And the beast was taken,.... At the first onset, as soon as ever the battle begun, and carried away captive, as it was threatened he should, Re 13:10 and this by Christ, who will destroy him with the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming, 2Th 2:8.
And with him the false prophet; that is, the second beast in Re 13:11 as appears by the characters by which he is here described, or antichrist in his ecclesiastic capacity; that is, the pope with his clergy: and indeed, when the antichristian princes and states are taken and destroyed, which are the support of the Papacy, that must in consequence sink, be crushed and ruined; the Alexandrian copy reads, "and they that are with him, the false prophet Jezebel"; the false prophetess and her children, who will now be killed with death, Re 2:20that wrought miracles before him: the beast, or the civil antichristian powers, even signs and lying wonders, which were approved of, and applauded by him, by which, believing them, he was confirmed in antichristian principles:with which he deceived them that had the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image; the several subjects of the antichristian states; see Re 13:14 but none of God's elect, who cannot be seduced by such means, Mt 24:24.
These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone; which is the second death, Re 21:8. The severe punishment of antichrist, considered in both his capacities, civil and ecclesiastic, is expressed by being "cast into a lake of fire", not material fire, but the wrath of God, which will be poured out like fire, and will be intolerable; and by this lake "burning with brimstone", which, giving a nauseous stench, aggravates the punishment.
Says R. Joden , when a man smells the smell of brimstone, why does his breath draw back at it (or catch)? because he knows he shall be judged with it in the world to come.