“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” (Revelation 13:1,2).

The Revised Version renders this first sentence: “And he [that is, the dragon] stood upon the sand of the sea.” This rendering seems preferable and we adopt it for the reason that, “besides being a reading of the highest manuscript authority … it seems to have also much superior internal evidence to support it — seeing that it perfectly accords with the appropriateness of the figure that the dragon should stand on the flood-brink, to make over his empire and throne to the wild beast thence evoked by him; while, on the other hand, there could be no reason why St. John, having witnessed from his usual position the flood [sea] itself, should need personal transference to its brink (or the ocean brink, if so the reader prefer), to see the wild beast rising therefrom” (E. B. Elliott).

As the “dragon” of the previous vision is a symbol of the Roman government during the reign of Paganism, and up to the fall of Western Rome, so the “beast” of this vision is a symbol of the Roman government after the division of its territory into ten parts and its power becomes distributed amongst ten kingdoms. This is portrayed in the vision by the ten horns on the head of the beast. That this division of the Roman territory met its complete fulfillment early in the Fifth Century, is a very important matter to settle, for the reason that if it cannot be proved from history, then our futurist friends have some foundation for their belief that Antichrist will yet appear. On this account it seems that here is the proper place to give careful consideration to the matter.

It is very generally conceded by Historical writers that the dragon of chapter 12, the beast of chapter 13, and the scarlet beast of chapter 17, all refer to different stages, phases, or pictures of the Roman government that bears rule until the Kingdom of God is established in its place. There is also a very general agreement among these expositors that the Western power corresponds to the fourth beast that the Prophet Daniel saw in vision. He saw the same beast until it was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame (Daniel 7:11), to make way for the establishment of the Kingdom of the Son of Man and the saints.

“We find in the Apocalypse no beasts answering to Daniel’s first three, but the fourth reappears very prominently, with his ten horns; we find no periods corresponding to the seventy weeks, or the 2300 days, but the ‘time, times, and a half,’ is repeated in several forms, and in the same relative connection. We find in the closing visions, features that identify them with the final scenes of Daniel, and it is difficult to resist the conviction that the intervening Apocalyptic visions must be symbolic predictions of the moral and spiritual aspects of all that has happened to the Church of Christ, from John’s day to the present time, and all that shall happen to the close.”

As this “beast” government receives its power, throne, and authority, from the “dragon” (verse 2), it must necessarily represent that phase of Roman rule which receives its legal authority from the imperial government, symbolized by the dragon — the dragon continuing to symbolize the Eastern Roman government at Constantinople. The fact that the “diadems,” in the vision of the beast, are seen upon its horns, instead of upon its heads as in the case of the dragon, indicates that the time or period in which the vision begins to have its fulfillment is when the kingdoms symbolized by the “ten horns” have all begun their rule.

In our search to discover whether this division of the Roman Empire has yet taken place it will be helpful to examine Daniel’s prophecy where the same tenfold division of the Roman Empire is symbolically described. The prophecy reads: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast (Roman Empire) … and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it (the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, and the Grecian); and it had ten horns.” In explaining this vision the heavenly revealer said: “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings [kingdoms] that shall arise” (Daniel 7:7,23,24).

Ten Horns Picture the Breaking up of the Roman Empire

It is very generally agreed that this fourth beast with its ten horns, was the same as the beast with its ten horns seen by St. John; and that they both, in this aspect, refer to the same period of time, namely when the ten kingdoms into which the Roman Empire was divided begin to be first seen in history. The breaking up of the Roman Empire, as recorded by all historians, was accomplished during the fourth and fifth centuries by the conquests or invasions of what are commonly called the Gothic hordes of the North. This was the period of time when, in the fulfillment of the vision, St. John saw the dragon stand upon the seashore, and the beast gradually emerging from the sea. The “sea” would represent the disturbed, turbulent condition amongst the peoples of the Roman Empire, as a consequence of these barbaric Gothic invasions.

