Part 10

The “head” of a beast, sustains a relation to the beast analogous to that of the government to the people of an empire. It is that by which the beast is directed and governed. When distinguished from the body of the beast (Dan. 7:11), according to the analogy, it must be understood as a symbol of the directing and controlling power, in the kingdom indicated by the beast. Several heads on the same beast, on this principle, must indicate the several forms of government to which the nation is subject. As these cannot be contemporary, like the divisions of a kingdom represented by the horns, they must be successive. To suppose they represent different governments, destroys the analogy, and makes them separate beasts, instead of heads of the same beast; and no government can be subject to more than one head at the same time.

The “seven heads” of the dragon, then, symbolize the directing and controlling powers which ruled the Roman empire,—the seven successive forms of government under which it existed. Rome was founded about B. C. 753, from small beginnings, on the summit of Mount Palatine, and gradually increased in extent, till it spread over seven hills: the Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Esquiline, Cœlius, and Quirinalia; and its population of about three thousand in the time of Romulus, increased to about two millions in the time of Augustus Cæsar.

Previous to the subversion of the empire, Rome existed under different forms of government, as follows:—

1. _Kingly._—The first government established was a monarchy, and lasted two hundred and forty-four years, under seven kings, viz., Romulus, Numa, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Martius, Tarquin Priscus, Servius Tullius, and Tarquin the Proud, who was afterwards expelled from the throne. This was denominated the infancy of the Roman empire.

2. _Consular._—In B. C. 509, the constitution of Rome was remodelled, and the executive power committed to two consuls, to be elected annually. This commenced the “Commonwealth of Rome.”

3. _Dictatorial._—The office of dictator was the highest known in Rome, and was only resorted to in cases of emergency. He was elected for six months only, and usually resigned his authority, which, for the time, was nearly absolute, as soon as he had effected the object for which he was chosen.

4. _Decemviral._—In B. C. 451, the government was so changed, that, instead of the two consuls, the government was committed to ten men, to be chosen annually, and jointly exercise the sovereign power. After two years the decemvirs were banished, and the consular government was restored.

5. _Tribunitial._—In B. C. 426, Rome having become a military state, military tribunes were substituted for the consular power, till B. C. 366, when the latter was again restored.

6. _Pagan Imperial._—With the battle of Actium, B. C. 31, the Roman Commonwealth terminated; and Augustus Cæsar united in his own person not only the offices of Consul, Tribune, &c., but also that of _Supreme Pontiff_,—the head of the pagan hierarchy. This last office, says Gibbon, “was constantly exercised by the emperors.” Thus were united the highest civil and ecclesiastical powers of the state.

7. _Christian Imperial._—In A. D. 312, the government was revolutionized, by the accession of Constantine to the throne. He effected important changes in the relations of the people to the monarch, opposed idolatry, and by the introduction of Christianity, effected a political change in the laws and administration of the empire. This continued, with a slight interruption under Julian the Apostate, till the subversion of the Western empire, A. D. 476.

Mr. Elliott, in explanation of the first five heads, says: “I adopt, with the most entire satisfaction, that generally-received Protestant interpretation, which, following the authoritative statement of Livy and Tacitus (the latter great historian, St. John’s own contemporary), enumerates kings, consuls, dictators, decemvirs, and military tribunes, as the first five constitutional heads of the Roman city and commonwealth; then as the sixth, the Imperial head, commencing with Octavian.”—_Horæ Apoca._, vol. III., p. 106, 4th ed.

Those heads are shown to symbolize seven forms of government, by the explanation that “they are seven mountains where the woman sits on them [mountains also symbolizing governments], and are seven kings,” 17:9, 10. And they are shown to be successive, by the fact that, when John wrote, the first five had passed away, one only then existed,—the Pagan Imperial,—and the other head was then in the future, 17:10.

The “ten horns” also symbolize kings, or dynasties; but, unlike the heads, instead of being successive, they are contemporaneous. According to the explanation, they had received no kingdom when John wrote, and were all to exercise power at the same time: “The ten horns which thou didst see, are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom; but they receive power as kings, one hour with the wild beast,” 17:12. These will be more particularly noticed in connection with the thirteenth chapter, and there shown to be the ten contemporaneous governments which succeeded to the dominion, on the subversion of the Western Empire. See p. 169.

