Rev 13:5   "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."  

The Devil tested the Lord in the wilderness after that the Lord had fasted forty days and forty nights.  Matt. 4:8 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."  The Devil was promising the Lord that he would make him king over the beast if he would worship him.  Of course, the Lord refused. 

David was the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit in the last words that he spoke: 2 Sam. 23:1 "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."  In contrast, the prince of the power of the air (Satan) often speaks through his subjects speaking great things and blasphemies:

          1.  2 Kings 18:32 "Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. 33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? 35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?"

          2.  Dan. 4:30 "The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?"

          3.  Dan. 7:8 "I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things."

          4.  Dan. 7:20 "And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;"

          5.  Dan. 3:15 "Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

          6.  2 Chr. 32:17 "He wrote also letters to rail on the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand. 18 Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city. 19 And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man."

          7.  Dan. 7:25 "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

"Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."  Since the fall of Rome many have believed that the beast is no longer around.  There have been many attempts to form a one-world government since that time.  Some of the attempts include:

          1.  England in the days of the British Empire;

          2.  Fascism in the days of the First World War;

          3.  Nazism in the days of the Second World War;

          4.  Communism during the Cold War;

          5.  The United Nations.

According to Rev. Chapter 20 the seventh head will form near the close of Christ spiritual reign on earth:  Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."  Thus the beast will continue until the end of the 42 months which is the end of the New Covenant age. 

Rev 13:6-8  "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

To blasphemy means to speak to the injury, destruction, or defamation of the one blasphemed.  The beast opened his mouth in blasphemy against God.  This blasphemy against God took three venues.  First, it was blasphemy against the name of God.  Blasphemy against the name of God is more than just using curse words or using wicked epitaphs.  It includes speaking against the very character of God manifests in the names used for God.  For instance, God is called Creator.  To speak against God as the creator of all things is to blasphemy the name of God.  All the atheists and evolutionists today are blasphemers of the name of God.  When secular government will not only condone but also promote evolution and reject even the very teaching of creation, that secular government is blaspheming the name of God.  Another name of God is Shepherd.  When government tries to replace the spiritual pastorship of God over his people with drugs and other forms of medication and treatment, then that government is blaspheming the name of God.  Likewise when a secular government denies God's Almighty power, his omniscient reign over the affairs of men, his sovereignty, his deity, his kingship and his kingdom, it is blaspheming the name of God.           

Second, the beast blasphemed the tabernacle of God.  A tabernacle is a temporary dwelling place.  God has promised to dwell with his people in his kingdom in his church.  That is the tabernacle of God.  When secular government speaks against or does destruction against the Lord's church that is blasphemy against the tabernacle of God.  When secular government creates a state sponsored or state run church (so-called) and requires people to worship therein or not worship at all, then that is blasphemy against the tabernacle of God.  Likewise, in any way that the secular government attempts to hinder the existence of the Lord's church is blasphemy against the tabernacle of God.  

Third, the beast blasphemed them that dwelled in heaven.  The use of the word, heaven, here is not to infer the glory world.  Rather it refers to the kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God and embraces the Lord's church.  Them that dwell in heaven are the born-again, baptized members of the Lord's church who are seeking to walk as the Lord's disciples.  When secular government puts up obstacles to the true worship of God and tries to dissuade people from worshipping therein, or attempts to destroy the true worshippers of God or to hinder their worship or service to God, then that is blasphemy against those who dwell in heaven. 

Examples of this beastly blasphemy are found in the books of Daniel and of Esther.  Nebuchadnezzar sought to destroy anyone who would not worship the image that he had set up.  Darius was persuaded to cast into a den of lions anyone who asked petition of any God other than himself.  Haman sought through King Ahasuerus to destroy the remnant of the Jews who worshipped the God of Israel.  