History informs us that at the close of the Fifth Century, “only the shadow of the empire in the West remained. All the provinces — Illyricum, Gaul, Britain, Spain, and Africa — were in the hands of the Goths, the Vandals and various other intruding tribes. Italy, as well as Rome herself, had become again and again the spoil of the insatiable barbarians. The story of the twenty years [from about 456 AD] following the sack of the capital by Genseric affords only a repetition of the events we have been narrating. During these years several puppet emperors were set up by the different leaders of the invading tribes. A final seditious movement placed upon the shadow-throne a child of six years named Romulus Augustulus. He had reigned only a year, when Odoacer, the leader of a tribe of German mercenaries [the Heruli], dethroned him, and abolishing the title of emperor, took upon himself the government of Italy” (Myers’ History). “When Odoacer was proclaimed king of Italy, the phantom assembly that still called itself the Roman senate sent back to Constantinople the tiara and purple robe, in sign that the Western Empire had passed away” (White’s Eighteen Christian Centuries).

The last form or “head” of the Roman Empire previous to the enthronement of the beast under its Papal head, thus ended in 476 AD with the dethronement of Romulus Augustulus. To this all historians agree. It must, therefore, be at this time, or at least about this time, that we should look for all the ten kingdoms.

Another very important matter to settle before seeking to discover these ten kingdoms is the location and extent of the Roman territory in which we are to look for them, that is, whether this territory covers the empire in the East, or the empire in the West, or both. This is an important feature for the reason that all the characteristics of this “beast” power — its blasphemy against God and His tabernacle, its warring against God’s saints, and the length of time it would dominate over them — indicate that it represents the ten-fold division of the Roman Empire. This ten-fold division of the empire, or the ten kingdoms under the headship of the Antichrist, is represented in this vision of St. John as one of the “heads” of the beast. It is very generally agreed that the “little horn,” seen by the Prophet Daniel coming up amongst the ten on the fourth beast (Daniel 7), is identical with the “head” that rules this beast seen by St. John, and that they both describe one and the same power — the Antichrist.

This being true, we are enabled by the vision of Daniel to discover the exact period in history when the Antichrist is to be looked for. It will be seen that the “little horn” comes to view after all the ten are formed, and does so by rooting up three of the first horns. This means that the Antichrist does not come into existence until ten kingdoms occupy the territory of the old Roman Empire, and that it comes into power by causing the overthrow of three of the first ten kingdoms. Still further, as it is very generally agreed that the “Man of Sin,” referred to by St. Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, also represents the Antichrist, and also that the one thing that hindered the full development of the “Man of Sin” was the continuance of the imperial rulership in the Roman City, we would not, therefore, look for all the ten kingdoms until after 476 AD, when the last emperor was dethroned. We quote Sir Isaac Newton, a profound student and prophetic expositor, concerning this important matter of the location of the ten kingdoms.

“Seeing the body of the third beast [of Daniel 7, the Grecian Empire] is confined to the nations on this side the Euphrates, and the body of the fourth beast [Roman Empire] is confined to the nations on this side of Greece, we are to look for all the four heads of the third beast [Grecian Empire] among the nations on this side of the Euphrates, and for all the eleven horns [little horn and ten horns] of the fourth beast [Roman Empire] among the nations on this side of Greece. Therefore we do not reckon the Greek Empire [Eastern Empire] seated at Constantinople, among the horns of the fourth beast [Roman Empire] because it belongs to the body of the third [Greece].”

Mr. Elliott goes on to say concerning this matter: “It is of course a necessary preliminary to our enumeration of ten kingdoms answering to the ten horns of the beast, that we satisfy ourselves geographically as to the extent of Roman territory on which, and chronologically as to the time at which such kingdoms ought to be sought. It is chiefly from adopting their several lists to more or less of the fullest territorial extent of the Roman world, and to epochs earlier or later in the prolonged period of the flux and reflux of the Gothic waters [peoples] over it, that interpreters agreed on the main principles of their expositions, have yet in their lists more or less differed from each other With regard then to the first point, it seems reasonable to me that we should seek the ten kingdoms on the territory not of the whole Roman Empire, but of the Western only It was over this part only of the Roman world that the Gothic flood swept away the old imperial government, and made room for new kingdoms to arise; and yet again, over this part only that the authority of the eighth or Papal head was properly or permanently established.”

