Untitled article by J. S. MILLER

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, March 17, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 14

THE DRAGON-LIKE TALK.

By J. S. MILLER

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”

The symbolic term dragon, as used in this text, is admitted by all Protestant commentators to mean Paganism. As the dragon brought to view in the twelfth chapter represents Pagan Rome, some may think that Pagan Rome alone is the power referred to in this text. If the prophecy said that he spake as the dragon, this application might be correct; but the indefinite article a being used, I see no reason why the dragon-like talk may not be looked for in all Pagan nations with which God’s people have ever been connected.

A nation speaks by its laws, and through its legal representatives. Now, if we can find how those Pagan nations with which God’s people have in the past been connected, have spoken, we shall have the key to the dragon-like talk of the two-horned beast. The first Pagan nation with which ancient Israel were connected, was Egypt. How spake the dragon in this case? Without entering into detail, we shall find what the dragon spake, in the words of Pharaoh to Moses and Aaron, as recorded in Ex. v, 1, 2. Moses and Aaron had related to their brethren how the Lord had appeared to Moses, and had performed the signs before them. “And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” All the subsequent acts of Pharaoh were in harmony with this position first taken, until Jehovah interfered in behalf of Israel, and this audacious despot was overthrown while in the act of carrying out his wicked designs.

The next most prominent instance brought to view is the Babylonish captivity. Pagan Babylon had God’s people in their power. We shall find one instance of the way the dragon spake by reading the third chapter of Daniel. An image of gold was set up in the plains of Dura, and then went forth the decree found in verses 4–6. “Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up. And whose falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” All Bible readers know that this decree was carried into execution, and that the truth was vindicated in a most miraculous manner.

Again, in the sixth of Daniel, we find an account of certain individuals in high stations who wished to injure God’s people, and influenced the king to make a decree that no one should worship any being save the king. Thus we read in verses 4–9, “Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel, concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.” The deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions was equally miraculous with that of the three worthies.

Our Saviour was crucified by Pagan Rome. The accusation was written by a Roman governor. The work was performed by Roman soldiers, in obedience to their superiors. In fact, the crucifixion of our Saviour was made the occasion of uniting political factions in the Roman nation. “And Herod with his men of war set him at naught, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they were at enmity between themselves.” Luke xxiii, 11, 12. But our Lord triumphed over the dragonic power—nay, over the grave itself; and to-day we are rejoicing in that triumph.

Many other instances to the same import might be brought forth from both sacred and profane history. But these are sufficient to bring out the point I wish to present. In each of these instances the civil arm was wielded against God’s people, and that for no other crime than that of being the worshipers of the God of Heaven. It is also true, that in each instance the civil power was exerted at the instigation of those who were the enemies of God and his truth. In Egypt, it was the magicians, astrologers and soothsayers, who became the controlling spirits and private advisers of Pharaoh. The presidents and princes who influenced the king of Babylon were of the same stripe. Our Saviour was crucified to appease the clamor of hypocritical Jews.

Reasoning, then, from analogy, may we not expect that the dragon-like talk of the two-horned beast will be of like character? It is true the dragonic spirit may be manifested in the fugitive slave law and laws of like character. But I think it can only be in a secondary sense. The dragon-like talk of those nations with which God’s people have in past times been connected, has been in direct reference to that people. Hence I do not see how the prophecy can meet its fulfillment until a decree goes forth from the government represented by the two-horned beast, that shall in some way attempt to deprive the remnant people of the liberty of worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience.

But we are not dependent on analogical reasoning to arrive at this conclusion. I do not see how Rev. xiii, 15, can be understood in any other light; for we read, “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.”

J. S. MILLER.

Ashoway, R. I.