The United States in the Light of Prophecy: Or, an Exposition of Rev. 13:11-17Smith, Uriah
Religion
The United States in the Light of Prophecy: Or, an Exposition of Rev. 13:11-17
Smith, Uriah
Bible. Revelation XIII, 11-17 -- Prophecies
Again, the work of the two-horned beast is plainly located, by verse 12,
this side the captivity of the first beast. It is there stated, in
direct terms, that the two-horned beast causes "the earth and them which
dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was
healed." But worship could not be rendered to a beast whose deadly wound
was healed, till after that healing was accomplished. This brings the
worship unmistakably within the present century.
Says Eld. J. Litch (Restitution, p. 131):--
"The two-horned beast is represented as a power existing and
performing his part after the death and revival of the first
beast."
Mr. Wesley, in his notes on Rev. 14, says of the two-horned beast:--
"He has not yet come, though he cannot be far off; for he is to
appear at the end of the forty-two months of the first beast."
We find three additional declarations in the book of Revelation which
prove, in a general sense, that the two-horned beast performs his work
with that generation of men who are to behold the closing up of all
earthly scenes, and the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and
these will complete the argument on this point.
The first is the message of the third angel, brought to view in the
14th of Revelation. It is not our purpose to enter into an exposition of
the three messages of that chapter. We call the attention of the reader
to only one fact, which must be apparent to all; and that is, that the
third of these messages is the last warning of danger, and the last
offer of mercy, before the close of human probation; for the event which
immediately follows is the appearance of one like the Son of man on a
white cloud, coming to reap the harvest of the earth, verse 14, which
can represent nothing else but the second advent of the Lord from
Heaven. Whatever views, therefore, a person may take of the first and
second messages, and at whatever time he may apply them, it is very
certain that the third and last one covers the closing hours of time,
and reaches down to the second coming of Christ. And what is the burden
of this message? It is a denunciation of the unmingled wrath of God
against these who worship the beast and his image. But this worship of
the beast and his image is the very work which the two-horned beast
endeavors to enforce upon the people. The third message, then, is a
warning against the work of the two-horned beast. And as there would be
no propriety in supposing this warning to be given after that work was
performed; as it could appropriately be given only when the two-horned
beast was about to enforce, and while he was endeavoring to enforce,
that worship; and as the second coming of Christ immediately succeeds
the proclamation of this message, it follows that the duties enjoined by
this message, and the decrees enforced by the two-horned beast,
constitute the last test to be brought to bear upon the world; and hence
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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