"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy" (Revelation 13:1).

"This prophecy [of Revelation 13:1—10], which is nearly identical with the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy."–The Great Controversy, p. 439.

Suggested Readings: Maranatha, p. 150.
The Great Controversy, pp. 563—573.

Sunday August 26

1. THE FIRST BEAST

a. What vision was given to John after he had seen the conflict between the dragon and the remnant church? Revelation 13:1 (first part), 2.

"In chapter 13 (verses 1—10) is described another beast, ‘like unto a leopard,’ to which the dragon gave ‘his power, and his seat, and great authority.’ This symbol, as most Protestants have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once held by the ancient Roman empire."–The Great Controversy, p. 439.

b. What is the significance of the beast coming up out of the sea? In Bible symbolism, what do waters represent? Revelation 17:15.

"In many of the nations of Europe the powers that ruled in church and state had for centuries been controlled by Satan through the medium of the papacy."–The Great Controversy, pp. 268, 269.

Monday August 27

2. EARTHLY DOMINION

a. In the Dark Ages, what means did the dragon use to exert his power over the nations of Europe, and how will he again do so in the future? Revelation 12:3; 17:12, 13.

b. How is the beast’s identity further confirmed through the writing of Martin Luther after his shocking visit to Rome, the city of seven hills? Revelation 17:7, 9.

"[Luther] beheld in the distance the seven-hilled city. With deep emotion he prostrated himself upon the earth, exclaiming: ‘Holy Rome, I salute thee!’ . . . He entered the city, visited the churches, listened to the marvelous tales repeated by priests and monks, and performed all the ceremonies required. Everywhere he looked upon scenes that filled him with astonishment and horror. He saw that iniquity existed among all classes of the clergy. . . . Turn where he would, in the place of sanctity he found profanation. ‘No one can imagine,’ he wrote, ‘what sins and infamous actions are committed in Rome; they must be seen and heard to be believed. Thus they are in the habit of saying, "If there is a hell, Rome is built over it: it is an abyss whence issues every kind of sin."’"–The Great Controversy, pp. 124, 125.

c. What name was written on the forehead of the beast, and what did he speak? Revelation 13:1 (last part), 5, 6.

"Popes and priests claimed the power to forgive sins, and to open and close the gates of Heaven to all mankind. Senseless superstitions and rigorous exactions had taken the place of the true worship of God. The lives of popes and clergy were so corrupt, their proud pretensions so blasphemous, that good men trembled for the morality of the rising generation."–The Signs of the Times, May 31, 1883.

d. Give some examples of blasphemy? Matthew 9:2—6; John 10:32, 33.

Tuesday August 28

3. A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF DARKNESS

a. What does prophecy say that the beast would do to the people of God? Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7.

"In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established. Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism had given place to the papacy. The dragon had given to the beast ‘his power, and his seat, and great authority’ (Revelation 13:2). And now began the 1260 years of papal oppression foretold in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5—7). Christians were forced to choose either to yield their integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and worship, or to wear away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the rack, the fagot, or the headsman’s ax."–The Great Controversy, p. 54.

b. Though the prophecy foresaw 1260 years of persecution, what happened just before its end? Matthew 24:21, 22. What natural phenomenon then occurred? Matthew 24:29.

"In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church–the 1260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened–He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light’ (Mark 13:24). The 1260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased. Following this persecution, according to the words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened. On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled."–The Great Controversy, p. 306.

"May 19, 1780, stands in history as ‘The Dark Day.’ Since the time of Moses no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration, has ever been recorded. The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfillment: [Joel 2:31 quoted]."–Ibid., p. 308.

Wednesday August 29

4. THE DEADLY WOUND

a. What is the meaning of the prophetic prediction that one of the heads of the beast would receive a deadly wound? Revelation 13:3 (first part), 10.

"The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. ‘I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast’ (Revelation 13:3). The infliction of the deadly wound points to the downfall of the papacy in 1798."–The Great Controversy, p. 579.

"At that time [1798] the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.’"–Ibid., p. 439.

b. What period of time had elapsed between the rising of the beast and the receiving of the deadly wound? Revelation 13:5.

"The forty and two months are the same as the ‘time and times and the dividing of time,’ three years and a half, or 1260 days, of Daniel 7–the time during which the papal power was to oppress God’s people. This period . . . began with the supremacy of the papacy, a.d. 538, and terminated in 1798."–The Great Controversy, p. 439.

c. How do we know that the deadly wound is now healing? Revelation 13:3 (middle part).

"Romanism is now regarded by Protestants with far greater favor than in former years. . . . The time was when Protestants placed a high value upon the liberty of conscience which had been so dearly purchased. They taught their children to abhor popery and held that to seek harmony with Rome would be disloyalty to God. But how widely different are the sentiments now expressed!

"The defenders of the papacy declare that the church has been maligned, and the Protestant world are inclined to accept the statement."–The Great Controversy, p. 563.

Thursday August 30

5. THE WORSHIP OF THE BEAST

a. What should we realize as evidence shows that the papal wound is healing? 2 Thessalonians 2:3—8.

"Every principle of the papacy that existed in past ages exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The papacy that Protestants are now so ready to honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up, at the peril of their lives, to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty and slew the saints of the Most High." –The Great Controversy, p. 571.

b. What is the final extent of the beast’s power, and who was seen as worshiping him? Revelation 13:3 (last part), 8.

"We are living in a momentous period of this earth’s history. The great conflict is just before us. We see the world corrupted under the inhabitants thereof. The man of sin has worked with a marvelous perseverance to exalt the spurious sabbath, and the disloyal Protestant world has wondered after the beast, and has called obedience to the Sabbath instituted by Jehovah disloyalty to the laws of the nations. Kingdoms have confederated to sustain a false sabbath institution, which has not a word of authority in the oracles of God."–The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 7, p. 977.

Friday August 31

1. From where did the first beast of Revelation 13 arise?
2. What are the main characteristics of the first beast?
3. Describe how prophecy was fulfilled on May 19, 1780.
4. What is symbolized by the "deadly wound"?
5. Give evidence of how this wound is rapidly healing.

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