Revelation 13:15 Commentary and Bible Study

The false prophet was given the ability to make the image speak. What does this mean and where else does this occur in Scripture? Many elements of this vision are surprising in the light of Biblical teaching on the subject. It is repeatedly pointed out that that man-made images and idols have no life in them and cannot move or speak, do good or evil. Habakkuk 2:19 specifically says that the reason they cannot speak is that they have no breath in them. But here in Revelation this shortcoming is remedied and in order to allow the image to speak, breath or life is put into it, that is, a spirit is put into it. One passage that does use such terms is Daniel 7:8. In Daniel there is also a remarkable vision which involves life being given to an inanimate object and that object beginning to speak – ‘I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.’Is this a mere trick or is it a genuine act of Satanic power. The words ‘it was granted’ imply that some exceptional permission has been given. The one who grants this is evidently the Lord himself, for only he could allow this. We have just been informed that the second beast performs great signs and by these signs deceives those who dwell on the earth. Later (19:20) we are again told that he worked miracles. Is this an example of such a thing? The image of Nebuchadnezzar is augmented with the power to speak. Many examples of religious trickery could be taken from the Roman Catholic Church which has repeatedly tried to deceive people into believing in its authority on the basis of signs and miracles which were blatant tricks. It may be that this passage refers to a time in the future when men will again worship literal idols and that there will be an actual image of the beast that really speaks. We do not need to understand how this will be done. If so, then whether through occult means or through technology it will succeed in convincing the people to give exclusive worship to the beast. Men are only too ready to fall down before something that they can wonder at and be amazed at. They have no fear of God in their hearts that makes them say, ‘We should not give this praise and reverence to any created object.’ They act as if they had discovered something new and wonderful which relieves them of the obligation to worship God alone. Many will do this with great enthusiasm, but there will also be the threat of death for those who will not conform.However there is another way of looking at this verse. The beast, after all, is not a literal image. What is the beast but the kingdom of antichrist which the devil has again and again tried to setup. In the final stage of this kingdom, the antichrist himself will be revealed. He will be the incarnate form of the beast. In him the beast will have been given a human form. It may be that the passage speaks of this living, breathing image of the beast as giving commands and causing those who do not worship the beast to be put to death. This tallies closely with Paul’s words about him, ‘Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God’ (2 Thessalonians 2:4). He causes men and women to be put to death because they refuse to worship him. So it could be that this passage refers to the time when the antichrist succeeds for the first time in taking on human form and in this sense the beast receives a mouth to speak.