The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.
“If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.”
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.
Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Commentary
The first Christians understood history in this way. Evil angel rulers had been permitted by God to rule for a certain time….The beast is permitted to utter blasphemies and make war on the saints, and they have to accept what the LORD has planned for them. The beast, as the agent of Satan, is testing the faith of the saints just as the LORD had permitted him to test the faith of Job….The beast from the sea (13.1) is the one to whom the red dragon gives 'his power, his throne and great authority’….In the final form of the Book of Revelation, the beast is identified as Nero….The identification of the beast as Nero has been a commonplace among scholars since it was first suggested a century ago.
The most popular identification of the false prophet is that he represented the priesthood of the imperial cult, practising magic and preventing Christians from engaging in trade….The false prophet made everyone wear the mark of the beast on their right hands and foreheads….Those who did not bear the mark of the beast were subjected to economic sanctions so that no one could buy or sell unless he bore the mark.
Musical Selection(Giacomo Carissimi)
Christus: Audite Sancti, audite justi, audite fortis electorum animae: ecce vas tradet Dominus in manus impiorum ut comprobaverit vas; accipiatis coronam vitae. Animae electae: Si tradiderit Dominus nos, servos suos, in manus impiorum, stabimus omnes in magna constantia adversus angustias persequentium. Quis enim nos separabit a caritate Christi?
Christus: Tribulatio an angustia? Animae electae: Non separabit. Christus: Persecutio an fames? Animae electae: Non separabit. Christus: Nuditas an periculum? Animae electae: Non separabit. Christus: Ignis an gladius? Animae electae: Non separabit. Christus: Si consistant castra adversum vos? Animae electae: Non timebit cor nostrum. Christus: Si exurgat proelium adversum vos? Animae electae: Non timebit cor nostrum. Christus: Si maledixerint vobis homines? Animae electae: Non timebit cor nostrum. Christus: Si principes persecuti vos fuerint? Animae electae: Non timebit cor nostrum: scimus enim quod passiones nostrae non sunt condignae ad futuram gloriam.
Christus: Saevientes tortorum manus? Animae electae: Non sunt condignae ad futuram gloriam. Christus: Formidabiles leonis molae? Animae electae: Non sunt condignae. Christus: Lanientes ungulae? Animae electae: Non sunt condignae. Christus: Igne candentes laminae? Animae electae: Non sunt condignae ad futuram gloriam.
Christus et Animae electae: Scimus enim quod passiones nostrae non sunt condignae ad futuram gloriam.
Christ: Hear, ye Saints; hear, ye righteous ones; hear, ye strong souls of the elect: behold, the Lord shall deliver you into the hands of the wicked to prove you; receive the crown of life. Souls of the Elect: Though the Lord should deliver us, his servants, into the hands of the wicked, we shall all stand
firm, and suffer the adversities. For who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Christ: Tribulation or disaster? Souls of the Elect: They shall not separate us. Christ: Persecution or famine? Souls of the Elect: They shall not separate us. Christ: Nakedness or peril? Souls of the Elect: They shall not separate us. Christ: Fire or sword? Souls of the Elect: They shall not separate us.
Christ: Though an host should encamp against you? Souls of the Elect: Our hearts shall not fear. Christ: Though war should rise against you? Souls of the Elect: Our hearts shall not fear. Christ: Though men should revile you? Souls of the Elect: Our hearts shall not fear. Christ: Though the princes should persecute you? Souls of the Elect: Our hearts shall not fear. For we know that our sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be ours.
Christ: The cruel hands of the tormentors? Souls of the Elect: They are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be ours. Christ: The formidable teeth of the lion? Souls of the Elect: They are not worthy to be compared. Christ: The tearing claws? Souls of the Elect: They are not worthy to be compared. Christ: Scorching bands of iron? Souls of the Elect: They are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be ours.
Christ and Souls of the Elect: For we know that our sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be ours.
Collect
Almighty God, keep your people ever vigilant as we await the return of your only Son, that, mindful of our Saviour’s teaching, we may be ready with lamps burning and hasten to greet him when he comes. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
