from heaven as if its master, that is Antichrist, were the son and heir of Solomon, indeed another Solomon the king, of whom Scripture says, II Paralipomenon chapter VII, verse 1: "And when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocausts and the victims;" and another Elias, of whom it is said that he evoked fire from heaven against his enemy, IV Kings chapter I, verse 10: "And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and the fifty that were with him." Thus this impostor shall threaten fire from heaven against those who will not yield and believe in Antichrist. The third is verse 13, that he shall make the image of his statue speak. All which things shall be either feigned or false miracles: for either there shall be a defect in the matter, so that they do not truly happen, but through the devil's deceptions striking the eyes of those beholding, they shall appear to men to happen; or there shall be a defect in the form: for all things shall be done by a force not divine and supernatural, but physical and natural. This is what Christ predicted, Matthew XXIV, 24: "There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect." And Mark XIII, 22: "And they shall give signs and wonders to seduce (if it were possible) even the elect." And Paul, II Thessalonians II, 9: "Whose coming is according to the operation of Satan, in all power and signs and lying wonders, and in all seduction." See the things said there. For from that place it is clear that Antichrist shall work many other miracles, or rather marvels; whence the Sibyl, book III of the Oracles, adds four others, namely that Antichrist shall still the sea, that he shall still the sun and moon, that he shall move mountains, that he shall raise many of the dead. But, he says, these shall not be true signs, but deceptions. St. Methodius, Hippolytus and Ephrem recount more, whose words I cited in II Thessalonians II, 9.
13:14
"Saying that they should make (men) an image of the beast, which hath the wound of the sword, and lived," — that is, persuading and convincing men that they should make and adore statues of Antichrist, who struck by the sword and as if killed, appears to have risen miraculously, as I said in verse 3.
13:15
"And it was given to him to give spirit to the image of the beast, and that it should speak," — that is to say, This precursor of Antichrist shall infuse a spirit into the statue of Antichrist, namely a familiar demon, who shall speak through the statue, as once Apollo of Delphi spoke, so that the statue of Antichrist may appear animated and itself to speak. Thus Richard, Rupert, Arethas.
13:16
"And he shall make all to have a character in their hand." — As we bear the sign of the cross, says Ambrose, so Antichrist will make all bear his sign, as it were a character. Some think that Antichrist will burn a certain mark upon the foreheads or hands of his followers with iron, or cut it with a knife, or impress or affix it in some other way, just as we do with our cattle and beasts. For the Latin word "character" signifies such a mark, and the Greek χαραγμα properly signifies a mark impressed or engraved. Thus Vatablus and Viegas. So formerly soldiers were marked with a stigma on the hand, as Lipsius teaches from the Code of Justinian and from St. Augustine, Chrysostom, Prudentius, lib. I De Militia Romana, dialog. 9, indeed from St. Gregory, epist. 100 to Maurice, and 103 to Theodore the physician, where he mentions an edict of the Emperor, that no one marked on the hand should be received into a monastery before completing his military service. Moreover Vegetius, lib. I, cap. VIII, and lib. II, cap. V: "Soldiers are written upon the skin with punctures." Thus the Arians, forerunners of Antichrist, under King Huneric, compelled the Orthodox to be rebaptized by Arian priests, and then gave them a written document of this matter. "Because it was not permitted," says Victor of Utica, lib. III Wandal., "either to private persons or to merchants, to pass anywhere, unless they showed written the character of their death at the beginning (that is, that they had been rebaptized by them, which was a mortal sin and had brought death to the soul), which Christ once showed to his servant John by revelation, where he says, no one is permitted to buy anything, unless he has the character of the beast on his forehead, or on his hand." The character of Huneric therefore was a written document, or testimony, that someone had been rebaptized by the Arians: in a similar manner perhaps this character of Antichrist will be printed on paper, and will be given to individuals that they affix it to the forehead or hand. For this will be the easiest and most expedient way among so great a number of Antichristians. Furthermore, that no one is permitted to buy anything is the same as to forbid by fire and water, and to exclude from all human commerce and association as detestable and accursed, as being of perverse and pestilent faith and religion. Moreover it is credible that the more zealous Antichristians, and those who above all others will seek the favor of Antichrist, will cut or burn his character upon themselves and theirs; others however will wear it either impressed on paper, or engraved on medals, on the forehead or hand. Thus Antichrist's forerunner Diocletian issued a fierce edict, that no one should sell or supply anything to Christians, unless they had first burned incense to the gods; concerning which the Venerable Bede thus sings in the Hymn