The Image of the Beast by George I. Butler

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 6, 1909

The Image of the Beast

By George I. Butler

GEORGE I. BUTLER

In our investigation of the third angel’s message, we considered briefly the prophecy of the two-horned beast of Revelation 13. Every specification concerning its rise has been met, as shown by the facts of history, in the government of the United States of America up to this point, “He shall speak as a dragon.” Its lamblike horns, symbolizing civil and ecclesiastical power, with their appearance of youth and innocency, fitly symbolized the principles of this government. Government by the people; the equality of all men before the law—all men having equal rights; the institution of governments among men to preserve those rights; the Bible, and the Bible alone, the foundation of Protestantism; all men having a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences—none other having the right to interfere so long as his rights were not violated; no union of church and state,—surely these doctrines are full of lamblike innocency, and excellent purity. Yet the prophecy goes on to say: “And he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast with before him [or “in his sight;” American Revised Version, that is, in his presence], 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 the sword, and did live.” Rev. 13:11-14.

Surely, here is a career marked out quite different from the innocent and lamblike professions made by this government at its commencement. The American government in its earlier days of comparative purity has been the best on earth. The rights of man have been more respected; greater liberty and freedom have been enjoyed; religious liberty in larger degree has existed; multitudes from foreign lands have poured in to enjoy the liberty here permitted. The people of Oriental lands, who for ages have slept on in the darkness of heathenism, wishing to be let alone, have at last learned of the blessings of freedom, and now greatly wish to emigrate to this country and enjoy its blessings. In the memory of many, Japan isolated herself from all the world. But Commodore Perry, an American officer, opened the door, and now, lighting its lamps from his torch, Japan sends her youth to America to learn civilization and liberty, religion and human rights. The influence of America is world-wide. No nation equals its progress, growth, wealth, and blessings. It is eminently fitting that this last-day power should be noted in prophecy as a remarkable, yea, wonderful nation.

The glorious principles of Protestantism have here had their greatest development. In the Old World there are, to be sure, great Protestant nations. But they have been hampered by church and state influences, which have hindered their full development. Here the consciences of men have been freer to act and develop in the principles of greater liberty. Here we have had a “church without a pope, and a state without a king.” Here the greatest, most influential religious systems of mankind had in a sense their local habitat. Earlier Rome, as a universal kingdom, was pagan; later Rome, papal; and in a higher, more fully developed sense than elsewhere, the United States was and is Protestant. Catholics, to be sure, are plentiful in the United States, and are shrewdly hiding their designs of capturing this nation, and placing it in the papal column. But as yet they have not fully succeeded. Though they are more numerous than any one Protestant church, and are making greater progress than any other one of the orthodox churches, yet in this country, Protestantism as a whole, including all its denominations, is still in the ascendant. How long this will remain so is problematical. Influences are at work, and quite fully developing, which threaten great danger to Protestantism as a living, powerful factor in elevating and influencing for good the well-being of mankind.

How gratifying it would be if the facts would justify us in concluding that Protestantism as a whole is to triumph gloriously, and that the great Reformation, begun by Luther, will end in discarding every fragment of papal apostasy and meet the mind of God. But the facts will not warrant such a conclusion. They tell a very different story. They demonstrate that the great Protestant organizations are fast letting go of the principles of the Protestant Reformation, that as bodies they are making overtures to the papacy and reaching forth their hands across the gulf that separates them, and becoming more in sympathy and union with Catholicism than ever before since Luther’s time.

This condition is fully manifest in the quotation made from the prophecy, “He shall speak as a dragon.” The dragon spirit is a persecuting spirit; it manifests itself in an unwillingness to grant the enjoyment of equal rights to all. That spirit originated with the fallen angel. There is nothing Christlike about it. The papacy above every other power on earth has manifested it. The state churches—the so-called Protestant churches, where secular power has been in their hands—have manifested it in a degree; the Puritans in New England persecuted the Quakers, and Baptists, and others; and in recent years the popular Protestant churches, through Sunday laws, have oppressed Seventh-day Adventists in various instances. More than one hundred instances have occurred where members of this church have been thrown into jail or worked in chain-gangs; and in several instances men have died because of such imprisonment in insanitary confinement.

Determined efforts are being made to secure more and more severe Sunday laws, till they shall have power to put down by the strong hand of the law even the most conscientious people who keep the seventh day and claim the right to work six days in every week.

The limits of this article forbid that we should enter into a lengthy examination of what is occurring in the religious bodies in our own country in the direction of connecting politics and religion and bringing about a condition of affairs where the churches can enforce so-called religious institutions by law. Zealous men of ability and prominence are diligently working in this direction. The change of the United States Constitution by an amendment recognizing God in that great document, thus giving a religious cast to that instrument, is one proposed plan. This is a very plausible idea with many religious people. Strenuous efforts are being made every year to get Congress to enact Sunday laws for the District of Columbia, thus securing the United States’ indorsement of the first day of the week as the national sabbath wherever the federal

government controls. The recent movement for the federation of all the so-called Protestant churches, is a striking evidence of the trend of the current in the direction indicated by the prophecy of an image to the beast power. An image is a representation or likeness of something, either in form or in character. An image to the Catholic power would be a combination to enforce religious dogmas by the power of the state. This combination is now almost completed; and how stealthily has it all been accomplished! how plausible the professions! how successful the efforts already put forth! Seventh-day Adventists are the only people who really discern what all these movements mean. They know it because they are following carefully “the sure word of prophecy,” which is a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn. This people are doing more than all other people together to hold in check these influences as far as possible. This subject will be more fully discussed later on.

Bowling Green, Fla.