p. 196 | The Two-horned Beast

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 20, 1866

The Two-horned Beast.

A REVIEW OF H. E. CARVER.

(Continued.)

We now come to notice more particularly the works of the two-horned beast, and the efforts of H. E. C. to apply these to the operations of the Romish hierarchy. The prophecy declares of this beast, Rev. xiii, 13, 14, “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 means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast.”

It will be observed that the great wonders which the two-horned beast does are real wonders; and although they are called “lying wonders” in 2 Thess. ii, 9, they are not false in themselves, tricks, shams, deceits, but real wonders wrought for the purpose of proving a lie. And this at once overturns every claim that is based on the pretended miracles of the Romish church; for Rome has never performed any real miracles. All that she claims as such are only tricks and deceptions; and it is abusing the Devil to call these the “working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” Rome has never done any work to which the Scriptures apply the term, miracle. Hence the Romish hierarchy cannot be the two-horned beast which is a wonder-working power.

H. E. C. seems to be aware of the difficulty involved in applying this language to the pretended miracles of the Romish church, and hence endeavors to find a fulfillment in works which she has really performed, far short as they come of being miracles. In enumerating these, he says:

“[He [the two-horned beast] attempts the most wonderful and prodigious exploits, and is crowned with incredible success. He has the art to persuade his followers that the clergy of the church of Rome are the only true ministers of Christ!”

The mark of astonishment appended to this extract is our own. The writer seemed to think there was nothing astonishing in calling this a miracle. What is there of the “all power” of Satan in this? What is there here peculiar to the Romish church? Every church under the sun, taken in its great divisions, as Protestant, Greek, Mahometan, Mormon, &c., believes the same. But he goes on:—

“That they have such great influence in the court of heaven as to be able not only to forgive sins, but also to grant indulgences in sin, by paying certain stipulated sums.”

Where is the “power,” “sign,” or “miracle” here? It is no more than the ten thousand other errors that other false churches have made their followers believe. He says further:—

“He persuades them too that they can do works of supererogation.”

Do not forget reader that this is “all power, signs and lying wonders.” We fear you would entirely overlook this fact if not continually reminded of it. We quote again:—

“He pretends that an incredible number of miracles have been wrought and are still working by the Almighty, as so many evidences of the great sanctity of the Latin church; and the false prophet has such an astonishing influence over his flock, as to cause them to believe all his fabulous legends and lying wonders!”

What a miracle it is that the church of Rome should have such an “astonishing influence” over her deluded votaries as to cause them to believe all her lying legends? For the reader will perceive that H. E. C. adroitly endeavors to make the “wonder” consist in this astonishing influence, not in the pretended miracles. But what of it? Who cannot point to scores of other churches which have had an equal influence over their deceived followers? But we must let H. E. C. speak again:—

“He pretends also (and is believed!) that his power is not confined to this world; that he is able by his prayers to deliver the souls of the deceased from what he calls purgatory, a place which he has fabled to exist for the purification of sinful souls after their departure from the world.”

Where is the “miracle” here? Does it consist in his “pretense” that his power is not confined to this earth? If so others have pretended greater things than that, and hence have wrought greater miracles. Persons have come to this Office, some pretending to be the angel Gabriel, and others pretending to be Jesus Christ; but we did not consider that they were doing any very great miracle. But perhaps the miracle consists in the expression “(and is believed!)” which is thrown in as such a marvelous thing within parentheses. If so, as the believing is done by the people, it is the people, not the hierarchy that do the miracle. So, turn the facts either way, and subject them to any amount of pressure, we can get no miracle, sign or wonder out of them. But perhaps we shall come to something yet for H. E. C. continues:—

“His wonderful exploits in being able to induce men possessed with reasoning faculties to believe his monstrous absurdities, do not end here.”

The only wonderful thing we see in all this, is that any power could so far bewilder H. E. C., possessed, as we have always taken him to be, with reasoning faculties, as to lead him to so utterly confound mere false doctrines with the working of miracles! For the reader will perceive that all the points he has thus far brought up as the “wonders” and “miracles” wrought by the two-horned beast, or Romish hierarchy, are merely the false teachings of that church. But false doctrines are not miracles. And they are not peculiar to the church of Rome. They are found in every man-made creed in Christendom. But something more wonderful still follows. In bringing fire down from heaven in the sight of men, the two-horned beast reaches his climax of power; and on the same point, the articles of H. E. C. reach their climax of absurdity. Just listen:—

“He even maketh fire come down from heaven in the sight of men. Fire, in Scripture, when it signifies wrath, presents that species of indignation which is attended with the destruction of whatever is the cause of it. Thus the wrath of God, is likened to fire. Ps. xviii, 7, 8, Jer. iv, 4. Therefore the fire which the false prophet bringeth down from heaven upon the earth, is the fire of indignation, which he causes to come down from the heaven or throne of the Latin world [upon those?] who rebel against his authority.”