of St. Justin the Martyr: "To them no opportunity of buying Or selling was allowed, Nor even to draw water Was permission given, Before they burned incense To the detestable idols." You will ask: What will be the character of Antichrist? First, Alcazar thinks the character will be nothing other than the name itself, or the number of the name of the beast. But the words indicate otherwise; for verse 17 says: "He that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name:" therefore these three will be distinct from one another, namely the character, the name, and the number of the name of Antichrist. Second, Viegas thinks there will be three characters of Antichrist: first, the image of Antichrist expressed to the life; second, his own proper name inscribed in its own letters; third, the letters which contain the number of his name by abbreviation, which number will be 666. Therefore all will be compelled to wear something of these three as it were the character of Antichrist on the forehead or right hand, as St. John here says: properly therefore by character Viegas understands the image of Antichrist. Third, St. Hippolytus, lib. De Consum. saeculi, thinks the name, equally as the character of Antichrist, will be αρνουμαι, that is "I deny." For just as formerly Trajan (as Pliny testifies), Decius and other tyrants, who wished to bring Christians back to the worship of their idols, demanded of them that they say: "I deny Christ crucified;" so Antichrist, says Hippolytus, will say: "Deny thy God crucified." His seal and character therefore, which he will demand from all, will be this: "I deny the Creator of heaven and earth, I deny baptism, I deny the worship of God as it was customary to be rendered to me: I cleave to thee, I believe in thee." For this will be the profession of apostasy and apostates. Wherefore Pererius in Daniel XII, 1: Among many it is agreed that this will be the mark of Antichrist: "I deny baptism," or "I deny Jesus." Fourth, Ribera here at verse 4 thinks that the Antichrist will have the form of a dragon as his character (just as the Romans once bore eagles, and dragons throughout the individual cohorts, those who carried which were called draconarii, as Vegetius testifies, lib. II On Military Affairs, cap. XIII), so that by it he might represent his demon from whom he is sent, and by whom he will be driven and governed. But the pride of the Antichrist, equally as that of the demon, will not bear this form; for neither will the demon wish to be seen and named a dragon, nor will the Antichrist wish to be seen as sent by a dragon, especially because he himself alone will wish to be adored as God. Fifth therefore, more probably Primasius and Ansbertus (who asserts that this was revealed to him by God) think that the character of the Antichrist will be the name of the Antichrist, expressed in abbreviated form by this character. Where the letter P is the Greek ρ, which corresponds to the Latin R: two transverse lines make the Greek X chi, corresponding to the Latin ch: a third straight line in the middle between the two transverse lines is the Greek I iota, corresponding to the Latin i, which are the three initial letters of the name Χριστοσ, that is, Christ. For the Antichrist will call himself Christ and Messiah. That this is so is evident first, because at verse 17 it is called the character of his name: therefore by this character his name will be expressed in abbreviated form, as it is expressed in the figure already mentioned. Second, because Constantine already bore this mark and character of Christ mentioned, on his labarum before his camps, and by it conquered Maxentius and other enemies. Whence Prudentius, lib. II Against Symmachus, speaking of the Roman army of Stilicho, thus sings: "The trumpets sounded: the first standard with dragons Went before, which bears the apex of Christ more sublimely." Therefore it is probable that the Antichrist will do the same, who will be a most powerful King, and more glorious than Constantine: for he will be the ape of Christ and of Christian Emperors, and will wish to be held, named and worshipped as Christ. Third, because Julian the Apostate, as he himself testifies in the Misopogon, expressed the name of Christ by the letter X chi. But he himself was a type and forerunner of the Antichrist. Tropologically, learn here that the character of Christ is the pure and genuine cross, Apoc. VII, 3; but the character of the Antichrist is P, that is ροδον, that is the rose and pleasure, raising its head among its thorns. Thus Tertullian, lib. On the Crown of the Soldier, teaches that the crown of a Christian is that which was Christ's, namely thorny, not rosy, and therefore it is unlawful for a Christian to be crowned with roses, myrtle, laurel, etc., for by these idols are crowned, and the gods of the Gentiles, that is demons; wherefore we must choose with Christ, and from the institution of Christ, St. Catherine of Siena, and all Martyrs and Saints, in this life the thorny crown, so that in the future we may be crowned with a rosy, indeed golden and jeweled crown; as he himself says at cap. XIV, "You should emulate that crown, which afterwards came to him, who tasted honeycomb after gall, nor was the King of glory saluted by the heavenly ones before he was the King of the Jews proscribed to the cross, diminished first by the Father a little less than the Angels, and thus crowned with glory and honor. If for these things you owe your head to him, such, if you