And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, he deceives by employing false signs, and he deceives by inducing men to believe that the worship of the first beast is allowable.
Those "that dwell on the earth" are the worldly minded, as in Revelation 13:12. "Which he had power to do" should rather be "which it was given him to do," as in the Revised Version. The power possessed by the beast does not originate with himself; he possesses it only subject to the will of God (cf.
Revelation 13:5 and Revelation 13:7). Thus the second beast—self deceit—beguiles men. They accept exhibitions of power external to God as evidences of an independence and self sufficiency which do not exist apart from God, forgetful of the fact that this power is derived from God: it is given by him.
(For "in the sight of the beast," see on Revelation 13:12.) Saying to them that dwell on the earth. λέγων, "saying," masculine, agrees with the neuter θηρίον. The writer uses the masculine, as in Revelation 13:8, because of the personified nature of the beast.
It is not fair to press the word (as some writers do) into the signification that a man must be intended. "Them that dwell on the earth"—the worldly minded (vide supra). That they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live; who hath the stroke of a sword, and lived, as in the Revised Version.
The masculine as before (vide supra). This beast suggested that men should set up an image of the first beast, not in order to pay greater honour to the first beast, but that an apparent alternative might be offered to men, so that those who hesitated to pay direct allegiance to the first beast might overcome their scruples and worship something which resembled him, while allowing them to, as it were, cheat their own consciences by persuading themselves that they were not worshipping the beast himself.
These two classes of men are, of course, essentially one; they are, in reality, all followers of the beast; but still there is a difference in the manner in which they become worshippers of the beast.
The distinction of the two classes seems to be kept in mind in Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:4, where, however, all are included in the same condemnation. Thus the apostle teaches us that those who, by specious and plausible reasoning, who, in short, by self deceit, allow themselves to east in their lot with the worldly—the avowed followers of the first beast—are equally guilty with those who openly proclaim themselves followers of the world.
(On the last part of the verse, the nature of the sword stroke, see on Revelation 20:3.