The Leopard Beast

The sea is a symbol of "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
Revelation 17: 15. A beast is the Bible symbol of a nation or power. It
sometimes represents the civil power alone, and sometimes the
ecclesiastical in connection with civil. Whenever a beast is seen to come
up out of the sea, it denotes that the power arises in a thickly populated
territory. 

By the dragon of the previous chapter, and the beast first introduced in
this, we have the Roman power as a whole brought to view in its two phases,
pagan and papal; hence these two symbols have each the seven heads and ten
horns.       

The Leopard Beast.--The seven-headed and ten-horned beast, more briefly the
leopard beast, here introduced, symbolizes a power which exercises
ecclesiastical as well as civil authority. This point is of sufficient
importance to justify the introduction of a few conclusive arguments which
prove it.       

The line of prophecy in which this symbol occurs begins with Revelation 12.
The symbols of earthly governments embraced in the prophecy are the dragon 
of Revelation 12 and the leopard beast and the two-horned beast of Revelation 13.
The same line of prophecy evidently continues into chapter 14. Beginning, 
therefore, with Revelation 12: 1, and ending with Revelation 14: 5, we have a line 
of prophecy distinct and complete in itself.       

Each of the powers here introduced is represented as fiercely persecuting
the church of God. The scene opens with the church under the symbol of a
woman anxiously longing for the promise to be fulfilled that the seed of
the woman, the Lord of glory, should appear among men. The dragon stood
before the woman for the purpose of devouring her child. His evil design is
thwarted, and the child is caught up to God and His throne. A period
follows in which the church suffers severe oppression from this dragon
power. In this part of the scene the prophet occasionally glances forward,
once even down almost to the end, because all the enemies of the church
were to be actuated by the spirit of the dragon. In verse 1 of Revelation
13 we are carried back to the time when the leopard beast, the successor of
the dragon, begins his career. From this power the church suffers war and
persecution for the long period of 1260 years. Following this period of
oppression, the church has another conflict, brief but sharp and severe,
with the two-horned beast. Then comes deliverance. The prophecy closes with
the church brought safely through all her persecutions, and standing
victorious with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Thank God for the sure promise of
final victory!       

The one character which ever appears the same in all these scenes, and
whose history is the leading theme through all the prophecy, is the true
Church of God. The other characters are her persecutors, and are introduced
simply because they are such. Here, as an introductory inquiry, we raise
the question, Who or what is it that persecutes the true church? It is a
false or apostate church. What is it that is ever warring against true
religion? It is a false and counterfeit religion. Who ever heard of the
mere civil power of any nation persecuting the people of God on its own 
initiative? Governments may war against other governments to avenge some 
wrong, real or imaginary or to acquire territory and extend their power. 
But governments do not persecute (mark the word--do not persecute) people 
on account of their religion, unless under the control of some opposite and 
hostile system of religion.       

Leopard Beast a Persecuting Power.--The powers introduced in this
prophecy--the dragon, the leopard beast, and the two-horned beast of verses
11-17--are all persecuting powers. They are actuated by rage and enmity
against the people and church of God. This fact is of itself sufficiently
conclusive evidence that in each of these powers the ecclesiastical or
religious element is the controlling power.       

Take the dragon: what does it symbolize?--The undeniable answer is,
Primarily Satan, as shown heretofore, and secondarily the Roman Empire. But
this is not enough. No one would be satisfied with this answer and no more.
It must be more definite. We therefore add, The Roman Empire in its pagan
form, to which all must agree. But just as soon as we say pagan, we
introduce a religious element, for paganism is one of the most gigantic
systems of counterfeit religion that Satan has ever devised. The dragon,
then, is so far an ecclesiastical power that the very characteristic by
which it is distinguished is a false system of religion. What made the
dragon persecute the church of Christ? It was because Christianity was
prevailing against paganism, sweeping away its superstitions, overturning
its idols, and dismantling its temples. The religious element of that power
was touched, and persecution was the result.       

We now come to the leopard beast of Revelation 13. What does that
symbolize? The answer still is, The Roman Empire. But the dragon symbolized
the Roman Empire, and why does not the same symbol represent it still? Ah!
there has been a change in the religious character of the empire. This
beast symbolized Rome in its professedly Christian form. It is this change
of religion, and this alone, which makes a change in the symbol necessary. This 
beast differs from the dragon only that it presents a different religious aspect. 
Hence it would be wrong to affirm that it denotes simply the Roman civil power.       