can, repay to him as he offered his for yours; or do not be crowned with flowers, if you cannot with thorns." The same, lib. On Spectacles, cap. XXVIII: "Our suppers, our nuptials are not yet; we cannot recline with them (the worldly and pleasure-seekers), because neither can they with us. The matter is arranged by turns. Now they rejoice, we struggle. The world will be glad, you will be sad. Let us mourn therefore, while the Gentiles rejoice, so that when they begin to mourn, we may rejoice, lest rejoicing together now, we also mourn together then. You are delicate, Christian, if you also covet pleasure in the world; indeed you are too foolish, if you think this is pleasure. I would ask you to say: Can we not live without pleasure, we who must die with pleasure? For what else is our wish, than that of the Apostles also, to depart from the world, and to be received with the Lord? Here is pleasure, where also is the wish." And soon after: "What greater pleasure than disgust of pleasure itself, than contempt of the whole world, than true freedom, than an entire conscience, than no fear of death, that you trample upon the gods of nations, etc., that you live to God? Behold the course of the world, count the passing times, await the consummation of iniquity, raise yourself at the trumpet of the Angel, glory in the palms of martyrdom." For this reason St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. Ignatius, thirsted for crosses, panted for martyrdoms as for feasts; but they fled and turned away from delights, pomp, riches, honors. The cross therefore is the character of the Saints and the elect, but pleasure is the character of the impious and the reprobate. On the Foreheads St. Ephrem, treatise on the Antichrist, says that the Antichrist will do this for this purpose, namely so that there may not be a place on the forehead where the cross might be formed and painted by the right hand. For he will fear lest by making the sign of the cross, his power and strength might collapse. Mystically St. Augustine, lib. XX On the City of God, cap. IX: "On the forehead through profession; on the hand, through operation;" and St. Prosper in Half the Time, cap. V: "Inscription on the forehead is boasting in evil works; inscription on the hand, is operation."
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"Or the number of his name," — namely the number 666, which is expressed in Greek through the letters χ, ξ, ς; for χ denotes 600, ξ 60, ς 6. But it is uncertain whether the Antichrist will use the Greek language, letters and number, or the Hebrew (for he will be a Jew, the prince and Messiah of the Jews), or some other. Again, it is uncertain whether there will be as many letters as there are digits of the number six (namely three); or whether rather several letters make up one digit, for example ε denotes one hundred, ο two hundred, ω three hundred: which joined together make six hundred, which is the first digit in 666.
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"Here is wisdom," — as if to say: Be wise, take heed, you who will live in the time of the Antichrist, and you will see that his name and the number of his name arithmetically make 666. For here wisdom is needed, and a wise and diligent investigation and calculation of this number, so that then from it, corresponding adequately to his name; as also from other things said and to be said, you may know him to be the one whom I here predict, namely the Antichrist. Whence, explaining this, he adds: "He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast." Again: "Here is wisdom," so that whoever from this number recognizes the beast, may avoid his snares, and strongly oppose him, and steadfastly adhere to Christ even unto death. For wisdom is the mistress of the adamantine, that is, of the firm and manly movements of the soul, such as anger, love, fear, etc.: "She placeth pure sacred things in an unshaken mind." And the Number of Him Is First, plainly and genuinely, as if to say: This number of the name is of some particular and certain man, namely the Antichrist, lest anyone think he will not be a man, but a beast or a demon, as St. Hippolytus thought, in his treatise On the Consummation of the Age. Thus Bede. Whence secondly, Richard: "The number of a man is, that is, which can easily be calculated by a man." And Alcazar, as if to say: "Let him who has the strength of intellect carefully observe the value of the letters which the name of the beast contains, and subtract their sum. For it is the number of a man, that is, which can and ought to be calculated by a man in the human manner." And Arethas, as if to say: "The name of which I speak is not unusual and strange, but known and familiar to men, inasmuch as its letters according to the common calculation of men through letters make 666." Third, others think that St. John in the word "man" designates himself, as if to say: "This calculation is mine, and it is of the value of the same letters which I wrote, in the first epistle, chapter II, verse 16." Thus Alcazar, of whom more presently. Symbolically, as if to say: This number is six, and it is tripled, namely 666. The number six is called the number of man, because man was created on the sixth day of the world, Genesis 1, 26. Concerning this symbol hear Peter Bungus, in his treatise On the Mysteries of Numbers: "The Antichrist will wish to be called God; yet he will be a beast, that is, a creature and a man; whence John says: 'The number of a man is.' For