We have seen that the prime mover of the Roman Empire is Satan, as the great dragon. In this chapter we learn further that the head of that empire, called the beast, is strangely identified with Satan.
We must remember that the fourth, or Roman empire, as it existed when the man-child was born (Christ), occupied a certain part of the world. This may easily be traced by a map. It was the ordered part of the world, under the government of that empire, called in the Revelation " the earth," in distinction from those nations' and peoples outside of it. The settled government of the empire may be compared to the firm earth, and those nations outside to the troubled sea.
We shall understand it by taking a case. Take England and Ireland. In history, as shown on the map, England was part of the earth, or empire; Ireland was outside the empire. Thus John (verse 1) stands on the sand of the sea, " and saw a beast rise out of the sea." If, then,, the empire is in distinct existence when this beast shall arise, the figure would be fulfilled suppose the beast was to arise out of such a place as 'Ireland, outside the earth or formed empire. But waters also describe the unrest of the nations, even where the great whore or harlot sits', which is doubtless on the site of the empire itself. (See Rev. 17:1515And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15).)
It may be in the tumult of the nations that compose the empire that the beast is seen to arise out of the sea, or scene of unrest and tumults. He has the most striking likeness to the devil, the dragon. The only difference in the photograph is that this beast will not merely have seven crowns on the seven heads, but ten crowns upon his ten horns. He also has all the features of the first three empires, or beasts, of Dan. 7: the lion, the leopard, and the bear. These followed each other in the four great empires of the world; only let us bear in nisi that God gave the power and kingdom to these, But now " the dragon gave him his power, anti hi, seat, and great authority," Satan takes the distinct place of God. These are things which shall surely come to pass. No doubt Satan will try to deceive men by giving them fanciful theories, and telling them all this has been fulfilled. Nothing can suit him better.
Verse 3. Men have long rejected the Son of God, to whom all power is given, and in whom all will be yet displayed. Let us see what this same world will do when Satan presents his chief. For a moment there may be tumult and confusion. " And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death." Then, " and his deadly wound was healed." Napoleon may illustrate this. One Napoleonic head of the empire was wounded, laid aside—another took his place. Both have passed away. But when Satan's grand man appears, he will have a kind of death and resurrection, for Satan will seek to imitate the power of God. There he is, and what have the wise of this world to say to him? "All the world wondered after the beast." Oh man! with thy evolution, progress, and pride, is this thy wisdom? And not only wondered: " They worshipped the beast, saying, Who is able to make war with him?" Oh human politics! the progress of man is to deeper shades of darkness! Mark what leads to this worship of the beast is this, "They worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast."
All nations bear witness that man must have an object of worship. And thus we see here that when this infidel Europe has cast off finally all true worship of God, it will be to sink down and worship the devil. Is it not dreadful to contemplate that the nations of Europe will form an empire with all these Satanic attributes? And will continue forty and two months; the beast, or head of this empire, speaking great things and blasphemies against God. The church is gone, so that he can only blaspheme them in heaven, though there will be saints on earth after the church is gone, as there were before it began.
Verse 7. " And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, tongues, and nations." These are the spoken of in chapter vi. " Their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." This is that tribulation long foretold, such as never shall be again. And all the rest shall worship the beast. "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." Since these things are at the door, how important the inquiry: Reader, is your name in the book of life of the Lamb? Are you associated with Him? Is He your center, your all—not of the world, but belonging to Christ—or are you a dweller on earth? Are the earth and the things of the world your object? Momentous questions. Is not the world even now filling with violence, as in the days of Noah? What will it be when it is given up to the very violence of the dragon? " If any man have an ear let him hear." Is your ear open or closed to these things? The man that refuses to hear what God speaks as to the things that will soon come to pass, is he not guilty of folly? Can there be greater folly?
All the world are improving their arms, and seeking safety in weapons of terrible destruction. It will be all in vain. " He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword." But, as it were in contrast, " Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." God has never been without a witness on earth, and He will have His saints or holy ones on earth even in these terrible days of Satanic power.
