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Revelation 13:5

ESV And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
NIV The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
NASB A mouth was given to him speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
CSB The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies. It was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.
NLT Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.
KJV 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.
NKJV And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

What does Revelation 13:5 mean?

This verse depicts the Antichrist—the beast from the sea (Revelation 13:1)—as boastful and blasphemous. This is hardly a new approach: like evil dictators before him, the beast glories in his accomplishments. He is smug, and his ego extends to the heavens.

King Nebuchadnezzar displayed this attitude. He vented his pride by constructing a huge golden image on the plain of Dura. At the dedication of the image, he decreed that music be played and at its sound every person must fall down and worship the image or be cast into a burning fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1–7). Another time, as he walked on the roof of his palace, he gloated, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:28–30).

While Nebuchadnezzar possessed overflowing pride at the beginning of the times of the Gentiles, the beast from the sea possesses overflowing pride at the end of the times of the Gentiles. The beast also commits blasphemy. He sees himself as God. Nevertheless, his reign will not last beyond three and a half years, according to this verse. Daniel 7:25 also notes that he is blasphemous but will reign for "a time, times, and half a time," which means one year, two years, and a half a year for three and a half in total.
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