Page 568 - Demo

12:7 Michael the Archangel is mentioned in the book of Daniel as the protector of Israel. His name means “who is like God.” The traditional Catholic prayer to Michael draws on imagery from Revelation: “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”
REVELATION  - 
Medieval representation of “The Beast from the Sea with ten horns and seven heads” (Revelation 13:1)
13When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.f 14But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle,* so that she could y to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year.g 15The serpent,* however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current. 16But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the ood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. 17Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went o to wage war against the rest of her o spring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.*h 18It took its position* on the sand of the sea.
The First Beast.*
131Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and
seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s].a 2The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion.* b To it the dragon gave its own power and throne, along with great authority. 3I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed.* Fascinated, the whole world followed after the beast. 4They worshiped the dragon because it gave its authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast* and said, “Who can compare with the beast or who can ght against it?”
5* The beast was given a mouth uttering proud boasts and blasphemies,c and it was given authority to act for forty-two months.* 6It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling and those who dwell in heaven. 7It was also allowed to wage war against the holy ones and conquer them, and it was granted authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation.d 8All the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, all whose names were not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life, which belongs to the Lamb who was slain.e
9Whoever has ears ought to hear these words.f
10Anyone destined for captivity goes into captivity.
Anyone destined to be slain by the sword shall be slain by the sword.g
Such is the faithful endurance of the holy ones.
* [12:14] Great eagle: symbol of the power and swiftness of divine help; cf. Ex 19:4; Dt 32:11; Is 40:31.
* [12:15] The serpent is depicted as the sea monster; cf. Rev 13:1; Is 27:1; Ez 32:2; Ps 74:13–14.
* [12:17] Although the church is protected by God’s special providence (Rev 12:16), the individual Christian is to expect persecution and su ering.
* [12:18] It took its position: many later manuscripts and versions read “I took my position,” thus connecting the sentence to the following paragraph.
* [13:1–10] This wild beast, combining features of the four beasts in Dn 7:2–28, symbolizes the Roman empire; the seven heads represent the emperors; see notes on Rev 17:10 and Rev 17:12– 14. The blasphemous names are the divine titles assumed by the emperors.
* [13:2] Satan (Rev 12:9), the prince of this world (Jn 12:31), commissioned the beast to persecute the church (Rev 13:5–7).
* [13:3] This may be a reference to the popular legend that Nero would come back to life and rule again after his death (which occurred in A.D. 68 from a self-in icted stab wound in the throat); cf. Rev 13:14; Rev 17:8. Domitian (A.D. 81–96) embodied all the cruelty and impiety of Nero. Cf. Introduction.
*[13:4] Worshiped the beast: allusion to emperor worship, which Domitian insisted upon and ruthlessly enforced. Who can compare with the beast: perhaps a deliberate parody of the name Michael; see note on Rev 12:7.
* [13:5–6] Domitian, like Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Dn 7:8, 11, 25), demanded that he be called by divine titles such as “our lord and god” and “Jupiter.” See note on Rev 11:2.
* [13:5] Forty-two months: this is the same duration as the profanation of the holy city (Rev 11:2), the prophetic mission of the two witnesses (Rev 11:3), and the retreat of the woman into the desert (Rev 12:6, 14).
CHAPTER 12
f. [12:13] Gn 3:15.
g. [12:14] Ex 19:4; Dn 7:25; 12:7.
h. [12:17] Gn 3:15.
CHAPTER 13
a. [13:1] 2 Thes 2:3–12.
b. [13:2] Dn 7:3–6.
c. [13:5] Dn 7:8, 11, 25; 8:14; 9:27; 11:36; 12:7. d. [13:7] Dn 7:21.
e. [13:8] 3:5; 17:8; 20:12. f. [13:9] Mt 13:9.
g. [13:10] Jer 15:2.
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