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Rev. 13:1:  And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
         This frightful monster is produced by self-love in the believer, waging everlasting war against all men. This is the pride of life. This beast rises up "out of the sea," for it appears on this stormy sea of life. This war is more open than the preceding; however it is almost the same thing. He has "seven heads," that is to say, seven sprouts that are a part of him as is his self-love. His "ten horns" are ambition, hatred, jealousy, the contempt of others, slander, unrighteousness, murders, quarrellings, usurpation, luxury, revenge, ungodliness. These ten horns are crowned, for  there is not one for which a crown is not given. Ambition is called honor; hatred and jealousy are signs of intelligence and discernment; the rest are said to come from a great heart or a fine soul! Each of these horns has its crown, its sanction; no one admits he is proud...only courageous.
         Upon his heads is the name of blasphemy, appropriating to himself what belongs to God; he  dishonors Him, blasphemes Him, shamelessly offends Him. Nothing is more opposed to God than self-interest and pride (or unbelief). If God could be dethroned, it would be done by His creature, just to take His place.

Rev. 13:2:  And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
         The leopard is very beautiful outwardly and his skin is beautiful. It is like self-interest, covered with the finest appearance; its outward part charms. But his feet were as of a bear, to rise above all that opposes his own reign. His feet are very ugly, completely opposed to what he shows outside. His mouth is as the mouth of a lion because he devours everything. All is used to feed him- the poor, the widow, the orphan, the seeking soul, all are devoured by him and are his food and support.
         The dragon gave him his power. All the might and malice of the devil is enclosed in pride, the eldest son of self-interest!
         A soul without pride is a soul in the state of nothingness in whom the devil has no more power. Pride is, therefore, the head of all sins and it is the source of sin, just as pure love is the headwaters of truth. Self-love is both the son and the father of pride, and pure love is the source of all virtues. He who possesses an inner love cannot be controlled by sin although it seems to him that he does not have any virtue.

Rev. 13:3:  And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; ...
         Sometimes it seems to the seeking believer that some vice has been destroyed and some head brought down, but when it seems dead, then it rises with more violence and fury. All vices continue to be renewed till self-interest is entirely destroyed.
         The whole earth wondered, because love for self and ambition are desired by all men (even the most spiritual ones).
         Where will we find a man who does not seek his own interest? The Scripture says: " All seek their own." Only those who seek the interest of God alone, do good. Will someone be found who has no interest except God's? The priest chooses the priesthood out of self-interest. The preacher will preach for God's glory; however he seeks his own glory and applause. The missionary seeks success. But those who do not look at themselves in any way, who, when forsaken by all, even forsaken of God, do not look at themselves but at the interest of God alone, how rare!

Rev. 13:4,5,6: ...and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant  words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
         All men who still live in themselves are idolaters of self-interest. And since self-interest gets its power from self-love, their fate is the same; if you destroy one, you cannot do otherwise than destroy the other; and if you idolize one, you will the other.
        Those who are possessed by this spirit of self-interest and self-love, who worship the beast, say there is nothing like their way of acting. Who can resist their motives and prudence? They glory in their success and in the applause given by all.
         Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months oppressing God's servants. These people rise with a frightful boldness. They blaspheme His name, considering the anointing of His grace to be an error.
         These people have the impertinence to condemn what they are not fortunate enough to feel. (These graces are never granted to those who go after self-interest and self-love). They blaspheme against the inward life, and "against those that dwell" in God.
         The tabernacle of God is inward. God lives and makes His abode in the whole soul as He promised to do for those who will do His will. Nearly all men rave against this tabernacle; they cannot stand that God be worshipped in this tabernacle.

Rev. 13:7:  And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
         Self-interest wages a continuous war against the saints who have suffered to be stripped of all so as to give glory and homage to the majesty of God. It seems the whole earth is armed against these saints and always wins the battle. (Those who are back of this triumph are said to be saints, great ones, while the saints themselves are defeated, oppressed, and undone). The saints will eventually be withdrawn from oppression and God will give them back what they lost and much compensation besides. However all the rest of mankind will be overcome and possessed by this spirit of self-interest.

Rev. 13:8:  And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
         Only true, inward believers, marked with the seal of the Lamb, do not serve self-love and greed. Those who have the nature of the Lamb seek the Lamb only. Vices have taken the names of virtues. Virtues such as pure love, naked faith, hope which has no stay, complete denial, true humility, all these virtues are considered evils and vices. Everybody agrees to condemn virtues. However these are essential virtues without which we have only the name and appearance of a Christian. We can be comforted that no matter how great corruption is, there will also be many inner persons who belong to God, with the seal of the Lamb, and having His nature.
         This Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, which means from the beginning of the inner Christian world, for it was in this sacrifice and in the blood of this Lamb without spot that the world received a new life. This Lamb, by His sacrifice, changed the book of death into "a book of life" by the efficacy of His blood. The Lamb, by His  sacrifice, redeemed us from death, and had this condemnation of death changed into a promise of life. As soon as the soul allows Jesus Christ to do the living of the believer-- from within-- that believer is sealed with His seal and nature. Self-love and self-interest have no power over these souls because they are freed from tyranny by the blood of Jesus Christ and submit to His power. However, those who do not have His seal, the Beast has power over them.
         What is it to be a Christian? "They have crucified the flesh" (Gal. 5:24).
         A "new creature ...old things have passed away, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5).
         "All those who are baptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into His death" (Rom. 6).
         "As many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8).
         Those who are Christians in this manner are marked with the seal of the Lamb!

