Through paganism, and then through the Papacy, Satan exerted his power for many centuries in an effort to blot from the earth God's faithful witnesses. Pagans and papists were actuated by the same dragon spirit. They differed only in that the Papacy, making a pretense of serving God, was the more dangerous and cruel foe. Through the agency of Romanism, Satan took the world captive. The professed church of God was swept into the ranks of this delusion, and for more than a thousand years the people of God suffered under the dragon's ire. And when the Papacy, robbed of its strength, was forced to desist from persecution, John beheld a new power coming up to echo the dragon's voice, and carry forward the same cruel and blasphemous work. This power, the last that is to wage war against the church and the law of God, was symbolized by a beast with lamblike horns. The beasts preceding it had risen from the sea, but this came up out of the earth, representing the peaceful rise of the nation which is symbolized. The two horns like a lamb well represent the character of the United States Government, as expressed in its two fundamental principles, Republicanism and Protestantism. These principles are the secret of our power and prosperity as a nation. Those who first found an asylum on the shores of American rejoiced that they had reached a country free from the arrogant claims of popery and the tyranny of kingly rule. They determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty.

Gennem hedenskabet og senere gennem den katolske kirke har Satan ned igennem århundreder udøvet sin magt i forsøg på at udslette Guds trofaste vidner fra jordens overflade. Hedninger og pavestyret drives af den samme drageånd. Den eneste forskel er, at pavekirken, fordi den foregav at tjene Gud, var en langt mere farlig og grusom fjende. Gennem romerkirken lykkedes det Satan at bedrage hele verden. Den menighed, som bekendte sig til at tilhøre Gud, blev overlistet af dette vrede. Da pavemagten berøvet sin styrke blev tvunget til at opgive forfølgelsen, så Johannes en ny magt opstå. Den talte med dragens stemme og førte det samme grusomme værk videre. Denne magt, som er den sidste, der skal føre krig mod Guds lov og hans børn, var symboliseret ved et dyr med horn som et Lam. De foregående dyr var opstået af havet, men dette kom op af jorden, hvilket er et tegn på denne nations fredelige begyndelse. De to horn, der lignede et Lams, er et udmærket symbol på De forenede Staters to grundlæggende principper: folkestyre og protestantisme. Disse principper er hemmeligheden ved vor nations magt og fremgang. De mennesker, som først fandt et fristed på Amerikas kyster, glædede sig over, at de var kommet til et land, hvortil pavemagtens og kongernes hovmodige tyranni ikke nåede. De besluttede at danne en regering, hvis grundtanke var borgerlig og religiøs frihed.