Here's my take on the beast, the mark, on Chapter 13 of The Apocalypse of St. John. It's free from the influence of private revelation, based on the literature of the Church, and my own contemporary observations.
Summary:In the last days, all the rivers of history run together into one big river delta. There will be a beast which integrates the four beasts of Daniel, i.e. an empire which integrates the characteristics of the empires of history. The false Catholics will adore it, and they’ll adore the devil who is giving power to the empire. The empire is given “a mouth speaking great things”, i.e. a new false church of a new pentecost. The god or idol of the new religion is man. Man is adoring man instead of God.
Structure:Part I: Overview version of the story (Rev 13:1-8)
Part II: Admonition (Rev 13:9-10)
Part III: Recapitulation of the story (Rev 13:11-17)
Part IV: Admonition (Rev 13:18)
Keys to interpretation:water/sea: not even called, non-Catholics, sects, pagans
earth: called but not elect, false/untrue Catholics, not written in the book (lukewarm/liberal/modernist/hypocrites)
heaven: called and elect, true Catholics, written in the book
beast: social body with a head, empire
Part I:Rev 13:1
And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
The Holy Roman Empire began with the coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III in Rome on Christmas Day, 25th of December, A.D. 800. It was defeated a thousand years later, when the Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II of Austria, requested an armistice on Christmas Day, 25th of December, A.D. 1800, after a crushing victory of Napoléon Bonaparte at the battle of Hohenlinden near Munich.
Napoléon is the first emperor of the beast coming out of the sea, the resurrected ancient pagan Roman Res Publica. He isn’t crowned by the Pope, rather, in an ostentatious symbolic act rejects the crown of Charlemagne, already wearing a golden diadem. The final battle of the devil, who was loosed after having been bound for a thousand years (Rev 20:2-7), had begun.
Rev 13:2
And the beast, which I saw, was like to a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his own strength, and great power.
The kabbalistic, freemasonic, capitalist, communist beast shows the aspects of all the beasts of Daniel, and is powered by the devil.
Rev 13:3
And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and his death’s wound was healed. And all the earth was in admiration after the beast.
The pagan Roman Empire is the last of the four beasts of Daniel. It had been conquered by Christendom, and was thought to have been overcome. But after a thousand years it came up again, out of the pagan sea, and the false Catholics, earthbound not heavenbound, were full of admiration of the resurrected Republic. It’s the “beast which … was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit …” (Rev 17:8).
Rev 13:4
And they adored the dragon, which gave power to the beast: and they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? and who shall be able to fight with him?
They are again those who “dwell on earth”, “not written in the book”. Their adoration is marked by ignorance or rejection of the one true King, who will not only fight with but also crush the beast.
Rev 13:5
And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do two and forty months.
The mouth will be shown as a second beast below (Rev 13:11), out of the earth, i.e. a bunch of false Catholics. A false church will be the mouthpiece of the beast, speaking “great things, and blasphemies”. The power comes from the devil, via the beast, to the false church.
After three and a half years that mouth will be overcome by the mouth of “one like to a son of man” (Rev 1:13). “From his mouth came out a sharp two edged sword” (Rev 1:16). The sword is the Word with two edges, Old and New Testaments.
The 42 months, 1260 days, three and a half years, a time, and times, and half a time, are the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity looked up by Daniel (Dan 9:2) in Jer 29:10. These are ended when the writing (mane, thecel, phares) appears on the wall (Dan 5:5). Seventy years correspond to “this generation will not pass” (Mt 24:34, Mk 13:30, Lk 21:30).
Rev 13:6
And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
This is how the Revelation of St. John spells out, what many today euphemistically call “crisis of the Church”.
Rev 13:7-8
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation. And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world.
Those who are overcome and adore the beast are the false Catholics, who “dwell upon the earth” (and not in heaven), whose names are not written in the book. They’re from all over the world.
The “inhabitants on the earth” “are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world” (Rev 17:8) The book of life of the Lamb was written from the beginning of the world, hence the Lamb was slain from the beginning of the world.
Part II:Rev 13:9
If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Those not written in the book of life may read, but won’t understand.
Rev 13:10
He that shall lead into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that shall kill by the sword, must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The false Church leads into captivity/sin and shall be locked up behind the gates of hell.
The sword is the Word of God, which has two edges, Old and New Testaments. Heretics twist the Word of God and use it to kill, like the rider named Death on the pale horse of Rev 6:8, who “kills with sword, with famine, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” They will for their part be “slain by the sword of him that sitteth upon the horse, which proceedeth out of his mouth; and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (Rev 19:21)
Part III:Rev 13:11
And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
Another beast, coming out of the earth, i.e. a bunch of false Catholics, forming a false church, i.e. appearing like a lamb, with Old and New Testaments, but incorporating the mouthpiece of the first beast.