Rev. 13:9,10:  If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints."
         Those who attack an inwardly living one and cause such a one to suffer should fear this passage. They succeed, for awhile, because God allows them to. The believing ones, as a result, become gold in the furnace of humiliation. But after God has used these persecutors to purify His servants and bring them to nought, He punishes the antagonist who chastised His children.
         Let those who triumph against us today be persuaded that they will some day be led into captivity, and that the same evils they put on others are waiting for them.
         My God, sometimes You seem to have no eyes or ears; but a time comes when You know how to avenge Your servants.
         As for you, oh servants of God, rejoice in your oppression, be exceedingly glad, because you must show your faithfulness to God. This is only to prove your faith. God tries you as He did Abraham to see if you will not lose your faithfulness when you are oppressed, afflicted and tormented.

Rev. 13:11,12:  And 1 saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a Iamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
         This beast is "carnality." This beast is not any less dangerous than the other two; on the contrary, the danger of this beast is less apparent, and this is why it is more harmful. Why? This one retains goodness. Its appearance is very beautiful. It is full of its own righteousness, but in such a hidden way that it cannot be discerned because it has two horns like a Iamb.
         The horns of the true lamb are righteousness and divine strength. This beast's horns are self-righteousness and self-strength. That is why he comes out of the earth-- because he comes from the corrupt nature while the Lamb comes from above. How can we know this frightful monster? By his voice. The speech of the Word is always fruitful, seeking the glory of God. But this beast seeks only his own glory and benefit.
         This frightful beast "exercises all the power of the first beast" (the tyranny of self-interest). He has this self-interest worshipped and adored more because he is backed up by covetousness (the power to possess).

Rev, 13:13:  And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
         Carnality covered by an appearance of godliness is so powerful that it makes fire come down from heaven. It has the power to inspire some apparent conversion, but this is not lasting. The devil gives the feelings of certain passing fires which seem to come from heaven and help the swelling pride of this beast, giving it anew hold on men.
         If a man with carnality starts anything, he will succeed. Success swells and develops a sense of carnality. Failure brings a sense of nothingness and need of God.

Rev. 13:14:  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
         This carnality (covetousness) deceives them that dwell on the earth. This means those who live in themselves who are sure of themselves. This beast blinds them so that they are persuaded that good is evil and evil good. It entices them to make an image of the beast. This image is a likeness of self-love which is said to be the love of God because self-love imitates pure love. The image of self-love seems to be a pure love to those who have no understanding.
         This beast has a wound. This wound does not make him die though it is a deadly wound. Love of self lives in the very things which would cause others to die. Here is the difference between self-love and pure love: He who has pure love dies truly because of the wounds he has received, while self-love becomes more alive by them. The world is deceived and blind to this. These are idols, not pastors, and they are idolized.
         This idolatry comes about because of carnality.

Rev. 13:15:  And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
       He who is not indwelt by the Spirit of God is moved with carnality which is worshipped, now, everywhere. Today carnality has the right to speak to whomever it pleases. It alone now draws attention; some good souls only are excepted for they understand the language of pure love. The rest understand only the language of the beast; the language of pure love seems strange and harsh. The Spirit of the Church and of the Gospel appears peculiar and suspicious to them. As for the language of the beast, everybody understands it. It comes naturally to all. This carnality is so foreign to the pure love that little by little it destroys divine love. And so, carnality oppresses those who do not submit to self-love, which in itself is a god.
         Oh, truth clearer than the daylight, why are you not understood?

Rev. 13:16:   And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, ...
       Self-interest is stirring everyone to act in our day. All on the earth are led by it. This is "the mark" all receive from the beast...they only think of themselves and for themselves; they will act for themselves and by themselves! All men act thus! (Except those who have the mark of the Lamb...they have no other interest besides that of God alone. This is their mark.
         The characteristic and mark of the servants of God is this: God alone in everything, God and His cross. No more thought for self but God alone, His glory only, His interest alone! Speak to this soul of anything you like, wealth, honors, life, friends, children, salvation, eternity, perfection-- he does not know any other language but: God alone. He consults only God in all undertakings. This is the seal and characteristic of the Lamb. Others have to consult their own interest or the interest of honor, glory, reputation, family, money, promotion.
         Self-interest is then the mark and language of the beast.

Rev. 13:18:  Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is  six hundred and sixty-six.
         It is said that those who love Him only and passionately are not adapted to their environment; they are not qualified for business, because it is said they do not know how to lie or deceive. But oh God, the truth is they are hated by the world because they are not of it and do not have the mark of it. They are not like other men, for they are marked with the mark of Jesus Christ. Although they are the meekest and kindest of men, they are avoided, feared, hated as if they were scoundrels. Oh, hostile condemnation!
         Wherever souls are marked with the characteristics of Jesus Christ, they will be speaking the same language, acting in the same way; likewise those who bear the characteristics of the beast speak and act like the beast. Here is wisdom ...to know how to discern the characteristics of the beast and those of Jesus Christ.
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^{(1) Guyon, Mme. Jeanne, CHRIST OUR REVELATION, Gardiner, Main, Reprinted 1987 Christian Books Publishing House}

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