The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of Christianity

by Charles Ebert Orr

The prophecies of the book of Revelation have long been a mystery to the people. Occasionally some honest soul, laboring under the confusing mists of sectish night, has attempted to reveal the secret things of this book. His interpretations were so obscure and erroneous that he has only added confusion to confusion and mystery to mystery. However in the past few years as we are nearing the “time of the end,” God by his Spirit has made clear these prophecies unto his humble, devoted people. Trusting in God to give the proper interpretation by his Spirit we will ask the reader to consider with us some of the prophecies of this book.

Chapter 13.

Ver. 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.”

“Beast” means a fleshly, human, or mannish power. “Sea” is often used to represent trouble, upheaval, and commotions. History abounds with accounts of the upheavals in the ecclesiastical heavens between bishops in the third century. Out of these contentions and strivings and confusions arose in the year 325 A.D., a beastly or mannish form of ecclesiastical government; namely, the Roman Catholic church.

The “seven heads” have by some writers been interpreted to be the seven mountains on which the city of Rome is situated. For proof of this interpretation they quote Rev. 17:9. How that inanimate, literal mountains can represent heads, since the head contains the power of intellect and authority, lies beyond our comprehension.

That the ten horns are the ten kingdoms spoken of by Daniel (chap. 7, ver. 24) is, we consider, unquestionable. Now it may be a little obscure why the Revelator will make use of ten stately kingdoms to represent the ten horns of an ecclesiastical government. It is because this ecclesiastical government is human the same as a state government; and because the beastly Romish church was supported, and became what they were pleased to call both church and state.

The seven heads are seven supreme forms of government. These seven heads are seven mountains (not literal) and the seven mountains are seven kings. Rev. 17:9, 10. History tells us there were seven distinct forms of government in the Roman empire. The first, a royal or kingly government, continued about 428 years. The second was republic in form under the administration of dictators. This form of government continued eighty and eight years. The third form of government was under the absolute control of ten magistrates called decemvirs, and are also called prætors. The duration of this form of government exceeded three hundred years. In the year 336 B.C., the third form of government came to an end by the Latins being conquered by the Romans, and the consulate government succeeded, which continued until about the year 50 B.C. The fifth form of government was under the control of three men, and therefore called a triumvirate. The triumvirate form of government came to an end before John's vision of these heads. These are the five “fallen ones.” Rev. 17:10. The power that then was, which was the sixth head of the beast, was the imperial power of the Cæsars, which continued more than four hundred years. The seventh power was the patriciate, which continued about fifty years.

These are the seven heads and ten horns—the seven forms of government, and the ten kingdoms out of which grew the eleventh horn which Daniel [pg 423] saw, or the beast which John saw. Thus we have the beast with its seven heads and ten horns.

Ver. 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.”

Sins and worldliness are termed spots by the Bible. The leopard is a spotted beast, so no other animal could better represent the Romish sect with its dark spots of sin and crime. The bear makes use of the foot to deal the deadly blow upon an enemy. The papacy with its tyrannical feet has trodden down all that would dare rise against it. Great thunderings and loud roarings proceed out of the mouth of the lion in his strength and glory. So this beast fitly represents the Catholic church in her boasted strength, power, and authority.