the number of a creature and of man is six, because on the sixth day God completed the creation of things, and on the seventh day he rested: hence also seven is the number of God, six of man. Moreover, this six is not simple, but triple, namely 666. For from the first, that is, the single limit, passing into the second, that is the ten, it makes sixty; and the same transferred into the third, that is the hundred, makes six hundred, which placed together make 666. Namely, so that the triple transgression and depravity of the devil, who will preside over the Antichrist, may be noted, as well as damnation. The first is, when judged in heaven he received the sentence of damnation. The second is, when in the serpent, through whom he had deceived man, he was punished with a curse. The third is, when in the Antichrist seducing the world he will be cast down into Tartarus, when namely the Lord Jesus will kill him with the spirit of his mouth, and will destroy him with the brightness of his coming." And His Number Is Six Hundred Sixty-Six Hence some from Aureolus and Lyran think the Antichrist was Mahomet, who reigned until the year of the Lord 666. Again, the letters of the name Mahomet, if taken arithmetically as indices of numbers, make the number 666. Thus formerly Cedrenus, and Zonaras, book III of the Annals, and Genebrardus, book III of the Chronology, whom I cited at verse 1, thought. But they are mistaken: for it seems certain and clear from Scripture that Mahomet was not the Antichrist, but another is expected, and he will be at the end of the world. Again, Mahomet began to reign in the year of Christ 620, and reigned ten years, and ceased and died in the year of Christ 630, not 666: thus from the annals of the ancients Cardinal Baronius. Secondly, the Calvinists and Lutherans contend that Boniface III the Pontiff was the first Antichrist, because he was the first to receive the name of universal Pope from the Emperor Phoca in the year of the Lord 600; but they err in many ways: first, because the number of the beast, that is of the Antichrist, is said here to be not 600, but 666, or a threefold six; for in this lies the force and mystery. Secondly, because before Boniface III, Leo I in the Council of Chalcedon, and other Pontiffs were called by the Fathers and by the faithful Ecumenical Popes, as Baronius and Bellarmine show at length. Thirdly, because this number 666 is not of time, but of a man. Fourthly, because the Antichrist will be a singular man, against whom Elias and Henoch will contend, and he will reign for three and a half years at the end of the world, etc. But now the Popes of Rome after Boniface III have reigned for more than a thousand years. Thirdly, Alcazar understands by the beast not the Antichrist, but the Roman Empire, pagan and persecuting the Church. "His name is the pride of life," which in Greek is called ἡ ἀλαζονεία βίου; for these Greek words, if their letters are individually reckoned arithmetically as numbers, equal the number 666. This name was borne by the Roman Emperors and persecutors. First in the hand, displaying this pride against humble Christians, and executing it through plagues and deaths; secondly on the forehead, glorying in the same and boasting of themselves. John noted the same name in his first epistle, chapter II, verse 16, saying: "All that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life." But the Roman Empire did not assume this name for itself, nor did it prefer it: even if it did prefer the thing itself. But here we are dealing with a name which will be proper to the beast, and which it itself will prefer. Add that it is certain among all that this beast will be the Antichrist, not the Roman Empire. I say therefore according to the letter: The proper name of the Antichrist will contain those letters which, taken arithmetically, will precisely make the number 666. Thus the Fathers and Interpreters everywhere, and therefore either by conjecture, or rather by way of example, bring forth various names which equal this number. First, Irenaeus brings forth the name λατεῖνος, which heretics wrongly twist to the Roman Pontiff, as is evident from what has been said, and from the fact that Irenaeus attributes this name not to the Pope, who already existed then, but to the Antichrist, whom he asserts will come at the end of the world, and will be a king and Emperor. For he says: "Because this kingdom has a most true name. For the Latins (not Pontiffs, but Emperors) are those who now reign." Secondly, Rupertus and Haymo bring forth the name μόρφωσις, that is, seducer of the gentiles, as if Genseric, king of the Vandals, who devastated Rome under Pope Leo I, had been his forerunner. Thirdly, Anselmus and Richardus bring forth the name ἄντιμος, that is, contrary to honor; for to the Antichrist no honor, but rather all shame and anathema is fitting. Fourthly, St. Hippolytus, in the treatise On the Consummation of the Age, brings forth ἀρνοῦμαι, that is, I deny; for the Antichrist will force all to say: "I deny Christ crucified." Fifthly, others bring forth the name τιτάνος, that is, of a giant; for the Antichrist will be like the ancient giants, most proud, and equally impious. Sixthly, Aretas brings forth the name νικητής, that is, victor, and moreover six others. Our Viegas brings forth fifteen. Indeed both Martin Luther in Saxon, David Chytraeus in Greek, John Calvin in Hebrew, as also Beza noted to render this number 666 as Antitheos, as Lindanus in the Dubitantio, dialogue 