Revelation 13:3

One of his heads. See on v. 1.

Wounded. Gr. sphazō, “to slay,” “to slaughter.” The word is translated “slain”in ch. 5:6. The phrase may be translated, “smitten to death.” Adventists believe that this prediction met its dramatic fulfillment in 1798 when Berthier, at the head of a French army, entered Rome, declared the political rule of the papacy at an end, and took the pope prisoner to France, where he soon died (see on Dan. 7:25).

However, this incident marked only the climax of a long series of events. The decline of papal power had begun many years before (see Additional Note on Dan. 7). The launching of the Protestant Reformation was a significant event in the long series.

Wound. Gr. plēgē, “a blow,” “a stroke,” also the wound caused by a stroke. Either meaning may be adopted in this text. The “deadly wound” could be either the stroke producing death or the wound producing death.

Was healed. There was a gradual revival in papal life in the years following the revolution in France. The papacy suffered a new setback when in 1870 the Papal States were taken from it. A significant event occurred in 1929 when the Lateran Treaty restored temporal power to the pope, who was given the rule of Vatican City, a section of the city of Rome about 108.7 acres in extent. However, the prophet envisioned a much greater restoration. He saw the wound completely healed, as the Greek implies. Following the healing he saw “all that dwell upon the earth,” except a faithful few, worshiping the beast (v. 8). This is still future. Though the papacy receives homage from certain groups, vast populations show it no deference. But that is to change. The beast of v. 11 “causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (v. 12).

All the world wondered. Or, “all the world was amazed.” That the papal power should revive was deemed incredible.