Gr. exousia, “authority.” Textual evidence attests (cf. p. 10) the reading, “because he gave the authority to the beast,” in place of “which gave power unto the beast.” See on v. 2.

 Worshiping the beast is in fact worshiping the dragon, for the beast is but the visible agency of the dragon, carrying out the dragon’s program. The era of the revived papacy will also be characterized by a period when spiritism is especially active. Back of spiritism is Satan working “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:10). Through Roman Catholism, spiritism, and apostate Protestantism, Satan aims to cause the world to worship him. He will be successful except for a noble remnant that refuses to bow to his demands (Rev. 12:17; 13:8).

 Apparently, resistance to the demands of the beast meant war. The suggestion is that he ruled by force of arms, and that resistance would be futile. Finally Christ and the armies of heaven will be successful in their warfare against him and will cast the beast “alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (ch. 19:20).

 Perhaps a parody on similar expressions about God (see Ex. 15:11; Ps. 35:10; 113:5).

See above on “worshipped the dragon.”