p. 376 | Know That He Is Near

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 19, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 24.

"Know That He Is Near."

(Continued.)

AS THE seventh chapter of Daniel contains the same facts that are contained in chapter 2, with an important additional fact, so does chapter 13 of the Revelation contain the same symbols of the same powers that are given in Dan. 7. The "little horn" of Dan. 7 found no place in chapter 2, though it presents the most important and interesting features of the whole series of symbols. It excelled all the other powers in speaking against the Most High, in wearing out the saints, and in setting aside the laws of God. He practiced and prospered longer than any other persecuting power which ever existed. And so in Rev. 13. This chapter takes up the symbols of Dan. 7, and a power is brought to view at the close of the series which is not contained in Dan. 7. This also is (will be) a persecuting power, even as those were which precede it.

Dr. Scott remarked that the little horn of Dan. 7 was not contained in Rev. 13:1-10, and he considered this presumptive proof that the two-horned beast of that chapter is identical with that little horn. But in this he, for the time, strangely overlooked the characteristics of "the first beast" of Rev. 13. Let us examine the series of this chapter.

Rev. 12 contains but one symbol of an impious power—the great red dragon. A certain anti-Catholic writer gave in his book the title, "the great red dragon," to the Romish church. But in this he made a great mistake; the Romish church is not represented by the dragon. The dragon of Rev. 13 is identical with "the dreadful and terrible" beast of Dan. 7, before the rise of the little horn. It was no other than pagan Rome; or, more strictly speaking, paganism, having its seat in Rome. It is identified by its being the power which sought to put the "man child" to death as soon as he was born. This child was Jesus of Bethlehem, whom the Roman Governor tried to put to death in his infancy. The child was caught up to God and to his throne, a declaration which will apply to no one born on the earth but to Jesus, the Son of God. Rev. 12:4, 5.

In Rev. 13:1-10 we find the description of a beast which has every characteristic of the little horn of Dan. 7. The following are the words of the prophecy:—

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

1. Presenting all the elements of the four beasts of Dan. 7,—the leopard's body, the bear's feet, the lion's mouth, and the horns of the fourth beast,—it shows itself to be the successor of the universal empires represented by those beasts.

2. The dragon, paganism, giving him his seat, Rome, and his power, civil authority, shows that this beast is specially the successor of pagan Rome, having his seat in the city of Rome.

3. It is a blasphemous power, as was the little horn.

4. It makes war with the saints.

5. It continued or made war forty-two months, which contain one thousand two hundred and sixty days (year days), the period allotted to the little horn to make war on the saints, in Dan. 7:25.

6. He is overcome by the sword; and so was the dominion of the little horn taken away.

7. No one was able to make war with him; and so of the little horn—"his look was more stout than his fellows."

In all these things it is shown to be identical with the little horn of Dan. 7, that is, it is papal Rome. And inasmuch as the two-horned beast of Rev. 12 does its work, noticed in the prophecy, after the power of the first beast to make war was taken away, and in the sight of the first beast, it is proved to be distinct from that beast, or the little horn, and is shown as additional to the symbols given in Dan. 7. It could not be, as some have suggested, the first beast in its healed state, because it does its work in the sight of, and to the honor of, the beast whose deadly wound was healed.

The deadly wound of the first beast was given to it at the end of the one thousand two hundred and sixty days; or in 1798. In that year the pope was taken a prisoner, and for a few years there was no pope; the body had no head; it was "wounded unto death." But "its deadly wound was healed;" another pope was created. Yet the power to make war upon and to wear out the saints was not restored, and is not to this day. Now inasmuch as the work of the two-horned beast is located after the giving and healing of the deadly wound of the first beast, it cannot be earlier than in the present century. Thus, chronologically, we are brought by Dan. 2 to 483 A. D.; by Dan. 7, to 1798; and by Rev. 13, into the present century. As the last part of Dan. 7, the little horn was of more interest to the church than any part that preceded it, so the last part of Rev. 13, the two-horned beast is of greater interest to us in this century than any part that preceded it.

As these articles are written in answer to a letter inquiring what reason we have for believing that the coming of Christ is near, we need offer no apology, either to the writer of that letter or to any reader, for tracing this line of prophecy, and especially for giving the closing act, the work of the two-horned beast, a careful consideration. The Revelation describes it in the following words:—

"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. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 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 the means of those miracles which he had power 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, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, 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. Here is wisdom. 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 threescore and six." Rev. 13:11-18.