3, Bellarmine, book III On the Pontiff, chapter X, have annotated. Wherefore since so many various names are brought forth which render this number 666, and many more could be brought forth, and no revelation exists which explains and determines the certain name of the Antichrist, it is rash to define which one of all will truly be it, especially since St. John purposely kept silent about it. Therefore he brings forth only this number 666 of his name, so that when the Antichrist is born and named, all from this number corresponding to his name and equaling it, and from other signs both from this chapter and the preceding one by John, and from Daniel, chapters VII and XI, and from Paul, II Thessalonians chapter II, may gather that he is the Antichrist. Thus the Sibyl, book V of the Oracles, foretold through numbers the names of many Emperors. For concerning Tiberius she sings: "After a long time the Empire will be handed to one, to whom the first letter will be worth three hundred." For T among the Greeks denotes 300. Concerning Caius Caligula: "Then he who has obtained the mark of the triple number will have the Empire." For Γ denotes 3; or rather γ, which is the first in the Greek γάιος, denotes 3. Concerning Nero: "Whom indeed the lord marked by the fiftieth sign, will be a dread serpent." For N denotes 50. Concerning Vespasian: "Hence shall come a certain great one, and a caesar of evils, whom a clear mark of seventeen shall teach." For O, which is the first letter in the name Vespasian; if it be written in Greek (for in place of the Latin V the Greeks write ου), denotes 70. Concerning Titus: "But the son of this one (note the mark of thirty shows) shall take away the empire." For T denotes 300. Concerning Domitian: "After whom the fatal one shall hold the empire, whom the letter of the fourth number marks." For Δ denotes 4. Concerning Nerva: "Hence an honest man shall have the number fifty." For N denotes 50. Concerning Trajan: "Whom he follows, to whom the mark of thirty gives a name." For T denotes 300. By a similar scheme of numbers, by which John here denotes the name of the Antichrist, Heliodorus, in book IX of the Aethiopica, teaches that the Nile is nothing other than a year; for the letters which are contained in the name Nile, distributed into numbers, will amount to three hundred and sixty-five units, as many as there are days in a year, as is evident from this combination of the letters of the name Nile and numbers: Νειλος (Ν=50, ε=5, ι=10, λ=30, ο=70, ς=200), the sum is 365. So in the epigrams of the Greeks, book II, Epigram 253, it is shown wittily and acutely that the name of a certain Damagoras is isopsephic in numbers with the name λοιμος, that is, plague: Δαμαγορας (Δ=4, α=1, μ=40, α=1, γ=3, ο=70, ρ=100, α=1, ς=200), the sum is 420; and λοιμος (λ=30, ο=70, ι=10, μ=40, ο=70, ς=200), the sum is 420. Finally, in a similar manner the Sibyl, in book I of the Oracles, predicted that the name of Christ would express the number 888 in its letters. For the name Jesus expresses this: in Greek indeed Ιησους, ι denotes 10, η 8, σ 200, ο 70, υ 400, σ 200, which joined together make 888. Where note that the name of Christ contains 888, but that of the Antichrist 666, because the number eight is the symbol of perfection, consummation and eternal happiness (especially if repeated three times, as happens in 888) which Jesus bestows; the Antichrist, however, will pretend this happiness, promise it, and aspire to it, but will not attain it: nor will he exhibit it, but only its shadow and counterfeit, to his own followers. For the number six is the symbol of man created, imperfect and corruptible, and sinful, as I said a little before. Note secondly: The things which John describes in this chapter are connected with the preceding chapter, as is evident to one comparing the two with each other: yet these same things were exhibited to St. John through diverse visions and symbols, as also to other Prophets their oracles were, so that he might understand each thing more distinctly separately, and having understood it, might describe and explain it. The same was done in what follows: wherefore we shall from time to time see the order disturbed, and hysterologia after the prophetic manner. From this preceding and following chapter it is clear how great, how sharp, how varied and how complete the persecution of the Antichrist shall be in the future. For first, then the devil will exert his utmost rage and powers; whence it is said, cap. XII, vers. 12: "Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time!" Secondly, because the Antichrist will employ all arts to deceive: namely, feigned sanctity, eloquence, wisdom, blandishments, promises, riches, honors, threats, terrors, most bitter torments: and moreover he will work wonders, that is, marvels which will appear to men as wonders. Whence St. Gregory, XXXII Moral., cap. XII: "Let us consider what that temptation of the human mind shall be, when a pious martyr subjects his body to torments, and yet before his eyes, twisted, he works wonders? Whose virtue then shall not be shaken from the very depths of his thoughts, when he who tortures with scourges shines with signs? It is therefore rightly said: He stretcheth his tail like a cedar, because indeed he shall be both lofty then in veneration of the prodigy, and hard in cruelty of torment; whence also through David it is said: He lieth in wait in secret, as a lion in his den." Finally, the Antichrist will be the