It is well to keep in mind that the Futurist position is that the ten kingdoms have not yet appeared; and of course if this be true, then the “little horn,” which is by both Futurist and Historical writers understood to describe the political aspect of the Antichrist, has not yet made its appearance. It is generally understood by the Futurist that the ten kingdoms must be looked for on the territory which was subjected by the Roman Empire at the time of its widest dominion; in other words, on the territories occupied by the Roman, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian Empires. We believe that this is a mistake. Concerning this another has said:

“A very little consideration will show that prophecy regards the four empires as being as distinct in territory as in time; as distinct in geographical boundaries as in chronological limits. They rise in a definite sequence; the supreme dominion of one does not in point of time overlap the supreme dominion of the following one, nor is the territory of a former ‘beast’ or empire ever regarded as belonging to a later one, though it may have been actually conquered. Each has its own proper theatre or body, and the bodies continue to exist after the dominion is taken away. This is distinctly stated, both in connection with the fourfold image and with the four beasts. The three earlier beasts did not cease to exist when the fourth arose. ‘Their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.’ (Daniel 7:12). That is to say, the first three empires are regarded as coexisting with the fourth, after their dominion has ended. This proves that they are regarded as distinct in place as well as in time. They continue to be recognized as territorial divisions of the earth after the disappearance of their political supremacy. Now the Eastern Empire of Rome, which it acquired by conquest, occupied precisely the same territory as the Grecian Empire had done, and its conquest in Asia occupied the territories which originally formed the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires. None of this territory belongs to ‘the legs of iron’ [of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision]. It constitutes the golden, silver, and brazen portions of the image. It cannot be regarded as forming any part of the empire proper and peculiar to Rome.

“The ten horns or kingdoms of the fourth empire must none of them be sought in the realms of the third, second, or first, but exclusively in the realm of the fourth, or in the territory peculiar to Rome, and which never had formed part either of the Grecian, Medo-Persian, or Babylonian Empires” (H. G. Guinness).

“As to the time, it seems to me that the list of kingdoms should be made with reference to some period subsequent (only not long subsequent) to the completion of the number ten on the platform of the Western Empire: and, in regard at least to Daniel’s vision, prior of course to that eradication of three of them predicted by him. [Daniel 7:8,20,24,25.] Thus, in fine, there existed at the epoch of 532 AD the following ten kingdoms on the platform of the Western Roman Empire; viz., the Anglo-Saxons, the Franks of Central, Alleman-Franks of Eastern, and Burgundic-Franks of Southeastern France, the Visigoths, the Suevi, the Vandals, the Ostrogoths in Italy, the Bavarians, and the Lombards; ten in all” (E. B. Elliott).

When the Dragon Gave the Beast His Power

The year following this, in 533, one of the most significant events in connection with the rise of the Papal Antichrist occurred. It was in this year that Justinian, the Eastern Roman emperor, issued a decree constituting the bishop of Rome the head of the Church on earth. Thus do we have the fulfillment of the expression, “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” For some time previous to this there had been a rivalry — indeed, a dispute, between the bishop of Rome, and other ambitious, aspiring bishops of other cities, concerning which of them could, as they expressed it, rightly claim the honor of Apostolic succession, etc. This decree of Justinian settled the matter in favor of the bishop of Rome. The decree was not enforced, however, until the armies of Eastern Rome under Belisarius overthrew the Ostrogothic power, that under Theodoric ruled in Italy. This was in 538 or 539 AD, and without doubt, marked the beginning of the period of the twelve hundred and sixty years, when the saints were delivered into Papacy’s hand (Daniel 7:25). It was the beginning of the Papal Antichrist; also the time when the ten kings began to give their power and strength unto the beast, as represented in its Papal head. In regard to the number ten being used to designate these kingdoms, we quote several authors of note. Sir Isaac Newton, with reference to this matter, said:

“Whatever was their number afterwards, as some of those kingdoms at length fell, and new ones arose, they are still (in the prophecy) called the ten kings from their first number.”

Mr. Elliott comments on these words of Mr. Newton:

“Indeed it is to be observed that not only did a thus divided form continue for ages afterward to characterize the great commonwealth (if we may so call it) of Western Christendom, but the decuple number of kingdoms seemed to continue in a manner their standard numeral type. At certain long subsequent epochs of note, notwithstanding many intervening revolutions and changes in Western Europe, the number ten will be found to have been observed on from time to time as that of the Western Roman or Papal Kingdoms. So Gibbon, with reference to the Twelfth Century, speaking of Roger, first king of Italy, 1130 AD, thus writes: ‘The nine kings of the Latin world might disclaim their new associate, unless he were consecrated by the authority of the Supreme Pontiff.’ ”

The next feature in order in this vision is that the beast had seven heads. These are understood very generally by expositors to represent the seven successive forms of government that ruled from the city of Rome from its beginning, either its earliest beginning, 753 BC, or when it exercised world- wide dominion, 31 BC. There is a general agreement that Papacy is represented by one of the heads of this beast. As the full explanation of these seven heads is given to St. John by the revealing angel, and recorded in the vision of chapter seventeen, we will leave the full consideration of them until we come to a study of that chapter.

