“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.” Verse 2, first part.
Notes.—These are the characteristics of the first three symbols of Daniel 7,—the lion, bear, and leopard there representing the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Grecia,—and suggest this beast as representing or belonging to the kingdom symbolized by the fourth beast of Daniel 7, or Rome. Both have ten horns. Like the dragon of Revelation 12, it [pg 269] also has seven heads; but as the dragon symbolized Rome in its entirety, particularly in its pagan phase, this, like the “little horn” coming up among the ten horns of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, represents Rome in its later or papal form. Both it and the little horn have “a mouth” speaking great things; both make war upon the saints; both continue for the same length of time.
Allowing a very broad meaning to the symbol, the Douay or Catholic Bible, in a note on Rev. 13:1, explains the seven heads of this beast as follows: “The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or empires, which have exercised, or shall exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God: of these, five were then fallen, viz., the Egyptian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian monarchies; one was present, viz., the empire of Rome; and the seventh and chiefest was to come, viz., the great Antichrist and his empire.” That the seventh head represents Antichrist there can be little doubt. See page [265].
3. What did the dragon give this beast?
“And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Verse 2, latter part.
Note.—It is an undisputed fact of history that under the later Roman emperors, beginning with Constantine, the religion of the Roman government was changed from pagan to papal; that when Constantine removed the seat of his empire from Rome to Constantinople in 330 a.d., the city of Rome was given up to the bishop of Rome, who, from Constantine and succeeding emperors, received rich gifts and great authority; that after the fall of Rome, in 476 a.d., the bishop of Rome became the ruling power in Western Rome, and by decree of Justinian, March 15, 533, was declared “head of all the holy churches,” and in a letter of the same year he was designated as “corrector of heretics.” See note on page [223]. Thus Rome pagan became Rome papal; the seat of pagan Rome became the seat of papal Rome; church and state were united; and the persecuting power of the dragon was conferred upon the professed head of the church of Christ, or papal Rome. As Dr. H. Grattan Guinness, in his “Romanism and the Reformation,” page 152, says, “The power of the Cæsars lived again in the universal dominion of the popes.”
4. How are the character, work, period of supremacy, and great power of the beast described?
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” Verses 5-7.
Note.—All these specifications have been fully and accurately met in the Papacy, and identify this beast as representing the same power as that represented by the little horn phase of the fourth beast of Daniel 7, and the little horn of Daniel 8, in its chief and essential features and work. See Dan. 7:25; 8:11, 12, 24, 25, and readings on pages [218], [224]. For an explanation of the time period mentioned, see pages [223], [229].
5. What was to be inflicted upon one of the heads of this beast?