Revelation of John 13:3

One of--literally, "from among." wounded . . . healed--twice again repeated emphatically (Rev 13:12, Rev 13:14); compare Rev 17:8, Rev 17:11, "the beast that was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit" (compare Rev 13:11); the Germanic empire, the seventh head (revived in the eighth), as yet future in John's time (Rev 17:10). Contrast the change whereby Nebuchadnezzar, being humbled from his self-deifying pride, was converted from his beast-like form and character to MAN'S form and true position towards God; symbolized by his eagle wings being plucked, and himself made to stand upon his feet as a man (Dan 7:4). Here, on the contrary, the beast's head is not changed into a human head, but receives a deadly wound, that is, the world kingdom which this head represents does not truly turn to God, but for a time its God-opposed character remains paralyzed ("as it were slain"; the very words marking the beast's outward resemblance to the Lamb, "as it were slain," see on Rev 5:6. Compare also the second beast's resemblance to the Lamb, Rev 13:11). Though seemingly slain (Greek for "wounded"), it remains the beast still, to rise again in another form (Rev 13:11). The first six heads were heathenish, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome; the new seventh world power (the pagan German hordes pouring down on Christianized Rome), whereby Satan had hoped to stifle Christianity (Rev 11:15-16), became itself Christianized (answering to the beast's, as it were, deadly wound: it was slain, and it is not, Rev 17:11). Its ascent out of the bottomless pit answers to the healing of its deadly wound (Rev 17:8). No essential change is noticed in Daniel as effected by Christianity upon the fourth kingdom; it remains essentially God-opposed to the last. The beast, heale…

We have, in this chapter, a further discovery and description of the church's enemies: not other enemies than are mentioned before, but described after another manner, that the methods of their enmity may more fully appear. They are represented as two beasts; the first you have an account of (Rev 13:1-10) the second (Rev 13:11, etc.). By the first some understand Rome pagan, and by the second Rome papal; but others understand Rome papal to be represented by both these beasts, by the first in its secular power, by the second in its ecclesiastical.

13:3 Satan often imitates God. Here the beast mimics the death and resurrection of Jesus. • That one of the heads had been fatally wounded but was healed has led to its identification with Nero. A tradition emerged that the emperor Nero (AD 54–68) was so evil that he either did not really die or would be reincarnated as another tyrant like Domitian (AD 81–96). In 17:9-10, the beast’s seven heads are linked both to seven hills (Rome) and to seven kings.