ject of the prophecy. It is not here of purpose necessarily, but of fact. Out of the floating mass of population, he sees a beast rise up. It was not now a vision in heaven, where the secret designs were carried on, but on earth, where the instruments of these designs are produced and act; but here, not purpose, but fact.
The whole character of the beast, from beginning to end, is seen, but pursued to, and therefore having its agency in, its last form; this enables us to identify the beast personally all through, and brings him under the character of guilt which has attached to him from the beginning, or marked the course of his protracted progress, whatever unrestrained iniquity this may shew itself in at the close. He is, therefore, seen rising out of the sea having all his heads and horns: on his heads names of blaphemy: he bore them high on his front, and the crowns were on his horns, which was the latter form, i. e. the imperial power divided. I do not carry this farther than being definitely characteristic; for if it were carried into detail, as at the close, we should have, assuming the identity according to the ordinary interpretation of the beasts,[1] three of the horns fallen. Further, this beast had incorporated the
- ↑ i.e. of Daniel’s fourth beast with this.
