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 ]