Rev 13:12
And he executed all the power of the former beast in his sight; and he caused the earth, and them that dwell therein, to adore the first beast, whose wound to death was healed.
The false church is fully supported and authorized by the pagan empire, and it makes the false Catholics adore the pagan empire, which had been overcome by the true Church, but finally was resurrected.
Rev 13:13
And he did great signs, so that he made also fire to come down from heaven unto the earth in the sight of men.
Fire coming down from heaven is the symbol of Pentecost. This new fire coming down from heaven is the symbol of a new, a second pentecost" the symbol of the inauguration of a new false church.
The Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria, Anselm of Laon
et al.) comments on this verse: “Ut apostolis datus est Spiritus sanctus in specie ignis, et sic illi dabunt spiritum malignum in specie ignis.” Just like the Holy Ghost is given to the apostles under the species of fire, so they will give a malicious spirit under the species of fire.
in the sight of men: to seduce them.
Rev 13:14
And he seduced them that dwell on the earth, for the signs, which were given him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound by the sword, and lived.
The Lord allows the false church to seduce the false Catholics. They’re told to make an idol, a statue of the beast, similar to the statue in the dream of Nabuchodonosor (Dan 2:31). The statue of Nabuchodonosor represents four empires, gold, silver, brass, and iron, and the beast represents four empires, leopard, bear, lion, plus the wounded head, the wounded and later resurrected fourth empire.
To make an image of the beast is to idolize the empire. To put the empire in the place of God. The false Catholics virtually say: “Non habemus Regem, nisi Cæsarem.” (Jn 19:15 we have no king but Caesar), repeating the blasphemy of the Joos.
Rev 13:15
And it was given him to give life to the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should speak; and should cause, that whosoever will not adore the image of the beast, should be slain.
So far, the statue was a mute idol. Now it becomes a living idol, a speaking idol. The beast to be adored is given a mouth to speak. The second beast is giving a mouth, and at the same time is the mouth, that’s given to the beast. The beast now has the appearance of legitimation by God.
The false Catholics are directed to accept the voice of the beast as the word of God. Montini said: the UNO is our last hope, and today, the false church and the empire preach climate-doom and vaxx-charity.
slain: like the Lamb, or hopefully only starved, not be allowed to buy or sell (see below).
Rev 13:16
And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or on their foreheads.
All, whose names are not written in the book. Several Fathers say that the characters refer to confessing the ideas of the beast (forehead) or doing the deeds of the beast (hand). One more explicit way to do this, may be attending the NOM.
Rev 13:17
And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Character means stigma or brand. The brand shows the number and/or the name of the owner. Today it is called company logo. Many big companies today display the number of the beast in their logo. But as mentioned above, a literal brand is not needed for adoration of the beast.
Not being allowed or able to buy and sell leads to famine (1 Mach 12:36, 1 Mach 13:49). The beast is trying to starve the true Catholics. This is to be understood both literally and spirtually. It is clear that not all true Catholics will be slain or starved, since some will make it to the last of the last days.
Part IV:Rev 13:18
Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: and the number of him is six hundred sixty-six.
Some have understood this to be a call to use gematria to compute the name of the beast. But it doesn’t say “compute the name”, it says “compute the number”. Now, the number is already given, it’s
six hundred sixty-six. Nothing left to compute. Also: gematria is like reading tea leaves. Not the type of thing we’re expected to do.
The number of the beast is the number of a man. Is the name of the beast the name of a man, too? Or are there two names? One of the beast, another of a man. But which man?
Well, the name of the beast is given in Rev 17:5. The harlot has a brand of the beast on her forehead: “And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications, and the abominations of the earth.” So the name of the beast is Babylon.
And the “name of a man”?
Here is wisdom. … six hundred sixty-six: This reminds of king Solomon, the wisest man on earth ever: “And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold.” (Chr 9:13, see also Chr 10:14)
So the names are Babylon (beast), and Solomon (man). And both their numbers are the same:
six hundred sixty-six.
Now, what does it all mean? What does one need the name or the number for? (assuming that no one plans to adore the beast.)
666That’s the “trinity of man”. Man himself is the false god of man, of the church of the beast, the church of the new pentecost.
Signature of Paul VI:
Paulus PP IV - (6aulus 66 IV -)
Babylon1 Peter 5:13 “The church that is in Babylon … saluteth you …” Babylon is Rome, the pagan world capital at the time of St Peter. Pagan Rome was resurrected, and Rome has become the seat of the harlot.
SolomonThe rites of the freemasons are about the reconstruction of the Temple of Solomon.
The reconstruction of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem is expected by many.