Which the dragon cast out of his mouth.—“This sudden flood of waters (truth) was designed to act as an emetic, to lead to the casting out of the food of liberty, already being received by the people from the Bible, as the result of the Reformation, and thus to force rulers and teachers to oppose the truth through fear of anarchy.”—C. 66.
12:17. And the dragon was wroth with the woman.—The protesting Church of God. This will apply with great force shortly.
And went to make war with the remnant of her seed.—The true saints in the Roman Catholic communion or wherever otherwise found,—always objects of hatred and oppression by ecclesiasticism.—Rev. 13:7.
Which keep the commandments of God.—“The law is fulfilled in us.”—Rom. 8:4.
And have the testimony of [Jesus Christ] GOD.—Have HIS word as the man of their counsel.—Rev. 14:12.
Revelation 13—The Papal And Protestant Beasts
13:1. And [I] HE stood upon the sand of the sea.—The sea represents the masses not under religious restraint. It is this symbolic sea that is to overturn and swallow up all kingdoms of earth in the great Time of Trouble. The proper understanding of the vision is located down at the edge of this sea, near the Time of Trouble.
