Page:Darby - Notes on the Book of Revelations, 1839.djvu/116

 darkness, the earth, we have another beast come up. In form of power he was like the Lamb, not in real meekness and suffering, but he took the similitude of his power; yet his utterance, his voice, his expression of himself, having this form of power, was like the dragon, the great hostile power of Satan himself prevailing over the stars of. heaven, and persecuting on earth,—a very strange and singular combination—the similitude of the power of Christ, in form—of Christ when hid in the throne: it was not of the Son of man openly, but the expression of the character of Satan when he spake. We have still, as a beast, a corporate oppressing power, not an individual, though, in some sense, an individual may actually wield its power ; but that is not the force of the symbol “beast” anywhere: power so concentrated, is rather a horn, though there may be close connection between them. This did not set aside the existence of the first beast, but was of another character, yet “he exercises all the power of the first beast,” before the first beast, in his presence—still a very singular position: his power, however, is not, as such, over kindreds, and tongues, and nations, but localised, and acting on men’s minds in influence when subject—not subjecting secularly nations. He causes