It is stated in verse 3 that St. John “saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed.” There is a difference of opinion among expositors as to which one of the beast’s heads is referred to in these words. The cause of this difference is almost wholly from the fact that they begin to count these seven heads from a different epoch in history. Many of the older commentators begin to count at the time when the city of Rome (not the empire) was founded. Nearly all of these make the head that was wounded to death to be the imperial, which ended in 476 AD. They understand this to be the seventh head, and the Papacy to be an eighth head. We note several seemingly insurmountable objections to this interpretation:

(1) The visions that symbolize the Roman Empire in chapters 12, 13, and 17, invariably represent it as having seven heads and not eight. This is explained by the above mentioned expositors by saying that the eighth head took the place of the one that was wounded to death, the imperial. The description, however, does not state that this head died, but rather that its deadly wound was healed— an incident which seems to teach that the form of government symbolized by this head would receive a terrible wound, but would recover from it. This very fittingly describes what was done to Papacy by the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, culminating in 1799, when the Pope for a brief space of time was dethroned. However, in harmony with the vision, he was shortly reinstated by Napoleon, and later on recognized by the allied powers of Europe. Thus, “his deadly wound was healed.”

(2) It would seem that the proper time in history to begin to count these seven heads or forms of government would be when the third beast empire of Daniel 7, the Grecian or Macedonian, and its four heads or divisions, had been swallowed up by the Roman, which was not until Egypt, the last division, was conquered in 31 BC. It would appear manifestly improper to begin to count these seven heads over a century before even the first beast, the Babylonian Empire, was seen in the vision by Daniel, which would be necessary if we began the count when the city was founded — about seven centuries before the fourth beast, symbolizing the Roman Empire, was seen by the Prophet.

(3) When St. John was given the vision, only three forms of government had existed in the city of Rome from its founding in 753. These were the kingly, lasting until 508 BC; the republic, lasting until about 27 BC; and the imperial, beginning with Octavius or Augustus Caesar. While it is true that there were several forms by which the republic was ruled, sometimes by Consuls, sometimes by Tribunes, sometimes by Decemvirs, and sometimes by a Triumvirate, it was all the time a republic, these officers being elected by the people. This will be seen by a reference to any historian (see Myers, Swinton, and the Encyclopedias). It would seem, therefore, that the proper place to begin to count the seven heads would be when the last head of the third beast empire was over- thrown. That head was Egypt. The year that this event occurred is understood by all historians to be 31 BC. The form of government existing at this time was the republic.

(4) If we were to understand the Papacy to be an eighth head or form of government, and (as is understood by nearly all expositors) these heads should all be found in Rome, the seven-hilled city, then, as it is a fact that Papacy lost all control or authority in the Roman city in 1870, the present Victor Immanuel dynasty would be a ninth head. The unveiling of prophecy by the events of history thus seems to have proved the incorrectness of the interpretation that Papacy is represented by an eighth head. The term eighth in Revelation 17, seems rather to refer to the eighth or last form the beast may assume; this form would be the beast without a head or government, in other words, anarchy. With the statement that the head that received the deadly wound and was healed represented Papacy, we leave the further consideration of the matter until we take up in order the revealing angel’s explanation to St. John, found in chapter seventeen.

Before proceeding to the consideration of the other features of the vision which relate especially to Papacy’s character and doings, we note, as having a very important bearing on a correct interpretation of this vision of the beast, and its further description in Revelation 17, that it will be quite necessary to locate these ten horns, that is, to locate where on the beast’s heads, St. John saw them. It will be evident to the thoughtful student that they could not be upon those heads (forms of government of the Roman Empire) that in their fulfillment were in the past, or had passed into history before the division of the empire in 476 AD, whether we begin to reckon from 753 BC, or 31 BC, for we are told that “the ten horns are ten kings,” representing the division of the empire into ten. The very suggestion of this matter, keeping in mind the period in history when the kingdoms symbolized by the ten horns began to rule, leads us to conclude that they all must be found on the Papal head, whichever one represented Papacy, because these ten kingdoms constitute Papacy’s supporters throughout a large part of the whole career, and they do not begin to turn against her until the Sixteenth Century, as, we have seen, and as is recorded in the vision: “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the harlot [Papal Church] and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Revelation 17:16).

