from the thirteenth chapter.62    [The Edinburgh edition seems to follow the confusion of MSS., introducing here the seventeenth chapter, out of place.]  

1. “And I saw a beast rising up from the sea, like unto a leopard.”] This signifies the kingdom of that time of Antichrist, and the people mingled with the variety of nations.  

2. “His feet were as the feet of a bear.”] A strong and most unclean beast, the feet are to be understood as his leaders.  

“And his mouth as the mouth of a lion.”] That is, his mouth armed for blood is his bidding, and a tongue which will proceed to nothing else than to the shedding of blood.  

* * * * * * * *  

18. “His number is the name of a man, and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”] As they have it reckoned from the Greek characters, they thus find it among many to be τειταν, for τειταν has this number, which the Gentiles call Sol and Phœbus; and it is reckoned in Greek thus: τ three hundred, ε five, ι ten, τ three hundred, α one, ν fifty,—which taken together become six hundred and sixty-six. For as far as belongs to the Greek letters, they fill up this number and name; which name if you wish to turn into Latin, it is understood by the antiphrase DICLUX, which letters are reckoned in this manner: since D figures five hundred, I one, C a hundred, L fifty, V five, X ten,—which by the reckoning up of the letters makes similarly six hundred and sixty-six, that is, what in Greek gives τειταν, to wit, what in Latin is called DICLUX; by which name, expressed by antiphrases, we understand Antichrist, who, although he be cut off from the supernal light, and deprived thereof, yet transforms himself into an angel of light, daring to call himself light.63    [But see Irenæus, vol. i. p. 559.]   Moreover, we find in a certain Greek codex αντεμος, which letters being reckoned up, you will find to give the number as above: α one, ν fifty, τ three hundred, ε five, μ forty, ο seventy, ς two hundred,—which together makes six hundred and sixty-six, according to the Greeks. Moreover, there is another name in Gothic of him, which will be evident of itself, that is, γενσήρικος, which in the same way you will reckon in Greek letters: γ three, ε five, ν fifty, σ two hundred, η eight, ρ a hundred, ι ten, κ twenty, ο seventy, ς also two hundred, which, as has been said above, make six hundred and sixty-six.  

11. “And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth.”] He is speaking of the great and false prophet who is to do signs, and portents, and falsehoods before him in the presence of men.  

“And he had two horns like a lamb—that is, the appearance within of a man—and he spoke like a dragon.”] But the devil speaks full of malice; for he shall do these things in the presence of men, so that even the dead appear to rise again.  

13. “And he shall make fire come down from heaven in the sight of men.”] Yes (as I also have said), in the sight of men. Magicians do these things, by the aid of the apostate angels, even to this day. He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and thence utter voices and oracles. Moreover, he himself shall contrive that his servants and children should receive as a mark on their foreheads, or on their right hands, the number of his name, lest any one should buy or sell them. Daniel had previously predicted his contempt and provocation of God. “And he shall place,” says he, “his temple within Samaria, upon the illustrious and holy mountain that is at Jerusalem, an image such as Nebuchadnezzar had made.”64    Dan. xi. 45.   Thence here he places, and by and by here he renews, that of which the Lord, admonishing His churches concerning the last times and their dangers, says: “But when ye shall see the contempt which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let him who readeth understand.”65    Matt. xxiv. 15; Dan. ix. 27.   It is called a contempt when God is provoked, because idols are worshipped instead of God, or when the dogma of heretics is introduced in the churches. But it is a turning away because stedfast men, seduced by false signs and portents, are turned away from their salvation.  

EX CAPITE XIII.

1. Et vidi de mari ascendentem bestiam similem 0338Apardo. Regnum illius temporis Antichristi, cum varietate gentium et populum commixtum, significat.

2. Pedes ejus tamquam ursi. Fortis et spurcissimae bestiae: pedes, duces ejus intelligendi sunt.

Et os ejus tamquam leonem. Id est, ad sanguinem armatum os ejus, jussio illius est, et lingua quae ad nihilum aliud processura est, nisi ad sanguinem effundendum.

XVII, 9. Septem capita septem montes sunt , in quibus mulier sedet. Id est, civitas Romana.

10. Et reges septem sunt: quinque ceciderunt, unus est, et alius nondum venit; et cum venerit, brevi tempore erit . Intelligi oportet tempus quo scripta Apocalypsis edita est: quoniam tunc erat Caesar Domitianus; ante illum autem fuerat Titus frater illius, 0338B et Vespasianus, Otho, Vitellius et Galba. Isti sunt quinque qui ceciderunt. Unus exstat, sub quo scripta est Apocalypsis, Domitianus scilicet. Alius nondum venit, Nervam dicit: et cum venerit, brevi tempore erit, biennium enim non implevit.

11. Et bestia quam vidisti, de septem est. Quoniam ante istos reges, Nero regnavit.

Et octava est. Ait modo : cum illa advenerit, computa locum octavum, quoniam in illo est consummatio, adjecit.

