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The Two-Horned Beast of Rev. 13:11-17

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 29, 1909

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 86, No. 17.

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The Two-Horned Beast of Rev. 13:11-17

By George I. Butler

GEORGE I. BUTLER
In considering the third angel’s message, we have noticed at some length the warning against the symbolic beast, and have found that beast to be the papacy, with all that term comprehends, — the concrete result and outcome of the great apostasy from the religion of our Lord and Saviour, which sets itself up in the so-called temple, or church, of God, claiming for itself the attributes and prerogatives of God.
But associated in this warning message is another power also,—another so-called “beast,” which performs a great work. “And I beheld another beast as coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 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 doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 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.” Rev. 13:11-17.
Of what is this two-horned beast a symbol? We have seen that in symbolic prophecy living creatures are used as symbols of mighty nations, especially in the books of Daniel and The Revelation. The four beasts of Daniel 7; the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn which waxed exceeding great, of Daniel 8; the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, of Revelation 12; the leopard beast, which has been shown to be the papacy, of Revelation 13, etc., are familiar examples. Revelation 12 and 13 are one connected line of prophecy, reaching from Christ onward to the end of the world, the great red dragon representing pagan Rome, and the leopard beast Rome ruled by the popes. It is distinctly stated that the two-horned beast is “another beast;” hence it can not be the same as any of those which preceded it, nor a part of them.
How much territory did the first two include? Pagan Rome had conquered and incorporated into its own territory all that was formerly occupied by Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia; that is, all of western Asia, northern Africa, and all of Europe. Hence there was no portion of the Old World where the two-horned beast could exercise its dominion; for it was “another beast.”
About four hundred years ago Columbus discovered America. It was sparsely settled by aborigines. Here was a theater for the development of a great nation. The United States of America, after a little over a century of political existence, has a population of nearly one hundred million people, and no nation on the earth to-day has greater influence in the world’s affairs. Should not this wonderful country, with its rapidly growing population, power, wealth, and influence, be noticed in prophecy? Here people have settled from almost every land on earth. Here liberty has prevailed. Here Protestantism has had a greater influence than in any other nation. Here, as in no other nation, the grand truths of Christ’s soon coming have been proclaimed. No other country of earth has so rapidly increased in power, prestige, wealth, and population as this.
What was the particular period marked out by the prophecy for this power to rise? It was seen “coming up” in 1798, when the papacy received the “deadly wound.” The United States became an acknowledged nation by the other great powers in 1783, at the close of the war of the Revolution. It had fairly begun its wonderful career in 1798, when the French carried off the pope. It was then a youthful power. It had “two horns like a lamb.” Its horns were just beginning to develop when John beheld it in vision at that important epoch.
The dragon and the leopard beast arose from the sea, which, as explained in prophecy, means peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Rev. 17:15. Those powers came up among the myriads of peoples of the Old World. But this power came up in the wilderness of the New World, still largely unexplored. Eminent authors and historians, in describing the rise of our country, have used such language as this: “Like a silent seed we grew into ‘empire;’” “emerging;” “amid the silence of the earth;” we gained our power “by peaceful conquests.” To a great extent this is true of our past progress.
It has a republican form of government. When desiring to accomplish its purpose in making an image to the beast, its appeal to the people is direct: “Saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they [the people] should make an image to the beast,” etc. This demonstrates that in this case the people rule. This indicates a republic.
The description of this power in its first appearance, as given by the prophet, indicates innocency and gentleness. No other great nation ever arose to prominence with so much of justice and so much that is praiseworthy as this country. The oppressed people of the world were drawn toward the great republic. They came from every quarter. Various nationalities are incorporated into the United States. Many fled from tyranny, to come and enjoy liberty and human rights under the star-spangled banner. The Declaration of Independence recognizes the equality of men before the law. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The province of human governments among men is to safeguard these rights. The federal Constitution guarantees these rights. “No religious test shall ever be required asa qualification to any office or public trust under the United States,” etc. In this nation Protestantism is the prevailing religion. “The Bible, and the Bible alone,” was the platform of Protestantism. Surely, these are lamblike principles.
Uriah Smith, in his volume, “Daniel and the Revelation,” page 540, edition 1897, sums up the argument on this question of the United States in prophecy as follows:—
“(1) That the government symbolized by the two-horned beast must be some government distinct from the powers of the Old World, whether civil or ecclesiastical.
“(2) That it must arise in the Western hemisphere.
“(3) That it must be seen assuming a position of prominence and influence about the year 1798.
“(4) That it must rise in a peaceful and quiet manner, not augmenting its power, as other nations have done, by aggressive wars and successful conquests.
“(5) That its progress must be so rapid as to strike the beholder with as much wonder as would the perceptible growth of an animal before his eyes.
“(6) That it must be republican in its form of government.
“(7) That it must be Protestant in its religion.
“(8) That it must exhibit before the world, as an index of its character and the elements of its government, two great principles which are in themselves perfectly just, innocent, and lamblike.
“(9) That it must perform its work in the present century, or this side of 1798.”
All these specifications positively identify the United States of America as the power symbolized by the two-horned beast. The next point mentioned is this, “He spake as a dragon.” We have noticed the earlier character of this beast. We shall now be obliged to consider its later history.
Bowling Green, Fla.