instrument of the devil, and as it were the devil incarnate. Whence the Apostle, II Thessal. II, 9: "Whose coming is according to the operation of Satan, in all power and signs, and lying wonders, and in all seduction of iniquity to them that perish." Wherefore, as St. Hippolytus says, tract. On the Consummation of the Ages, the Martyrs shall then be more illustrious and sublime than in former ages; for they shall contend against the dragon, and the Antichrist, the prince of all wickedness, and shall overcome both, and shall triumph over both. Thus the gravity and severity of the persecution of the Antichrist is evident from what has been said, both in this chapter and in II Thessal. II, 11, Question V. To which add that the same is to be measured and conjectured from the ancient persecutions of the Gentiles and heretics. For all these, as it were preliminary skirmishes, this final one of the Antichrist shall comprehend, and far surpass. First therefore, read what Eusebius, Orosius, Baronius and others write concerning the savage persecution of Nero, Decius, Diocletian and other Emperors in the first three hundred years after Christ: compress and combine all these things into the three and a half years of the Antichrist, and you will see how great his savagery will be. For whatever the Christians suffered scattered over three hundred years successively, the same number of Christians will suffer all at once in three and a half years from the Antichrist, indeed far more and more terrible things. For Nero and his other followers were only a type and prelude of the Antichrist; this is what the Apostle says of him, II Thessalonians II, 7: "The mystery of iniquity already worketh." Second, read what Victor of Utica writes concerning the persecution of the Vandals; what Optatus of Milevis writes concerning the Donatists; what St. Athanasius and others write concerning the Arians: and know that these were only shadows of the Antichrist. And to pass over others, a shadow of the Antichrist was Constantius, the Arian Emperor. For first, Constantius, most inconstant, "always seeks new faiths," says St. Hilary, in his book to Constantius. Second, Constantius affected patience and gentleness, but through his ministers he fulfilled his fury. Third, Constantius was called Eternal by the Arians: thus the Antichrist will wish to be worshipped and adored as the eternal God. Again, Constantius was held in the place of the Antichrist, while he wished his palace to be the church, says St. Athanasius, in his letter to the Solitaries: thus the Antichrist will sit in the temple of God, as in his own palace, as the Apostle testifies, II Thessalonians II, 4. Moreover, fourth, Constantius in exiles separated the Confessors from one another, lest they might comfort and encourage each other mutually, whereas Decius and Diocletian did not deprive them of this consolation, but sent them together and joined into exile, says St. Hilary in the place cited. Fifth, Constantius wished to appear and to be held as Christian and Catholic, and therefore he strove to entice the orthodox Catholics to his sect by feigned benevolence, lest he should appear to imitate the savagery of Decius and Diocletian, although in fact he was more savage; for he so tortured the faithful that he did not wish them to be killed, so that they might live without martyrdom in torments. Whence St. Basil, epistle 60, asserts that the persecution of Constantius was so atrocious and horrible that he thinks it to be the beginning of the persecution of the Antichrist. Hear St. Hilary in the place cited: "Would that, almighty God, Thou hadst granted to my age and time, that I might have fulfilled this ministry of my confession in Thee, and in Thy Only-begotten Son, in the times of Nero and Decius! Nor therefore through the mercy of the Lord and of Thy Son Jesus Christ, would I have feared the burning rack, which I would have endured if I had been cut in pieces like Isaiah; nor would I have feared fires, among which I remember the Hebrew children sang; nor would I have avoided the cross, nor the breaking of my limbs, after I had remembered the thief translated into paradise; nor would I have trembled at the deep sea, and the devouring tide of the Pontus, since Thou hadst taught the faithful through Jonah and Paul that life is in the sea. Against enemies openly arrayed, that struggle would have been blessed for me, etc.; and we, Thy people, as if following our leaders, would accompany them in the religion of confession, understanding the public persecution. But now we fight against a persecutor who deceives, against an enemy who flatters, against Constantius the Antichrist, who does not strike the back, but caresses the belly; does not proscribe unto life, but enriches unto death; does not thrust into prison unto liberty, but honors within the palace unto servitude; does not vex the sides, but occupies the heart; does not cut off the head with the sword, but kills the soul with gold; does not threaten fires publicly, but kindles hell privately; confesses Christ, that he may deny him." And further down: "All things most savage thou accomplishest without the envy of glorious deaths. With a new and unheard-of triumph of cunning thou overcomest the devil, and persecutest without martyrdom. We owe more to thy cruelty, O Nero, Decius, Maximian. For through you we have overcome the devil. The blood of the blessed Martyrs everywhere was received, while in these the demons roar, while diseases are driven