And it deceives those that dwell upon the earth by reason of the signs which it was given to it to work before the beast, saying to those that dwell upon the earth to make an image to the beast, which has the wound of the sword, and lived.
A second power deceives the world by working signs. It then tells people to build an image to a ruler who once took a deadly wound and lived. Two questions follow: are the signs real, and why does a wounded ruler win the world's worship?
The deceiver here is not the beast the world admires. It is a second beast, who works in the presence of the first. His signs hold up a throne that rests on nothing solid.
J. N. DarbyHe leads astray and deceives the people of the earth by the signs he is allowed to work in front of the beast. The beast is glad to have such power holding up his throne. It lifts his authority high and makes it look grand in the eyes of men — authority that rested only on deceit, on deluded minds, or on persecution.
The verse says these signs are allowed. Writers insist they are not stage tricks.
W. TrotterThese are not fake miracles. They are real wonders. There is coming a time when God will send men a strong delusion, so that they believe a lie, and then this instrument of Satan will be allowed to produce them. Only those who refused to receive the love of the truth that would have saved them will be deceived by them.
Commentators differ on how the signs work. Some give human cleverness a share in them:
L. M. GrantThese are not miracles of grace, like the ones the Lord did on earth. They are terrifying feats, such as making fire come down from heaven. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 calls them "false signs and wonders." So human cleverness will likely have some part in them, yet behind them stand both satanic power and satanic delusion.
The particular sign named — fire from heaven — is borrowed. It was once God's own proof against idols, and it is now bent to the opposite purpose.
Hamilton SmithIn his day God gave Elijah power to call down fire from heaven. It bore witness to the true God and exposed the worship of an idol. What Elijah did by the power of God, the Antichrist will copy by the power of the devil. His aim is to turn people from the true God to worship an idol — the image of the beast. In Elijah's day the fire exposed the idol worshippers, and the prophets of Baal were killed. In the coming day fire from heaven will deceive people into worshipping an idol, and those who refuse to worship the image will be killed.
The verse names the victims: those who dwell on earth. The phrase marks out a kind of person, not an address.
Walter ScottThese passages point to a group of people who are not simply on the earth. Their only interests are in it, and they are limited by it. In moral character they are "dwellers on the earth."
The delusion is also a judgment on Christendom — the world that carries the Christian name:
Walter ScottThis is the time when God gives up the guilty world of Christendom in judgment, paying back what it deserves. It had already given Him up. Their punishment begins here.
This is not the first time people have been ordered to worship an image. The age of the Gentile empires opened the same way:
Walter ScottIt is striking that when Gentile world rule began, men were forced on pain of death to worship an image standing for the greatness and majesty of the first empire (Dan. 3). Now, as that rule closes, it happens again. How stubborn human nature is! … An image is something that stands for another, though it need not look like it. We are sure that the "image to the Beast" will be a real, literal, huge figure set up in the centre of Christendom, and through it the Beast will be worshipped.
The difference is the ending. God once stopped Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Daniel 3:
F. B. HoleOur chapter shows that the times of the Gentiles will end just as they began, and seemingly with greater success: those who refuse to worship the image of the beast will be killed. This time God will not step in to block the plans of these wicked men, as He once did with Nebuchadnezzar. Their judgment will fall in one crushing blow at the end.
The verse names the beast by his wound. That naming is deliberate.
The Bible TreasuryThis surprising fact is mentioned three times in this chapter. In Revelation 13:3 the whole earth wonders after him because his mortal wound was healed. In Revelation 13:12 he is again described as the first beast whose mortal wound was healed. That is not said just to identify him, since "first beast" alone would have been enough for that. Clearly it is for emphasis.
- Permitted — the signs are real, not tricks. They are allowed, so God is letting the delusion come; Satan is not overpowering Him.
- Borrowed — the one sign named, fire from heaven, was Elijah's proof of the true God. Here it drives people to an idol.
- Aimed — the targets are the dwellers on earth. Their whole interest is bounded by this world, and they refused the love of the truth.
- Repeated — Gentile rule began with a forced image in Daniel 3 and ends with one. This time no rescue comes.
- Wounded — the world worships the ruler who took a sword blow and lived. The healed wound, named three times in the chapter, is what wins its wonder.
And it was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as should not do homage to the image of the beast should be killed.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.