A SEVENFOLD SIGN OF THE GREAT EVENT
By M. C. W.
A World-Molding Nation Rising to Power in the Last Days NATIONS, governments, dynasties, peoples, are noted in prophecy for one or more of three reasons: 1. They are world-molding dynasties having more or less influence upon other nations and civilization in general; 2. They are nations that come in close connection with the work and people of God; 3. They are nations that are used as scourges of the professed people of God, or of other nations proud, arbitrary, oppressive. As an example of the first we have Babylon, which has influenced all nations of civilization. Babylon also falls into the second class. Other examples of the second are, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome. Examples of the third are the Huns, the Saracens, and the Turks. Other nations, great and large, proud and ancient, like China, do not enter into God’s great prophetic time-table, because they have been neither world-dominant nor world-molding, nor have they especially affected the work and people of God. The subject of this study is not only a world-molding power, but it has much to do in connection with the work and people of God. “And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death stroke was healed. And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men. And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him 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 who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Rev. 13: 11-17, A. R. V. The subject is presented before us under a well-known prophetic symbol — a beast. In the language of inspiration, in prophetic symbolism, a beast signifies a nation or government. “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings [or kingdoms], that shall arise out of the earth.” “The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth.” Dan. 7: 17, 23. “The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough he-goat is the king [or kingdom] of Greece.” Dan. 8: 20, 21. By the same rule of interpretation, the two-horned beast of our study represents a great power which the infinite God has thought worthy to be brought into the prophetic field. THE TIME OF ITS APPEARANCE
The time when this nation arises in the divine program of the world’s history is fixed by the previous verse: “If any man is for captivity, into captivity, he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” Rev. 13: 10. The prophecy of verses 1-10 of the chapter has largely to do with the papal head of the ten-horned, seven-headed beast. This is the head that was wounded to death, but the death stroke was healed. Verses 3, 12, 14. This is the head which sought to dominate the religion of the world through civil power for “forty and two months” (verse 5), “time and times and half a time” (Dan. 7: 25), “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Rev. 12: 6), each day symbolizing a year (Eze. 4: 4-6). The twelve hundred sixty, prophetic days or years of the papacy closed in 1798, when the death-dealing blows of the Reformation had swept from that system its spiritual domination, upheld by the civil power, and as a beast — a union of church and state — it received a death stroke, or a deadly wound. That system which had led many captive, itself, in its titular head, Pius VI, went into captivity. That system which had put many to death for heresy (Rev. 13: 7), received the deadly wound when its power to persecute was taken away, reaching its culmination in 1798. Just at this time, John sees “another beast” — nation — rising to power: “And I saw another beast coming up.” What world-molding power does history disclose as at that time coming upon the stage of action? All the great powers of Europe were then in existence, and had been for centuries — Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria, France, Italy, etc. The German federation was not formed till nearly a century later; and the empire of Austria-Hungary, long after. United Italy was not effected till 1870. Not in Asia, Africa, or South America were there any powers rising to world prominence at this time. All the governments of earth were under the dominating influence of the great powers of Europe, the beast of the seven heads, or were of insignificant influence in world affairs, save one, and that was the United States of America. In 1798 Pope Pius VI went into captivity. In 1776 the thirteen colonies of Great Britain in America declared themselves to be free and independent states. The war of the Revolution followed, and the new nation emerged victorious from the fray. In 1789 her constitution was adopted, and she was well launched as a nation. She was not at that time great in population, wealth, prestige, or appearance, but in that youth were the potencies of a giant. The first prophetic sign is demonstrated to be true. The great divine prophetic time-table of nations found the new modern government train upon the track, steam up, and ready, in 1798. The first specification is met. Henceforth the world will be watching the mighty child born into the family of nations. It is a sign of God’s foreknowledge and power and supervision. Here was born a government that was to be a sign of the end, and the first particular foretold in prophecy is fulfilled. So the study of John Wesley led him to say, in 1754, of this beast: “He is not yet come, though he can not be far off; for he is to appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast.” (“Explanatory Notes on the New Testament.”) Bishop Berkeley, about 1730, was led to say of America, in poetic language: “Westward the course of empire takes its way;
The first four acts already past,
The fifth shall choke the drama with the day.
Time’s noblest offspring is the last.”
By the first four “acts” are meant Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, Rome. America is the fifth and last, which closes the drama of earth’s history. M. C. W. The next study will be on the place where the new nation is to be manifested.