“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” (verse 2).

It will be observed by the careful student that the three beasts referred to here in the description of this one wild beast, were the same used in the prophecy of Daniel 7; Babylon being represented by a lion, Medo-Persia by a bear, and Grecia by a leopard. The significance of the body of the beast being likened to a leopard is thus described:

“Well do the Scriptures symbolically represent Papacy as a leopard beast (or mottled government — Revelation 13:2). In one place it is liberal, almost white in its professions or appearances; in another quarter it is black, corrupt, degrading, brutal; and in still other places it has various neutral and tawny shades of correspondence to the natural depravity of the people it rules with its rod of eternal torment and its staff of purgatory.

“In Spain [one of the ten horns] which has been for centuries one of its dark spots — as dark as the general civilization of the people will permit, the ‘leopard’ has been accustomed to have its way, and is now incensed that freedom of worship, or even of thought, should be dreamed of” (C. T. Russell).

In regard to the beast being described as having feet like the feet of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion, we have this striking comment by Mr. Barnes:

“The idea here seems to be that of strength, as the strength of the bear resides much in its feet and claws. At the same time, there is the idea of a combination of fierce qualities — as if the blood- thirstiness, the cruelty, and the agility of the leopard were united with the strength of the bear The mouth of the lion is made to seize and hold its prey, and is indicative of the character of the animal as a beast of prey. John has thus brought together the qualities of activity, blood-thirstiness, strength, ferocity, all as symbolic of the power that was intended to be represented.”

It is true that these characteristics are intended, doubtless, to apply to the ten kingdoms (as well as Papacy), nearly all of which, as kingdoms, had embraced the idolatrous form of Christianity that prevailed when the Roman bishop was constituted by the Emperor Justinian’s decree to be the supreme head of Chris- tendom. Mr. Lord has thus described them:

“These separate dynasties are with propriety united in a single symbol [ten horns], and exhibited as one great combination of usurping tyrants, from the similarity of their arrogations, policy, and rulers. They all adopted, in a large degree, the laws of the ancient [Roman] Empire as their common law. They united in the same usurpation of Divine rights, in imposing the same false religion [paganized Christian] on their subjects, and in a similar hostility to the true people of God. They all nationalized the Church and all persecuted dissenters. They were to their subjects in strength, ferocity, and bloodiness, what an animal would be to its victims that united in itself the agility of the panther [leopard], the strength of the bear, and the mercilessness and voracity of the lion.”

“And all the world wondered after the beast” (verse 3).

“The word wondered here used … means properly to be astonished; to be amazed; then to wonder at; then to admire and follow And the general idea is, [that the beast received such a universal reverence, or inspired such universal awe, as to be properly called worship or adoration. There can be no doubt of the propriety of this, considered as applicable to that secular Roman power [ten kingdoms] which sustained the Papacy. The homage was as wide as the limits of the Roman Empire had ever been, and might be said to embrace ‘all the world’ ” (Albert Barnes).

“For hundreds of years Papacy has not only deceived the kings of the earth as to its power and claimed Divine authority, and ruled over them, but even in the Church, God’s Temple, where Christ alone should be recognized as Head and Teacher, it has seated itself and claimed to be the only teacher and lawgiver; and here it has deceived all, except the few, by its phenomenal success and boastful claims. ‘All the world wondered’ — were astonished, deceived, bewildered — ‘whose names were not written in the Lamb’s book of life,’ and many whose names are written as saints of God were seriously perplexed. And, this decep- tion is the stronger because of the very gradual formation of these ambitious designs and their yet more gradual realization. It extended over centuries, and, as an ambition, was already secretly at work in Paul’s day. It was a process of little by little adding error to error — the supplementing of one man’s ambitious declarations by those of another and another farther down the stream of time. Thus, insidiously, did Satan plant and water the seeds of error, and develop the greatest and most influential system the world has ever known — Antichrist” (C. T. Russell).

