LOOKED LIKE A LAMB--SPOKE AS A DRAGON
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.--Revelation 13:11
John was now prepared to witness the thrilling scenes in the great conflict between those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void His law. He saw the wonderworking power arise that was to deceive all who should dwell upon the earth, who were not connected with God, "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."...
The prophet heard the solemn warning against the worship of this blasphemous power: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same hall drink of the wine of the wrath of God....
Of the loyal and true, who do not bow to the decrees of earthly rulers against the authority of the King of heaven, the Revelator says, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."...
These lessons are for our benefit. We need to stay our faith upon God; for there is just before us a time that will try men's souls. Christ upon the Mount of Olives rehearsed the fearful scenes that were to precede his second coming: "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars....Nations shall rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms; and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." While these prophecies received a partial fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem, they have a more direct application in the last days. (The Home missionary, November 1, 1893)
REFLECTION: 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 manifest 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 nations is to be exercised in enforcing some observance which shall be an act of homage to the papacy. (The Great Controversy, 442)
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.--Revelation 13:11
John was now prepared to witness the thrilling scenes in the great conflict between those who keep the commandments of God and those who make void His law. He saw the wonderworking power arise that was to deceive all who should dwell upon the earth, who were not connected with God, "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."...
The prophet heard the solemn warning against the worship of this blasphemous power: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same hall drink of the wine of the wrath of God....
Of the loyal and true, who do not bow to the decrees of earthly rulers against the authority of the King of heaven, the Revelator says, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."...
These lessons are for our benefit. We need to stay our faith upon God; for there is just before us a time that will try men's souls. Christ upon the Mount of Olives rehearsed the fearful scenes that were to precede his second coming: "Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars....Nations shall rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms; and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." While these prophecies received a partial fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem, they have a more direct application in the last days. (The Home missionary, November 1, 1893)
REFLECTION: 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 manifest 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 nations is to be exercised in enforcing some observance which shall be an act of homage to the papacy. (The Great Controversy, 442)
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