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after the woman, that he might out of his mouth. cause her to be carried away of

the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. It was an old axiom among the faithful in the house of Israel, that "when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him;" Isa. lix. 19. This verse expresses the sense of the passage before us. The enemy came in like a flood, and God interposed a barrier to his success, - he caused a cavern to be opened in the earth to swallow up the waters.

flood." This figure is natural enough, if we suppose by the dragon was meant some huge sea monster; and the word translated dragon, as we have said, certainly sometimes has that application. The metaphor may be understood in the manner here denoted, or it may be understood on the same principle we applied to the fire, smoke and brimstone, coming out of the horses' nostrils, or mouths, ix. 17, 18, and the tails, with heads like serpents, 19, as mere imagery to represent the fearful power of the 17. Wroth with the woman. The cavalry. If the imagery of the Apoc-heathen power was angry that it could alypse in some cases be unnatural, not destroy the gospel. It had used we must look at the intent of it. If its utmost energies to do it, and had the serpent casting water out of his mouth like a flood be an unnatural metaphor, the intent of it is easily seen. It showed his continued opposition to the woman, his last efforts to destroy her. Lowman says:— "Floods and inundations often come so suddenly and with such violence, as to drown or carry away all things within their reach, and give no time for an escape. They are a proper figure to express some great and sudden danger. Nahum thus describes the judgments of God, which shall utterly destroy his enemies; i. 8: 'But with an overflowing flood, he will make an utter end of the place thereof.' So that by this similitude of the serpent casting a flood out of his mouth, we may well understand some quick and smart attempts of the enemies of true religion to cut off all hope of safety for the true worshippers of God, even in retirement."

16. The earth helped the woman.— How? By the power of God. He caused caverns to be opened to receive

failed. Foiled in every attempt, it is not to be wondered at that the dragon was wroth; but as his opposition had failed to destroy the woman, and also the man-child who had been caught up to the throne of God, he "went to make war with the remnant of her seed." And who these were, we infer from the description, that they were those "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." It is certain that the faithful believers are here described. They were the objects of the dragon's vengeance as long as his power lasted.

In the next chapter we shall find an account of a beast, resembling in some respects the dragon, but also differing in important particulars. The great red dragon appeared in heaven, the beast rose out of the sea. The former represented the Roman empire in its spiritual or heathen character, the latter, the same empire in its civil or secular state.

CHAPTER XIII.
ND I stood upon the sand
of the sea, and saw a beast

CHAPTER XIII.

We have contemplated, in the preceding chapter, the Roman empire, in its religious or pagan character, under the figure of "a great red dragon," with seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns. In the chapter now to be examined, the same empire is set forth in its civil or political character, not under the figure of a dragon, (Dracon,) but under the figure of a beast, (Therion.) There is such a similarity between the description of the dragon and the beast, that they must both have reference to the Roman empire; and yet is there such a difference in the description as to show that precisely the same thing is not in both cases intended.

rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns,

sea, or the abyss, rose up from among the peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, and doubtless was the empire in its secular form. This beast, like the dragon, had seven heads, denoting Rome, the seat of the power of the empire. It had also, like the dragon, ten horns, showing a further likeness. Who can doubt that the dragon and the beast represent the same power, in different characters?

Let us look for a moment at the prophetical use of the metaphor. What did the prophets intend by a beast? In Daniel's vision, chap. vii., we read that four great beasts [Theria in the lxx.] rose up out of the sea, i. e., rose up from among the multitudes of the people. And they were not like the dragon and the beast in 1. I stood upon the sand of the sea. — Revelation, viz., much alike, but they That is, I took my position upon the were "diverse one from another;" sand of the sea-shore; or I was ver. 3. The first was like a lion; placed there in order to behold the ver. 4; the second was like a bear; further revelation that was to be ver. 5; the third was like a leopard; made to me. The former vision had ver. 6; and the fourth was "dreadful been in the firmament; this is to be and terrible, and exceedingly strong, on the sea, or to rise up out of the and it had ten horns," &c.; ver. 7. sea. ¶ Saw a beast rise up out of the In explaining these figures Daniel sea.- Now observe, there is noth- expressly says: "These great beasts, ing said here about "a wonder in which are four, are four kings, which heaven," as in the case of the dragon. shall arise out of the earth;" ver. The beast "rose up out of the sea," 17. Beasts, wild and ferocious in or as it is expressed in another place, their character, are used to represent the bottomless pit, or abyss; xi. 7; earthly kings, or kingdoms. "The xvii. 8; and did not appear as a fourth beast shall be the fourth kingwonder in heaven, or a spiritual won-dom upon earth, which shall be dider. Waters of the sea we know are used in the Apocalypse to represent "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;" xvii. 15: "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." When John thus explains his own metaphor, we need look no further for the true sense. The beast that rose out of the

verse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces ;" ver. 23. This must be the Roman empire, for no other ever had such wide dominion. Hence Daniel's beast, like that of the Apocalypse, had ten horns, which he explains to be "ten kings that shall arise;" ver. 24. The four kingdoms, represented in the 7th of Daniel by the four

and upon his heads the name

of blasphemy.