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with, him?” (verse 4).

That they “worshipped the dragon,” signifies that they continued still to reverence, give honor to the imperial government ruling from Constantinople. And this, as history shows, continued to be true for several centuries, until the Eastern Empire and Church became separated from the Western, as it did after- wards. That they worshipped the beast, implies that the people looked upon the rulers of the ten kingdoms under Papacy as possessing authority and rights in civil and religious matters belonging alone to God. In other words, they were recognized as having power to dictate the form and method of Christian worship. The word worship, as used here, means to extend reverence and homage; to show respect to one who is a superior, to kings and princes, etc.

“The word may be used here to mean that homage or reverence, as to a higher power, was rendered to the dragon; not strictly that he was openly worshipped in a religious sense as God. Can any one doubt that this was the case under Papal Rome; that the power which was set up under that entire domination, civil and ecclesiastical, was such as Satan [whose instrument originally was Paganism] approved, and such as he sought to have established on the earth? And can any one doubt that the homage thus rendered, so contrary to the law of God, and so much in derogation of His claims, was in fact homage rendered to this presiding spirit of evil?

“ ‘And they worshipped the beast.’ That is, they did it, as is immediately specified, by saying that he was incomparable and invincible; in other words, that he was almighty It was the policy of rulers and princes in those times to augment in every way possible the respect in which they were held; to maintain that they were the vicegerents of heaven; to claim for themselves sacredness of character and of person [pictured, as we have already explained, in the “diadems” on the heads, now transferred to the horns]; and to secure from the people a degree of reverence which was in fact idolatrous. Never was this more marked than in the times when the Papacy had the ascendancy, for it was its policy to promote reverence for the power that sustained itself, and to secure for itself the idolatrous veneration of the people” (Albert Barnes).

Along this line another has called attention to the fact “that when, in 455 AD, the city of Rome was invaded and plundered by the Vandals, and all around was distress and desolation, Leo, the bishop of Rome, improved the opportunity for impressing upon all, both barbarians and Romans, his claim of spiritual power. To the rude and superstitious barbarians, already greatly impressed by what they saw about them of Rome’s greatness and wealth, Leo, arrayed in his pontifical robes, exclaimed: ‘Beware! I am the successor of St. Peter, to whom God has given the keys of the kingdom of heaven and against whose church the gates of hell cannot prevail; I am the living representative of Divine power on the earth; I am Caesar, a Christian Caesar, ruling in love, to whom all Christians owe alle- giance; I hold in my hands the curses of hell and the benedictions of heaven; I absolve all subjects from allegiance to kings; I give and take away, by Divine right, all thrones and principalities of Christendom. Beware how you desecrate the patrimony given me by your invisible King; yea, bow down your necks to me and pray that the anger of God may be averted.’ ”

Great Swelling Words of Blasphemy

“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 (verses 5,6).

“In its true significance, the word ‘blasphemy’ is applicable to any indignity offered to God. Bouvier defines it thus: ‘Blasphemy is to attribute to God that which is contrary to His nature, and does not belong to Him — and to deny what does.’ (See Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary under heads of Blasphemy and Blasphemously.) And in evidence that this is the sense in which the word ‘blasphemy’ is used in the Scriptures, notice the manner in which our Lord and the Pharisees used it: (John 10:33,36, see also Mark 14:61-64).

“With this, the proper definition of ‘blasphemy,’ before us; how evident it must be to the simplest minds that Papacy’s great swelling words and boastful claims have, one and all, been blasphemies. The establishment of a counterfeit Kingdom of God was a libel upon God’s government, a gross blasphemy, and a misrepresentation of His character and Plan and Word. God’s character, i.e., His ‘name’ was blasphemed in the thousand monstrous edicts, bulls, and decretals issued in His name, by the long line of those who claimed, as vicegerents, to represent His Son; and God’s tabernacle, the true Church, was blasphemed by the false system which claimed to take its place — which claimed that its faithful were the true and only tabernacle or Church of God. But we must let history tell us of these great swelling words, these blasphemous assumptions, which successive popes, as the head of Antichrist, uttered and approved.