The “seven crowns” on the heads of the dragon, indicate that the acts here symbolized, would be fulfilled during the period when the sovereignty of Rome should be vested in the forms of government symbolized by the heads, and not during that symbolized by the horns.

The woman appeared in the symbolic heavens anterior to the dragon. Prior to the birth of Christ, the church was conspicuous and honored. The sacrifices which smoked on Jewish altars, were offered to Jehovah. The subjects of the divine government conducted their service with all the splendor imparted by the Jewish ritual. Royalty was an appendage of the nation: the sceptre did not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, till Shiloh came, Gen. 49:10. By an alliance with the Romans, B. C. 135, Rome took its position in the presence of the woman.

The first act of the dragon was by a sweep of its tail to draw down one-third of the stars, and to cast them to the earth. This was before the birth of the man-child. After Rome attained the supremacy, Judea proportionably suffered. Her glory was measurably dimmed by many indignities before her subjugation to Rome was consummated. Jerusalem was repeatedly besieged. At one time (B. C. 94) Alexander Jannæus slew six thousand persons on account of their meeting in the temple at the feast of tabernacles. In B. C. 63, Judea was conquered by Pompey, the Roman general. In B. C. 54, Crassus plundered the temple of Jerusalem. In B. C. 37, Jerusalem was taken, after a siege of six months. Various other difficulties occurred between Judea and Rome, previous to the Saviour’s advent, on account of which she was greatly depressed and humbled, so that it might with propriety be said that one-third of her stars were cast to the ground. This depression was one great reason why the church within her borders looked so earnestly for a Deliverer.

The Man-child is the one “who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron,” according to the prediction of Christ in the second Psalm; which proves its reference to the Saviour.

The purpose of the dragon to destroy the child of the woman as soon as it should be born, in accordance with the view here taken, would symbolize the purpose of the Roman power, by the agency of Herod the Roman governor in Judea, to destroy the infant Saviour. “When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem, in Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet.” And Herod “sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men,” Matt. 2:1-16. Thus Rome sought to slay the Saviour as soon as he was born; but Joseph took the child and fled into Egypt. Afterwards Christ was crucified by Roman soldiers, and deposited in the tomb, arising again the third day.

His being caught up to God and to his throne, symbolizes his resurrection from the dead, and ascension from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9), to the right hand of the Majesty on high; “whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things,” _Ib._ 3:21.

The flight of the woman into the wilderness, denotes her descent from the conspicuous position she had occupied, and the dispersion of the church. With the crucifixion of Christ, Judaism was no longer the casket in which the church was enshrined. It left its place in the moral heavens, and the followers of Christ were scattered abroad, Acts 8:1-4. Thus she virtually fled into the wilderness—into the condition, where, subsequently, she was to be nourished for 1260 prophetic days.

It is objected to the application of the man-child to the Saviour, that it should be prophetic, and not retrospective. This objection would be equally valid to the application of the symbolic heads, against which it is never urged. That which is retrospective, to be appropriately symbolized, must be in harmony with, and explanatory of other parts. Thus, by the man-child and previous travail of the woman, she is identified, and her relation to the dragon established. No other subject could fulfil the conditions of the symbol, for of no other was it predicted: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.—Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.—Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel,” Psa. 2:8-10.

The War in Heaven.

“And a war took place in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon;, and the dragon fought and his angels, and he prevailed not; nor was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”—Rev. 12:7-9.

The churches,—which on the persecution subsequent to the Pentecostal season were scattered abroad, and went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4),—afterwards had rest, and were multiplied, _Ib._ 9:31. They were thus enabled again to act a conspicuous part, as symbolized by the contest between Michael and the dragon.

The contest symbolized, is a religious one; for the dragon is overcome “by the word of their testimony,” v. 11.

Michael and his angels, then, must symbolize the body of Christ,—the apostles, and their successor, under the guidance of the Lord,—who constituted an army of religious teachers. With the arrows of truth they assailed the idolatrous combinations of their opponents. Under the first seal, they are represented by a mounted warrior, with bow and crown, going forth conquering and to conquer, 6:2. See p. 58.

