Revelation of John 13:5
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The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
blasphemies--So ANDREAS reads. B reads "blasphemy." A, "blasphemous things" (compare Dan 7:8; Dan 11:25). power--"authority"; legitimate power (Greek, "exousia"). to continue--Greek, "poiesai," "to act," or "work." B reads, "to make war" (compare Rev 13:4). But A, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and ANDREAS omit "war." forty . . . two month--(See on Rev 11:2-3; Rev 12:6).
Open source ↗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.
Open source ↗13:5-8 The four characteristics of the beast are that he (1) blasphemes God, (2) has authority for a limited time, (3) makes war against God’s people, and (4) rules the world. But God is in control. 13:5 The forty-two months are the three and a half years of persecution and evil domination (see study note on 11:2-3).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time.
While I was contemplating the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like those of a man and a mouth that spoke words of arrogance.
Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished.
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Then I kept watching because of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued to watch, the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.
I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn whose appearance was more imposing than the others, with eyes and with a mouth that spoke words of arrogance.
He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.