A Symbol of the Papacy.--To this beast the dragon gives his power, his
seat, and great authority. By what power was pagan Rome succeeded? We all
know that is was by papal Rome. It matters not to our present purpose when
or by what means this change was effected. The great fact is apparent, and
is acknowledged by all, that the next great phase of the Roman Empire after
its pagan form was its papal. It would not be correct, therefore, to say
that pagan Rome gave its power and seat to a form of government merely
civil, having no religious element whatever. No stretch of the imagination
can conceive of such a transaction. But two phases of empire are here
recognized, and in the prophecy Rome is pagan until Rome is papal. The
statement that the dragon gave to the leopard beast his power and seat, is
further evidence that the dragon of Revelation 12: 3 is used as symbol of
pagan Rome. But back of both powers, and leading them on in their wicked
work, is Satan himself.       

But it may be said that it takes both the leopard beast and the two-horned
beast to constitute the papacy, and hence it is to these that the dragon
gives his power, seat, and great authority. But the prophecy does not say
so. It is the leopard beast alone with which the dragon has to do. It is to
that beast alone that he gives his power, seat, and great authority. It is
that beast which has a head that is wounded to death, which is afterward
healed; that beast after which the whole world wonders; that beast which
has a mouth speaking blasphemies, and which wears out the saints for 1260
years. It does all this before the succeeding power, the two-horned beast,
appears. The leopard beast alone, therefore, symbolizes the Roman Empire in
its papal form, the controlling influence being ecclesiastical.       

Identical With the Little Horn.--To show this more fully, we have but to
draw a parallel between the little horn of Daniel 8: 20, 24, 25, and this power. 
From this comparison it will appear that the little horn and the leopard beast 
symbolize the same power. The little horn is generally acknowledged to be a 
symbol of the papacy. There are six points by which to establish their identity:       

1. The little horn was a blasphemous power. "He shall speak great words
against the Most High." Daniel 7: 25. The leopard beast of Revelation 13: 6
does the same. "He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God."       

2. The little horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them.
(Daniel 7: 21.) This beast also (Revelation 13: 7) makes war with the
saints, and overcomes them.       

3. The little horn had a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7: 8, 20.) Of
this beast we read: "There was given unto him a mouth speaking great things
and blasphemies." Revelation 13: 5.       

4. The little horn arose on the cessation of the pagan form of the Roman
Empire. The beast of Revelation 13: 2 arises at the same time; for the
dragon, pagan Rome, gives him his power, his seat, and great authority.       

5. Power was given to the little horn to continue for a time, times, and
the dividing of time, or 1260 years. (Daniel 7: 25) To this beast also
power was given for forty-two months or 1260 years. (Revelation 13: 5.)       

6. At the end of that specified period of 1260 years the "saints," "times,"
and "laws" were to be taken out of the "hand" of the little horn. (Daniel
7: 25.) At the end of the same period, the leopard beast was himself to be
led "into captivity." Revelation 13: 10. Both these specifications were
fulfilled in the captivity and exile of the pope, and the temporary
overthrow of the papacy by France in 1798.       

These six points prove satisfactorily the identity of the little horn and
the leopard beast. When we have in prophecy two symbols, as in this
instance, representing powers that come upon the stage of action at the
same time, occupy the same territory, maintain the same character, do the
same work, exist the same length of time, and meet the same fate, those 
symbols represent the same identical power.       

Received a Deadly Wound.--The head that was wounded to death was the papal
head. We are held to this conclusion by the obvious principle that whatever
is spoken in prophecy of the symbol of any government, applies to that
government only while it is represented by that symbol. Now Rome is
represented by two symbols, the dragon and the leopard beast, because it
has presented two phases, the pagan and the papal; and whatever is said of
the leopard beast applies to Rome only in its professedly Christian form.
John says that it was one of the heads of this leopard beast that was
wounded to death. In other words, this wound fell upon the form of
government that existed in the Roman Empire after its change from paganism
to Christianity. Thus it is evident that is was the papal head that was
wounded to death, and whose deadly wound was healed. This wounding is the
same as the going into captivity. (Revelation 13: 10.) It was inflicted
when the pope was taken prisoner by Berthier, the French general, and the
papal government was for a time abolished, in 1798. Stripped of his power,
both civil and ecclesiastical, the captive pope, Pius VI, died in exile at
Valence in France, August 29, 1799. But the deadly wound began to be healed
when the papacy was re-established, though with less of its former power,
by the election of a new pope, March 14, 1800. [1]       