beasts, are represented in the second the imperial power) was established; chapter of that prophecy by the dif- and he also symbolized by them seven ferent parts of the great image, the particular kings, or emperors, whom legs and the feet thereof being of he had in his mind. We follow not iron, and representing the fourth king- our own fancy in these matters, but dom, which was as strong as iron. the indications which were put forth But as the Roman Empire was com- by the revelator himself. "And here posed of heterogeneous materials, so is the mind which hath wisdom. The the feet of the image were in part of seven heads are seven mountains, on iron and part of clay, which showed which the woman sitteth. And there the divisions of the kingdom, and the are seven kings: five are fallen, and cause of its fall. Now, it was when one is, and the other is not yet come; the Roman Empire was in its fullest and when he cometh, he must conglory that Christ appeared to estab- tinue a short space;" Rev. xvii. 9, 10. lish his spiritual kingdom; and Dan-¶ Ten horns. A horn, as is periel therefore says: "In the days of ceived at the first thought, is the these kings shall the God of heaven agent of power. All animals who set up a kingdom, which shall never are furnished with horns, find them be destroyed: and the kingdom shall to be their means of defence. Hence not be left to other people, but it shall the horn is used as a metaphor of break in pieces and consume all these power. The dragon, mentioned in kingdoms, and it shall stand for- the preceding chapter, had seven ever;" ii. 44. This kingdom, which heads and ten horns, the same as the the God of heaven set up, was the beast before us had; and unqueskingdom of Christ, represented not tionably represented the same thing by a wild beast, but by the "stone under a different form. But on the cut out without hands," (i. e., without presumption that the dragon signified earthly aid, as Christ's spiritual king- an invisible, intangible, spiritual addom was built up; Heb. ix. 11;) and versary, commonly called the devil, if the reader will compare carefully what do his seven heads and ten the 2d and 7th chapters of Daniel, he horns mean? Is it proper to suppose will see that it was the intention of that the seven heads and ten horns that prophet to show, that Christianity of the dragon signify certain things, was to arise in the time of the fourth and the seven heads and ten horns kingdom, terrible and powerful, which of the beast things entirely different? was the Roman Empire. Then Chris- Prof. Stuart supposes the beast, with tianity did arise; and without any his seven heads and ten horns, to manifest aid from men, it prevailed signify the Roman Empire; but the over all human opposition, and shall dragon, with the same number of stand forever. heads and horns, he interprets to mean the devil, after the form of his own creed. That sound writer was sadly hampered, in his interpretation of the book of Revelation, by his creed; and we are not to wonder at this, since he is obliged, once in five years, to give a renewed affirmation of his belief in it. By the ten horns of the beast we think were intended ten kings. See the following: "And the ten horns which thou sawest

Who, then, can entertain a doubt, that the beast having ten horns, in the Apocalypse, is the same metaphor with the beast having ten horns, in Daniel? Who can doubt that the author of the Apocalypse had his eye on Daniel's metaphor when he drew his own figure? ¶ Seven heads. By the seven heads the revelator may have intended the seven hills, on which the city of Rome (the seat of

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2 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