Et in interitum vadet. Nam decem Reges accepisse regalem potestatem, cum ille moverit ab Oriente, ait: Mittetur ab urbe Roma cum exercitibus suis. Et cornua decem et decem diademata Daniel ostendit. Et tria eradicari de prioribus, hoc est, tres duces 0338C primarios ab Antichristo interfici. Caeteros septem dare illi honorem, et consilium, et potestatem, de quibus ait:

16. Hi odient meretricem, urbem scilicet, et carnes ejus comburent igni. Unum autem de capitibus quasi occisum in mortem, et plagam mortis ejus curatam, Neronem dicit. Constat enim, dum insequeretur eum equitatus missus a senatu, ipsum sibi gulam succidisse. Hunc ergo suscitatum Deus mittet regem dignum, sed dignum qualem meruerunt Judaei. Et quoniam aliud nomen habiturus est, aliud etiam instituturus, ut sic eum tamquam Christum excipiant Judaei, ait Daniel (Dan., XI, 37), Desideria mulierum non cognoscet, cum prius fuerit impurissimus, et nullum Deum patrum suorum cognoscet. Non enim seducere poterit populum 0338D circumcisionis, nisi legis sit judicator. Denique et sanctos non ad idola colenda revocaturus est, sed ad circumcisionem suscipiendam, et si quos potuerit seducere; ita enim faciet sibi, ut Christus ab eis appelletur. De inferno autem illum resurgere, 0339A superius diximus verbo Esaiae, Aqua nutriet illum, et infernus auxit illum; qui tamen licet et nomine immutato et actu immutato veniat, ait Spiritus:

XIII, 18. Numerus ejus nomen hominis est, et numerus ejus sexcenti sexaginta sex. Sicut ex litteris graecis computum habent, sic in compluribus τειταν inveniuntur. τειταν enim hunc numerum habet, quem gentiles Solem Phaebumque appellant, computaturque graece sic: τ trecenti, ε quinque, ι decem, τ trecenti, α unum, ν quinquaginta; qui simul ducti fiunt sexcenti sexaginta sex: quantum enim attinet ad litteras graecas, hunc numerum nomenque explent: quod nomen si velis in latinum convertere, intelligitur per antiphrasin DICLVX ; quae litterae hoc modo computantur: D quippe quingenti figurat, I unum, C 0339B centum, L quinquaginta, V quinque, X decem; quod computatis litteris facit similiter sexcenti sexaginta sex, id est quod graece sonat τειταν, nempe id quod latine dicitur DICLVX, quo nomine per antiphrasin expresso intelligimus antichristum, qui cum a luce superna abscissus sit et ea privatus, transfigurat tamen se in angelum lucis, audens sese dicere lucem. Item invenimus in quodam codice graeco αντεμος: quibus computatis litteris invenies numerum ut supra, α unum, ν quinquaginta, τ trecenti, ε quinque, μ quadraginta, ο septuaginta, ς ducenti; quae simul sexcenti sexaginta sex secundum graecos faciunt. Item aliud ejus nomen gothice quod per se liquebit, id est γενσήρικος, quod eodem modo graecis litteris computabis, γ tres, ε quinque, ν quinquaginta, σ ducenti, η 0339C octo, ρ centum, ι decem, κ vigenti, ο septuaginta, ς item ducenti; quae ut supra dictum est sexcenti sexaginta sex faciunt.

11. Et vidi aliam bestiam ascendentem de terra. Magnum falsumque prophetam dicit, qui facturus est signa et portenta, et mendacia ante illum in conspectu hominum.

Et habebat cornua duo similia agno, id est speciem intus hominis, et loquebatur quasi draco. Loquitur autem diabolus malitia plenus; haec enim facturus est in conspectu hominum, ut et mortui videantur resurgere.

13. Et ignem de coelo descendere faciet in conspectu hominum. Sed (ut dixi etiam) in conspectu hominum. Haec magi per angelos refugas et usque hodie faciunt. 0339D Faciet et ut imago aurea Antichristi in templo Hierosolymis ponatur. Et intret angelus refuga, et inde voces et sortes reddat: faciet etiam hoc ipse, ut accipiant 0340A servi et liberi notam in frontibus aut in manibus dextris numerum nominis ejus, ne quis emat vel vendat. Aspernationem Dei et exacerbationem Daniel ante praedixerat (Dan., XI, 45). Et statuet, inquit, templum suum inter Samariam, super montem inclytum et sanctum, id est Hierosolymis, imaginem, sicut fecerat Nabuchodonosor. Tunc heic substituit, modo autem heic recolit, quod Dominus admonens Ecclesias suas de novissimis temporibus et periculis ait: Cum autem videritis aspernationem quae dicta est per Danielem prophetam, stantem in loco sancto, qui legit intelligat (Matth., XXIV, 15; Dan., IX, 27). Aspernatio dicitur quando exasperatur Deus, eo quod idola pro Deo colantur, vel cum dogma haereticorum introducitur in ecclesiis. Aversio autem quod stabiles 0340B homines signis falsis et portentis seducti avertantur de salute.