–
or
The
Political Beast and the Religious Beast
It is very evident that the beast will have his seat
at Rome; and the false prophet at Jerusalem.
The religious or second beast will be where Christ was crucified; and
there the beast or imperial civil power with its supporters will find
themselves before the Lord appear. I
have no doubt that for this things are preparing, and that the stripping of his
temporal dominion from the Pope and giving Rome to Italy are steps on the way
to the restored Roman Empire, as well as to a new form of religious chief in
the Holy Land.
But the
Assyrian survives that power, and this it is which is described here, not
Babylon, nor Rome, but the king of the north, who also will appear in the last
days, taking up his old pretensions and opposition to Israel. Such then is the
Assyrian of Joel; it is the northern (army), the head of the northern and
eastern powers of the world, who will by and by, as of old, come into collision
with the Jew. He musters the great
assemblage of the nations spoken of here.
The western powers will comprise the flower of Europe, helping on and
propping up the false prophet who will then reign at Jerusalem. Men have seen a certain quarrel which rose
about the holy places, where the western powers came into serious collision
with the north-east. This will be
carried on still more keenly and extensively when the beast and his ten horns
sustain antichrist there. The man that
will set up to have the highest spiritual power will reign in Jerusalem, and be
the final personal antichrist, with the western powers for his supporters.
England
like the rest of western Europe, will be under the apostate influence of Rome
and the antichrist; for there is no power faithfully protesting against this
iniquity. For similar reasons, if I
might venture to give an opinion (and I never think of giving one’s own thought
as more than that), it is that the United States of America will be swamped
into a political marsh; and as they have been hitherto a mere …conglomerate
from the rest of the world, especially from Europe, comprising no doubt a vast
deal of skill, industry, and enterprise, but also not a little of the scum and
refuse of all nations; so I believe they will break up into factions of noisy
primitive elements; and, after going off in boastful vapouring, will at length
burst as a bubble.
Population
does not in itself make a nation strong. Some of the nations greatest in masses
of men have been politically weak before a small energetic kingdom……So as to
America, I conceive that the young giant power which has grown so fast will
sink still faster, probably through intestine quarrel, but assuredly some how
before that day comes. They will break
up into different fragments. Their
prime object is to maintain political unity.
This is their great ambition, and though it may appear to stand and
advance, as everything ambitious is apt to prosper for a time, it will be all
blown down before long. For it is a
remarkable fact that there is no place in prophecy for a vast influential
power, such as the American United States would naturally be, if it so long
retained its cohesion.
India I presume will be part of the north-eastern system spoken of here and elsewhere. The British will lose possession of India, as nationalities wake up to yearn after their own distinct position. And such is even now the tendency, which prophecy distinctly recognizes as characterizing the end of this age.
W.K.