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He Spake as a Dragon

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 29, 1871

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 38, No. 11.

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“He Spake as a Dragon.”

By John Matteson

Various ideas have been entertained about the manner in which the two-horned beast will speak as a dragon. Perhaps the following may be worthy of consideration.
The speaking refers to the enactment of laws. The voice of a government is heard through its laws. The dragon is a symbol of Pagan Rome. Every beast introduced in prophecy is a symbol of a government, including its rulers, subjects, territory, and laws. Therefore the two-horned beast is also a symbol of a government, not the ecclesiastical part of papacy, as some would have it. No other government but that of the United States of America will answer to its description. Now we inquire: What law, contrary to God’s law, has been enacted, both by Pagan Rome and by the United States? Ans. The Sunday law.
“Let all judges and town people, and the occupation of all trades, rest on the venerable day of the sun,” &c. Constantine the Great, A. D. 321.
“There shall be no shooting, hunting, fishing, &c., on the first day of the week, called Sunday. . . . . Neither shall there be any servile labor or work on that day, except works of necessity and charity.” Law of the State of New York.
Other States have enacted laws of the same kind. God’s word commands us to keep holy the seventh day, or Saturday. Ex. 20:8–11; Matt. 5:17–19. By exalting another day in its place, the Sabbath of the Lord is set aside and brought into disrepute. This work was commenced by the dragon. The seven-headed andten-horned beast established the same in the fallen church. The two-horned beast speaks like the dragon, and will make an image to the beast, thus following in the track of its predecessors. This work is now being developed. And the time may not be far distant, when church and State will unite to enforce the observance of their rival Sabbath.
It may also be worthy of notice, that on the continent of Europe, the Sunday is not observed as a Sabbath, but merely as a day of meeting and amusement. Professed Christians, throughout Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, work and trade on Sunday as well as on any other day. Here and there a store may be closed while service lasts; but Sunday is generally considered a good trading day. Mechanics work. Farmers plough, sow, or harvest their grain. And it is difficult for an individual, who wishes to observe Sunday, to get employment. They do not leave the earth to rest on Sunday. It remains for this government, in the last days, to manifest such strong zeal in the Sunday cause.
John Matteson.