What is the Image of the Beast in Revelation 13:14?
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And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles 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.
Apocalypse 13:1' - Louis Segond |
⚪ It symbolizes the 'Evangelical Alliance' (Protestantism)
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Rev. 13 [...]
That they ahouid ALSO make an Image to the beast — [...] The various denominations felt a necessity for some common Standard of Doctrine which would be supported and upheld by all of them, and thus give prestige to their teachings, and bring the combined Influence of all against any further advance In knowledge or the development of any different phase of truth. [...] This was done by the formation of the 'Evangelical Alliance.' It was stated to be one of the objects of the Alliance (and we believe the principal one) to 'Promote between the different Evangelical denominations, an effective co-operation in the efforts to repel common enemies and dangers.' "Do not understand us as opposing the Christians represented in that Alliance; we are opposed merely to their attempt to muzzle truth, and to prevent the opening up of any other truths burled by Papacy than those which they had received. It Is far from our purpose to say that they intentionally combined against the unfolding of truth, nor would we say this of Papists. But we do say, that by their action they were following Papacy's tactics, and that in that Alliance they did make the Image of the Beast. It has tended to make a separation clear and distinct between the Clergy and the Laity. "How much the Image resembles the Papal Beast may be Judged from the fact that Papacy acknowledged the Image—owned it as a creditable likeness—by the Pope sending 'Greetings' to the last meeting of the Evangelical Alliance. [...] "The Alliance endeavored to establish a standard of orthodoxy. They saw the power of the Papal argument, that it is the Church, and that all others are heretical. In this sense it was a copy, or image, of the Papal institution. It has been merely an Image without life or power for now more than sixty years." (Z/13-342.) Source : 🇺🇸 1917 - Studies in the Scriptures, Vol 7, The finished mystery, page 206, page 207, page 208, page 209, + Cover |
Z/13-342 ➤
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THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST
Revelation, 13th Chapter, we interpreted in THE WATCH TOWER as far back as 1880. We there suggested that in symbolic language a beast represents a government-that the ten-horned beast represented the Papal government, which for a time ruled over all Europe, then the Roman Empire. Although Papacy has no such political influence now, it still claims that it has the right, or authority, to rule all nations, as the representative or vice-gerent of Messiah. We pointed out tire two-horned beast as represented in the church-nation of Great Britain and Ireland; for it also is a government which combines Christianity and civil power The bishops sit in Parliament and the king is officially the head of the church of England. The symbol tells us that as an ecclesiastical power this is a harmless one, "its two horns being" like those of a lamb"-not intended to do injury. "But it spake as a dragon." The dragon represents purely civil power and the government of Great Britain, though nominally religious speaks, or governs as a dragon, or purely civil power. We also call attention to the fact that "the Image of the (Papal) beast" was formed in 1846 A. D. In that year the Protestant denominations, especially in the United States, allied themselves as the "Evangelical Alliance." Their alliance ostensibly was for peace and harmony and noble objects of co-operatlon; but really the organization would appear to have been intended as an attempt to give dignity and auhority to all of the various Protestant sects, and as far as possible to hinder the formation of any new sects by excluding them as unorthodox. The alliance endeavored to establish a standard of orthodoxy, and to give a mutual support and backing to all the different creeds identified with it-Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Preshyterians, etc. This attempted authority, or power, constituted it an image of the Papal beast, or government. They saw the power of the Papal argument, that it is the church, and that all others are heretical. So the Evangelical Alliance undertakes to say for its constituent members of all denominations: "All these are orthodox; all others are heretical." In this sense it was a copy, or image, of the Papal institution. It has been merely an image without life or power for nmv more than sixty years. However, the Lord’s symbolic prophecy, which we are now considering (Revelation 13), tells us that in the close of this age the image will receive life, vitality, energy, power. No longer will it stand as a mere image. It will become as active as the beast. Moreover, it will not be antagonistic to the beast, but sympathetic, and cause that all shall either worship the beast or the image-all must be in harmony either with Catholicism. or with the Protestant system, of which the Evangelical Alliance was the primary organization or Image. TheProtestant Church Federation will be the outcome as soon as it receives the vitalizing breath. AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD FEDERATION The vitality of the Image is to come from the two-horned beast: that is, the church of England. We have been waiting for this consummation more than thirty years, and have seen it draw nearer and nearer. A few years ago the Episcopal church took an important step toward vitalizing the Church Federation movement, which it is favoring and backing. That important step was the recognition of the ministers of the denominations represented in the Evangelical Alliance. Source : 🇺🇸 The Watchtower, November 15, 1913, page 343 |
⚫ It symbolizes the League of Nations (the United Nations - UN)
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"IMAGE TO THE BEAST"
The two-horned beast, having the attention of all the rulers of the earth drawn to it, is represented as "saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast", one of the heads of which had received the wound and had recovered. (Rev. 13:14) Rotherham. renders this text: "They should make an image unto the wild-beast." This message or request the two-horned beast addressed to the rulers or its own empire, as well as all the other rulers of the earth. This image should be made "unto", that is to say, in the likeness of the 'sea beast' and for the benefit of the 'sea beast', to wit, Satan's entire organization. That which resulted is a modernization of the ancient universal empire system, in a multilateral Peace Pact for the preservation of the Devils imperial rule, and for its benefit to avoid further strife between component parts of his organization, and to draw them into a compact and unite them in war against God's organization. This is a conspiracy formed against God's organization. (Ps, 2:2, 3; Isa. 8:9) The facts conclusively prove that the League of Nations is this image to the beast. It is a formation of a thing for the benefit of Satan's wicked organization. Source : 🇺🇸 1930 - Light, Vol 1, page 293, page 294 + Cover |
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The image of the beast at first was the League of Nations, now called the United Nations, for this arrangement was established to perpetuate the visible, political organization and its control over the earth.
Source : 🇺🇸 The Watchtower, August 15 1966, page 499 + Cover |