RARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND

HILDEN FOUNDATIONS

Cathedral Spires, Garden of the Gods, Colorado

As an objection to this view, it may occur to some minds that the two-horned beast exercises all the power of the first beast before him (Greek, enopion, literally, in his eyes, or before his face), and does wonders in his sight; and how can the United States, separated by an ocean from European kingdoms, hold such an intimate relation to them? We auswer, Space and time are annihilated by the telegraph. Through the Atlantic cable (an enterprise which, by the way, owes its origin to the United States), the lightnings are continually picturing to European beholders the affairs of America. Any important event occurring here is described the next hour in the journals of Europe. So far as the transmission of an account of our proceedings to the people of the Old World is concerned, it is as if America lay at the mouth of the English Channel.

And the eyes of all Europe are intently watching our movements. Says Mr. Townsend ("New World and Old," p. 583):

"All the great peoples of Europe are curiously interested and amazed in the rise of America, and their rulers at present compete for our friendship. Europe,' said the prince Talleyrand long ago, 'must have an eye on America, and take care not to offer any pretext for recrimination or retaliation. America is growing every day. She will become a colossal power, and the time will come when (discoveries enabling her to communicate more easily with Europe) she will want to say a word in our affairs, and have a hand in them.""

The time has come, and the discoveries have been made, to which Talleyrand referred. It is almost as easy now to communicate with Europe as with our nearest town; and thus whatever the United States does, it is done in the sight, yes, even before the eyes, of all Europe.

One strong pillar in the argument is thus firmly set. The terms of the prophecy absolutely fix the location of the. power symbolized by the two-horned beast; and that location. is in this western hemisphere. Then it can be nowhere else but our own country. And the conclusion is thus unavoidable, that our own nation, the United States, is the power in question. A striking confirmation of this forecast is furnished by the incidents of the late Spanish war. This has brought America to the front as a "world power" in the eyes of the nations. Our connection with Cuba, the acquisition of Porto Rico, operations in the Philippines, and participation in the troubles in China, have shown to all that the United States is a power henceforth to be reckoned with in all international complications. This falls into faultless harmony with the application here set forth.

CHAPTER VII

AVING become satisfied where the power symbolized

HA

by the two-horned beast must be located, we now inquire respecting the time when we may look for its development. At what period in this world's history is the rise of this power placed in the prophecy? On this point, as on the preceding, the foundation for the conclusions at which we must arrive is already laid in the facts elicited in reference to the preceding, or leopard, beast. It was at the time when this beast went into captivity, or was killed (politically) with the sword (verse 10), or (which we suppose to be the same thing) had one of its heads wounded to death (verse 3), that John saw the two-horned beast coming up. If the leop ard beast, as we have conclusively proved, signifies the papacy, and the going into captivity met its fulfilment in the temporary overthrow of popedom by the French in 1798, then we have the epoch definitely specified when we are to look for the rising of this power. The expression, "coming up," must signify that the power to which it applies was but newly organized, and was then just rising into prominence and influence. The power represented by this symbol must, then, be some power which in 1798 stood in this position before the world.

That the leopard beast is a symbol of the papacy there

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(113)

can be no question; but some may want more evidence that the wounding of one of its heads, or its going into captivity, was the overthrow of the papacy in 1798. This can easily be given. A nation being represented by a wild beast, the government of that nation, that by which it is controlled, must, as a very clear matter of course, be considered as answering to the head of the beast. The seven heads of this beast would therefore denote seven different governments; but all the heads pertain to one beast, and hence all these seven different forms of government pertain to one empire. But only one form of government can exist in a nation at one time; hence the seven heads must denote seven forms of government to appear, not simultaneously, but successively. But these heads pertain alike to the dragon and the leopard beast, from which this

one

conclusion only

can be drawn; namely, that Rome, during its whole history, embracing both its pagan and papal phases, would change its form of gov ernment six times, presenting to the world seven different forms in all. And the historian records just that number as pertaining to Rome. Rome was ruled first by kings; secondly, by consuls; thirdly, by decemvirs; fourthly,