p. 180 | The Two-horned Beast

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 6, 1866

The Two-horned Beast.

A Review of H. E. Carver.

(Continued.)

We now proceed to offer a few conclusive arguments to show that the first symbol of Rev. xiii, the seven-headed and ten-horned beast, or more briefly the leopard beast, symbolizes a power which exercises ecclesiastical as well as civil authority.

The line of prophecy in which this symbol occurs commences with chapter xii. The symbols of earthly governments embraced in the prophecy are, the dragon, of chap. xii, and the leopard beast and two-horned beast of chap. xiii. The same line of prophecy evidently continues into chapter xiv, closing with verse 5 of that chapter. Commencing, therefore, with verse 1 of chapter xii, and ending with verse 5 of chapter xiv, we have a line of prophecy distinct and complete.

With each of the powers here introduced, the church of God is represented as in deadly conflict. The scene opens with the church, under the symbol of a woman, anxiously longing for the promise to be fulfilled when the seed of the woman, the Lord of glory, should appear among men. The dragon stood before the woman for the purpose of devouring her child. His evil design is thwarted, and the child is caught up to God and his throne. A period follows in which the church suffers severe oppression from this dragon power. And though in this part of the scene, the prophet occasionally glances forward, once even down almost to the end, because all the enemies of the church were to be actuated by the spirit of the dragon, yet in verse 1 of chap. xiii, we are carried back to the time when the leopard beast, the successor of the dragon, commences his career. From this power, for the long period of 1260 years, the church suffers war and persecution. Following this period of oppression, the church has another conflict, brief, but sharp and severe, with the two-horned beast. Then comes deliverance; and the prophecy closes with the church brought safely through all her persecutions, and standing victorious with the Lamb on Mt. Zion. Thank God for the sure promise of final victory.

The one character which ever appears the same in all these scenes, and whose history is the leading theme through all the prophecy, is the church of God. The other characters are her persecutors, and are introduced simply because they are such. And here as an introductory inquiry, we raise the question, Who or what is it that persecutes the true church? It is the false or apostate church. What is it that is ever warring against true religion? It is false and counterfeit religion. Who ever heard of the civil power merely, of any nation, persecuting the people of God? Governments may war against other governments, to avenge some wrong real or imaginary, or to acquire territory and extend their power, as nations have often warred against the Jews; but governments do not persecute (mark the word)—do not persecute, people on account of their religion, unless under the control of some opposite and hostile system of religion. But the powers introduced in this prophecy, the dragon, the leopard beast, and the two-horned beast, are all persecuting powers. They are actuated by rage and enmity against the people and church of God. And this fact is of itself sufficiently conclusive evidence that in each of these powers the ecclesiastical or religious element is the controlling power.

Take the dragon; what does it symbolize? The Roman empire, is the undisputed answer. But this is not enough. No one would be satisfied with such an answer as this. It must be more definite. We then add, The Roman empire in its pagan form; to which all parties also agree. But just as soon as we say, Pagan, we introduce a religious element; the paganism is one of the hugest systems of counterfeit religion that Satan ever devised. The dragon, then, is so far an ecclesiastical power, that the very characteristic by which it is distinguished is a false system of religion. And what made the dragon persecute the church of Christ? It was because Christianity was swallowing up Paganism, sweeping away its superstitions, overturning its idols, and dismantling its temples. The religious element of that power was touched; and persecution was the result.

We now come to the leopard beast of chapter xiii. What does that symbolize? The answer still is, The Roman empire. But the dragon symbolized the Roman empire, and why does not the same symbol represent it still? Ah! there has been a change in the religious character of the empire; and this beast symbolizes Rome in its professedly Christian form. And it is this change of religion, and this alone, which made a change in the symbol necessary. This beast differs from the dragon only in that he presents a different religious aspect. And yet, with all these plain facts before their eyes, men have the short-sightedness to affirm that there is no religious element about this beast, but that it is simply a civil power.

To this beast the dragon gives his seat, his power and great authority. The question then is simply this: By what power was Rome Pagan succeeded? We all know that it was by Rome Papal. It matters not to our present purpose, when, nor by what means this change was effected; the great fact is apparent, and is acknowledged by all, that the next great phase of the Roman empire after its pagan form, was its papal. It would not be correct, therefore, to say that Pagan Rome gave its seat and power to a form of government merely civil, having no religious element whatever. No stretch of the imagination can conceive of such a transaction. It is supremely absurd. But two phases of empire are here recognized; and in the prophecy, Rome is pagan until Rome is papal.

