QUERIES by Uriah Smith

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 23, 1861

QUERIES.

By Uriah Smith

Is it allowable in applying prophecy to call anything spoken of as a horn, less than a civil power or government? Dan. viii, 20. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. Verse 4. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia, and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Verse 22. Now that being broken, whereas four horns stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation.

These passages contain an exposition of horns as used in prophecy. It has been for several years a query in my mind, if it was allowable to depart from these expositions in application of the prophecy concerning the two-horned beast of Rev. xiii. The fact that this nation was divided north and south, virtually constituting them two powers in the nation, has seemed to me some time to satisfy the prophecy. On the whole, I have looked for a division in the government as being nearer like the application of horns where the term was expressly defined.

If the seven last plagues are to be poured out on the last generation that shall live on the earth prior to the coming of the Son of man, will they not yet put to death saints and prophets in consequence of which they have given them blood to drink? See Rev. xvi, 6. Rev. xiii, 15. And he had power to give life to the image of the beast, which power it seems was to cause the image to both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Yours for truth. N. G. SANDERS. Rush Lake, Wis.

ANSWER. From every definition of the word horn which we are able to find, it appears that it is used, when applied to earthly governments and nations, simply as a symbol of power, the particular kind of power not being in any manner determined thereby.

Cruden says, "The principal defense and greatest strength of horned beasts consists in their horns; and the Scriptures mention the horns as the symbol of strength. Moses says of Joseph that his horns are like the horns of a unicorn; that is, his strength and power shall be very great. Deut. xxxiii, 17. And in Ps. cxxxii, 17, I will make the horns of David to bud; I will make his power and glory to flourish and increase. I will cut off the horns of the wicked. Ps. lxxv, 10."

The Religious Encyclopedia says: "The principal defense and strength of many animals is in their horns, and hence horn is often employed as a symbol of power."

The Bible Dictionary says: "The principal defense and ornament of many animals is in their horns; and hence the horn is often a symbol of strength, honor and dominion."

As a horn is therefore merely a symbol of power and strength, it would be natural to conclude that it need not necessarily be confined to civil power; and if we can find in the prophetic scriptures any instance in which this symbol is applied to any other power, the question is at once settled. We need now hardly remind the reader that this symbol is used to represent other than civil power in the chapter immediately preceding the one quoted by our correspondent. Speaking of the ten horns of the great and terrible beast, Daniel says, "I considered the horns and behold there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots," &c. Here is a power represented by a little horn. What power was this? It was the papacy—as ecclesiastical power. Is it said that the popes finally became temporal princes, clothed with civil power? We answer that this power is called a horn while it was yet coming up before ever the three horns were plucked up to make room before it. It was then an ecclesiastical power merely, and as such is called a horn. We draw from hence a scriptural warrant for making the ecclesiastical power of this nation, one of the horns of the beast by which it is symbolized.

Sr. S. suggests the division of these United States as answering more perfectly the specifications of the prophecy. We do not yet regard this government as divided; and perhaps it would be well to wait till this event takes place before we endeavor to adapt the prophecy to such a contingency. The present war will doubtless determine the question of secession or union. But should the Union become divided could the two portions be represented by the two horns of the beast? In the event of disunion, the two divisions become at once, separate and hostile governments, and have we any warrant for applying, or is it at all admissible so to apply, prophecy, so to have two governments separate and hostile to each other, represented by one beast?

In regard to the second query, Rev. xiii, 5 has been so often examined through the Review, and it has been so often shown that the last generation of saints would live and remain to the coming of Christ, that we did not suppose this point was still questioned in any mind. The principle on which the last generation of the wicked is made answerable for the blood of saints and prophets is illustrated in several scriptures. Jesus said to the rebellious Jews: "Wherefore behold I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." Matt. xxiii, 34, 35. The generation whom Christ addressed, that is, the very identical individuals were not the slayers of Abel, nor of a host of martyrs who had suffered before their day; but they had shown themselves to be the children of them who had slain the prophets. They showed that they were actuated by the same motives, and governed by the same principles. They had just as much hatred to the truth and enmity against the people of God as their fathers. Being of that class they therefore partook of their guilt, and became subject to their condemnation. So with the last generation. It fills up

the measure of great Babylon's sins [Rev. xviii, 5]; and in her (in great Babylon, taken as a whole from the beginning to the close of her existence) was found the blood of all that were slain upon the earth. Verse 21. Had God's people remained in connection with her, though they might not have been engaged personally in the accomplishment of her dark deeds, they would, nevertheless, have been partakers of her sins. Verse 4. It is upon this principle that it may be said of those who are doomed to drink of the seven last plagues, that they are "worthy." As to the image's causing that as many as will not worship the image shall be killed, &c., it is sufficient to say that the word rendered cause, means merely to make an enactment; the image of the beast passes such a decree; but the Scriptures do not say that he will be able to carry it into execution; nor do we believe that he ever will.

U. SMITH.