Various Vignettes

A beast from the sea

1Now I ¹⁷⁶was standing on the seashore, and I saw a Beast of prey coming up out of the sea, ¹⁷⁷having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten diadems and on his heads blasphemous names. ¹⁷⁸

2The beast that I saw was similar to a leopard, his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.

3And one of his heads was as if it had been mortally wounded, but his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth marveled after the Beast.

4And they did obeisance to the dragon who had given the authority to the Beast, and they did obeisance to the Beast saying, “Who is like the Beast, and who is able to make war with him?”

5And he was given a mouth speaking great things, that is, blasphemy; and he was given authority ¹⁷⁹to make war forty-two months.

6So he opened that mouth of his in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, those who dwell in Heaven. ¹⁸⁰

7And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given him over every tribe and language and ethnic nation.

8All who dwell on the earth will do obeisance to him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slaughtered from the foundation of the world. ¹⁸¹

9If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10If anyone has captivity, he goes away. ¹⁸²If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. ¹⁸³

A beast from the land

11Now I saw another beast of prey coming up out of the land, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

12And he exercises all the authority of the first Beast in his presence; and he started to cause the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first Beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

13And he performs great signs, including that fire should come down from heaven upon the earth before the people.

14And he deceives my own people, ¹⁸⁴those dwelling on the earth, by the signs that it was given to him to perform before the Beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the Beast who had the sword wound and lived.

15And it was granted to him to give breath to the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast should actually speak, and should cause as many as would not worship the image of the Beast to be killed. ¹⁸⁵

16And he causes everyone—both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave—to receive marks on their right hand or on their foreheads,

17so that no one would be able to buy or sell who does not have the mark, the name of the Beast or the number of his name.

18Here is wisdom: let the one who has understanding evaluate the number of the Beast, for it is the number of man—his number is 666. ¹⁸⁶