Revelation 13:1
Καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον, ἔχον κέρατα δέκα, καὶ κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων αὐτοῦ, δέκα διαδήματα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ, ὀνόματα βλασφημίας.
and I saw out of the sea a beast rising having ten horns and seven heads and his horns, ten crowns and on his heads names of blasphemy.
Paraphrase: While I was looking at this hideous dragon standing on the shore of this sea, I saw another sight. Out of this sea (Revelation 17:15), arose a beast as hideous as the dragon which was now standing nearby. This beast had ten horns and seven heads. On each horn was a crown and on each head were written all sorts of blasphemous titles and expressions.
Comments:
Revelation 13:2
καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδον ἦν ὅμοιον παρδάλει, καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὡς ἄρκου, καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ὡς στόμα λέοντος. καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ δράκων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην.
and the beast which I saw was like a leopard and his feet as a bear and his mouth as a mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
Paraphrase:
Comments:
Revelation 13:3
Καὶ μίαν ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐσφαγμένην εἰς θάνατον. καὶ ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη, καὶ ἐθαυμάσθη ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τοῦ θηρίου.
Revelation 13:4
καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ δράκοντι, ὅτι ἔδωκεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῷ θηρίῳ· καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θηρίῳ, λέγοντες, Τίς ὅμοιος τῷ θηρίῳ; καὶ τίς δύναται πολεμῆσαι μετ’ αὐτοῦ;
Revelation 13:5
Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στόμα λαλοῦν μεγάλα καὶ βλασφημίας· καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ποιῆσαι μῆνας τεσσεράκοντα [καὶ] δύο.
Revelation 13:6
καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ εἰς βλασφημίας πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, βλασφημῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας.
Revelation 13:7
Καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτούς. καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐξουσία ἐπὶ πᾶσαν φυλὴν καὶ λαὸν καὶ γλῶσσαν καὶ ἔθνος.
Revelation 13:8
καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὗ οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Ἀρνίου τοῦ ἐσφαγμένου, ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.
Revelation 13:9
Εἴ τις ἔχει οὖς, ἀκουσάτω.
If anyone has ears, let him hear.
Paraphrase: Now listen carefully to what I am saying, dear people. Watch carefully that you do not be led astray by this dreadful beast.
Comments:
Revelation 13:10
εἴ τις εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν, εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπάγει· εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀποκτανθῆναι. ὧδέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπομονὴ καὶ ἡ πίστις τῶν ἁγίων.
If anyone into captivity, into captivity he goes; if anyone by sword to be killed, he is by sword to be killed. Here is perseverance and the faith of the saints.
Paraphrase: Better by far to be arrested and imprisoned for staying true to God than to compromise and to give yourself over to darkness and evil. Yes, it’s true, we have to face reality. When you are forced to choose between imprisonment or denying Christ, then let that be an easy choice for you. In this situation, gladly embrace captivity! Even if you are given a choice between the sword and denying Christ, go forth boldly and embrace the sword. Yes, this is the time to persevere in our allegiance to Christ. This is an opportunity for you to exercise the faith which God has worked in your soul.
Comments:
Alas that these are all first class conditions. The saints will face persecution; see the Decian persecution, the Valerian persecution, and the Diocletian persecution. Also here, here, here.
See principle 23.
Revelation 13:11
Καὶ εἶδον ἄλλο θηρίον ἀναβαῖνον ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εἶχεν κέρατα δύο ὅμοια ἀρνίῳ, καὶ ἐλάλει ὡς δράκων.
Revelation 13:12
καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πρώτου θηρίου πᾶσαν ποιεῖ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιεῖ τὴν γῆν καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦντας, ἵνα προσκυνήσουσιν τὸ θηρίον τὸ πρῶτον, οὗ ἐθεραπεύθη ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ.
Revelation 13:13
Καὶ ποιεῖ σημεῖα μεγάλα, ἵνα καὶ πῦρ ποιῇ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβαίνειν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
Revelation 13:14
καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, διὰ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θηρίου, λέγων τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ποιῆσαι εἰκόνα τῷ θηρίῳ ὃς ἔχει τὴν πληγὴν τῆς μαχαίρης καὶ ἔζησεν.
Revelation 13:15
καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ δοῦναι πνεῦμα τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου, ἵνα καὶ λαλήσῃ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ θηρίου, καὶ ποιήσῃ ἵνα ὅσοι ἐὰν μὴ προσκυνήσωσιν τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θηρίου ἀποκτανθῶσιν.
Revelation 13:16
Καὶ ποιεῖ πάντας τοὺς μικροὺς καὶ τοὺς μεγάλους, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους καὶ τοὺς πτωχούς, καὶ τοὺς ἐλευθέρους καὶ τοὺς δούλους, ἵνα δῶσιν αὐτοῖς χάραγμα ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν τῆς δεξιᾶς, ἢ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῶν,
Revelation 13:17
καὶ ἵνα μή τις δύνηται ἀγοράσαι ἢ πωλῆσαι, εἰ μὴ ὁ ἔχων τὸ χάραγμα— τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θηρίου, ἢ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.
Revelation 13:18
Ὧδε ἡ σοφία ἐστίν. ὁ ἔχων νοῦν, ψηφισάτω τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοῦ θηρίου· ἀριθμὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτοῦ, ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ.