The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

embraced the religion thus adulterated to their taste, and by their conspicuous and
exulting reception of it, occupied the attention of the rulers, and allowed the small body of
dissentients to escape their sight."
It is an indisputable fact of history that Constantine and his successors on the throne (both
of the Eastern and Western Empires) in league with the apostate bishops, introduced a
flood of false doctrines, superstitions, and idolatries, into the Church. Amongst these was
the veneration of the cross, and the ascription to it of miraculous powers; the worship of
relics, such as the bones of the saints and martyrs, etc. It was during this period that the
false doctrine of the intercession of Mary and the saints was introduced, and the
conversion of the simple worship of the Apostolic Church into gorgeous ceremonials. It
was also during this period that the celibacy of the clergy was encouraged, and the
arrogation of the throne and prerogatives of God by both the civil and ecclesiastical rulers.
"These falsehoods, follies and impieties introduced, or adopted by the emperors,
encouraged by their example, sanctioned by their laws, and enforced by the penalties of
excommunication, imprisonment, the forfeiture of civil rights, banishment, and death-came
armed with an overpowering force to all who were not fortified against them by the
special aids of the Divine Spirit, and like a resistless torrent, bore away the great mass of
the Church."
Based on an erroneous supposition that the serpent in this place represents Satan, the
fallen, wicked, spirit being, some writers have interpreted the water coming out of his
mouth to represent the utterances which issued forth from evil agencies, even the infidel
writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This was the interpretation of Mr.
Faber, a voluminous writer on prophecy during the first half of the nineteenth century.
This is not only in conflict with the proper understanding of the phase of life from which
the symbol is drawn, and its application to the Roman government of that early period, but
also with the particular time stated in the vision for its fulfillment. It was during the period
of the woman's flight, which was at the beginning of the 1260 years, that the water was
cast out of the dragon's mouth to engulf the woman, and not near the end of her sojourn in
the wilderness.
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of
her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."-
-Rev. 12:17
The anger of the dragon denotes that those he still continues to symbolize, (the civil rulers,
Constantine and his successors, professing now, however to be Christian rulers) exhibited
the same intolerant and persecuting spirit as their Pagan predecessors. This evil
disposition or spirit was manifested in persecuting the true Christians, and in suppressing
their religious liberties. The Christians referred to in this verse are doubtless those
individuals who continued in association with the nationalized, but fallen Church, but
who protested against its blasphemous claims and usurpations, false doctrines, and
idolatrous worship. This condition of things continued during the period of over two