The dragon, with the appendages of heads, horns, and diadems, was seen to be a symbol of the Roman government. Divested of those, it would simply represent the Pagan hierarchy with which the contest was waged. The heathen priests and their adherents, thus warred with the preachers of Christianity.

Its prevailing not, shows the relative success of the two parties. The struggle continued from the day of Pentecost till the accession of Constantine. The church waded through bloody scenes of bitter persecution, which, instead of diminishing, greatly added to her numbers—“the blood of the martyrs” proving “the seed of the church.”

The heathen priests were not deficient in logic, philosophy, and artful sophistry, by which to defend their mythology. They exhausted these, and then resorted to persecution, torture, and death; yet they prevailed not. With the weapons of truth, the teachers of Christianity successfully assailed those antiquated forms of error,—overcoming “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” “They loved not their lives unto the death,” but freely gave themselves for Christ, till, in time, the current of popular favor ceased to flow in the direction of paganism. The accession of Constantine to the throne, put an end to the dragonic period of Rome; the Pagan service gave place to the worship of Jehovah. The rites of heathenism were no longer the religion of the state, and its ministers were displaced from the exalted position they had so long occupied. Their place was no longer in the symbolic heavens, but in a less conspicuous station.

The casting out of the dragon, would then be this expulsion of the pagan hierarchy from its national importance, and the dejection of the priesthood and their adherents to the earth,—below their former high station,—and to the sea, among the unsettled tribes and nations outside of Rome. This being a religious and not a political event, it does not immediately affect Rome’s nationality. That it is not the overthrow of a kingdom, but of religious rites, is shown by the rejoicings which followed.

Rejoicings of the Victors.

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation and the strength, and the Kingdom of or God, and the power of his Anointed: for the accuser of our brethren it cast out, who accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives to death. On this account, rejoice, ye heavens, and ye who dwell in them.”—Rev. 12:10-12.

The loud voice is heard in the symbolic heaven from which the Dragon had been cast. By the displacement of the Pagan hierarchy, and the substitution of Christianity under Constantine, the adherents of the latter succeeded to the place of the former, and rejoiced over them.

A loud voice symbolizes the utterance of the thoughts and feelings of an interested multitude. The nature of the voice indicates the nature of the utterance—whether it be one of expectation, fear, warning, or instruction. This voice is expressive of the then prevalent expectation, that, with the displacement of Paganism commenced the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. This belief was not necessarily well founded;—its _existence_ only being symbolized.

On the triumph of Constantine over Licinius, Eusebius says:—“There were illuminations everywhere. They who were before dejected looked on one another with joyful aspects and smiles, and with choirs and hymns through the cities and country, gave honor first to God, the Supreme Ruler of all, as they were taught, and then to the pious emperor and his children.” Says Mr Lord:

“Eusebius represents the victors at the precipitation of Maxentius and his attendants into the Tiber, as saying, like Moses at the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea: ‘Let us sing to the Lord, for he is signally glorified. Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord my helper and defender was with me unto salvation. Who, O Lord, is like to thee among gods? Who is like to thee, glorified by the holy, admirable in praise, doing wonders? Constantine entered Rome in triumph, hymning these and similar passages to God, the author of the victory.’ And on the fall of Licinius he represents the church as uniting in thanksgiving for the deliverance, and congratulations at the overthrow of idolatry, and establishment of Christ’s kingdom; and devotes the tenth book of his history to the edicts of the emperor by which the church was nationalized and endowed, and to the restoration of the temples, and the public rejoicings at their dedication. ‘Let thanks be given by all to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, and to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, through whom we pray that peace from external foes may be uninterruptedly preserved to us, and tranquillity of mind.’

