His ten horns first become visible. The prophet has shifted the diadems from the heads to the horns (thereby altering their number, of necessity), since he wishes to stamp the heads (_i.e._, the Roman emperors, _cf._ Sib. Or. iii. 176; Tac. _Ann._ xv. 47) with the blasphemous names. Hence the ten ho... [ Continue Reading ]
The empire gathered up all the obnoxious qualities of Israel's former oppressors: craft, lust of blood, and vicious energy. Hence the combination of traits from Daniel's four beasts: general appearance that of a fierce panther, feet like a bear's (_i.e._, plantigrade), jaws like a lion's (of devouri... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet sees in the empire an extraordinary vitality which adds to its fascination. Disasters which would suffice to ruin an ordinary state, leave Rome as strong as ever, thanks to her marvellous recuperative power. The allusion is not to the murder of Cæsar (so _e.g._, Bruston, Gunkel, Porter),... [ Continue Reading ]
All that had transpired Nero's own death heralding a return, and the collapse of his dynasty proving no fatal blow to the empire had simply aggrandised the influence of Rome. The Caesar-cult which characterised it is dubbed a worship of Satan by the indignant prophet. The hymn to the incomparable an... [ Continue Reading ]
“Big and blasphemous (or abusive; 2 Peter 2:11) words.” So Apoc. Bar. lxvii. 7: “surget rex Babylonis qui destruxit nunc Sionem et gloriabitur super populo et loquetur magna in corde suo coram Altissimo”.... [ Continue Reading ]
The days of Antiochus (Daniel 8:10-12) have returned. On the claims of the emperor, see Introd. § 6, and Sib. Or. ver 33, 34 (Nero ἰσάζων θεῷ αὐτόν), Asc. Isa. iv. 6 8, x. 13, etc. τοὺς … σκηνοῦντας, an exegetic gloss defining σκήνη (_cf._ Revelation 12:7; Revelation 12:12). The temple in Jerusalem... [ Continue Reading ]
In Enoch xlvi. 7 the rulers and kings “make themselves masters of the stars of heaven [_i.e._, the righteous], and raise their hands against the Most High”. The beast's world-wide authority goes back to the dragon's commission (2) but ultimately to divine permission (so in 5). There is a providence... [ Continue Reading ]
Standing on the verge of this crisis (note the change to the future tense), the prophet anticipates the almost universal success of the Cæsar-cult (_cf._ Revelation 3:10). Only the elect will be able to resist its appeal (_cf._ Matthew 24:25). As in the O.T., the consciousness of predestination is m... [ Continue Reading ]
The prophet's _nota bene_ introduces (Revelation 13:10) what is either (_a_) a demand for patience and non-resistance, or (_b_) an encouragement to it. (_a_) “Be patient. If captivity is your destiny from God, accept it. _If any one is_ (destined) _for captivity, to captivity he goes_ (in God's orde... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐκ τῆς γῆς the mythological trait is applied geographically to Asia Minor (_i.e._, the East). Here again the cosmological antithesis has been transformed into a political application. The marine monster cannot exercise dominion over the land except through an intermediary ἐκ τῆς γῆς. _Cf._ Apoc. Bar... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 13:11-18 : the Imperial _alter ego_ or the second beast, a monster from the land (identified afterwards with the traditional “false prophet,” Revelation 16:13; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10). This mythological figure is not any individual like Simon Magus or Alexander of Abonoteichos... [ Continue Reading ]
As Beliar sets up “his image before him in every city” (_Asc. Isa._ iv. 11, after 10 = “and there will be the power of his miracles in every city and region”), so here the εἰκών or bust of the emperor as the Neronic antichrist representing the empire (_cf._ the hint repeated from Revelation 13:12 _c... [ Continue Reading ]
The statue is made to speak, in order to work on the credulity and awe of the worshippers. The trick was well within the reach of contemporary magic (_cf._ Valer. Maxim, i. 8. 3 5), and later tradition attributed it to Simon Magus (Clem. _Recogn._ iii. 47, _cf._ Clem. _Hom._ ii. 32), while similar v... [ Continue Reading ]
Detection was inevitable, for the very coins were stamped (Matthew 22:19) with the head of the Cæsar, the gods, or Rome itself, and the prophet apparently expected that genuine Christians would refuse to sanction idolatry and condone blasphemy by handling such emblems of profanity (_cf._ Ign. _ad Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
“Now for wisdom” skill to penetrate the secret of the cryptogram which would reveal the features of the dread opponent. This cryptic method was a favourite apocalyptic device, due partly to prudential reasons, partly to the desire for impressiveness; Orientals loved symbolic and enigmatic modes of e... [ Continue Reading ]