"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them."  There is a very limited or restricted sense in which the beast can make war with and overcome the saints.  He can do harm or destroy their natural body only.  Just as Satan was restricted from destroying the life of Job, so the beast cannot touch the spiritual life of one of God's elect.  The Lord said in Matt 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  The most that the beast can do is kill the body.  He can overcome them as far as bringing them into bodily bondage, restricting their movements and killing their bodies, but he cannot destroy their soul.  Only the Lord is capable of destroying a soul.  However, he will never destroy the souls of his elect.  

The beast cannot force the Lord's born-again people to worship any false God or any falsehood against their will.  He may deceive them into doing that but he cannot force them into doing it. 

"Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."  As we read earlier in this chapter, this power came from the dragon.  The authority is an unlawful authority the beast forces upon its subjects.  It is the authority of force.  It goes back to the adage, "He that has the force has the authority."  When the King of Assyria sought to impose his rule over Hezekiah and the children of Israel at Jerusalem, he sought to do it by force.  This was the same way that he had imposed his authority upon all the other nations he ruled.

2 Kings 18:29 "Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: 30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern: 32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. 33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand? 35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" 

Again the use of the phrase, "all kindreds, and tongues, and nations," shows the universal nature of the beast.  Thus this beast was a multinational conglomeration of nations under a ruler.  

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."  Some have thought that the unregenerate do not worship anything, but that is simply not true.  One thing they worship is the God of force.  This is the reason they worship the beast by giving such praise and adoration to him.  Their worship is the worship of the creature.  They believe that man through the wisdom and ingenuity of man in a man-made government can cure all the ills and problems of society.  They worship at the altar of secular government and worship the God of forces while doing so. 

Rev 13:9  "If any man have an ear, let him hear." 

This strange little statement or a very similar statement appears eight times in the book of Revelations and eight times in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  (Rev. 2:2, 7, 11, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9; Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mk. 4:9, 23; 7:16; Lk. 8:8; 14:35).  It is a declarative command (let him hear) based on a condition (If any man have an ear).  The condition must exist before the command can apply.  If a man has not an ear, then he is not commanded to hear, neither is he capable of hearing.  God only commands those who have an ear to hear.  This begs two questions: "Who has an ear?" and "What type of ear is it? 

In answer to the questions above, I Cor. 2:9, 10 reads, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."  Thus, we conclude that the natural ear, natural eye, and natural heart that cannot perceive the things that God hath prepared for them that love him.  Yet the Spirit has revealed the deep things of God to some.  Therefore, we conclude that there is a spiritual eye, a spiritual ear, and a spiritual heart to which the deep things of God are revealed.  Furthermore, I Cor. 2:14, tells us "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  The natural man has no spiritual senses by which he can receive spiritual things.  Verse 12 gives us the answer as follows: "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."  The spiritual ear hears spiritual things.  The ones who have spiritual ears are those who have been born spiritually.           

The Lord said in John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Those who have been born of the spirit are the only ones who have spiritual senses by which they can see the kingdom of God.  Verses 6-8 reads, "6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."  The Spirit operates sovereignly and separate and apart from man's action in causing someone to be born of the Spirit.  As the Lord said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." 

Only those who have been born of the Spirit have spiritual ears by which they can hear spiritual things.  God gives the command to hear only to those who have been born of the Spirit.  Since this command is not the irresistible command of the new birth it can be complied with or it can be ignored by those who receive it.  Those who have been born again who ignore the commandment will suffer a timely condemnation for their rebellion, but heaven will still be their home.          

The Spirit speaks to the spiritually born child of God in various ways but chiefly through the scriptures, through the preaching of the gospel, and through individual experiences in the life of the Spirit born individual.  We should not ignore or rebel against what the Spirit speaks to us but rather hear what the Spirit says to us and obey His commands. 

God has directed the scriptures only to the child of God.  This we read in II Tim. 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."  The unregenerate are not capable of receiving spiritual instruction from the scriptures.  Only the spiritually born individuals can receive spiritual instruction from the scriptures.