Revelation 13:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

One of the heads was wounded unto death, but this mortal wound was healed. In Victorinus's reading it is wounded unto death, not "as though" wounded unto death. This refers to Nero. For it is known that when horsemen sent by the senate were pursuing him, he cut his own throat. Therefore God sends this risen king, worthy of those who are worthy of him, namely the Jews and persecutors of Christ. He is an anointed one in the measure deserved by persecutors and Jews. Since he is going to bear another name, he is also going to establish another life, so that they may receive him as Christ. For Daniel says: "He shall not regard the desire of women," since he himself is most abominable, "nor shall he regard the gods of his fathers" (Dan 11:37).

The words, "I saw one of his heads as though slain to death," indicate one of two things. Either one of his princes, put to death through Antichrist's sorceries and the blinding of men, will falsely be shown by him as raised from the dead, as Simon Magus did when he was exposed by the Apostle Peter. Or else the Roman kingdom, as though perishing from division, will again rise strong under the single authority of Antichrist, as under Caesar Augustus. "And all the earth marveled." The miracle falsely wrought by Antichrist will be ascribed to the devil acting in him. Through him they will also worship the serpent. To those spiritually blinded, he will appear to raise the dead and work miracles.

When John says, "as though wounded unto death," he means the heretics who pretend that they confess Christ. Since they do not believe as the catholic faith requires, they blaspheme when they proclaim that he, having been wounded, rose. For Satan himself takes the form of an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Or it may be interpreted otherwise. Wounds are inflicted on heresies by catholic believers, since heresies are overcome by the testimonies of the Scriptures. Yet they, as though rising from Satan's wound, perform his works and do not cease to blaspheme and draw into their teachings whomever they can. "And they worshiped the beast, saying: Who is like this beast?

This, perhaps, is the sense intended by the Spirit-bearing Evangelist himself. Yet it seems to me that the following is depicted here. The deadly wound inflicted on one of the heads by Israel's worship of God was healed by the Jews' return to idolatry. "And the whole earth marveled, following the beast." For why would this not happen, if even the God-fearing people of Israel worshiped him? Isaiah spoke of this in the person of God to Israel: "Because of you My name is continually dishonored among the nations" (Is 52:5). But together with the beast they worshiped the chief of evil, the dragon, who is the originator of so great a deception and of cunning snares. Those Israelites whom he conquered by craft were taken captive by him. They offer him a doxology, saying: "Who is like this beast? And who is able to make war with him?"

Some understand by the wound the blow that Constantine the Great dealt to paganism when he ended the persecutions against Christianity and legalized it. Yet from this blow it did not finally disappear. It revived again and flourishes with new strength in the last times. Saint Andrew says: "The head that was slain means that one of the leaders of the antichrist will be killed and, by him, will be deceptively shown to have risen through sorcery. Or it means that the Roman kingdom will suffer death through division, but, having received sole rule in the person of the antichrist, will appear to have been healed."

"His deadly wound was healed." By this mortal wound one may understand the danger of losing power that threatened one of the emperors, namely Nero, according to the testimony of Suetonius (Nero, 40).

Chapter 13 presents an image of Antichrist. The effort of the Stundists to find here features that could be applied to the institutions of the Orthodox Church is as vain as it is blasphemous. According to the seer's depiction, Antichrist will be a servant of Satan, who clothes himself in the form of an angel of light in order to deceive men. He will have certain traits of outward likeness to Christ. Like Christ who died and rose again, he will be mortally wounded, but to the amazement of the whole earth his wound will be healed (v. 3).

The seer of mysteries notes that one of the beast's heads was as though wounded unto death. But this mortal wound was healed, and this circumstance brought the whole earth, following the beast, into amazement. It subjected the frightened people both to the dragon who gave authority to the beast and to the beast himself. All worshiped him, saying: "Who is like this beast, and who is able to make war with him?" All this may mean that the antichrist will not obtain his authority without effort. At first there will probably be destructive wars, which he will have to wage for this authority against hostile kings and powers. In these wars he will first have to suffer a certain defeat, but then his astonishing victories and his reign over the world will follow.