“In a work entitled, ‘The Pope the Vicar of Christ, the Head of the Church,’ by the celebrated Roman Catholic, Monsignor Capel, is a list of no less than sixty- two blasphemous titles applied to the pope; and, be it noticed, these are not mere dead titles from the past, for they were arranged by one of Papacy’s foremost living writers. We quote from the list as follows:

“ ‘Most Divine of all Heads,’ ‘Holy Father of Fathers,’ ‘Pontiff Supreme over all Prelates,’ ‘Overseer of the Christian Religion,’ ‘The Chief Pastor — Pastor of Pastors,’ ‘Christ by Unction,’ ‘Abraham by Patriarchate,’ ‘Melchisedec in Order,’ ‘Moses in Authority,’ ‘Samuel in the Judicial Office,’ ‘High Priest, Supreme Bishop,’ ‘Prince of Bishops,’ ‘Heir of the Apostles; Peter in Power,’ ‘Key-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven,’ ‘Pontiff Appointed with Plenitude of Power,’ ‘Vicar of Christ,’ ‘Sovereign Priest,’ ‘Head of all the Holy Churches,’ ‘Chief of the Universal Church,’ ‘Bishop of Bishops, that is, Sovereign Pontiff,’ ‘Ruler of the House of the Lord,’ ‘Apostolic Lord and Father of Fathers,’ ‘Chief Pastor and Teacher,’ ‘Physician of Souls,’ ‘Rock against which the proud gates of hell prevail not,’ ‘Infallible Pope,’ ‘Head of all the Holy Priests of God.’

“All these blasphemously flattering titles have been applied to and received by the Roman pontiffs with complacency and marked satisfaction, as rightfully belonging to them” (C. T. Russell).

“And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months [twelve hundred and sixty years]” (verse 5).

We have already considered the significance of this symbolic time period as having special reference to Antichrist. It was the period of the prophesying of the witnesses in sackcloth, and the treading under foot of the (symbolic) holy city in chapter 11. The period began in 539 AD and ended in 1799, when Anti- christ’s power to “act” against the saints ceased. Bishop Newton has given us the full significance of these words:

“He hath also power to continue or rather to practice, to prevail, and prosper forty-two months. It doth not, therefore, follow that the beast is to continue to exist for no longer a term, but he is to practice, to prosper and prevail forty-two months; as the holy city is to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles forty-two months (Revelation 11:2).”

“It was the spiritual authority officially attached to him, which constituted the principle of the Romish bishop’s headship over the kings, as also his anti- Christian usurpation, and blasphemy against the Most High in after ages. And what and whence this spiritual power, but from his being supposed to be officially the representative of the Apostle Peter, with the power of the keys centered by Christ in him; and so, by speedy consequence, Christ’s Vicar upon earth; or to use St. John’s most singularly characteristic appellation, Antichrist?”

And such was the claim of the bishop of Rome for nearly a century before the decree of Justinian in 533. The legate of Pope Celestine in the council of Ephesus in 431 AD, thus proclaimed it before all Christendom: “It is a thing undoubted that the Apostle Peter received the keys and power of binding and loosing; which Peter still lives and exercises judgment in his successors even to this day and always.” Mr. Elliott quotes from a sermon preached by Pope Leo on St. Peter and St. Paul’s day in 451 AD: “ ‘As being the See of the blessed Peter, thou Rome, art made the head of the world; so as to have even wider rule through Divine religion, than by the power of earthly domination.’ ” Gelasius, bishop of Rome from 492 to 496, made this same claim. Mr. Elliott says: “In a letter to Faustus, he wrote, ‘Things Divine are to be learned by the secular potentates from bishops, above all from the Vicar of the blessed Peter.’ In a letter to the emperor Anastasius [Gelasius thus wrote]: ‘There are two authorities by which the world is governed, the Pontifical and the Royal; the sacerdotal order being that which has charge of the sacraments of life, and from which thou must seek the imparting to thee of salvation. Hence in Divine things it becomes kings to bow the neck to priests; specially to the Heads of Priests, whom Christ’s own voice has set over the universal Church.’ ”

“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” (verse 7).