are ten kings, which have received seemed to combine the strength and no kingdom as yet; but receive ferocity of all. The leopard has great power as kings one hour with the agility; the bear's strength is in his beast;" Rev. xvii. 12. This is fur-feet and legs; the lion's is in his ther confirmed by the fact, that upon mouth; and well said Daniel, thereeach horn was a crown; as though fore, that the "fourth beast was the revelator wished to say, these dreadful and terrible, and strong exhorns represent kings. ¶ And upon ceedingly, and it had great iron teeth;" his heads the name of blasphemy.- vii. 7; or, "the mouth of a lion.” The idea seems to be, that each head There will be no longer any dispute, bore a frontlet, on which was in- that the fourth beast in Daniel's visscribed a blasphemous title, i. e., an ion is the beast of the Apocalypse; honorary name for the emperors, as and as Daniel's fourth beast arose at if he had said, a name which dero- the time of the establishment of Chrisgated from the honor and glory of the tianity, vii. 13, 14, 22-27, and as the true God. The source of the imagery Roman Empire was then in its highhere is probably to be sought for in est and most glorious condition, there the custom of persons who held dis- can be no doubt that the beast of the tinguished offices having some name, Apocalypse represents the Roman significant of office, rank or duty, Empire in its secular power. The engraved upon the frontlets of their dragon gave him his power, &c. — In mitres or diadems. In the Apoca- what sense did the dragon, or the lypse the promise is repeatedly given, priestly pagan influence, give power that faithful Christians shall be made to the beast, the secular authority? kings and priests to God; they were It is a fact too notorious to be for one to have a white stone, and in the moment denied, that false spiritual stone a new name written, &c.; Rev. teachers have always given strength ii. 17; that is, they were to be fur- to those secular rulers, however cornished with a diadem, such as kings rupt, who winked at their iniquities and priests are wont to wear. It is and interfered not with their designs. certain that the statues of the Roman In the history of the Jews this fact is emperors had inscriptions on them distinctly seen. The false priests that belong only to God. Divine exerted their power to keep the people honors were paid to them, and espe- in subjection to bad rulers. "A cially after their death. From facts wonderful and horrible thing is comlike these, the beast is represented as mitted in the land; the prophets having some blasphemous title on each prophesy falsely, and the priests bear of his heads. - (Stuart on xiii. 1.) rule by their means; and my people 2. Like unto à leopard, &c. - Here love to have it so; and what will ye again is a proof that the revelator do in the end thereof?" Jer. v. 30, drew his figure from Daniel; for 31. The prophets uttered lies, and Daniel's four beasts were, first, a the priests ruled the people, indirectly lion; second, a bear; third, a leop- perhaps, and the people were ard; and the fourth, a sort of inde- infatuated and deceived that they scribable animal, partaking of the loved the oppression. The manner qualities of all. And hence the reve-in which the iniquity of priests served lator says, that the beast he saw rise to sustain the wickedness of secular from the sea, (Daniel's beasts all rose rulers, is set forth by Micah, iii. 10from the sea; vii. 3, 4,) was like unto 12, as follows: "They build up a leopard, a bear, and a lion. He Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with

SO

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lion and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

as it were wounded to death: and his deadly wound was healed; and all the world won

3 And I saw one of his heads dered after the beast.

iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest." That corrupt governments have been sustained by false doctrines, promulgated by priests and philosophers, is acknowledged by credible historians. Polybius, for instance, an ancient Greek historian, tells us plainly that "since the multitude is ever fickle and capricious, full of lawless passions and irrational and violent resentments, there is no way left to keep them in order, but by the terrors of future punishment and all the pompous circumstance that attends such kind of fiction. On which account, the ancients acted, in my opinion, with great judgment and penetration, when they contrived to bring in those notions of the gods and a future state into the popular belief." Strabo, another Greek writer, speaks to the same purpose. "It is impossible," he says, "to govern women, and the gross body of the people, and to keep them pious, holy and virtuous, by the precepts of philosophy this can only be done by the fear of the gods, which is raised and supported by ancient fictions and modern prodigies." He tells us further, that the "apparatus of the ancient mythologies" was "an engine which the legislators employed as bugbears to strike a terror into the childish imagination of the multitude." See the work of Rev. Thos. J. Sawyer, entitled, "Endless Punishment, its Origin and Grounds Examined," p. 22. The

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priestly pagan power of Rome sustained the secular arm, by means of the false doctrines, the awful rites, the terrible mysteries; and in this way, if in no other, "the dragon gave the beast his power, and his seat, and great authority" over the people. Such a construction of this passage is consistent with fact, and makes unity. No man can fail to see that the Roman power is intended both by the dragon (chap. xii.) and the beast, (chap. xiii.,) with some circumstances of dissimilarity. The pagan power of the empire is put first, because it rose up first against Christianity; and the support which the pagan power gave the secular is described in the verse before us.

3. One of his heads as it were wounded to death.- The beast, we have seen, had seven heads, ver. 1. The same was true of the dragon; xii. 3. One of the heads of the beast was wounded to death, a hyperbole, perhaps, for a very severe wound. This undoubt edly describes some calamity that fell upon the government of the empire, in one of its sections, which was afterwards repaired. One of the heads was severely wounded and afterwards healed. If these seven heads represent seven kings, (as we should be led to think from chap. xvii. 10,) then the wounding of one of the heads would refer to some calamity of one of these kings, which he subsequently recovered from. That it was some disaster suffered by vio lence, is apparent from verse 14, where the wound is said to have been made "by a sword." ¶ All the world wondered. - The Roman government was undoubtedly a wonder to all the world. "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,

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