Speak Blasphemies.--This beast opens his mouth "in blasphemy against God,
to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."
Mention has already been made in comments on the book of Daniel as to the
significance of the expression, "He shall speak great words against the
Most High." Daniel 7: 25. In verse 5 in this chapter of Revelation similar
words are used, for he had "a mouth speaking great things." Here, however,
the word "blasphemy" is added, and this evidently points to the fact that
the great words will be blasphemous enunciations against the God of heaven.       

In the Gospels we find two indications of what constitutes blasphemy. In
John 10: 33 we read that the Jews falsely charged Jesus with blasphemy
because, said they, "Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God." This is in the
case of the Saviour was untrue, because He was the Son of God. He was
"Immanuel, God With Us." But for man to assume the prerogatives of God and
to take the titles of deity--this is blasphemy.       

Again, in Luke 5: 21 we see the Pharisees endeavoring to catch Jesus in His
words. "Who is this which speaketh blasphemies?" said they. "Who can
forgive sins, but God alone?" Jesus could pardon transgressions, for He was
the divine Saviour. But for man, mortal man, to claim such authority is
blasphemy indeed.       

We might ask if the power represented by this symbol has fulfilled this
part of the prophecy. In comments on Daniel 7: 25 we saw clearly from the
evidence submitted that he had spoken "great words" against the God of
heaven. Now observe what is said regarding the claim of the priesthood to
forgive sins:       

"The priest holds the place of the Saviour Himself, when, by saying, 'Ego
te absolvo' [I thee absolve], he absolves from sin. . . . To pardon a
single sin requires all the omnipotence  of God. . . . But what only God can 
do by His omnipotence, the priest can also do by saying 'Ego te absolvo a 
peccatis tuis.'. . . Innocent III has written: 'Indeed, it is not too much to 
say that in view of the sublimity of their offices the priests are so many gods.' " [2]       

Note still further the blasphemous utterances of this power:       

"But our wonder should be far greater when we find that in obedience to the
words of His priests--HOC EST CORPUS MEUM [This is My body]--God Himself
descends on the altar, that He comes wherever they call Him, and as often
as they call Him, and places Himself in their hands, even though they
should be His enemies. And after having come, He remains, entirely at their
disposal; they move Him as they please, from one place to another; they
may, if they wish, shut Him up in the tabernacle, or expose Him on the
altar, or carry Him outside the church; they may, if they choose, eat His
flesh, and give Him for the food of others. 'Oh, how very great is their
power,' says St. Laurence Justinian, speaking of priests. 'A word falls
from their lips and the body of Christ is there substantially formed from
the matter of bread, and the Incarnate Word descended from heaven, is found
really present on the table of the altar!' " [3]       

"Thus the priest may, in a certain manner, be called the creator of his
Creator. . . . 'The power of the priest,' says St. Bernardine of Sienna,
'is the power of the divine person; for the transubstantiation of the bread
requires as much power as the creation of the world.' " [4]       

Thus this beast power blasphemes the temple in heaven by turning attention
of his subjects to his own throne and palace instead of to the tabernacle
of God; by diverting their attention from the sacrifice of the Son of God
to the sacrifice of the mass.        

He blasphemes them that dwell in heaven by assuming to exercise the power
of forgiving sins, and so turns away the minds of men from the mediatorial
work of Christ and His heavenly assistants in the sanctuary above.       

By verse 10 we are again referred to the events of 1798, when that power
that had for 1260 years led the saints of God into captivity, was itself
let into captivity.       

1] See Archibald Bower, History of the Popes, Vol. III, pp. 409-420;
George Croly, The Apocalypse of St. John, p. 251.       

[2] Alphonsus de Liguori, Dignity and Duties of the Priest, pp. 34-36.       

[3] Ibid., pp. 26, 27.       

[4] Ibid., pp. 32, 33.