What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "What is the difference between the beast from the abyss and the beasts from the sea and the earth?"
Answer
The provided quotations do not directly compare all three powers with one another, but discuss them in different contexts. Quotations 1 and 2 compare in detail the beast from the sea (Rev. 13:1–10) and the beast from the earth (Rev. 13:11–18): The sea beast rises out of the “commotions of the world” and has seven heads and ten horns with crowns; the earth beast arises in a separate location (“like a weed in a garden”), has two lamb-like horns, and speaks like a dragon. Quotations 5, 6, and 7 describe the beast from the abyss (Rev. 17:8) as a power “that was, and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss” – identified as Rome in three phases (pagan, transitional, papal). The texts provided do not contain a direct three-way comparison of all three symbols.
Differences between the sea beast and the earth beast (Rev. 13)
»The first beast rose out of the sea, by which we understand the commotions of the world. The second beast rose out of the earth, indicating that it sprang up like a weed in a garden or a tree in the wilderness, and was observed for a long time. The first beast had seven heads and ten horns; the second appears to have had only one head and two horns, but these were like a lamb's, and completely unlike what was seen on the heads of the first beast.«
Identification of the two beasts as separate powers
»Another beast is described in Rev. 13:11 as “coming up” at the time when the first went into captivity, which we understand to be a symbol of the United States of America. 1. It is another beast, distinct from the papal beast, and therefore neither the papal power nor a part of it. 2. It comes up “out of the earth”; this shows that its location is separate from that of the former or papal beast, which is depicted as rising “out of the sea.” 3. It has two horns like a lamb, in contrast to the horns of the first beast, which have crowns on them. 4. It speaks like a dragon. It is hypocritical; its practice does not agree with its profession.«
The beast from the abyss as Rome in three phases
»The beast that you saw was, and is not; and will ascend out of the abyss and go into destruction… Rome in three phases. The beast of which the angel here speaks is evidently the scarlet beast. A wild beast such as the one introduced here is the symbol of an oppressive and persecuting power… Thus Rome in its pagan form was a persecuting power in its relationship to the people of God, during which time it was the beast that was; but the empire was nominally converted to Christianity; there was a transition from paganism to another phase of religion, falsely called Christian; and during a brief period, while this transition was taking place, it lost its wild and persecuting character, and then it could be said of the beast that it was not. Time went on, it degenerated into the papacy and resumed its bloodthirsty and oppressive character, and then it formed the beast that “yet is.”«
The abyss as the desolate earth during the millennium
»The original word denotes an abyss, bottomless, deep, profound… That passage sheds particular light on the meaning of the word here: “Darkness was upon the face of the deep.” The word rendered “deep” there is the same as that rendered “abyss” here… This is precisely what it must mean here in Rev. 20:3. At this time, it should be remembered, the earth is a vast charnel house of desolation and death… Thus the earth is made empty and desolate and turned upside down… And what better term could be used to describe the earth as it winds its way through darkness and desolation for a thousand years than that of the abyss or bottomless pit?«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
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