24. The
WE HAVE now seen that “the first beast
of Revelation 13:1-10 represents the Papacy, and that it received its “deadly
wound” in 1798, when the Papal States had been abolished, Rome declared a
republic, and Pope Pius VI taken a prisoner into France where he died in
“captivity,” August 19, 1799. (Revelation 13:3, 10.) The prophet then sees
“another beast coming up.” Verse ll. Knowing that a “beast” in prophecy
represents a “kingdom” (Daniel
“Another . . . beast. . . . But he is 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. And he had two horns like a lamb-a mild, innocent appearance.” - p. 427.
In locating this new nation let us notice the following points in this prophecy:
(1) When the prophet saw the papal
beast go “into captivity” (Revelation
(2) While the four beasts of Daniel 7:3, and the first beast of Revelation 13:1, all came up from “the sea,” which in prophecy means “peoples, and multitudes” (Revelation 17:15), the second beast of Revelation 13:11 came “up out of the earth,” indicating that, while the former kingdoms arose in countries populated with peoples and multitudes, this latter nation was to rise in new territory, not formerly occupied.
(3) The dragon of Revelation 12, and the first beast of Revelation 13, both had crowns, but this beast had none, which would indicate that it was to be a republic, having no crowned head.
(4) It would exercise its power “before” the papal beast (verse 12), showing that it is not a Catholic nation, nor counted as part of the papal confederacy, therefore it would naturally be a Protestant nation to begin with.
(5) It would be a great nation, for it was equal in power to the Papacy. Verse 12.
(6) And yet its principles were to he lamb like, mild (verse 11), or as the Danish and German have it: “Like the lamb,” – Christ-like. And Christ advocated two great principles: First, separation of church and state. He said: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.” Luke 20:25. That is, keep the two separate. Second, religious liberty. He said: “If any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not.” John 12:47. “Judge not, that ye be not judged!’ Matthew 7:1.
It is evident that only one nation
answers to all these specifications: the
The words “coming up” used in
Revelation 13:11 mean to spring up, as plants.” - T. S. Green’s Lexicon, p.
9. And G. A. Townsend says: “The history of the United States was separated
by a beneficent Providence far from this wild and cruel history of the rest of
the continent, and, like a silent seed, we grew into empire.” - “The New
World Compared with the Old,” p. 685.
The principles of Romanism had taken such deep root in the human heart that although the Puritans had come to this country to seek liberty of worship for themselves, they soon established a state religion, and persecuted dissenters most bitterly.
In several of the Colonies good citizens were put in the stocks for not going to church on Sunday; they were mercilessly whipped, or even put to death, for differing from the established religious belief.
Many of the nobler minds had grown
tired of political tyranny and religious bigotry, and determined to throw off
both yokes in one stroke. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a
resolution in the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, Pa., declaring, “That
these United Colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States,
that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all
political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought
to be totally dissolved!’ A committee, consisting of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston, was appointed to
draft a formal Declaration, which was penned by Mr. Jefferson, and on June 28,
Congress proceeded to consider it. The discussion that followed was a
tremendous struggle. On July 2, Lee’s resolution was voted, and finally at
“In all the colonies, indeed, the Declaration was hailed as the passing away of the old world and the birth of the new.” - “Great Events of the Greatest Century,” R. M. Devens, p. 29.
The noble men who framed the Declaration did not ask for toleration. They understood the fundamentals of true liberty, and declared:
“We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are
instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed!’ Sacred truths these are, written in Independence Hall. “Within that
temple was born a nation, in whose destiny were wrapped the interests of
The Federal Constitution, adopted
Still some friends of religious
liberty, who had so long suffered persecution, feared that the Constitution did
not sufficiently safeguard liberty of conscience, and they wrote to George
Washington in regard to it. The following is his reply, dated
“If I could have entertained the
slightest apprehension that the Constitution framed by the convention where I
had the honour to preside might possibly endanger the religious rights of any ecclesiastical
society, certainly I would never have placed my signature to it; and if I could
now conceive that the general government might ever be so administered as to
render the liberty of conscience insecure. I beg you will be persuaded that no
one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against
the horrors of spiritual tyranny and every species of religious persecution.
For, you doubtless remember, I have often expressed my sentiments that any man,
conducting himself as a good citizen and being accountable to God alone for his
religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to
the dictates of his own conscience.” - “History of the Baptists,” Thomas
Armitage,
A month later,
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
In the prophecy this beast “bad two horns like a lamb.” Dr. Alexander Cruden gives many examples in his Concordance to show that “the Scripture mentions the horn as the symbol of strength.” - Art. “Horn,” p. 291. And the real strength of this republic has been its two great principles: civil and religious liberty - a state without a king, and a church without a pope. G. A. Townsend, speaking of the real secret of power in this country, says:
“‘In view of this unparalleled progress
and combination, what are the little toys with which we vex ourselves in
The secret of our power at home, and our influence abroad, was the citizens’ love for, and enthusiastic devotion to, their country, which guaranteed liberty to all, instead of oppression by taxation and religious despotism, as had been the rule in former ages.
As the principles of liberty and the
inherent equality of all men, enunciated in the Declaration of Independence,
and in the first Amendment to the Federal Constitution, spread in
“Since
The prophet saw these two powerful horns on the lamblike beast, and thinking men today have also caught the vision of their power in the world.