away, etc. But thou, most cruel of all the cruel, with greater loss to us, and with less pardon, dost rage. Thou creepest in under the name of one who is kind, thou killest under the appearance of religion. Most wicked of mortals, thou so temperest all the evils of persecution, that thou excludest both pardon in sin, and martyrdom in confession. But that father of thine, the artificer of human deaths, taught thee this, to conquer without contumacy, to slay without the sword, to persecute without infamy, to hate without suspicion, to lie without understanding, to profess without faith, to flatter without goodness; to do what thou wishest, nor to make manifest what thou wishest." Sixth, Constantius strove with marvelous arts and frauds to pervert the orthodox. Hear St. Hilary reproaching him: "We see the fleece of thy sheep, rapacious wolf. With the gold of the commonwealth thou honorest the Saint of God, thou receivest priests with a kiss, by which Christ also was betrayed: thou submittest thy head to blessing, that thou mayest trample upon faith; thou honorest with a banquet, from which Judas went forth to betray: thou remittest the poll tax, which Christ paid, lest it should be a scandal: thou givest the taxes of Caesar, that thou mayest invite Christians to denial; thou relaxest what is thine, that what is God's may be lost. These are thy false sheep's garments." Finally, the empire was taken from Constantius together with his life, since he himself took away the divinity from Christ the Son of God, and this by Julian the Apostate, whom he himself had designated as it were a kinsman, partner and heir of the empire, and had made Caesar. Wherefore dying, Constantius grieved over three things, says St. Gregory of Nazianzus, in his oration On the Praises of St. Athanasius: "One, that he had brought death upon his own family (for at the beginning of his reign he killed some of his blood relations); another, that he had named Julian the Apostate Emperor (by making him Caesar); third, that he had striven for new dogmas of faith, and together with these words departed from life." These and many more things the Antichrist also shall do. Third, Julian the Apostate surpassed Constantius, Decius and Diocletian, and the other persecutors, and therefore was above all of them a type and precursor of Antichrist. His persecution therefore was most bitter, for many reasons. For first, Julian supported magicians, and made use of their magical arts, and had messengers who were demons, whom St. Publius the monk resisted, as is evident from his Life. Second, he bestowed honors upon deserters and apostates, and with his blandishments solicited the faithful to apostasy and idolatry. Thus he flattered Gregory of Nazianzus, adorning his brother Caesarius with a prefecture; but Gregory refused this, and commanded Caesarius to resign the prefecture to Julian. Third, he simulated piety; hence he prepared to build monasteries and convents of virgins, and hospices, says Nazianzus, in his first oration against Julian. Fourth, "He forbade Christians to be taught and to learn the liberal arts," says St. Augustine, book XVIII of the City of God, chapter LII, namely that he might deprive them of the weapons of wisdom, by which they defended their faith. Again, that he might call Christians into hatred and contempt, he called them Galileans, and that all should call them thus, he established it by public edict. Fifth, he envied Christians their martyrdom, and did not wish them to be overcome and confounded with constancy in torments. For, as St. John Chrysostom says, in his sermon On St. Juventius and Maximus, whom Julian afflicted with martyrdom: "Seeing Julian even tender boys and virgins rushing to death for religion, he was tortured and grieved. But he did not wish to wage open war: for all, he said, would fly to martyrdom as bees to a hive." And further below: "When the faithful were being slain, hanged, burned, precipitated, cast to beasts, they trampled coals like mud, they looked upon the sea and its waves like a meadow, they ran to the sword as to a diadem and crown. Nor do gardens watered with streams so germinate, as the Church germinates if watered with the blood of Martyrs. Therefore, he says, we shall not prepare triumphs and crowns for them. But what does he do? He commands all physicians, soldiers and orators either to depart from their professions or to abjure their faith, hurling darts from afar, so that if they fell away from the faith, they would be ridiculously overcome: but if they generously persevered and conquered, the victory would seem small: for there is nothing great in despising an art or profession for piety." Sixth, he simulated patience and clemency, when he was furious and most cruel. Hence he stirred up persecution; but he permitted the execution and tyranny to the cities and to the populace, whose audacity is unbridled and intolerable, says Nazianzen, oration 1 against Julian, where he calls him a chameleon, because he turned himself into every form of fraud, but in such a way that after vain enticements were applied, he immediately applied more violence. Again, when he killed Martyrs for the sake of faith, he did not attribute faith to their death, but pretended another political reason and charge, as the Calvinists still do. Seventh, he removed the sign of the cross from the labarum and elsewhere, and substituted Jupiter in its place, as Sozomen testifies, lib. V, cap. XVI. He caused the relics of St. Babylas the