Revelation 13:15

15 The second beast was allowed to put breath into the statue of the [first] beast. Then the statue of the [first] beast could talk and put to death whoever would not worship it.

Revelation 13:15 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 13:15

And he had power to give life unto the image of the
beast,
&c.] Or "breath"; he breathed into it, and animated it; he gave this new religion a sanction, he confirmed and established it, and obliged all in his dominions to embrace and acknowledge it; and this he did by his decrees and canons, and those that refused were delivered over to the secular power, which he also exercised under another consideration:

that the image of the beast should both speak:
so that it was not like Nebuchadnezzar's golden image that he set up, which required another to speak for it and demand adoration to it; and should seem to be preferable to the dumb idols of the Gentiles, which have mouths, but speak not; and may be understood either of the images of the virgin Mary, and other saints, which it is pretended, and the people are made to believe, that they do at times actually speak, and really weep and laugh, as it may serve their different purposes; or this image may be said to speak by the decrees, canons, anathemas, curses, threatenings, persuasions, doctrines, and blasphemies of the pope and his clergy; so that this image is like both the first and second beast; it has a mouth speaking blasphemies, as the first, and it speaks like a dragon, as the second;

and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed:
which, according to the generality of copies, refers to the image itself, that that has a power from the beast as to speak, so to put to death those that refuse to worship it; but the Complutensian edition reads (kai poiei) , "and causes": that is, the beast causes, or orders all those that will not worship the image, to be killed; that is, that as many as will not embrace and profess the Popish religion shall be put to death; and these are the known orders and decrees of the Papacy, which have been executed by the Inquisition, and other hands, in innumerable instances; the blood of all the saints and prophets is found in Rome Papal, and will be avenged; these are the martyrs of Jesus, with whose blood the whore on the scarlet coloured beast has been made drunk; and this sense is confirmed by the eastern versions.

Revelation 13:15 In-Context

13 The second beast performs spectacular signs. It even makes fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people.

14 It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do in front of the [first] beast. It tells those living on earth to make a statue for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived.

15 The second beast was allowed to put breath into the statue of the [first] beast. Then the statue of the [first] beast could talk and put to death whoever would not worship it.

16 The second beast forces all people--important and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves--to be branded on their right hands or on their foreheads.

17 It does this so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the brand, which is the beast's name or the number of its name.