Catholic Commentary on Revelation 13

"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people." (Revelation 13:10)

The Two Beasts

The dragon stands on the shore of the sea. A beast rises from the sea with ten horns and seven heads, to whom the dragon gives his power and his throne. The whole world is filled with wonder and follows the beast, worshipping both the dragon and the beast: who is like the beast, who can wage war against it? The beast is given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them, and to exercise 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. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.

A second beast rises from the earth, exercising the authority of the first beast and making the earth worship the first beast. It performs great signs and deceives the inhabitants of the earth. It forces all people to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads so that they cannot buy or sell unless they have the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name, 666. The number of the beast is the number of a human being.

The Catechism identifies the beast of Revelation with the antichrist, the supreme religious deception that will offer false salvation at the cost of apostasy, claiming divine honour while opposing Christ and the Church (CCC 675). The beasts in Revelation 13 represent the political and religious powers that make absolute claims over human life and demand the worship that belongs only to God. Every totalitarian system has something of the beast about it.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, patient endurance and faithfulness. This is the calling when the beast appears to reign. Not armed resistance, not political manoeuvring, but the quiet, costly, inexhaustible faithfulness of those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. In the face of every system that demands absolute loyalty, the Christian's answer is the same: we belong to the Lamb. Patient endurance. Faithfulness.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, write our names in your book of life. When the powers of this world demand what belongs only to you, give us the patient endurance and faithfulness that cannot be bought with marks or threatened away with markets. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

13
The Beast from the Sea
(Daniel 7:1–8)
1 Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 The beast I saw was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
 
3 One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
 
5 The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months. 6 And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.
 
7 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. 8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.* 13:8 Or written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.
 
9 He who has an ear, let him hear:
 
10 “If anyone is destined for captivity,
into captivity he will go;
if anyone is to die † 13:10 NE, WH, and BYZ if anyone kills by the sword,
by the sword he must be killed.”‡ 13:10 See Jeremiah 15:2.
 
Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.
The Beast from the Earth
 
11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. 12 And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed.
 
13 And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.
The Mark of the Beast
 
16 And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name.
 
18 Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.§ 13:18 Some manuscripts 616

*13:8 13:8 Or written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

†13:10 13:10 NE, WH, and BYZ if anyone kills

‡13:10 13:10 See Jeremiah 15:2.

§13:18 13:18 Some manuscripts 616

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