The Roman Empire in the Light of Prophecy: The Rise, Progress, and End of the Fourth World-empireVine, W.E. (William Edwy)
Religion
The Roman Empire in the Light of Prophecy: The Rise, Progress, and End of the Fourth World-empire
Vine, W.E. (William Edwy)
Bible -- Prophecies
The imperial power and worship of this emperor will be promoted by
another potentate similarly energised by Satan. This latter is the
second beast, described in Revelation 13. 11-end. Later on in the book
he is called
The False Prophet
(Rev. 16. 13; 19. 20; 20. 10), indicating that his activities are
chiefly of a religious character, and perhaps that he will be more
closely connected with Jewish affairs. He will make "the earth and them
that dwell therein worship the beast," the emperor of the ten kingdoms
(13. 11), deceiving the world by supernatural signs wrought in the
presence of the first beast (v. 12), and enforcing the worship of his
image (v. 15), the abomination of desolation set up in the temple at
Jerusalem (Matt. 24. 15). With the worship of an image the times of the
Gentiles began (Dan. 3. 1), and with similar idolatry they will end. In
the days of the early Roman emperors their deification was celebrated by
the adoration of their images. Then, as formerly under Nebuchadnezzar,
those who refused to worship suffered death. So will it be under the
final emperor and his colleague.
Various opinions are held regarding these two beasts of Revelation 13,
as to which is the Man of Sin spoken of by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2,
which the Antichrist mentioned in John's Epistles, and which of the two
is the wilful king described in Daniel 11. Limitations of space preclude
our entering into the subject in detail here. The present writer holds
the view that all three are the same person, and that they are also the
same as the horn in Daniel 7. 8, 11, and as the first beast of
Revelation 13, and that these are all different descriptions of the
final head of the revived Empire. The Old Testament passages somewhat
briefly announce the arising of this world-wide ruler; the New Testament
passages unfold and expand the preceding predictions concerning him,
among the additional details given in the New Testament being the fact
that he is to have a prophet who will assiduously support his claim to
deity and his administration. It is the world-emperor, and not his
prophet, who is to be worshipped, and who therefore proclaims himself as
God (2 Thess. 2. 4). His prophet, the second beast of Revelation 13, in
the exercise of all the power of the first, will cause the world to
worship him (13. 12). As his prophet and prime minister he would not
himself endeavour to usurp the position of him whose avowed deity he
seeks to support.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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