The principal acts ascribed to the two-horned beast, which seem to be performed with special reference to the papal beast, are, the causing of men to worship that beast, causing them to make an image to that beast, and enforcing upon them the mark of the beast.  The image, after it is created and endowed with life, undertakes to enforce the worship of itself.  To avoid confusion, we must keep these parties distinct in our minds.  There are three here brought before us:  1.  The papal beast.  This power is designated as “the beast,” “the first beast,” “the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live,” and, the “beast whose deadly wound was healed.”  These expressions all refer to the same power; and wherever they occur in this prophecy, they have exclusive reference to the papacy. 2.  The two-horned beast.  This power, after its introduction in verse 11, is represented through the remainder of the prophecy by the pronoun “he;” and wherever this pronoun occurs, down to the 17th verse (with possibly the exception of the 16th verse, which perhaps may refer to the image), it refers invariably to the two-horned beast. 3.  The image of the beast.  This is, every time, with the exception just stated, called the image; so that there is no danger of confounding this with any other agent.

The acts ascribed to the image are speaking and enforcing the worship of itself under the penalty of death; and this is the only enactment which the prophecy mentions as enforced under the death penalty.  Just what will constitute this worship, it will perhaps be impossible to determine till the image itself shall have an existence.  It will evidently be some act or acts by which men will be required to acknowledge the authority of that image and yield obedience to its mandates.

The mark of the beast is enforced by the two-horned beast either directly or through the image.  The penalty attached to a refusal to receive this mark is a forfeiture of all social privileges, a deprivation of the right to buy and sell.  The mark is the mark of the papal beast.  Against this worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark, the third angel’s message of Rev. 14:9-12, is a most solemn and thrilling warning.

Here, then, is the issue before us.  Human organizations, controlled and inspired by the spirit of the dragon, are to command men to do those acts which are in reality the worshiping of an apostate religious power, and the receiving of his mark, or lose the rights of citizenship and become outlaws in the land; and to do that which constitutes the worship of the image of the beast, or forfeit their lives.  On the other hand, God says by a message, mercifully sent out a little before the fearful crisis is upon us, Do any of these things, and you “shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.”  He who refuses to comply with these demands of earthly powers exposes himself to the severest penalties which human beings can inflict; and he who does comply, exposes himself to the most terrible threatening of divine wrath to be found in the word of God.  The question whether we will obey God or man is to be decided by the people of the present age, under the heaviest pressure, from either side, that has ever been brought to bear upon any generation.