Part 2-----------
By the beast, then, coming up out of the earth, he means the kingdom of
Antichrist; and by the two horns he means him and the
false prophet after him. And in speaking of the horns being like a lamb, he means that he will make himself like the
Son of God, and set himself forward as king. And the terms, he spoke like a dragon, mean that he is a deceiver, and not truthful. And the words, he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed, signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater
glory to himself. For this is the fourth beast, whose head was wounded and healed again, in its being broken up or even dishonoured, and partitioned into four crowns; and he then (
Antichrist) shall with knavish skill heal it, as it were, and restore it. For this is what is meant by the
prophet when he says, He will give life unto the image, and the image of the beast will speak. For he will act with vigour again, and prove strong by reason of the
laws established by him; and he will
cause all those who will not worship the image of the beast to be
put to death. Here the
faith and the patience of the
saints will appear, for he says: And he will
cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead; that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. For, being full of guile, and exalting himself against the servants of
God, with the wish to afflict them and
persecute them out of the world, because they give not
glory to him, he will order incense-pans to be set up by all everywhere, that no man among the
saints may be able to buy or sell without first
sacrificing; for this is what is meant by the mark received upon the right hand. And the word — in their forehead — indicates that all are crowned, and put on a crown of fire, and not of life, but of death.
In those times, then, he shall arise and meet them. And when he has overmastered three horns out of the ten in the array of
war, and has rooted these out, viz.,
Egypt, and Libya, and
Ethiopia, and has got their spoils and trappings, and has brought the remaining horns which suffer into subjection, he will begin to be lifted up in heart, and to exalt himself against God as master of the whole world. And his first expedition will be against
Tyre and Berytus, and the circumjacent territory. For by storming these cities first he will strike terror into the others, as Isaiah says, Be ashamed, O Sidon; the sea has spoken, even the strength of the sea has spoken, saying, I travailed not, nor brought forth children; neither did I nurse up young men, nor bring up
virgins. But when the report comes to
Egypt, pain shall seize them for
Tyre.
53. These things, then, shall be in the future, beloved; and when the three horns are cut off, he will begin to show himself as
God, as Ezekiel has said aforetime: Because your heart has been lifted up, and you have said, I am God. And to the like effect Isaiah says: For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven: I will be like the Most High. Yet now you shall be brought down to
hell (Hades), to the foundations of the earth. In like manner also Ezekiel: Will you yet say to those who slay you, I am God? But you (shall be) a
man, and no God.
By the unrighteous judge, who fears not
God, neither regards man, he means without
doubt Antichrist, as he is a son of the
devil and a vessel of
Satan. For when he has the power, he will begin to exalt himself against
God, neither in
truth fearing
God, nor regarding the
Son of God, who is the Judge of all. And in saying that there was a
widow in the city, he refers to Jerusalem itself, which is a
widow indeed, forsaken of her perfect, heavenly spouse, God. She calls Him her adversary, and not her Saviour; for she does not understand that which was said by the
prophet Jeremiah: Because they
obeyed not the
truth, a spirit of
error shall speak then to this people and to Jerusalem. And Isaiah also to the like effect: Forasmuch as the people refuses to drink the water of Siloam that goes softly, but chooses to have Rasin and Romeliah's son as king over you: therefore, lo, the Lord brings up upon you the water of the river, strong and full, even the king of Assyria. By the king he means metaphorically
Antichrist, as also another
prophet says: And this man shall be the peace from me, when the Assyrian shall come up into your land, and when he shall tread in your mountains.
Now, concerning the tribulation of the
persecution which is to fall upon the
Church from the adversary, John also speaks thus: And I saw a great and wondrous sign in heaven; a
woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And the dragon stood before the
woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man-child, who is to rule all the nations: and the child was caught up unto God and to His throne. And the
woman fled into the wilderness, where she has the place prepared of
God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And then when the dragon saw
it, he
persecuted the
woman which brought forth the man-
child. And to the
woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast (out of his mouth water as a flood after the
woman, that he might
cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the
woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast) out of his mouth. And the dragon was
angry with the
woman, and went to make
war with the
saints of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus.