Rev 13:12

“And the words, "he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed," signify that, after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the empire of Rome was established, he too will rule and govern, sanctioning everything by it, and taking greater glory to himself. For this is the fourth beast, whose head was wounded and healed again, in its being broken up or even dishonoured, and partitioned into four crowns; and he then (Antichrist) shall with knavish skill heal it, as it were, and restore it.”

“It exercised all the power of the first beast on the earth. He spoke of that earlier beast that he had seen rising from the sea and to which the dragon had given his own great power. He said that the beast exercised this power before the beast. For all the power of the people is in their leaders, which he described, just as the power of the locusts and the horses is in their tails. In front of the people, the leaders do what is useful to the will of the devil under the cover of an imitation of the church. Clearly, in both beasts there is one body, and they practice the worship of one iniquity, so that the mimicry of the latter beast may be said to work to the advantage of that earlier beast.… "So that those who dwell on the earth worship the first beast." … Or as another translation renders, "so that the earth and those who inhabit it." … And he mentioned the earth and those who inhabit the earth with good reason. For it might have sufficed to mention either the earth or those who inhabit the earth. However, he shows the force of [the beast's] seduction which has given both body and soul to him as property. For whoever falls by force without being enticed away is made captive in the body alone. However, whoever falls to seduction is made captive both in the body and in the mind, and for this reason he said, "He caused the earth and those who inhabit it to worship the beast whose mortal wound was healed."”

“Since the church is "heaven," what is this fire that falls from heaven other than heresies that fall from the church? As it is written, "They went out from us, but they were not of us." For fire falls from the church whenever heretics leave the church as though fire and persecute the church. Therefore, the beast with the two horns causes the people to worship the image of the beast, that is, the devices of the devil.”

“"And he did great signs, even making fire come down from heaven in the sight of people." Although it says that he would do many signs, he mentions only this remarkable sign. This translation speaks as though of the past, while it announces the future, although indicating that the future will also be different. And so it says, "so that he also makes fire come down from heaven." That he causes fire to descend from heaven to the earth, that is, from the church to those who are earthly, indicates that whether from a variety of peoples or by the wiles of a falling enemy he causes his servants to speak in new and multiple tongues. In this manner they prattle as though they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit who in the form of fiery tongues had once truly shined upon the individual disciples of Christ. And, indeed, the Lord especially commended this sign of those who believe, saying, "These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues," and the like. It is not surprising, therefore, if that beast which by imitation usurped the name of the Lamb who had been killed and now is living should also fraudulently lay claim by mimicry to that great gift of the Holy Spirit and feign that gift also for his servants, even as we recall what once Simon boasted but was unable to do. For when the very ministers of Satan listed their expulsions of demons and their various wonders and said, "Did we not cast out demons in your name?" and the like, the Lord did not approve of their boasting but reproved them as arrogant and worthy of damnation. And therefore, perhaps by emphasizing this sign [of fire], which represents the Holy Spirit, he wished to indicate especially that which is superior to all else. For although heresies seem to have some things in common with us, only the church of Christ can boast that she especially is possessed of this gift. Although the magicians of Pharaoh performed wonders similar to those of Moses, we are told that they were frustrated by the Holy Spirit. When they gave up on their own claims and were defeated, they spoke a true confession and said, "This is the finger of God." The Gospel testifies that the Holy Spirit is called "the finger of God" when one Gospel says, "By the Spirit of God I cast out demons," while another says, "By the finger of God I cast out demons." And so the sheer force of the seduction is indicated, that the beast is thought to possess that Spirit that resisted the magicians and brought their deceptions to nothing.”

“The forerunner of the apostate false christ will do all things through sorcery for the deception of humankind, so that the antichrist will be regarded as God. And, since [the antichrist] receives the witness of the worker of such marvels, he receives undisputed honor, in imitation of the Baptist, who led those who believed to the Savior. For falsehood is zealous to imitate the truth for the deception of humankind. Therefore, it is not remarkable that to the eyes of those deceived, fire is seen coming down from heaven. For somewhere in the story of Job we are taught that, with the permission of God and by the activity of Satan, fire came down and consumed his flock.”

“Whose deadly wound was healed. That is, it feigned to have overcome death by rising. For Scripture said he was as if slain, just as it was said of the Jews: They did not enter the praetorium, lest they should be defiled. The evangelist did not assert that the most impure could be defiled if they entered the praetorium; nor did the Jews, conscious of such great crimes, truly fear being defiled, but he reported what they pretended as if affirming it.”

“And it says that he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. That is, he becomes the successor of the power of the Devil, and prepares all to worship him, whose deadly wound was healed. This has been said among the preceding. Now it must only be marked. For since he said that he has all the authority of the first beast before him, and first of all he named the Dragon the fiery one, whom the vision shown in heaven revealed, so that no one might think to say now that he received the authority as that of the first beast, I am not speaking about that first of all of all, but of him who comes after that one, yet before the Antichrist, whom the vision showed rising from the sea like a leopard (Rev. 13:1-2). For the wound of this one's death was healed, as stated above.”