V. 4. And they worshipped the dragon—(and there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, Rev. xii. 3,)-which gave power unto the beast (and the dragon gave him his power, Rev. xiii. 2,) and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

V. 5. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, -(I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of names of blasphemy, Rev. xvii. 3. I considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another little horn,.... and behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things, Dan. vii. 8. And the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, Dan. xi. 36,)—and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months-(the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months, Rev. xi. 2. It shall be for a time, times, and an half, Dan. xii. 7. They shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time, Dan. vii. 25.* He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, Dan. ix. 27,)-and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven.

V. 7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and power

* Before the commencement of this period, the abomination of desolation will have been set up with the consent of infidel Jews for 30 days (see note, p. 13). That setting up of the abomination of desolation will be a sign for the faithful inhabitants to depart from Jerusalem. Those who do depart then will escape in a measure the rage of the beast, as well as certain judgments which will be poured out.

was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations. (His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people, Dan. viii. 24.)

V. 8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of the life of the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

V. 9. If any man have an ear, let him hear. V. 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the tience and the faith of the saints.

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The beast having been thus described in a general manner, a particular account of his important members is subsequently given.

Ch. xvii. v. 7. I will tell thee of the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her (I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast. full of names of blasphemy, v. 3,)—which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

V. 8. The beast that thou sawest was and is not, and shall ascend out of the place of departed souls,-(the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, Rev. xi. 7,)—and go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,(and all the world wondered after the beast, Rev. xiii. 3,)-whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

V. 9. And here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads—(I saw a beast rise up out of the sea with seven heads, Rev. xiii. 1. I will tell thee of the mystery of the woman and the beast that carrieth her with the seven heads, ch. xvii. v. 7,)— are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth.

V. 10. And there are seven kings,—(and there

appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon having seven heads.... and seven crowns upon his heads, Rev. xii. 3. And the dragon gave him, the beast, his power and his seat, and great authority, Rev. xiii. 2,)-five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, and when he cometh he must continue a short space.

The seven crowns which appear on the heads of the dragon do not appear on the heads of the beast. All have passed away.

V. 11. And the beast that was and is not, (the beast that thou sawest was and is not, v. 8,) even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into the place of departed souls.

The eighth head doth not appear on the dragon. It had its origin as the leopard, and not as the seven heads on the dragon. This may perhaps be meant to intimate that the beast appeareth not at the first in that evil form in which he will subsequently be manifested.

V. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest, -(and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having ten horns, Rev. xiii. 1. I will tell thee of the mystery of the woman and the beast that carrieth her which hath the ten horns, v. 7. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon having ten horns, Rev. xii. 3,) -are ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet.

The ten horns previous to their being transferred from the dragon to the beast had no crown,

But receive power as kings one hour with the beast,-(for God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled, v. 17. The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea even the wicked for the day of evil, Prov. xvi. 4.)

V. 13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

V. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Let us now return to the 13th chap. 11th verse, at which we left off.

THE FALSE PROPHET.

V. 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

V. 12. 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 beast whose deadly wound was healed,* (and his deadly wound was healed, v. 3.)

V. 13. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

V. 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of these miracles,-(with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness, 2 Thes. ii. 9, 10,) —which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live.

V. 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

*The public appearance of the second beast as the false prophet would seem thus to date from the ascending of the first beast from the dead.

V. 16. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

V. 17. And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

V. 18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundred three score and six.

An infallible seal is here affixed to the other marks whereby the beast shall be known.

THE WOMAN.

Thus much we learn relative to the second beast. We now turn to the woman that sat upon the scarlet coloured beast.

Chap. xvii. ver. 3. I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

V. 4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precions stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.

V. 5. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE

MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

V. 6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

V. 7. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee of the mystery of the woman.

Not until the 18th verse, however, are we informed who the woman is.