12:17. And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war
with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.

12:18. And he stood upon the sand of the sea.

Apocalypse Chapter 13

Of the beast with seven heads and of a second beast.

13:1. And I saw a beast coming up out the sea, having seven heads and
ten horns: and upon his horns, ten diadems: and upon his heads, names of
blasphemy.

A beast... This first beast with seven heads and ten horns, is probably
the whole company of infidels, enemies and persecutors of the people of
God, from the beginning to the end of the world. The seven heads are
seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires, which have
exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God;
of these, five were then fallen, viz.: the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean,
Persian, and Grecian monarchies: one was present, viz., the empire of
Rome: and the seventh and chiefest was to come, viz., the great
Antichrist and his empire. The ten horns may be understood of ten lesser
persecutors.

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.

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.

One of his heads, etc... Some understand this of the mortal wound, which
the idolatry of the Roman empire (signified by the sixth head) received
from Constantine; which was, as it were, healed again by Julian the
Apostate.

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?

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.

13:6. And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme
his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.

His tabernacle, etc... That is, his church and his saints.

13:7. 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.

13:8. And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb which was s