"The Waters Which Thou Sawest"
By B. E. Beddoe
IN vision Daniel saw strife "upon the great sea." As a result, "four great beasts came up from the sea." The prophet John "saw a beast coming up out of the sea." At another time, there was shown him a "great harlot that sitteth upon many waters." To Daniel it was made clear that the beasts represented kingdoms. The beast seen by John had a like significance. The fallen woman symbolized a fallen church. In each instance, the very birth and existence seemed dependent upon waters. Speaking to John, the angel said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Recently the writer stood on a prominence overlooking a section of one of our modern cities, just far enough away to be unable to distinguish individual sounds, just near enough to hear street-car, automobile, truck, hammer, and voice in one confused noise. I closed my eyes and listened. It was the sound of many waters — the roar of the sea. To friends who stood with me I said: "The prophecy has it right, 'The waters which thou sawest . . . are peoples,' and the people we see sound as waters."