EDITOR, THE MINISTRY:
When we explain the two horns of the beast of Revelation 13:11, we use a different mode of interpretation from that used for the horns of the other beasts in symbolic prophecy. Why do we do this?
The ten horns of Daniel 7:7, 20; Revelation 12 :3; 13:1; and 17:3 symbolize ten political powers that come up from the ruins of the Roman Empire after it fell in A.D. 476. (Dan. 7:24; Rev. 17:12-14.)
The little horn of Daniel 7:8, 11, 20, 21 is a symbol of the Papacy, the politico-religious power that rose among the natiOns which sprang from the ruins of the Roman Empire. (Verses 24-26.)
The two horns of Daniel 8 :3, 6, 7 represent Media and Persia, the two political powers that united to form the Medo-Persian Empire. (Verse 20.)
The notable horn of verses 5, 8 stands for Alexander the Great, founder of the Greek Empire. (Verse 21.)
The four horns of verse 8, which sprang up in place of the notable horn that was broken, refer to four political divisions of the Greek Empire after Alexander's death. (Verse 22.)
The horn that waxed exceedingly great in verses 9-12 symbolizes pagan and papal Rome. (Verses 23-25.)
Thus in our interpretation of the beasts in prophetic symbolism we generally understand that their horns symbolize either political or religious powers that would act in world affairs in such a way as to affect the cause of God in the earth. But when we turn to Revelation 13:11 we do not interpret the two horns there as representing either two political or two religious powers to rise out of the United States —the nation symbolized by the beast having "two horns like a lamb." Are we inconsistent in this? No.
In the other prophecies we find evidence showing that the horns symbolically function either as political or as religious powers by acting in world affairs in such a way as to affect the cause of God on earth. But in the case of the two horns of Revelation 13 :11, no activity of any kind, either political or religious, is attributed to them. Hence no explanation of them is made in the prophecy itself, for their significance is obvious.
Why, then, are the two horns of Revelation 13:11 mentioned? They are merely descriptive; they depict certain characteristics of the beast of which they are a part. The simple statement that the beast "had two horns like a lamb" shows the power symbolized by it to be youthful, innocent, gentle, and peaceable when it came upon the stage of world affairs.
On the grounds that the two horns of Revelation 13:11 are merely descriptive of the beast to which they belong, and that they do not exercise an independent function of their own as active powers in the world's political and religious life, we justify our interpretation of them. Two statements from the Spirit of prophecy bear out this idea. They are as follows:
And the lamb-like horns, emblems of innocence and gentleness, well represent the character of our government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, Republicanism and Protestantism."—Spirit of Prophecy, v01. 4, P. 277.
"'And he had two horns like a lamb.' The lamb-like horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as 'coming up' in 1798." —The Great Controversy, p. 441.
ROBERT L. ODOM. Editor, Philippine Publishing House.