There! reader, is not this question now settled? “Fire, when it means wrath?” Oh! indeed! But what, in the name of common sense, is there about “wrath” in the prophecy? The Lord told Israel they should be “burnt with hunger;” Deut. xxxii, 24; and H. E. C. might just as well have said, Fire when it means starvation; and it would have had just as much to do with the prophecy. John says, He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.” Bringing down fire is the greatest wonder that he performs; it is his most potent miracle to deceive them that dwell on the earth! But this, in H. E. C.’s estimation is simply causing wrath to come from the throne of the Latin empire against those who oppose its authority. Mighty miracle, this, is it not! What a sublime declaration, “He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh wrath come down from heaven?” Sublimer still, this: “He doeth great wonders so that he maketh wrath come down from the heaven or throne of the Latin empire upon those who rebel against his authority! No other empire ever did anything of this kind, of course! In no other kingdom did wrath ever come from the throne upon those who rebelled against its authority; oh, no! No wonder people were struck dumb with amazement! No wonder they were “deceived” by such an exhibition. Oh, stupendous miracle, which he “had power to do in the sight of the beast!” He makes wrath come even from the beast himself, upon all those who oppose his authority! Oh, amazing wonder! Oh, supernatural power!

Seriously, one such exposition as that which we are examining is enough to doom any theory to eternal oblivion. Any view which drives its adherents to such interpretations of scripture, cannot stand. Give us the same reckless liberty, and we can defend any theory from the Bible, we care not what it is. But H. E. C. would fain have this view take among “men possessed with reasoning faculties.” If he accomplishes this, he will have succeeded in doing a mightier miracle than was ever wrought by the Romish hierarchy; and his own two-horned beast might just as well surrender him the palm on “doing great wonders.” If the two-horned beast we hold to, drove us to such straits to bolster him up, we would instantly abandon his deformed and unsightly carcass to the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air.

Of the two-horned beast, the prophecy further says, that he causes all to receive a mark in their right hands 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.” On this point H. E. C. produces testimony from history showing that in several instances the pope, or councils or rulers in obedience to the pope, have passed decrees against those whom they were pleased to style heretics, to prevent their buying and selling, or holding even the ordinary intercourse of life. We are happy to meet with this testimony. As we hold that these acts were done by the leopard beast, it throws light on the work of the two-horned beast. The two-horned beast was to exercise all the power of the first beast before him; and the two-horned beast decrees that men who oppose his authority, shall not buy or sell. Now if the first beast has done the same thing, it shows in what sense the two-horned beast exercises all the power of the first beast before him; namely, he is equally intolerant and oppressive with heretics. But if it should appear that the first beast never had done this, nor anything as severe as this, then the two-horned beast in doing it, would not only exercise all the power of the first beast, but even go beyond it; which the prophecy does not warrant. Testimony, therefore, to show that the first beast has prohibited buying and selling under certain circumstances, is right to the point as throwing light upon the same acts in the two-horned beast.

The number of the beast, says the prophecy, “is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six.” [666.] This number, H. E. C., from Newton, finds in the word “Lateinos,” the “Latin” kingdom, using letters for numerals, according to ancient custom. Thus, L. stands for 30, A for 1, T for 300, E for 5, I for 10, N for 50, O for 70, and S for 200; which numbers, added together, make 666. This drawing the number from a name, we must regard as rather conjectural than otherwise, seeing that names can be found almost to any extent, making just that number. We think we discover a serious objection, however, to the exposition which H. E. C. offers from Newton. The number, says the prophecy, is the number of a man; and if it is to be derived from a name or title, the natural conclusion would be that it must be the name or title of some particular man. But H. E. C. gives us the name of a people or kingdom, not of “a man,” as the prophecy says.

The most plausible name we have ever seen suggested as containing the number of the beast, is the blasphemous title which the pope applies to himself and wears in jeweled letters upon his miter or pontifical crown. That title is this: Vicarius filii Dei: “Vicegerent of the Son of God.” Taking the letters out of this title which the Latins used as numerals, and giving them their numerical value, we have just 666. Thus we have V, 5; I, 1; C, 100; (a and r not used as numerals); I, 1; E (formerly the same as V), 5; (s and f not used as numerals); I, 1; L, 50; I, 1; I, 1; D, 500; (e not used as a numeral); I, 1. Adding these numbers together, we have just 666.

The following extract on this point is from a work entitled “The Reformation,” bearing the date of 1882:—

“Mrs. A., said Miss Emmons, I saw a very curious fact the other day; I have dwelt upon it much and will mention it. A person, lately, was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish church. As the Pope passed him in the procession, splendidly dressed in his pontifical robes, the gentleman’s eye rested on these full, blazing, letters in front of his miter: “VICARIUS FILII DEI,” “The Vicar of the Son of God.” His thoughts, with the rapidity of lightning reverted to

Rev. xiii, 18. Will you turn to it? said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament and read; ‘Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six.’ She paused, and Miss Emmons said, He took out his pencil and marking the numerical letters of the inscription on his tablet, it stood 666.”

Here we have indeed the number of a man, even the “man of sin;” and it is a little singular, perhaps providential, that he should select a title which shows the blasphemous character of the beast, and then cause it to be inscribed upon his miter, as if to brand himself with the number 666.

We had hoped to finish our remarks on this subject in this number; but we must crave the indulgence of the reader while we endeavor to close in our next.

(To be continued.)