Revelation 13:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In this case, by the beast coming up from the earth, John means the coming kingdom of Antichrist. By the two horns he understands both Antichrist himself and the false prophet who is to appear with him. The horns like a lamb's mean that he desires to liken himself to the Son of God and presents himself as king. "He spoke like a dragon" indicates that he is a deceiver and that there is no truth in him.

"Another great beast coming up out of the earth," that is, the false prophet, who is going to give signs, wonders, and false portents for him before men. "Who," John says, "had two horns like a lamb's," that is, he had the appearance of a righteous man. "Speaking like a dragon," that is, full of the devil's deceit.

According to some, this beast is the Antichrist. According to others, it is Satan, and its two horns are the Antichrist and the false prophet. If one holds that the false prophet will also appear in his own person, then it is not inappropriate to take the serpent as Satan.

The beast rising from the sea is the Antichrist, and this beast, according to blessed Irenaeus, is the false prophet. He comes up from earthly life, full of defilements, and has two horns like a lamb.

This is so that he may hide the murderousness of the wolf beneath a sheep's skin, and because at first he will assume the form of piety. Blessed Irenaeus says this about him: "Concerning the armor-bearer, who is also called the false prophet, it must be said that he spoke like a serpent.

"And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth," where the existence of every man takes its beginning. For the Antichrist is a man, whose coming, according to wise Paul, is "according to the working of Satan" (2 Thess 2:9).

"He had two horns like a lamb's and spoke like a dragon." John rightly did not say "a lamb's horns," but "like a lamb's." Nor did he say that he was a dragon, but that he "spoke like a dragon."

For since this sinner invents the claim that he is "Christ," though he is not, John gave him horns like a lamb's. And since through every impiety he becomes more and more like Satan, though he does not become Satan, the apostle did not say that he was a dragon.

St. Andrew says: "Some say that this beast is the Antichrist. Others thought that it is Satan and that its horns signify the Antichrist and the false prophet. But since they agree that the false prophet too will come in his own person, we consider it fitting to understand the serpent as Satan, the beast rising from the sea as the Antichrist, and the present beast, according to the opinion of blessed Irenaeus, as the false prophet.

He comes up from the earth, that is, from earthly and dust-born life. He has horns like a lamb's because the murderousness of the hidden wolf is concealed in sheep's skin, and because at first he will have the appearance of piety."

"He had two horns like a lamb's." The other beast was partly like a lamb, but under him the dragon was hidden. Some find in him the pagan religion, which in certain respects resembled Christianity, but concealed beneath itself the worship of demons. Paganism allowed the deification of emperors and required the worship of their statues. Andrew of Caesarea and others see Antichrist in the first beast, and in the second his prophet or closest servant. Yet one may also find here an indication of historical persons, insofar as they served as agents in the struggle against Christianity. In this way they prefigured the final great struggle of Jesus Christ with the devil and Antichrist.

This is the same beast, but it is portrayed as coming not from the sea, like the first, but from the earth. This signifies that all his feelings and thoughts will be entirely earthly and sensual in character.

He has two horns like a lamb's, signifying that his authority and power will, by their nature, be like a lamb's. That is, they will be spiritual in character, not political or physical.

The divine Lamb, Christ Jesus, used two chief powers to destroy the works of the devil in the human race: the power of the word and the power of miracles. So also the Antichrist's assistant will mainly put these same two powers into action.

But he will speak "like a dragon." That is, his speeches will be blasphemous, and the fruit of his words will be nothing but godlessness and extreme impiety.