Verse 11. " And I beheld another beast," &c,. Very often these two beasts are confounded, and the first is called " the man of sin." We must call attention to this mistake. The first beast rises out of the sea—the nations in a state of tumult; the other beast cometh up out of the earth—that is, he comes when the empire shall have been formed. Satan makes the first beast the head of the empire. (Ver. 2.) Then the second beast, not the first, answers to all the scriptures that speak of the man of sin, or the lawless one. Let us now note the features of this long-foretold " wicked one "—the Antichrist.
He assumes the appearance of a lamb: " he had two horns like a lamb." Yet when he speaks, his words betray him: "he spake as a dragon." He has influence throughout the Roman empire. " He exerciseth all the power of the first beast." He does not lead men to worship God, far from it; but to worship the first beast. Thus we have an imitation trinity: Satan, the beast, and Antichrist. And mark, Antichrist does the same miracles that the Jewish prophets of old did. He maketh fire come down from heaven as did the prophet Elijah. We have a full description of him and his doings in 2 Thessalonians ii. 3-12. He opposes God, and pretends to be God. He sits in the temple of God, for the Jews will receive him, " showing himself that he is God." Yet he is the wicked one " whose corning is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders," &c.
Such is this other beast that shall arise in the Roman empire. He shall deceive them that dwell on the earth by the means of these false miracles. He shall lead men into idolatry, even to set up an image of the emperor, or head of the empire.
This image seems to be a figure of some active power that will be heard, and cause that, as many refuse to worship the beast shall be killed. Then he causes what is called "boycotting" to be general throughout the empire. No man is allowed to buy or sell who refuseth the mark of the beast in his right hand or in his forehead. Satan is only practicing his servants in boycotting at present; but, terrible as it is, what will it be in that day? How sad the fact that the Jews will receive this Antichrist, as Jesus said: " If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." How ready all men are to be led by Satan! The poor deceived world is preparing for these terrible scenes of human wickedness. Is it not almost incredible how lawlessness is being adopted? These things are at the very doors.
Now as to the name, the mark of the beast. When every man, on pain of being boycotted, is compelled to wear that mark, or name, which will count up to 666, there will be no mistake then, or uncertainty, as to what that mark is. The uncertainty now, or our ignorance as to what that mark is, proves that it has not yet been fulfilled. In fact, the man of sin, Antichrist—this second beast clearly does not come during the days of Christianity, or whilst the church of God is here on earth.
It may be objected that many learned men have taught that the pope is Antichrist. We do not doubt that; but is he the Antichrist described here? Did the pope ever compel the nations to worship the emperor or head of the Satanic resurrection Roman empire? Nay; that empire has not even been restored yet. Which of the popes has compelled men to worship the beast by making fire come down from heaven in the sight of men? Has the pope ever boycotted all men who refuse to have the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead? It does no good but great harm to force scripture, yea, to pervert it to such theories. Let us not seek fanciful interpretations. All this is plainly future, as we shall see more clearly when we reach chapter xvii. There we shall learn that as surely as the Roman empire did exist on earth, as related in history, so surely will it exist on earth again, as foretold in this Revelation.
We have seen in chapter xii. how much Satan had to do with the empire at the birth of the man-child, which was Christ, born of the Jewish nation, and how he will persecute her seed, the remnant, in the time of her tribulation.
In chapter xiii. we have the revelation of the rise of this empire again; the dragon giving to it, or its head, his power, and his seat, and great authority. All the world then wonders after the beast, and worships the beast. He continues forty-two months—that is, three years and a half—blaspheming God and them that dwell in heaven. The church of God is then in heaven, and he cannot persecute it any more on earth, so that his wrath is against the seed of the woman, that is, the remnant of the Jewish nation. And power will be given him against all whose names are not written in heaven, in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
This opens the way for the man of sin, as described from verse 11 to the end of the chapter. And no one can deny the rapid tendency of Europe to the principles which will be headed up in this son of perdition. What an end to all human pride and boasting! Yes, such is the end of the leaven of Herod; the end of human politics. And what vast multitudes will be deceived with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.
Oh rejecters of Christ, it is written, " Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved,.... God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:8-128And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8‑12).) " Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." To the believer, at this moment, Jesus says, " Behold, I come quickly."