Martyr, and of others, by which the power of magicians and demons was broken, to be exported at their instigation, says Chrysostom, oration Against the Gentiles. Eighth, he ingeniously devised arts for perverting the faithful. Thus in Constantinople at the time of Lent in the forum, when there was a scarcity of provisions, he arranged that only meat sacrificed to idols be offered for sale, so that he might force the citizens either to eat food sacrificed to idols or to die of hunger. Thus he ordered Clerics to be enrolled in the military; he burdened the faithful with great tributes; he drove Pastors and Bishops into exile, so that he might more easily draw the simple people, lacking leaders, to his sect. He deprived Christians of their goods at will, solely for this reason, that Christ commanded Christians to despise temporal things and wealth. Again, he permitted Jews, Arians and Donatist heretics to rage against Christians, indeed he stirred them up, so that Christians might destroy themselves by mutual lawsuits and slaughter; Optatus is witness, lib. II. Ninth, Julian, in order to gain authority for himself among the people, wished to be believed to be Alexander the Great (for he himself believed, and wished to be believed by others, in the Pythagorean μετεμψυχωσιν, that is, the transmigration of souls from one body into another), as if the soul of Alexander had transmigrated into him, and he himself were Alexander in another body, as Cardinal Baronius relates from Socrates, in the year of Christ 363. Finally, Julian was struck down by a divine heavenly weapon and perished, and yet dying he affected divine honors. These and many more things the Antichrist will also accomplish, and he will surpass all these by as much as the body surpasses the shadow, truth the type, the exemplar the image. From this chapter therefore you may gather what kind the Antichrist will be, what his gifts and character, namely first, from vers. 1, that he will be most powerful; for he will subdue the beast and its ten horns, that is, all the kingdoms of the world. Second, vers. 2, that he will be fierce as a bear, proud as a lion, varied and crafty as a leopard. Third, in the same place, that the devil will deliver to him all his power, and through him will exert all and his extreme forces. Fourth, vers. 3, that he will feign to rise from the dead. Hence fifth, vers. 4, that he will be adored by men. Sixth, vers. 5, that he will be a blasphemer against God, the Church and the Saints, and that as a monarch he will reign three and a half years. Seventh, vers. 7, that he will make war against the Saints and will kill them. Eighth, in the same place, that he will subdue absolutely all nations to himself, and will be the monarch of the whole world. Ninth, vers. 10, that finally he will be killed by Christ. Tenth, vers. 12, that he will have his own precursor, a false prophet, who will persuade and compel all to adore the Antichrist. Eleventh, vers. 13, that he will work false miracles, namely that fire descend from heaven, and the image of the Antichrist speak. Twelfth, vers. 14, he will order the image of the Antichrist to be painted everywhere as if rising from the dead. Thirteenth, vers. 15, he will order all who will not adore the image of the Antichrist to be killed. Fourteenth, vers. 16, he will compel all to bear the character or name of the Antichrist in the right hand or on the forehead, and will decree that no one without it be able to buy or sell anything. Fifteenth, vers. 18, that the name of the Antichrist will express the number 666 in its letters.
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
13:1
The d. fights the Church by stirring up the two Beasts or the two-formed Antichrist (v.) (Rev. 13:1-18); but it is defeated: "the d., the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan" is bound for a thousand years (20:2: cf. J. Ph. Vogel, p. 199: the "king of serpents" Sesa is hung head …
13:3
… seas and controls all commerce (Apoc. 13:17; 18:11-19); master of all means, he irresistibly subjugates and fascinates men with masked violence and flattering promises, and through self-interest and pleasures estranges them from the heavenly Kingdom (Apoc. 13:3-17; 17:3-4, 17-18; 18:9-24): rather than fighting God directly he substitutes himself (ἀντίθεος) in the hearts of men, this being the only way to annihilate His Kingdom. …
13:6
Tabernacle (Tent) of Meeting (Hebrew 'Ohel, usually followed by Me'eth: "Tabernacle of Convene")
… In the court, finally, there were the altar of holocausts and the bronze basin ("sea"), with a stand for the water of the ablutions of the officiating priests (Ex. 30:17-21; 38:8). The symbolism of the T. is evident (cf. Heb. 8-9; Rev. 13:6; 15:5; 21:3). Each object had its own symbolism.
13:17
… The Antichrist asserts himself through the centuries until he brings about the "apostasy": he is a politico-economic power that holds dominion over the seas and controls all commerce (Apoc. 13:17; 18:11-19); master of all means, he irresistibly subjugates and fascinates men with masked violence and flattering promises, and through self-interest and pleasures estranges them …
13:18
The text is an addition to Jerome's revision of the work of Victorinus of Pettau on Apoc. 13:18. Morin considered it a work of St. Jerome himself (v. Revue Bénédictine, 20 [1903], pp. 225-32; id., Anecdota Maredsolana, Maredsous 1903, pp. 194-98; id., Etudes, Textes, Découvertes, …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.