The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

The first beast, at the present time, has lost the support of nearly all these ten governments.
The second beast has likewise lost the support, religiously, of one of the governments that
supported it.
The first beast in its ruling head for centuries exercised and still claims both civil and
ecclesiastical powers over its subjects, thus arrogating to itself powers belonging only to
God. The second beast in its ruling head, as represented in its kings and queens, has
exercised and still claims both civil and ecclesiastical power over its subjects, thus
arrogating to itself powers belonging only to God.
Through the enlightening influences since the Sixteenth-century Reformation both the first
and the second beasts have been led or compelled to yield religious freedom to their
subjects. Both of these powers are becoming more and more influential in political and
religious matters as a result of the great troubles that have come to the earth through the
World-war.
The second beast is seeking measures toward a union of all the Protestant religious
systems, and making overtures to the Papacy for a union with it.
Chapter 31: Rev. 13:15-18
The Vision of the Image of the Beast
"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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 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. 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 threescore and six."--Rev. 13:15-18.
We now come to the consideration of a vision that seems to relate to the closing events of
the history of the Protestant sects, and which doubtless up to the present time has had but
a partial fulfillment. This is recognized by some of the later expositors who see
Protestantism's fallen condition and are separated from it. Mr. Russell was amongst these;
note the following written in 1915:
"When the earthquake, or revolution, so prominently mentioned in the Scriptures [Rev.
16:18], shall have come, that, no doubt, will be the time when the kings and the captains of
industry, of finance and of politics will in self-defense greatly exalt the power of religious
leaders. Then we may expect that the Federation of Churches will exercise a power in the
world such as has not been since the days of Papal supremacy. In the symbolic language of
Revelation, that will be the time in which the 'image of the beast' will have life and work
great wonders, threatening, commanding, in the name of Heaven.--Rev. 13:11-18."