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I. Of this beast the angel says at this point of completion, It was; referring by this expression to his first state of existence in power and prosperity, as described chap. XIII. During this state it has various fates and fortunes, according to which it is represented either wounded, or in full vigour; either under the government of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth head; either as ruling alone, or in conjunction with the second beast from the earth. This state of the beast comprises, as we have shown, 666 years; which period, according to the intimation of the angel here, will not terminate during the reign of the five first kings. The reign of the sixth king is the present time of this prophecy, and during his government, the beast meets with the portentous catastrophe, expressed by the words "five are fallen." This state has already been fully explained.

II. The second state of the beast is expressed by the words, It is not, and yet is, which is rather an ambiguous expression, thongh congenial with the language of prophecy. It indicates its state of Non-existence, during which it has lost all the power and authority which it formerly exercised, and like a beast of burden, exists solely for the accomodation of its rider. This great change of the papal hierarchy, was brought about by the effusion of the fifth vial in our days, which filled his kingdom with darkness; upon which the Pope was dethroned A. D. 1798, and even exiled from his dominions, by the members of his own church in conjunction with the city of Rome. Buonaparte even abolished his bishoprick at Rome, and annexed it A. D. 1810, to Tarentum. During this catastrophe, Rome assumed the reins of government by establishing seven senators, who actually exercised the temporal power of the Papacy, and after they were expelled, a governor of Buonaparte's creation, unto the year 1814. And though the Pope has now again arrived at Rome, he has not obtained his former power and

dominion, but is still bridled by all the members of his Church in the kingdoms of Europe, and can only move by their permission. In this his present state, prophecy represents the beast still more disabled and impotent, than it was during its deadly wound. For the expres sion "five are fullen," indicates, that the whole power and authority of the papal hierarchy, in as far as it was established, extended and confirmed by the five preceding kings, over Europe, had now ceased, and their successive efforts in building up that towering sovereignty, precipitated to the ground, Dan. vII, 12. However, as the angel informs us in his second repetition, that though It is not, It yet is, and continues to exist as the beast from the sea; and in the third repetition, One is; it would seem that the empire of the Papacy as once established, is not considered with those sworn in its defence, as legally abolished, or totally annulled. The dominion of the woman, however, does not seem to be of much importance, or of long duration, as it is only mentioned once in this place. The city Rome has already occased to reign, and the Papacy is again acquiring authority.

III. The third state of the beast is here expressed in these words, "It shall ascend out of the bottomless pit;" which refer to a renewed state of existence of the same beast, in a renovated form, at a yet future period. In this s tate it will be more terrible, both to the Church and the world, than ever it was. Hitherto it has been only the beast from the sea, but then it ascends from the bottomless pit; from whence it obtains powers far superior to those it ever exercised in its former states. This is clearly indicated by the words of the angel referring to its last return. For the word "bottomless pit" in this prophecy, cannot signify the sea, but the great solitary desert of the dead, the Tartarus of the wicked and prison of demons. See Luk. VIII. 31. Rom. x, 7. Job xxxvIII, 16. 17. XXVIII, 14. and the first part of this work p. 244. How great

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then must be its wickedness! How diabolical its principles, its measures, and its whole plan of proceeding! The apostle Paul has also prophesied of this beast, when it shall have again ascended out of the bottomles pit, II Thess. II, 3-4; and the present generation, many of whom may live to see it, should pay the greatest attention to his description. He is there termed, the man of sin, the son of perdition, the lawless one, who sets himself above the laws of God and man. As the rise of the Saracen empire, and of Mahommedism, is also attributed to infernal agency, chap. IX; though Mahommed only opened the bottomless pit, and did not descend into it himself, as is affirmed of the beast: yet as they both reecived assistance and support from the same source, we may probably expect, that the beast from the bottomless pit, like Mahommed, will be the founder of both a new religion, and a new empire, when he shall appear. In this opinion we may also be strengthened by concording prophecies to this effect. St. Paul in the above passage, considers him chiefly as the founder of a false religion; and Daniel in his x1th, and x11th chapter, the chief of a republic, kingdom, or empire, at the head of his armies. Thus the Revelation represents him, principally as an uncommon genius of extraordinary and shining talents, great cunning and wickedness, at the head of an empire, to which he is exalted by the voluntary suffrages of ten kings. The exploits which he is permited to achieve, are detailed in the following part of this chapter, where we shall notice them as they occur.

Verse 8. They that dwell on the earth shall wonder. It would appear from these words, that the beast from the abyss will be attended with a most rapid success in the propagation of his new religion and political schemes. Every principle, plan and measure will be so congenial, so well adopted to the age and circumstances of the times, that the infection, like an epidemic, will spread with sur

prizing velocity, and communicate itself to great numbers almost unexpectedly upon the whole theatre of the Latin empire. The fame of his talents, of his wonderful exploits, and of his speciously benevolent designs for the happiness of mankind, will be such, that all the earthlyminded and unenlightened, will admire and adore him as a redeemer of the world. This temptation, in all probability, will be very great and trying, as none are said to remain firm and constant, except the elect, whose names were written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. What seems most to astonish the lost multitude in those days, is, that they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. They behold his coming, which is after the working of Satan, II Thess. 11, 9. but they do not know, that it ascended out of the bottomless pit. During that admiration, recorded chap. XIII, 3. the people wondered after the beast, and worshiped it and the dragon; but here they admire its coming at first view, without suspecting any danger.

Verse 9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The

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heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth 10. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, ae must continue a short space.

11. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

Here the curtains are raised, and the whole mystery concerning the beast and its rider, is unraveled before our eyes. These words contain a sufficient illustration, how eternal Wisdom has adjusted the fates and fortunes of the beast, as according with his divine plan of government. The Latin Vulgate renders these words: Et hic est sensus qui habet sapientia, and this is the sense, he that hath wisdom, as referring to a mind endued with great

*Whom God from eternity, numbers with his people:

judgment and peculiar powers of discrimination; but the angel seems to refer the word wisdom in the original, more to his explanation, than to the qualifications of the discerning reader.

The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. The heads of the beast, as well as the woman, have each only one signification, but the object signified by either, is a compound, comprising different objects in coalescence. Thus the angel informs us here, that each head of the beast signifies a mountain, and in the following verse, also a king which has his residence on that mountain. Thus in the same manner, the woman according to verse 18, represents a city, which agreeable to verse 15, is considered the capital and common property of a great ecclesiastical community, and the chief seat of a spiritual government over peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. See Isa. vII, 8. 9. This city, we are here informed, is distinguished from other cities, by being built on seven mountains ; all which particulars characterize Rome, the centre point of the Roman see, beyond doubt and controversy to impartial readers. For Rome in St. Johns time, was the only city in the world, built on seven mountains, for Constantinople did not then exist; and Rome has been the great theatre in our days, in which the mother of harlots mounted the beast in triumph. These mountains on which this queen of the world is built, are Calius, Aventinus, Vaticanus, Quirinalis, Exquilinus, Capitolinus, and Viminalis, all which are of ancient fame.

And there are seven kings, five are fallen. Here Robert Stephen committed a great mistake* by dividing the

*The present division of the holy scriptures into chapters and verses, is of modern date. Some say the cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro, others Stephen Longthon an Englishman, others Arlotto, in the XIII century first divided the books into chapters; and Robert Stephen in his edition of the New Testament A. D. 1551, into verses, in order

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