1. It is distinctly called "another beast." It is not the first beast, nor any part of it.

2. Its locality is different. The first beast arose out of "the sea;" this came up out of "the earth." The sea, according to Rev. 17:15, represents multitudes and nations, among whom the papacy arose. The two-horned beast grew up where peoples and nations did not exist; not in the territory represented by the beasts of Dan. 7. These all arose out of the sea; the first beast represented all these. The United States did grow up out of new territory, not peopled by the nations of the world. As a plant grows up out of the earth, so it sprung up, small and tender, not by aggression and conquest; but it literally grew up, and has grown to be one of the greatest nations on this globe.

3. It had two horns, both like those of a lamb in appearance. We have learned by Dan. 7 that a church may be represented by a horn, as well as a kingdom or civil authority. Our country owes as much, in respect to its character and greatness, to its Protestant profession of freedom in religion, as to its civil freedom as outlined by the Declaration of Independence. These controlling or fashioning elements in its growth may be fitly represented by "two horns like a lamb."

4. It spake as a dragon. As the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart, it must possess, in heart, more or less the disposition and spirit of the dragon. This it has shown to some extent, but will show in much larger degree in the future, in encroaching upon both civil and religious rights.

5. He exercises all the power of the first beast; that is, the same power, civil and religious; it is fashioned by, and controls, both these powers.

6. It enforces the worship of the first beast; it causes not only them that dwell on the earth, but the earth itself to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. On this point we will speak again.

7. He doeth great wonders; and deceives by the miracles which he had power to do. They who have tried to apply this symbol to the papacy, say that the Catholic Church always has pretended to work miracles whereby it deceived the people. But this is not the idea of the prophecy. This power deceives by the miracles which it has power to do. The Saviour said that, near the time of his coming, false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show great signs and wonders, so that they will deceive if possible the very elect. And Paul also, speaking of the coming of the Lord, said that Satan will work "with power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish." These are emphatically "last day wonders," to resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses. 2 Tim. 3. These deceptive wonders—miracles to deceive—are developed in "Modern Spiritualism," and this sprung up in the United States, and American mediums have carried it to the ends of the earth.

8. He causes an image to be made to the first beast, "which had the wound by a sword, and did live." An image to the first beast could only be made by completely uniting church and State; and the forces are in operation, all the elements are in motion which are designed to effect this object. To prove this point we need only to refer to the objects and the utterances of the "National Reform Association," an association having for its avowed object a religious amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

9. He says to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the first beast. And when they make the image, he gives it life. The power in the Government here represented is vested in the people; the administrative department simply gives

effect to that which the people decree by their election. So it is in the United States, but so it was not under the first beast. Between the two there will be resemblances which will constitute one the image of the other; but there will be differences, also, which disprove the theory of their identity.

10. He causes, or decrees, that all classes shall worship, and receive the mark of the first beast, and he enacts penalties for a refusal. These penalties are, (1) a deprivation of the rights and privileges of citizenship; (2) a deprivation of life.

Now we have all the facts before us upon which the God of Heaven bases the most stirring message, the most solemn warning that was ever given to the children of men. It is in the following words:—

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveeth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 9–12.

In this number we have room to notice only the connection of this message. After it is given, the writer of the Revelation says: “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.” He came to reap the harvest of the earth, which is done at “the end of the world.” Matt. 13: 39. The actual application of the message remains to be made; but we can now show the bearing of the argument on this line of prophecy upon the question contained in the letter to which we referred.

1. Dan. 2 gives a brief history of the world down to A. D. 483, and then speaks of the setting up of the kingdom of God.

2. Dan. 7 recapitulates, and brings it down to 1798, and then likewise passes on to the kingdom.

3. Rev. 12 and 13 rehearse the same facts, and further bring the history of the world down to the last message and the coming of the Son of man to reap the harvest of the earth. The facts upon which the last message is based are now in process of fulfillment. The warning of the near coming of the terrible judgments of God, the wine of his wrath poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation, is now being given. If we had no other line of prophecy but this upon which to rely, we should confidently believe that the coming of the Lord is near, even at the doors. But we have other lines, equally conclusive.

And we have already shown that Jesus sits upon the throne of his glory, and that the saints possess or inherit the kingdom when the Lord Jesus comes. Consequently this prophecy of Rev. 14 ends precisely where the prophecies of Dan. 2 and 7 end, with the coming of the Son of man and the setting up of his kingdom.

(To be continued.)