But it may be said that it takes the leopard beast and two-horned beast together to constitute the papacy, and hence it is to these that the dragon gives his power, seat, and great authority. But the prophecy does not say so. It is the leopard beast alone with which the dragon has to do. It is to that beast alone that he gives his power, seat, and great authority. It is that beast that has a head that is wounded to death, which is afterward healed; that beast that the whole world wonders after; that beast that receives a mouth speaking blasphemies; and that wears out the saints for 1260 years; and all this before the succeeding power, the two-horned beast, comes on to the stage of action at all. The leopard beast alone therefore symbolizes the Roman empire in its papal form, the controlling power being ecclesiastical. There is no such thing as avoiding this conclusion.

To show this more fully, we have but to draw a parallel between the little horn of Dan. vii, 8, 20, 24, 25, and this power. There are six points of identity as follows:

1. The little horn was a blasphemous power: “He shall speak great words against the Most High.” Dan. vii, 25. The leopard beast of Rev. xiii, 6, does the same: “He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God.”

2. The little horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them. Dan. vii, 21. This beast also, Rev. xiii, 7, makes war with the saints and overcomes them.

3. The little horn had a mouth speaking great things. Dan. vii, 8, 20. And of this beast we read, Rev. xiii, 5, “And there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.”

4. The little horn arose on the cessation of the pagan form of the Roman empire. This beast does the same, for the dragon, Pagan Rome, gives him his power, his seat, and great authority.

5. Power was given to the little horn to continue for a time, times, and the dividing of time, or 1260 years. Dan. vii, 25. To this beast also power was given for forty-two months, or 1260 years. Rev. xiii, 5.

6. At the end of that specified period, the dominion of the little horn was to be taken away. Dan. vii, 26. At the end of the same period the leopard beast was himself to be “led into captivity.” Rev. xiii, 10. Bonaparte fulfilled both in his capture of the pope in 1798.

Here are points that prove identity. Mere points of similarity, of course, would not prove identity. Two different governments may exist having many features in common, and yet not be identical. But this fact does not touch the prophecy in the first particular. For when we have in prophecy two symbols, as in this instance, representing powers that come on to the stage of action at the same time, occupy the same territory, maintain the same character, do the same work, exist the same length of time, and meet the same fate, those symbols represent the same identical power. This conclusion cannot be avoided. But yet an effort is made to meet this by a comparison between Michigan and Iowa which are not identical States, though possessing many features in common. What has this to do with the subject? It is not a parallel case in a single particular.

Now all the particulars above specified, do apply alike to the little horn and the leopard beast of Rev. xiii, showing that those two symbols represent the same power. It is admitted on all hands that the little horn represents the papacy; and he who claims that the leopard beast of Rev. xiii, does not represent the same, to be consistent, must show that at the same time that the papacy arose, there arose another great power exactly like it, occupying the same territory, bearing the same character, doing the same work, continuing the same length of time, and meeting the same fate. Will H. E. C. make his view of the prophecy consistent, and show us this other power?

But says H. E. C., “Associate the two-horned beast and the image with the first beast of that chapter [Rev. xiii], and we will agree that it is the same precisely as the little horn of Dan. vii.”

Why does he ask us to include the two-horned beast and image? The prophecy requires nothing of the kind. Such an idea would never enter a person’s head from reading Rev. xiii, unless he had invented an insane theory, and was laboring to sustain it. All the points of identity exist between the little horn and leopard beast, and them alone. Not a single characteristic of the little horn is affirmed of the two-horned beast. It is not said that he is a blasphemous power. It is not said that the saints are given into his hand. It is not affirmed of him that he continues 1260 years. Nor does he at the end of that time go into captivity. Then where is the first point of comparison between him and the little horn? Oh, it is said, “He spake as a dragon.” Yes; but the dragon is not the little horn. Well, “he exercises all the power of the first beast before him.” Very true; but we reply, Any resemblance between the two-horned beast and leopard-beast cannot prove that the two-horned beast so far resembles the little horn, unless the leopard beast is himself identical with the little horn; so that the argument of H. E. C. here completely destroys itself. More on this point in our next.

(To be continued.)