The Third Angel’s Message – Part 2

In Part One of this lesson we discovered that the third angel’s message leads us to the time of the end, the day in which we are now living. We find that in these last days the whole world will be brought to a final crisis. The prince of darkness will influence men to enact a law, seeking all who dwell upon the earth to submit to human authority, leading millions to receive the “mark of the beast”. The powers of earth will, by civil enactments, prohibit those who refuse to comply, from buying and selling, and ultimately enforce upon them the death penalty.

Revelation 13:15-17 “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 causeth 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 beast, or the number of his name.”

Revelation 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
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 lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

In Revelation 13:1-10 the Bible gives us a description of the beast power (the papacy), but in verse 11 it speaks of a second beast. Where does this beast come from?
Revelation 13:11: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”

The first beast rises out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) which represents a nation (Rome) coming to power in a populated area.

Revelation 17:15 “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”

The second beast is described as rising out of the earth which would represent a nation coming to power in an uncivilized area.

What does the second beast cause the inhabitants of the earth to do?
Revelation 13:12: “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.”

We learned in Part One that the beast’s deadly wound was healed in 1929 when Mussolini restored the power of the papacy. Here is a prophecy of a nation that would arise and become a world wide power, enforcing religious laws upon the inhabitants of the earth some time after the healing of the deadly wound.

It was at the time when the first beast (the papacy) went into captivity, or was killed with the sword (Revelation 13:10), or received its deadly wound (Revelation 13:3), that John the Revelator saw the second beast come up (Revelation 13:11). What nation was coming into prominence when the French took the pope prisoner in 1798?

Protestant America or the United States of America is the only power that meets the specifications of this prophecy. The struggle of the American colonies for independence began in 1775. In 1776, they declared themselves a free and independent nation. In 1777, delegates from the 13 original states assembled in congress and adopted Articles of Confederation. In 1783, the War of the Revolution closed with a treaty of peace with Great Britain where the independence of the United States was acknowledged. In 1787, the Constitution was framed, and by July 26,1788, it was ratified by 11 of the 13 original states; and on the first of March, 1789, it went into effect. Thus we come to the year 1798, when this nation is introduced into prophecy.

What other characteristics does the second beast (the United States) have?
Revelation 13:11: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”

The lamb-like horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as “coming up” in 1798. The two horns are symbolic of civil and religious liberty, both of which are guaranteed in the constitution. Civil liberty found its expression in a republican form of government and religious liberty in Protestantism. But the beast with lamb-like horns “spake as a dragon”. The “speaking” of a nation is the action of its legislative and judicial authorities. The Bible states that the two horned beast (United States) forms an image to the beast — the papacy. To learn what the image to the best is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself. When the church of Rome became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. In order for the United States to form an image to the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.

After warning against the worship of the beast and his image, what does the prophecy declare?
Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

Since those who keep God’s commandments are placed in contrast with those that worship the beast and his image and receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of God’s law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshippers of God and the worshippers of the beast.

In a previous lesson we discovered that the papacy is represented by the fourth kingdom of Daniel chapters 2 and 7. What has the papacy tried to do?
Daniel 7:25: “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”

We have already seen that the papacy was responsible for the 1260 years of persecution in an attempt to “wear out the saints of the most high”. Has the papacy attempted also to change the law of God? There is only one commandment in the law of God that deals with time — the fourth commandment — “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11). Have you ever wondered why almost all Protestant churches worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, instead of the seventh day which is the Sabbath given to us by our Creator? Can Protestants who claim to derive all their teachings from “the Bible, and the Bible only” give even one Scriptural reference for such a change? Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change of the Sabbath was made by their church, and declare that Protestants, by observing Sunday, are recognizing her power. In the Catholic Catechism of Christian Religion, in answer to a question as to the day to be observed in obedience to the fourth commandment, this statement is made: “During the old law, Saturday was the day sanctified; but the church, instructed by Jesus Christ, and directed by the Spirit of God, has substituted Sunday for Saturday; so now we sanctify the first, not the seventh day. Sunday means, and now is, the day of the Lord.” What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman church — “the mark of the beast”. The enforcement of Sunday keeping in the United States will be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image. When Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. It is not until the issue is plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive “the mark of the beast”.

The third angel’s message boils down to just two things: Will you place your trust and confidence in man and obey his law and receive the “mark of the beast”, or will you place your trust and confidence in God and obey His law and receive the “seal of God”?

Revelation 7:2-3 “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

May the admonition of Moses spoken to the congregation of Israel just before they entered the promised land be ours as well as we are on the very borders of the heavenly Canaan. Deuteronomy 30:19-20: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: . . . ”