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Rev_13:2. That the description of the form of the beast has been developed from Dan_7:4 sqq., is at once manifest; but it must not be overlooked, that the Apocalyptic portrayal of it has an essentially distinct conception and purpose. Daniel portrays four worldly kingdoms succeeding one another (the Chaldaean, Medan, Persian, and Greek), and that, too, in such a way that the forms of beasts which symbolize the first three kingdoms are not only like a lion, a bear, and a leopard, but also bear within themselves other significative marks, while the fourth worldly kingdom is represented under the form of a monster, not specifically determined, as, on the one hand, by the great iron teeth, the power of this kingdom, devouring and crushing all, and on the other, however, by the ten horns, beneath which again a small horn comes forth corruptibly, it is symbolized how Antiochus Epiphanes finally rises as the blasphemous usurper of the Greek Empire ruled by the ten kings successively. John, however, describes not four or more, but in any case one kingdom; whether he have in mind the undivided idea of the world-power in general, which has attained form in many concrete empires,—from the Egyptian to the Roman of that time,[3250]—or, without definite reference to the earlier empires, refer only to the present Roman. At all events, it is incorrect to mangle the undivided form of the beast, and to explain perhaps with Wetst., who inverts the order: “The mouth of the lion designates the greed and avarice of Galba; the form of the leopard, the inconsiderate rashness and inchastity of Otho; the feet of the bear, the ferocity and torpor of Vitellius.” But it is no less incorrect when Andreas so interprets the combined form of the beast that he refers the leopard, etc., to that definite kingdom which he understands by the beast in Daniel 7, but in connection therewith attempts to preserve the unity of the idea by considering the antichrist, the coming ruler of the Roman Empire, as possessor at the same time of those three kingdoms;[3251] as it depends in general only upon an inaccurate combination with ch. 17, when in this passage the beast from the sea is regarded the antichrist himself, or his kingdom, in the sense that not the present Roman empire, but one not to be expected until the end of days, is to be understood;[3252] for the tendency of the entire statement of ch. 13[3253] pertains not to the pure future, as though an antichristian efficacy of Satan and the worldly power in his service, as it will have place only at the end of days, were to be described, but the world-power already present, ruling over all in blasphemous pride and oppressing believers,[3254] appears here in a way that undoubtedly makes us recognize its antichristian nature as to how it stands in the service of Satan himself. This antichristian world-power,—and that, too, in the definite appearance of the present Roman Empire,
John beholds in a form of a beast, whose threefold composition of the leopard, bear, and lion is to be explained as little in the sense of Daniel 7, as the ten horns of Rev_13:1 are to be combined with the fourth beast, which in Daniel bears this number of horns.[3255] Just as the ten coroneted horns (and the seven heads) serve only to designate a particular individuality of the Roman Empire symbolized by the entire form of beast, entirely apart from the fact that in Daniel a fourth empire is symbolized by a monstrous beast with ten horns, so also the combination of the Apocalyptic beast does not have the sense that, in the empire signified by this beast, either the definite empire[3256] of Daniel, or all empires in general, inclusive of the present Roman and the still future,[3257] i.e., the Germano-Slavic,[3258] appear combined, and accordingly the beast out of the sea signifies the world-power only abstractly;[3259] but, on the contrary, the form of a beast which is compared as a whole to the leopard, which is as rapid in its movements as it is strong,[3260] is furnished with feet like the paws of a bear,[3261] while its mouth is like the jaws of a lion, so that thus the entire monstrous beast, which unites in itself the most dreadful weapons of the strongest beasts, informs us of the rapacity and power of the Roman Empire displayed in the same. The special interpretation of particular features reaches too far, and is, therefore, arbitrary, as in Beda: ΠΆΡΔ ., “on account of the variety of nations;”[3262] ἌΡΚ ., “on account of spite and madness;” ΛΈ ., “on account of bravery of body and pride of tongue.”
[3250] Hengstenb., etc.
[3251] πάρδ . designates the Greek, ἄρκ . the Persian, λέ . the Babylonian empire: ὦν κρατησει ὁ Ἀντίχριστος ὡς Ñ ̓ ωμαίων βασιλεὐς ἐλευσόμενος
[3252] Against C. a Lap., Hofm., etc.
[3253] Cf. already ch. 12.
[3254] Which John, of course, considers to be such as is immediately judged and brought to naught by the coming of the Lord.
[3255] Against Züll., De Wette.
[3256] Andr., etc.
[3257] Hengstenb.
[3258] Auberlen.
[3259] “The ungodly world-power as a whole.”
[3260] Cf. Jer_5:6; Hos_13:7; Sir_28:23, where, in order to illustrate dreadful strength, the leopard is compared with the lion and the wolf.
[3261] ὡς ἄρκ . Cf. Rev_4:6; Rev_4:8. Var. Lect. Rev_9:7-9.
[3262] Cf. Grot.: “The leopard is an animal of various color; thus Roman Idolatry had as its gods, males, females, the greatest, the least,” etc. Coccejus: “Of various color. For to this beast belong Christiaus serving bishops, and yet constituting another source of faith, also Arians, Mussulmans, etc.” Vitr., etc.
καὶ ἔδωκεν , κ . τ . λ . Here is shown the reason why the dragon, who in Rev_12:17 has entered into a conflict against believers, has come upon the shore of the sea (Rev. 12:18): he has called the beast from the sea in order to equip him with his own power, and thus to make him an instrument of his wrath. In what way the dragon accomplished this impartation, ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ , we dare not ask, since John does not declare it, for properly he does not attempt to state what is not made visible.
Worthy of notice is the inner relation of the three points, τὴν δύναμιν αὐτ ., τ . θρόνον αὐτ ., and ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην . The δύναμις imparted to the beast, which is expressly marked as diabolical ( δύν . αὐτού ), is shown in his power over freedom and life (Rev_13:10), and the entire business of men (Rev_13:17). But the dragon also, by giving his throne to the beast, invests it with a βασιλεία , so that now a throne can be ascribed to the beast himself (Rev_16:10): hence the more definite view of the worldly dominion of the beast is here presented. Finally, the ἐξουσία μεγάλη [3263] designates the great, yet always definite and limited, plenitude of power, in order by the medium of that ΔΎΝΑΜΙς to work within the entire sphere of nature and to serve the purpose of the dragon.
[3263] Cf. Rev_6:8, Rev_9:3, Rev_10:9.