The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

we understand to refer to an official decree of the emperor Justinian, in 533, by which the
Roman Bishop was made head over all the churches of Christendom. The central seat of
government was at this time located at Constantinople in the East. As this decree of
Justinian was issued over two centuries after the Pagan religion had ceased to be the
religion of the government, it will be seen from this Scripture that the dragon continues to
be the symbol employed to represent the Eastern civil-religious governmental power
centered at Constantinople. The form of religion that this government administered while
professedly Christian, in reality was nothing but a Paganized form of Christianity. Thus
the appropriateness of the dragon symbol.
The dragon, it would seem, continues to symbolize the Paganized-Christian government
in the East, at least until the fall of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. This
Eastern government is frequently referred to by historians as the Eastern or Greek Empire,
for the reason that the territory it controlled was largely that of the ancient Greek Empire.
The church systems united to the several governments occupying that territory are at the
present time denominated Eastern Christendom and seem still to be described in the
Scriptures under the symbol of the "dragon." This was what Mr. Lord understood was the
power represented in the sixth plague symbol as the dragon, as we read: "It is the symbol
of the rulers of the Eastern Roman Empire, supporting an apostate church, and arrogating
the right of dictating the religion of their subjects." Applying the symbol of the dragon to
the vision of the sixth plague, which he understood at the time he wrote had not met its
fulfillment, he says: "At the period of this event, a government is to subsist in Thrace or
that vicinity that shall nationalize the religion of that empire as under its last imperial
head." When Constantinople fell, many of those professing the Paganized form of
Christianity then prevalent, were forced to relinquish it, and accept the Mohammedan
faith. The apostate Christian religion, however, has continued to be held by vast numbers,
and in most instances is united to the governments. This combination of civil and religious
affairs at the present time is called Eastern Christendom, to distinguish it from Western
Christendom.
The false prophet referred to in this vision of the sixth plague is generally understood to
refer to the same power as that described in Rev. 13, as the "image of the beast." This, as
we explained when considering that chapter, represents the last stage of the fallen (from
favor) Protestant organizations, out from which will then have come all the real, true heirs
of the Kingdom.
Briefly summing up the symbols of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet of this
vision, we understand the dragon to represent the religious rulers of Eastern Christendom;
the beast, the religious rulers of Roman Catholic Christendom; and the false prophet, the
Protestant Federation, or a combination of all the Protestant sects.
The significance of these unclean spirits represented as coming out of the mouth of the
dragon, etc., is well illustrated by what St. John says of lying spirits (teachings), that had
gone forth in his day. The reference seems to be to certain anti-Christian teachings, of
which human teachers were the visible propagators. (1 John 4:1-3.) Their significance may