it in human will—openly man, secretly Satan; as openly it shall be (or manifestly) Christ, and hiddenly (i.e. not in personal manifestation, save by the Son) the Father. And the world honoured the hidden and open power, as we should honour the Father and the Son, save that in us it is in the knowledge of their person. It was a false anticipation in deceit and power, by our evil, of what we own in principle now, and shall be declared in millennial power and manifestation. Thus far we have had the fact, and Satan’s doings in it.
We have, then, the power of mischief as it is conferred upon the beast, he being thus constituted and set up in power by Satan, and receiving Satan’s place: at his hand he is then given power, to shew all his will and thoughts, and to act for so long; for all these things are controlled: this, with its con- sequences, from the 5th to the 8th verses. Consequently, we have here what was done by the beast, as before, what was done to the beast, and about the beast, whether by Satan or in the earth. First, was given to the beast extraordinary prevailing assumption to himself, “he spoke great things”—it is not here doing but speaking in pride—it is his character, not his acts: next, imperious[errata 1] words against others flowing from this pride—blasphemies; and he was