We wish we could close the picture
here, and leave its unmarred beauty lingering in our minds; but, sad to say,
there is another chapter to it that must be read. The prophet continues: “He
spake as a dragon.” Revelation 13:11. A nation speaks through its laws. This
prophetic statement, therefore, reveals that a great change in policy is to
come over our beloved country. The “dragon” is a symbol of pagan
This prophecy also reveals what influence will be brought to bear upon our law makers and people to produce this sad change. We have already seen that “the first beast” of Revelation 13:1-10 represents the Papacy, and by reading the eleventh and twelfth verses we see that the effort of the lamblike beast will be to cause “the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound wag healed.” That is: The whole trend is Romeward, therefore it must be Rome that is working in disguise to bring about such a trend. And now as to the facts in the case. We quote the following from Roman Catholic sources:
At the Centennial Conference of American Catholics, held in Baltimore, November, 1890, Archbishop Ireland said:
“Catholics of the United States are called . . . to make America Catholic. . . . The church triumphant in America, Catholic truth will travel on the wings of American influence, and with it encircle the universe.” - “The Pope and the New Era,” pp. 222, 223. London: W. T. Stead, 1890.
A letter from Rome, dated October 14, 1894, says:
“The United States of America, it can be said without exaggeration, are the chief thought of Leo XIII. . . . A few days ago, on receiving an eminent American, Leo XIII said to him: ‘But the United States are the future; we think of them incessantly.’ . . . That is why Leo XIII turns all his soul, full of ideality, to what is improperly called his American policy. It should be called his Catholic universal policy.” - “Catholic Standard and Times” (Philadelphia), November 3, 1894; quoted in “Protestant Magazine,” October, 1913, p. 441.
The report of “the third Washington conference” says:
“Our purpose is to make America dominantly Catholic.” –”The Mission Movement in America,” issued from the Catholic University, Washington, D. C., June, 1909.
“It seems to me that the main support of Protestantism comes from the United States and England. . . . If we put an end to this effort in England and the United States by making these nations predominantly Catholic, we will have removed the chief obstacle to the conversion of the world to the true faith. . . . A vigorous effort in the United States at this time will reduce the opposition to an insignificant condition . . . . In the course of another century, the [Protestant] sects will be a study for the historian andantiquarian along with Arianism.” - Extract from a letter in “The Missionary “ (Roman Catholic), Washington, D. C.: May, 1910; quoted in “Protestant Magazine,” Vol. II, p. 22.
This Catholic movement has already made such progress in England, that, with a little careful manipulation, its leaders anticipate very little opposition in the future. (See “History of the Rome- Ward Movement in the Church of England,” London: 1900, and “The Secret History of the Oxford Movement.” London: 1899, both by Walter Walsh; and “The Oxford Movement in America,” by Rev. C. E. Walworth, New York: 1895; also “The Jesuits and the British Press,” by Michael J. F. McCarthy).
Now the “Catholic Action” is focused on America, not in an antagonistic way, but quietly, in wisely planned, systematically organised, and well-directed efforts along numerous lines, so as to gain favor among Protestants, and not to be suspected as propaganda. And, remarkable as it may sound, Protestant leaders and people are totally asleep on the Catholic question, even more so than the Huguenots were in France before the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre.
Dr. E. Boyd Barrett, for many years a Jesuit, and still a Roman Catholic, as far as the author knows, has the following to say about the plans of his church:
“In theory, Catholic Action is the work and service of lay Catholics in the cause of religion, under the guidance of the bishops. In practice it is the Catholic group fighting their way to control America.” - “Rome Stoops to Conquer,” p. 15. New York: 1935.
“The effort, the fight, may be drawn out. It may last for five or ten years. Even if it last for twenty - what is twenty years in the life of Rome? The fight must be fought to a finish - opposition must be worn down if it cannot be swept away. Rome’s immortal destiny hangs on the outcome. That destiny overshadows the land.
“And in the fight, as she has ever fought when battles were most desperate in the past, Rome will use steel, and gold, and silvery lies. Rome will stoop to conquer.” Id., pp. 266, 267.
In a communication from Vatican City, published in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, November 4, 1936, we read:
“Pope Pius feels that the United States is the ideal base for Catholicism’s great drive. . . .
“The Catholic Movement, Rome’s militant organisation numbering millions all over the world, will be marshalled direct from Rome by Monsignor Pizzardo - next to Pacelli the Holy See’s shrewdest diplomat and politician-instead of by the local bishops as before. The priest’s education is to be thoroughly revised and modernised with special attention to modern propaganda methods. In addition there will be established in each country a central bureau, responsible only to Rome, to combat red agitation with every political weapon available. . . . The church must fight, and at once.
“Coughlin has shown us the way of getting at the modern man. He has embarrassed us by showing and using the political power of the church so openly. . . . We know how to tackle America today, and that is our most important problem at the moment.
“Pacelli is contacting the American cardinals and leading Catholic personalities . . . . to explain the Vatican’s plan for the new crusade . . . . The Catholic political organisations in the large cities, likeTammany Hall, will give the church a good lever. Those contacts are also being carefully inspected by the pope’s minister.
“The Vatican itself resembles a general staff headquarters preparing plans and arms for a big offensive. Since the time of the Counter Reformation, churchmen say, no such extensive reorganisation of personnel and propaganda methods has been undertaken. The whole worldwide net of Catholic organisations and sub-organisations is being contacted directly from Rome and cleared for action. The church is to be adjusted to modern political, social, and cultural conditions.” - p. 10, col. 3, 4, used by permission.
This article speaks of Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, then papal secretary of state, coming from the Vatican to effect the above mentioned reorganisation. He toured the United States “in a chartered aeroplane.” Christian Science Monitor says: “The visit of a high Roman prelate to the United States on the eve of an election is as unprecedented as it is delicate.” - Oct. 2, 1926.
This Catholic plan of conquest was well understood years ago. An illustration in Harper’s Weekly of October 1, 1870, pictured the pope pointing to America as “The Promised Land.”