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The "mark of the beast"
All underlining added.
Revelation 13:11-17
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and [then] he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before [or in front of] him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was [thereby] healed".
"And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live".
"And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he [the maker of the image] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the [image] beast, or the number of his name".
We should all be very familiar with these two beasts, or living creatures. The first one is obviously the Roman Catholic system, while the second (which makes a copy of the Roman one), represents the Protestant churches of the United States of America. It is the second one which passes the laws which restrict freedom of speech and worship, and eventually ends up with a death decree. This is made absolutely plain in the following quote:-
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At this point another symbol is introduced. Says the prophet: "I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb." Verse 11. Both the appearance of this beast and the manner of its rise indicate that the nation which it represents is unlike those presented under the preceding symbols. The great kingdoms that have ruled the world were presented to the prophet Daniel as beasts of prey, rising when "the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea." Daniel 7:2. In Revelation 17 an angel explained that waters represent "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15. Winds are a symbol of strife. The four winds of heaven striving upon the great sea represent the terrible scenes of conquest and revolution by which kingdoms have attained to power.
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But the beast with lamblike horns was seen "coming up out of the earth." Instead of overthrowing other powers to establish itself, the nation thus represented must arise in territory previously unoccupied and grow up gradually and peacefully. It could not, then, arise among the crowded and struggling nationalities of the Old World -- that turbulent sea of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." It must be sought in the Western Continent.
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What nation of the New World was in 1798 rising into power, giving promise of strength and greatness, and attracting the attention of the world? The application of the symbol admits of no question. One nation, and only one, meets the specifications of this prophecy; it points unmistakably to the United States of America. Again and again the thought, almost the exact words, of the sacred writer has been unconsciously employed by the orator and the historian in describing the rise and growth of this nation. The beast was seen "coming up out of the earth;" and, according to the translators, the word here rendered "coming up" literally signifies "to grow or spring up as a plant." And, as we have seen, the nation must arise in territory previously unoccupied. A prominent writer, describing the rise of the United States, speaks of "the mystery of her coming forth from vacancy," and says: "Like a silent seed we grew into empire." -- G. A. Townsend, The New World Compared With the Old, page 462. A European journal in 1850 spoke of the United States as a wonderful empire, which was "emerging," and "amid the silence of the earth daily adding to its power and pride." -- The Dublin Nation. Edward Everett, in an oration on the Pilgrim founders of this nation, said: "Did they look for a retired spot, inoffensive for its obscurity, and safe in its remoteness, where the little church of Leyden might enjoy the freedom of conscience? Behold the mighty regions over which, in peaceful conquest, . . . they have borne the banners of the cross!" -- Speech delivered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, Dec. 22, 1824, page 11.
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"And he had two horns like a lamb." The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as "coming up" in 1798. Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that "all men are created equal" and endowed with the inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope. Millions have sought its shores, and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful nations of the earth.
This "innocence and gentleness" is to change.
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But the beast with lamblike horns "spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed; . . . saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Revelation 13:11-14.
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The lamblike horns and dragon voice of the symbol point to a striking contradiction between the professions and the practice of the nation thus represented. The "speaking" of the nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities. By such action it will give the lie to those liberal and peaceful principles which it has put forth as the foundation of its policy. The prediction that it will speak "as a dragon" and exercise "all the power of the first beast" plainly foretells a development of the spirit of intolerance and persecution that was manifested by the nations represented by the dragon and the leopardlike beast. And the statement that the beast with two horns "causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast" indicates that the authority of this nation [USA] is to be exercised in enforcing some observance which shall be an act of homage to the papacy.
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Such action would be directly contrary to the principles of this government, to the genius of its free institutions, to the direct and solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution. The founders of the nation wisely sought to guard against the employment of secular power on the part of the church, with its inevitable result -- intolerance and persecution. The Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States." Only in flagrant violation of these safeguards to the nation's liberty, can any religious observance be enforced by civil authority. But the inconsistency of such action is no greater than is represented in the symbol. It is the beast with lamblike horns--in profession pure, gentle, and harmless--that speaks as a dragon.
This we all understand. What most Seventh-day Adventists do not seem to understand, (in fact, what most of the professed Christian world does not seem to understand either), is that the number "666" belongs to the image beast. It is so applied by E G White!
Word to the Little Flock 019.001
I saw all that "would not receive the mark of the Beast, and of his Image, in their foreheads or in their hands," could not buy or sell. [O REV. 13: 15-17.] I saw that the number (666) of the Image Beast was made up; [P REV. 13: 18.] and that it was the Beast that changed the Sabbath, and the Image Beast had followed on after, and kept the Pope's, and not God's Sabbath. And all we were required to do, was to give up God's Sabbath, and keep the Pope's, and then we should have the mark of the Beast, and of his image. [All the additions are in the original].
Please note: The number "666" is here applied to the "Image Beast" which is identified by Seventh-day Adventists as the United States of America! It appears to be "made up" when the "buy and sell" decree is enforced. It is the image beast which we need to look at, not the original beast. It is not Roman Catholic Europe, but "Protestant" United States of America which will be the persecuting power. [For a thought on the ten toes of the statue see here].
We are warned that in order to understand the image beast we will need to study the history of the beast, because the Protestant churches of the United States will not only be an "image" to the beast, but an image OF the beast. This means that they will not only direct people to an act of "homage" to the beast, but that they will be a replica of it and act as it has, and still does.
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But what is the "image to the beast"? and how is it to be formed? The image is made by the two-horned beast, and is an image to [emphasis hers] the beast. It is also called an image of [emphasis hers] the beast. Then to learn what the image is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself -- the papacy....
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When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result. [emphasis mine]
It is with this thought in mind that we suggest you read the chapter by A T Jones on the "Original Sunday Legislation". It was obviously written with the idea that we can learn from history how the events of the future will transpire, for there is nothing new under the sun. In Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 it is written, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us".
This means that there will be a series of laws as detailed by Jones which will culminate in the death decree. Please note also the REASON for the Sunday laws. Jones says this:
All work had been forbidden in order that the people might go to church; but instead of that, they crowded to the circus and the theater and the audiences of the bishops were rather slim. This was not at all satisfying to their pride; and they took care to let it be known. "Church teachers . . . were, in truth, often forced to complain that in such competitions the theater was vastly more frequented than the church." Neander. Id. ........ [ Jones' paragraph 45.]
On to "The Original Sunday Laws"
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