On reading these words the earnest student’s attention is drawn immediately to the beast of chapter 11:7, which made war against Christ’s witnesses. This we considered previously. There can be no question that the two beasts are identical; the actions ascribed to both are the same. They are both represented as making war against the true people of God, and as overcoming them; and the period of time in which they continue is the same — 1260 years. Practically all Protestant Historical expositors understand this to be so. It would be quite necessary that St. John, seeing in the preceding vision the doings of this beast from the abyss, should be given further knowledge concerning it. This knowl- edge is now supplied, not only in the chapter we are considering, but in visions further on. “Here (in chapter 13) the beast is described at large, who (in chapter 11) was only mentioned before.”

Concerning the seeming lack of identity of these two beasts, in that one originates from the “abyss” and the other from the “sea,” we will consider in another chapter, on the seven heads, since the two subjects are closely related.

All Worship the Beast Except Followers of the Lamb

“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” (verse 8).

Regarding the wide extent of dominion exercised by the Papacy, the following words are significant:

“The extent and the character of Papal dominion during the Dark Ages is in our days, little realized. The world can smile now at the puerility of the proud and preposterous pretensions, of the poor old man who occupies the chair of St. Peter in his Vatican prison in Rome. It listens to his loud claim to infallibility with a laugh of contempt. But of yore it was quite another thing. Every utterance of the tiara-crowned monarch was heard with awe, every command was implicitly obeyed. Men trembled under his curse, and gloried in his benediction, as if they had been those of Deity Already in the Eighth Century, Gregory II boasted to the Greek Emperor, ‘all the kings of the West reverence the Pope as a God on earth,’ and facts fully justify the assertion. Pepin, for example, when aspiring to the crown of France, prayed the Pope to authorize his usurpation; and as soon as he had done so, the Franks, and indeed the whole Western World, recognized his title. Even the great Emperor Charlemagne, was willing to receive from the Roman Pontiff his crown and dominion. ‘The Lord John, apostolic and universal Pope,’ says the council of Pavia, ‘hath at Rome elected, and anointed with the holy oil, Charlemagne, as emperor.’ The western kings of Europe accepted the position of subserviency to the Sovereign Pontiff, by admitting into their coronation oaths a promise, ‘to be faithful and submissive to the Popes, and the Roman Church.’ ‘Under the sacerdotal monarchy of St. Peter,’ says Gibbon, ‘the nations began to resume the practice of seeking on the banks of the Tiber, their kings, their laws, and the oracles of their fate.’ If kings and emperors bowed thus before the Pope, it will easily be believed that the reverence of the common people for his person and office, and their submission to his arrogant and blasphemous pretensions, was complete” (H. G. Guinness).

It needs no comment concerning who are represented by the excepted ones— those whose names have been written from the foundation of the world in the scroll of the life of that Lamb who was killed (Diaglott). They are seen in the visions of the Revelation under various symbols and are always recognized as the true and faithful followers of Christ, who, although they may be deceived for a time, preserve their loyalty to their one Head under all circumstances.

“If any man have an ear, let him hear” (verse 9).

“This expression occurs at the close of each of the epistles addressed to the seven Churches, and is substantially a mode of address often employed by the Savior, in his personal ministry, and quite characteristic of him. The idea here is that what is said respecting the ‘beast’ was worthy of special attention, as it pertained to most important events in the history of the Church.”

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patient endurance and the faith of the saints” (Verse 10).

These words as applied to the saints seem to refer to a general principle of God’s dealings in His providence. The Savior said, “all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” The thought seems to be that the Lord’s true people would be strongly tempted to defend the Lord’s cause by force, and that those who would yield to this temptation would experience a reaction. Bishop Newton in commenting on these words has thus interpreted them:

“It is added by way of consolation to the Church, that these enemies of God and of Christ, represented under the character of the beast, shall suffer the law of retaliation, and be as remarkably punished and tormented themselves: ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he who killeth by the sword, must be killed by the sword.’ Such a promise might administer some comfort; and indeed it would be wanted; for the patience and the faith of the saints would be tried to the utmost, during the reign of the beast. ‘Here is the patience and faith of the saints.’ Of all the trials and persecutions of the Church this would be the most severe, and exceed those of the primitive times — both in degree and in duration.”

Mr. Russell adds the thought:

“There were some who asserted that Papacy was a usurpation of the titles and power of the true Head and Ruler of the Church, and claimed their rights to the individual liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. Such used the ‘sword of the spirit,’ which is the Word of God in the defense of their liberty, and such were put to death by Papacy — it overcame the saints during its 1260 years of power.”