This Proclamation not a Past Event
It Relates to the Work of the Two-Horned
Beast
The Ten-Horned Beast
Its Identity with the Little Horn of
Dan. 7
The Seven Heads
The Ten Horns
The Deadly Wound
The
Mouth Speaking Great Things
Fate of the Beast.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in
his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be
tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in
the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
forever and ever and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast
and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the
patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus. " Verses 9-12.
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NOT A PAST EVENT
THIS is the most solemn warning that the Bible contains. As the pen of
inspiration has recorded this language for our instruction, it will be wise for
us to listen and obey. It is certain that the record of our world's history
presents no testimony that this message has been heard in the past. And the
fact that the first and second angels of this series have been proved to
belong to the present generation, most clearly establishes the point that this
message does not belong to the past ages. Page 74
IT RELATES TO THE WORK OF THE TWO-HORNED BEAST
The work of the two-horned beast in performing miracles, and causing
those that dwell upon the earth, by means of those miracles, to form an
image to the beast which all men must worship, certainly pertains to the
future. The Third Angel's Message is a warning to prepare the church for
this fearful scene. In proof of this fact, we place the prophecy respecting the
two-horned beast, and the warning of the third angel, in contrast:-
Of the two-horned beast the prophet says:
Of the warning of the third angel he says:
Says J. W. Himes, in 1847: "But the fourteenth chapter [of Revelation]
presents an astounding cry, yet to be made, as a warning to mankind in that
hour of strong temptation. Verses 9-11. A denunciation of wrath so dreadful
cannot be found in the book of God, besides this. Does it not imply a strong
temptation, to require so terrific an admonition?"*(Facts on Romanism 112) "And he exerciseth all the power
of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. . . . And
he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and
great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or
in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the
mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. " Chap. 13:12-
17.
Page 75
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. " Rev. 14:9-11. |
A comparison of these scriptures shows us what an hour of temptation and anguish there is yet before us. If men worship the beast and his image, they will receive of the wine of the wrath of God; and if they refuse, it is at the peril of their lives at the hands of men. This doubtless refers to the time when all who dwell upon the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life, shall worship the beast. Rev. 13:8.
That we may understand the cause of this fearful warning against the worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark, it is necessary that we should examine the testimony respecting the beast, and also the two-horned beast that causes the image to be made to the first beast.
WHAT, THEN, IS THE TEN HORNED BEAST?
This question may be answered by referring to Rev. 13:1-10. When Daniel,
in his vision of the seventh chapter, was shown the various empires that
should successively bear rule over the earth, they were represented under
the symbols of beasts arising from the sea. Three of these having passed
away in John's day, it is proper that the fourth of this series, only, should be
shown to him. The beast with ten horns, described by Daniel, is also seen by
John to ascend out of the sea. Page 76
"1. The little horn was to be a blasphemous power. `He shall speak great
words against the Most High. ' Dan. 7:25. So, also, was the beast of Rev.
13:6 to do the same. `He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God. '
"2. The little horn `made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. '
Dan. 7:21. Thus the beast of Rev. 13:7 was also `to make war with the
saints, and to overcome them. '
"3. The little horn had a `mouth that spake very great things. ' Dan. 7:8, 20.
So, likewise, there was given the beast of Rev. 13:5 `a mouth speaking great
things and blasphemies. '
"4. Power was given the little horn of Dan. 7:25, `until a time, times, and
the dividing of time. ' To the beast, also, power was given to `continue forty
and two months. ' Rev. 13:5. Page 77
"With these points of similarity in the two emblems, the little horn and the
beast, who can doubt their identity?*(Restitution p. 119)
"The dragon (imperial Rome) gave unto the beast (papal Rome) his power,
and his seat, and great authority. "
We have before proved that the city of Rome was the seat of the dragon,
which is here represented as transferred to the beast. It is well known that
the seat of empire was by the emperor Constantine removed from Rome to
Constantinople; and that Rome itself, at a later period, was given to the
popes by the Emperor Justinian.
Page 78
1.
A head wounded before that period would not be a head of the beast, but
a head of the dragon. The prophecy does not relate to the wounding of a
head of the dragon, to make way for the rise of the beast, as some suppose,
but to the wounding of a head of the beast. 2. Nor could it take place during the 1260 years; for it is said that the beast
receives his power and seat from this dragon, and that from that time he was
to have power for 1260 years, so that he should be able to overcome the
saints, and should have power over all kindreds and tongues and nations. Page 79
3. The time when the beast received this deadly wound seems to be clearly
marked in verse 10. It is there stated that he that leadeth into captivity and
killeth with the sword, must be led into captivity and killed with the sword.
That is, the papal power, which had thus acted for 1260 years, must at the
close of that period of triumph be thus used. Such were the facts in 1798. So
John goes over the history of the beast twice, first in verses 1-3, ending with
the deadly wound; and the second time in verses 4-10, ending with the
beast's being led into captivity and slain. This is the event predicted in Dan.
7:26: "They shall take away his dominion. "
Page 80
In him were blended the marks of all the preceding beasts, - the body of the
leopard, the feet of the bear, and the mouth of the lion. Dan. 7:4-6.
"5. The domination of the little horn was to be taken away at the termination
of that specified period. The beast of Rev. 13:10, who led into captivity and
put to death with the sword so many of the saints, was himself to be led into
captivity, and be killed with the sword, at the end of the forty and two
months.
It appears that the dragon of chap. 12
and the beast of chap. 13 and that of chap. 17 each represents some one or
more of the seven heads yet as each is seen with the seven heads, they must
each in a certain sense extend over all the period covered by the three
symbols; for there are not twenty-one heads. The proper period of each
seems to be this: the dragon before the 1260 years, the beast of chap. 13,
during that period, and the beast of chap. 17 since the deadly wound and
captivity at the close of that period.
This 1260 years' rule began with the act of the dragon in giving his seat, the
city of Rome, unto the beast, in 538, and ended in 1798, when the city of
Rome was taken from the beast, and his power was wrested from him.
During this period, therefore, the deadly wound and overthrow of the beast
could not take place.
We believe,
however, that verse 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" |
- has never yet been fully accomplished.
THE FATE OF THE BEAST
It is
certain that the time never yet has been when all except true Christians
worshiped the beast. But this time is yet to be witnessed in the fulfillment of
the prophecy respecting the two-horned beast. We expect this in the hour of
temptation that shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth. It is in view of this scene that the third angel utters his voice of
warning. The beast of Rev. 13:1-10, though wounded with a deadly wound,
was to recover from that wound, and must, according to Rev. 19:19, 20 and
Dan. 7:7-11, continue till the battle of the great day of God Almighty, after
which he is to be cast into the lake of fire.