the great controversy-第98节

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seventh　day　is　the　Sabbath　of　the　Lord　thy　God：　。　。　。　for　in　six　days　the
Lord　made　heaven　and　earth；　the　sea；　and　all　that　in　them　is；　and　rested　the
seventh　day：　wherefore　the　Lord　blessed　the　Sabbath　day；　and　hallowed　it。〃
Exodus　20：10；　11。　Concerning　the　Sabbath；　the　Lord　says；　further；　that　it　is
〃a　sign；　。　。　。　that　ye　may　know　that　I　am　the　Lord　your　God。〃　Ezekiel　20：20。
And　the　reason　given　is：　〃For　in　six　days　the　Lord　made　heaven　and　earth；
and　on　the　seventh　day　He　rested；　and　was　refreshed。〃　Exodus　31：17。

〃The　importance　of　the　Sabbath　as　the　memorial　of　creation　is　that　it　keeps
ever　present　the　true　reason　why　worship　is　due　to　God〃because　He　is　the
Creator；　and　we　are　His　creatures。　〃The　Sabbath　therefore　lies　at　the　very
foundation　of　divine　worship；　for　it　teaches　this　great　truth　in　the　most
impressive　manner；　and　no　other　institution　does　this。　The　true　ground　of
divine　worship；　not　of　that　on　the　seventh　day

438

merely；　but　of　all　worship；　is　found　in　the　distinction　between　the　Creator
and　His　creatures。　This　great　fact　can　never　become　obsolete；　and　must　never
be　forgotten。〃J。　N。　Andrews；　History　of　the　Sabbath；　chapter　27。　It　was　to
keep　this　truth　ever　before　the　minds　of　men；　that　God　instituted　the
Sabbath　in　Eden；　and　so　long　as　the　fact　that　He　is　our　Creator　continues　to
be　a　reason　why　we　should　worship　Him；　so　long　the　Sabbath　will　continue　as
its　sign　and　memorial。　Had　the　Sabbath　been　universally　kept；　man's　thoughts
and　affections　would　have　been　led　to　the　Creator　as　the　object　of　reverence
and　worship；　and　there　would　never　have　been　an　idolater；　an　atheist；　or　an
infidel。　The　keeping　of　the　Sabbath　is　a　sign　of　loyalty　to　the　true　God；
〃Him　that　made　heaven；　and　earth；　and　the　sea；　and　the　fountains　of　waters。〃
It　follows　that　the　message　which　commands　men　to　worship　God　and　keep　His
commandments　will　especially　call　upon　them　to　keep　the　fourth　commandment。

In　contrast　to　those　who　keep　the　commandments　of　God　and　have　the　faith　of
Jesus；　the　third　angel　points　to　another　class；　against　whose　errors　a
solemn　and　fearful　warning　is　uttered：　〃If　any　man　worship　the　beast　and　his
image；　and　receive　his　mark　in　his　forehead；　or　in　his　hand；　the　same　shall
drink　of　the　wine　of　the　wrath　of　God。〃　Revelation　14：9；　10。　A　correct
interpretation　of　the　symbols　employed　is　necessary　to　an　understanding　of
this　message。　What　is　represented　by　the　beast；　the　image；　the　mark？

The　line　of　prophecy　in　which　these　symbols　are　found　begins　with　Revelation
12；　with　the　dragon　that　sought　to　destroy　Christ　at　His　birth。　The　dragon
is　said　to　be　Satan　（Revelation　12：9）；　he　it　was　that　moved　upon　Herod　to
put　the　Saviour　to　death。　But　the　chief　agent　of　Satan　in　making　war　upon
Christ　and　His　people　during　the　first　centuries　of　the　Christian　Era　was
the　Roman　Empire；　in　which　paganism　was　the　prevailing　religion。　Thus　while
the　dragon；　primarily；　represents　Satan；　it　is；　in　a　secondary　sense；　a
symbol　of　pagan　Rome。

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In　chapter　13　（verses　1…10）　is　described　another　beast；　〃like　unto　a
leopard；〃　to　which　the　dragon　gave　〃his　power；　and　his　seat；　and　great
authority。〃　This　symbol；　as　most　Protestants　have　believed；　represents　the
papacy；　which　succeeded　to　the　power　and　seat　and　authority　once　held　by　the
ancient　Roman　empire。　Of　the　leopardlike　beast　it　is　declared：　〃There　was
given　unto　him　a　mouth　speaking　great　things　and　blasphemies。　。　。　。　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。〃　This　prophecy；　which　is　nearly
identical　with　the　description　of　the　little　horn　of　Daniel　7；
unquestionably　points　to　the　papacy。

〃Power　was　given　unto　him　to　continue　forty　and　two　months。〃　And；　says　the
prophet；　〃I　saw　one　of　his　heads　as　it　were　wounded　to　death。〃　And　again：
〃He　that　leadeth　into　captivity　shall　go　into　captivity：　he　that　killeth
with　the　sword　must　be　killed　with　the　sword。〃　The　forty　and　two　months　are
the　same　as　the　〃time　and　times　and　the　dividing　of　time；〃　three　years　and　a
half；　or　1260　days；　of　Daniel　7　the　time　during　which　the　papal　power　was
to　oppress　God's　people。　This　period；　as　stated　in　preceding　chapters；　began
with　the　supremacy　of　the　papacy；　A。D。　538；　and　terminated　in
1798。　At　that　time　the　pope　was　made　captive　by　the　French
army；　the　papal　power　received　its　deadly　wound；　and　the　prediction　was
fulfilled；　〃He　that　leadeth　into　captivity　shall　go　into　captivity。〃

