These facts are not, indeed, to be taken as a fulfillment of the prophecy, but they show the spirit of the age in which we live, and point to this time as a period when we may look for wonders of every kind.
The particular wonders to which the prophecy refers are evidently wrought for the purpose of deceiving the people; for verse 14 reads, "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast." This identifies the two-horned beast with the false prophet of Rev.19:20; for this false prophet is the power that works miracles before the beast, "with which," says John, "he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image," the identical work of the two-horned beast.

We can now ascertain by what means the miracles in question are wrought; for Rev.16:13, 14, speaks of spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, and these miracle-working spirits go forth out of the mouths of certain powers, one of which is this very false prophet, or two-horned beast.
Miracles are of two kinds, true and false, just as we have a true Christ and false Christs, true and false prophets, and true and false apostles.

By a false miracle, we mean not a pretended miracle, which is no miracle at all, but a real miracle, a supernatural performance, wrought for the purpose of deceiving, or of proving a lie.

The miracles of this power are real miracles, but are wrought for the purpose of deception.

The prophecy does not read that he deceived the people by means of the miracles which he claimed that he was able to perform, or which he pretended to do; but which he _had power_ to do.