As examples of the haughty and blasphemous words the beast could speak, we may think of Sennacherib’s words in 2 Chronicles 32:9–19, or Nebuchadnezzar’s boasting in Daniel 4:30, or Herod’s boasting and his people’s response (Acts 12:21–22). In each of these cases the boasting and the blasphemy were eventually shown to be empty, just words.
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months.