Revelation 13:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The image is given the appearance of life and speech, and refusal to worship it is met with death.
What Does Revelation 13:15 Mean?
The second beast is permitted to give breath to the image so that it seems to live and speak, and it decrees that all who will not worship the image should be killed. The idol is animated and then armed; persuasion now hardens into compulsion.
When deception alone will not secure worship, force is added. Yet the demand laid on the faithful is unmistakable, and it echoes the choice set before believers in every age: bow to the idol or accept the cost of refusing. Threatened with death, the people of God are called to the same courage shown by those who would not bow to the golden image of old. The reader is sobered, but also strengthened, for the One who holds the keys of death stands with those who will not betray him.
Revelation 13:15 in the Original Language
pneuma (πνεῦμα), 'breath' -- breath or spirit, here the semblance of life granted to a lifeless image.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 13:15
What does Revelation 13:15 mean?
The image is given the appearance of life and speech, and refusal to worship it is met with death.