“ ‘Let us sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wonderful things. His right hand has saved him and his holy arm. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the presence of the nations. We may now appropriately respond to the inspired command to sing a new song, inasmuch as after such direful spectacles and narrations we now have the happiness to see and celebrate what many holy men before us and the martyrs for God desired to see on earth, and did not see, and to hear, and have not heard. But advancing more rapidly they attained far superior gifts in heaven, being caught up to the paradise of celestial joy; while we acknowledge the gifts we enjoy are greater than we deserve, and contemplate with wonder the largeness of the divine bounty. Admiring and adoring with all our souls, we testify to the truth of the prophet’s words, “Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders he has wrought in the earth, abolishing wars to the ends of the world. The bow he has broken, he has dashed the arms, the shield he has burned in the fire.” Rejoicing at the manifest fulfilment of these predictions to us, we go on with our history.’ He goes on accordingly to represent the whole population, freed from the domination of the tyrants, and relieved from oppression, as acknowledging the only true God and protector of the pious, and these especially who had placed their hope in Christ, as filled with inexpressible joy; the ministers everywhere delivering commemorative addresses, and the whole multitude offering praises and thanksgiving to God.

“Lactantius also: ‘Let us celebrate the triumph of God with gladness; let us commemorate his victory with praise; let us make mention in our prayers day and night of the peace which, after ten years of persecution, he has conferred on his people.’ ”—_Ex. of Apoc._, pp. 343-4.

Multitudes actually supposed the long-predicted kingdom of God was now being established. Says Mr. Elliott:

“Can we wonder, then, at the exultation that was felt at this time by many, perhaps by most, that bore the Christian name: or at their high-raised expectations as to the future happy destiny of the Roman, now that it had been changed into the Christian, nation? It seemed to them as if it had become God’s covenanted people, like Israel of old: and the expectation was not unnatural,—an expectation strengthened by the remarkable tranquillity which, throughout the extent of the now reünited empire, followed almost immediately on Constantine’s establishment of Christianity,—that not only the temporal blessings of the ancient Jewish covenant would thenceforth in no small measure attach to them, but even those prophesied of as appertaining to the latter day. Hence on the medals of that era the emblem of the phœnix, all radiant with the rising sunbeams, to represent the empire as now risen into new life and hope, and its legend which spoke of the happy restoration of the times. Hence, in forgetfulness of all former prognostications of Antichrist and fearful coming evils, the reference by some of the most eminent of their bishops to the latter-day blessedness, as even then about fulfilling. The state of things was such, Eusebius tells us, that it looked like ‘the very image of the kingdom of Christ.’ The city built by the emperor at Jerusalem, beside the new and magnificent Church of the Holy Sepulchre,—the sacred capital, as it were, to the new empire,—might be, perhaps, he suggested, the New Jerusalem, the theme of so many prophecies. Yet again, on occasion of the opening of the new church at Tyre, he expressed in the following glowing language, not his own feelings only, but those, we may be sure, of not a few of the congregated Christian ministers and people that heard him: ‘What so many of the Lord’s saints and confessors before our time desired to see, and saw not, and to hear, and heard not, that behold now before our eyes! It was of us the prophet spake when he told how the wildernesses and solitary places should be glad, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the lily. Whereas the church was widowed and desolate, her children have now to exclaim to her, Make room, enlarge thy borders! the place is too strait for us. The promise is fulfilling to her, In righteousness shalt thou be established: all thy children shall be taught of God: and great shall be the peace of thy children.’ ”—_Horæ Apoc._, v. i., pp. 230-1.

They rejoiced over the downfall of the dragon as over “the Accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night.” The phrase “our brethren,” proves that those who unite in this song are the living saints on the earth. The reference to Satan as an Accuser bears a close resemblance to Zech. 3:1, where Joshua, as a symbol of the people of Israel, is represented as standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.—“שטן Satan signifies an _adversary_. רשטנו _lesiteno_, to be his adversary or accuser.”—_Dr. Clark._

Satan’s most common work is to invent false accusations against those whose efforts tend to frustrate his designs. The Christians had endured false accusations and bitter persecutions, and therefore rejoiced the more over the defeat of the Pagans.

The Flight of the Woman.

“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come to you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short season.”

“And when the dragon saw that he was cast out into the earth, he persecuted the woman, who brought forth the male child. And two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the desert, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a river, after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the river. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.”—Rev. 12:12-17.

The rejoicing of Christians, according to this symbolization, is afterwards followed by renewed triumphs of the Pagans over them. The hatred of the Pagan worshippers to Christianity, is strikingly evinced; but it is manifested in a manner different from the former contest.