At　this　point　another　symbol　is　introduced。　Says　the　prophet：　〃I　beheld
another　beast　coming　up　out　of　the　earth；　and　he　had　two　horns　like　a　lamb。〃
Verse　II。　Both　the　appearance　of　this　beast　and　the　manner　of　its　rise
indicate　that　the　nation　which　it　represents　is　unlike　those　presented　under
the　preceding　symbols。　The　great　kingdoms　that　have　ruled　the　world　were
presented　to　the　prophet　Daniel　as

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beasts　of　prey；　rising　when　〃the　four　winds　of　the　heaven　strove　upon　the
great　sea。〃　Daniel　7：2。　In　Revelation　17　an　angel　explained　that　waters
represent　〃peoples；　and　multitudes；　and　nations；　and　tongues。〃　Revelation
17：15。　Winds　are　a　symbol　of　strife。　The　four　winds　of　heaven　striving　upon
the　great　sea　represent　the　terrible　scenes　of　conquest　and　revolution　by
which　kingdoms　have　attained　to　power。

But　the　beast　with　lamblike　horns　was　seen　〃coming　up　out　of　the　earth。〃
Instead　of　overthrowing　other　powers　to　establish　itself；　the　nation　thus
represented　must　arise　in　territory　preciously　unoccupied　and　grow　up
gradually　and　peacefully。　It　could　not；　then；　arise　among　the　crowded　and
struggling　nationalities　of　the　Old　Worldthat　turbulent　sea　of　〃peoples；
and　multitudes；　and　nations；　and　tongues。〃　It　must　be　sought　in　the　Western
Continent。

What　nation　of　the　New　World　was　in　1798　rising　into　power；　giving　promise
of　strength　and　greatness；　and　attracting　the　attention　of　the　world？　The
application　of　the　symbol　admits　of　no　question。　One　nation；　and　only　one；
meets　the　specifications　of　this　prophecy；　it　points　unmistakably　to　the
United　States　of　America。　Again　and　again　the　thought；　almost　the　exact
words；　of　the　sacred　writer　has　been　unconsciously　employed　by　the　orator
and　the　historian　in　describing　the　rise　and　growth　of　this　nation。　The
beast　was　seen　〃coming　up　out　of　the　earth；〃　and；　according　to　the
translators；　the　word　here　rendered　〃coming　up〃　literally　signifies　〃to　grow
or　spring　up　as　a　plant。〃　And；　as　we　have　seen；　the　nation　must　arise　in
territory　previously　unoccupied。　A　prominent　writer；　describing　the　rise　of
the　United　States；　speaks　of　〃the　mystery　of　her　coming　forth　from　vacancy；〃
and　says：　〃Like　a　silent　seed　we　grew　into　empire。〃G。　A。　Townsend；　The　New
World　Compared　With　the　Old；　page
462。　A　European　journal　in　1850　spoke　of　the　United　States
as　a　wonderful　empire；　which　was　〃emerging；〃　and　〃amid　the　silence　of　the
earth　daily　adding　to　its　power　and　pride。〃　The　Dublin　Nation。　Edward
Everett；　in　an　oration　on

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the　Pilgrim　founders　of　this　nation；　said：　〃Did　they　look　for　a　retired
spot；　inoffensive　for　its　obscurity；　and　safe　in　its　remoteness；　where　the
little　church　of　Leyden　might　enjoy　the　freedom　of　conscience？　Behold　the
mighty　regions　over　which；　in　peaceful　conquest；　。　。　。　they　have　borne　the
banners　of　the　cross！〃Speech　delivered　at　Plymouth；　Massachusetts；　Dec。
22；　1824；　page　11。

〃And　he　had　two　horns　like　a　lamb。〃　The　lamblike　horns　indicate　youth；
innocence；　and　gentleness；　fitly　representing　the　character　of　the　United
States　when　presented　to　the　prophet　as　〃coming　up〃　in　1798。　Among　the
Christian　exiles　who　first　fled　to　America　and　sought　an　asylum　from　royal
oppression　and　priestly　intolerance　were　many　who　determined　to　establish　a
government　upon　the　broad　foundation　of　civil　and　religious　liberty。　Their
views　found　place　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　which　sets　forth　the
great　truth　that　〃all　men　are　created　equal〃　and　endowed　with　the
inalienable　right　to　〃life；　liberty；　and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。〃　And　the
Constitution　guarantees　to　the　people　the　right　of　self…government；
providing　that　representatives　elected　by　the　popular　vote　shall　enact　and
administer　the　laws。　Freedom　of　religious　faith　was　also　granted；　every　man
being　permitted　to　worship　God　according　to　the　dictates　of　his　conscience。
Republicanism　and　Protestantism　became　the　fundamental　principles　of　the
nation。　These　principles　are　the　secret　of　its　power　and　prosperity。　The
oppressed　and　downtrodden　throughout　Christendom　have　turned　to　this　land
with　interest　and　hope。　Millions　have　sought　its　shores；　and　the　United
States　has　risen　to　a　place　among　the　most　powerful　nations　of　the　earth。

But　the　beast　with　lamblike　horns　〃spake　as　a　dragon。　And　he　exerciseth　all
the　power　of　the　first　beast　before　him；　and　causeth　the　earth　and　them
which　dwell　therein　to　worship　the　first　be